Formation

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Formation

The Formation of Israel

How was this nation form from the loins of one man ? Those who have read the book Genesis willl know the answer quite clearly. On one occassion, Abram became father to a boy by an Egyptian girl, and that boy's name was Ishmael. Than one day, that Abram cried unto God, " O, that Ishmael might live before Thee! " But no, God said, " You leave Ishmael to me. " Ishmael was not to be the father of that nation. Abram was to have another son by the name of Isaac, and God gave Isaac to Sarah in her old age, and to Abram and in his old age...and from the loins of Isaac came a man named Jacob. But Jacob was a twin, and his twin brother was Esau. Esau was born first and came from the womb of his mother before Jacob. By every right Esau should have inherited that birth right, but God said, " The elder shall serve the younger. " And again, before those children were born, God made a selection.

With the choice of Abram, and God selection, you have God's sovereignty. And the choice of Jacob, you have God's selection. And so, from the lions of Jacob came twelve sons. There is an interesting account over the 49th chapter of the book on Genesis, and for want of a better title, I am going to call this " The judgement seat of Jacob. " You bible students are acquainted with the judgment seat of Christ, but here is the judgment seat of Jacob. Here, Jacob, now ready to pass on into eternity, says in Genesis 49, " Gather yourselves together, and here, ye sons of Jacob, and hearken unto Israel your father. " { Verse 2 }.

Let me say that the word " Hebrew " is used for the first time in Genesis 13 where Abram is called " the Hebrew. " You will never find this word before it is attached to Abram. The word " Jews " is a contraction of the name Judah, and Judah was one of the twelve sons of Jacob. Jacob gathered his son before him prior to his death. This is the judgment seat of Jacob. He said, " Reuben, you are out of the picture. You uare as unstable as water... Sorry. " He said, " Simeon and Levi you were instruments of cruelty... Sorry, you are out of the picture. " And one by one, Jacob pronounced judgment upon his sons, untill you come to verse 8, when he said, " Judah, you will be the one through whom shall come the Deliverer for the world, the Savior, the Redeemer, " and He picked Judah, through whom He would send the Messiah. So, you have God's sovereignty in the foundation of the nation, you have God's selection in the formation of the nation.

Thus, you have Israel------Jacob's name was changed to Israel.

" Hebrew, " which comes from the first man whom God called, and the word " Jew, " from the tribe of Judah... So you see God's sovereignty and God's selection.