January 22, 1999
"I was glad when they said to me let us go up to the house of YHVH" (Psa.122:1). "For there shall be a day when the watchmen will cry on Mount Ephraim, `arise, and let us go up to Zion, to YHVH our Elohim" (Jer.31:6). In last week's letter I wrote to you about what I thought, or whom I thought, the house of YHVH might be. If it is true, and the house of Jacob, Israel, Judah, and David, all make up this dwelling place of the Most High Elohim, then their restoration would become very important to understand, especially in light of "the works of YHVH." For "unless YHVH builds the house we labor in vain" (Psa. 127:1).
When I read about "the work of YHVH," I usually think about the creation, or the great deliverance of our forefathers out of Egypt, and how YHVH took care of them throughout the wilderness journey. But in Isaiah YHVH points out another aspect of His work. "Therefore thus says YHVH, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: "Jacob shall not now be ashamed, Nor shall his face now grow pale; when he sees his children, The work of My hands, in his midst, they will hallow My name, hallow the Holy One of Jacob, and fear the Elohim of Israel" (Isa. 29:22-23). How are these children of Jacob the "work of His hands"?
Elohim the farmer
One of the first things we see Elohim doing, in keeping covenant and in working things out after the council of His will, is sowing a seed. "I will sow them among the peoples, And they shall remember Me in far countries; they shall live, together with their children, and they shall return" (Zech. 10:9). A farmer or husbandman, takes seed in his hand and with a throwing motion scatters it upon the ground. Then, at the end of the growing season, He will bring in the harvest. "Also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed for you, when I return the captives of My people" (Hos. 6:11). "I will winnow them with a winnowing fan in the gates of the land" (Jer. 15:7). "His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire" (Matt. 3:12; Luke 3:17).
Another work that a farmer does is to plant shoots or branches in the ground. "Then all your people will be righteous; they will possess the land forever. The branch of His planting, the work of His hand, that He might be glorified" (Isa. 60:21). Pruning and grafting form another aspect of the work of his hands. "For before the harvest, when the bud is perfect and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, He will both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks and take away the cut down branches" (Isa. 18:5). This work becomes more evident as Jacob was called an olive tree, "YHVH called your name, Green Olive Tree, lovely and of good fruit. "With the noise of a great tumult He has kindled fire on it, and its branches are broken off, for the Lord of hosts, who planted you, has pronounced doom against you for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke Me to anger in offering incense to Baal" (Jer. 11:16-17). In these verses we see the reason why the olive branches were cut off. The Apostle Paul picks up on this typology in his letter to the Romans. How is it, that he uses the concept of the wild and the natural olive branch? As we see, branches were broken off from both trees, and scattered into all the nations. However, ultimately a day was to come when a root would shoot up from the tribe of Judah, and the house of David. "And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people" (Isa. 11:10; Rom. 15:12). This root was the only one that was preserved from the original stock, and the only one that the scattered branches could be grafted into. Olive branches need an olive root to be joined to, in order to live and produce fruit.
"I was glad when they said to me let us go up to the house of YHVH" (Psa.122:1). "For there shall be a day when the watchmen will cry on Mount Ephraim, `arise, and let us go up to Zion, to YHVH our Elohim" (Jer.31:6). In last week's letter I wrote to you about what I thought, or whom I thought, the house of YHVH might be. If it is true, and the house of Jacob, Israel, Judah, and David, all make up this dwelling place of the Most High Elohim, then their restoration would become very important to understand, especially in light of "the works of YHVH." For "unless YHVH builds the house we labor in vain" (Psa. 127:1).
When I read about "the work of YHVH," I usually think about the creation, or the great deliverance of our forefathers out of Egypt, and how YHVH took care of them throughout the wilderness journey. But in Isaiah YHVH points out another aspect of His work. "Therefore thus says YHVH, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: "Jacob shall not now be ashamed, Nor shall his face now grow pale; when he sees his children, The work of My hands, in his midst, they will hallow My name, hallow the Holy One of Jacob, and fear the Elohim of Israel" (Isa. 29:22-23). How are these children of Jacob the "work of His hands"?
Elohim the farmer
One of the first things we see Elohim doing, in keeping covenant and in working things out after the council of His will, is sowing a seed. "I will sow them among the peoples, And they shall remember Me in far countries; they shall live, together with their children, and they shall return" (Zech. 10:9). A farmer or husbandman, takes seed in his hand and with a throwing motion scatters it upon the ground. Then, at the end of the growing season, He will bring in the harvest. "Also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed for you, when I return the captives of My people" (Hos. 6:11). "I will winnow them with a winnowing fan in the gates of the land" (Jer. 15:7). "His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire" (Matt. 3:12; Luke 3:17).
Another work that a farmer does is to plant shoots or branches in the ground. "Then all your people will be righteous; they will possess the land forever. The branch of His planting, the work of His hand, that He might be glorified" (Isa. 60:21). Pruning and grafting form another aspect of the work of his hands. "For before the harvest, when the bud is perfect and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, He will both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks and take away the cut down branches" (Isa. 18:5). This work becomes more evident as Jacob was called an olive tree, "YHVH called your name, Green Olive Tree, lovely and of good fruit. "With the noise of a great tumult He has kindled fire on it, and its branches are broken off, for the Lord of hosts, who planted you, has pronounced doom against you for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke Me to anger in offering incense to Baal" (Jer. 11:16-17). In these verses we see the reason why the olive branches were cut off. The Apostle Paul picks up on this typology in his letter to the Romans. How is it, that he uses the concept of the wild and the natural olive branch? As we see, branches were broken off from both trees, and scattered into all the nations. However, ultimately a day was to come when a root would shoot up from the tribe of Judah, and the house of David. "And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people" (Isa. 11:10; Rom. 15:12). This root was the only one that was preserved from the original stock, and the only one that the scattered branches could be grafted into. Olive branches need an olive root to be joined to, in order to live and produce fruit.
"Oh, give thanks to YHVH, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; talk of all His wondrous works! Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth, O seed of Israel His servant, You children of Jacob, His chosen ones (the work of His hands), He is YHVH our Elohim" (1Chr. 16:8-9,12-14).
When everything is said and done we will "sing the song of Moses, the servant of Elohim, and the song of the Lamb, saying: "Great and marvelous are Your works, YHVH, Elohim Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints" (Rev. 15:3).
This theme "the work of the Lord" will be continued next week
Be encouraged, your in good hands, YHVH is conforming you to His image and likeness in Yah'shua the Messiah. He is also gathering us and will build us into the temple of His rest, into the city where the Lamb is the light, and the nation that will be His light to the nations.
Ephraim Frank
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell (shevet achim) together in unity…in this Elohim commands the blessing life eternal (Psa.133).
When everything is said and done we will "sing the song of Moses, the servant of Elohim, and the song of the Lamb, saying: "Great and marvelous are Your works, YHVH, Elohim Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints" (Rev. 15:3).
This theme "the work of the Lord" will be continued next week
Be encouraged, your in good hands, YHVH is conforming you to His image and likeness in Yah'shua the Messiah. He is also gathering us and will build us into the temple of His rest, into the city where the Lamb is the light, and the nation that will be His light to the nations.
Ephraim Frank
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell (shevet achim) together in unity…in this Elohim commands the blessing life eternal (Psa.133).
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