Who Chooses Whom?

Copied from the sermon notes of Pastor Don Elmore

August 16, 2015

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 2:14-18 King James and Christogenea New Testament

Jesus Christ is sovereign!  Man is not. They both cannot be sovereign at the same time.  Jesus Christ is also sovereign in who He died for and saved!  He died for the “sheep”, both past and present.  He died even for many in the genetic line of the Israelites who had lived and died before He offered His sacrifice.

He died for the sin debt committed by Adam, Abraham, Noah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Joshua, David, Hezekiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Hosea, Ezekiel, Aaron, John the Baptist, Samuel, Asa, Josiah, Elijah, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, Isaiah, Nehemiah, Ezra, Asaph, Obadiah, Haggai, Ruth, Boaz, etc. and rose from the dead to ensure that they too all received the promises of the Father.  All these aforementioned people were dead when Jesus Christ was sacrificed and rose from the dead.

It does not say that He took on Him the “seed of Edom,” or the “seed of Canaan,” or the seed of Ishmael,” or the “seed of Japheth,” or the “seed of Ham,” or the “seed of the Zulus,” or the “seed of Shelah,” or the “seed of the Koreans,” or the “seed of the Indonesians,” but it says He took on Him the “seed of Abraham.”

Abraham was the covenant recipient of God.  He is the father of God’s elect people.  “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made.  He saith not, And to seeds, as of many, but as of one, And to thy seed which is Christ” [anointed] (Galatians 3:16).

It is the seed of Abraham itself that is to be anointed, and that the promises made to Abraham were confirmed to Isaac and Jacob as well, as a lineage, and that Jesus made it a matter of belief and faith within these people.  These are whom He said He was sent to, saying “I was not sent but to the lost sheep of the House of Israel” (Matthew 15:24).

How do they [Judeo-Christians] say that the “seed of Abraham” are those of any race who have faith and belief in Jesus Christ?  They have to ignore that it is only one racial seed.  The Bible carefully constructs that the promises made to Abraham were confirmed to Isaac and Jacob as well, as a lineage, and that Jesus made it a matter of belief and faith within these people only. 

The above “seed of Abraham” is in dark font.  This “one seed” is racial.  It was to remain a pure, holy seed.  These are the only people that were preached to in the Old and New Testaments—“Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham…” (Acts 13:26).  Stock and seed are similar in meaning.

The Word of God was not given to any other race besides Israel (although modern Christianity still try to give Bibles to and evangelize all the other races)!  Israel is unique by God’s sovereign choice!

“But thou, Israel art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.” Isaiah 41:8

The “seed” in this verse is very important, as it defines which part of Abram’s seed is continually referred to in both Testaments, as being God’s people racially.  Not all the nations that spring from Abraham are regarded as His seed.  Only the nation “named” or “called in Isaac” is to be so regarded.  Jacob and his descendants were accepted as this seed.

To show this, Jacob was re-named “Israel”—that is, as a prince thou hast power with God and man, and hast prevailed.  Thus, Jacob was the seed named in Isaac.

“Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children:  but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.” Romans 9:7

This is the only view that shows Scripture to be consistent through both Testaments.  Here the “elect” is confined to Israel only.  “For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect” (Isaiah 45:4).  Israel’s redemption from the curse of the broken Law is through the New Covenant which is made with the House of Judah and the House of Israel only (Hebrews 8:8 and Jeremiah 31:31).

These verses present an insoluble difficulty to those who believe in the universality of God’s love and grace.  Those who do so deny the plain teaching of Scripture that Christ laid down His life for “the sheep,” and for them alone.  They insist that justice as well as mercy demanded that He should die for all of the human race, none excepted. 

But let us ask the Universalist a question.   Is it harder to believe that God has provided no salvation for part of the human race, than that He has provided none for the fallen angels?

For the Scriptures omit the following:  He did not take upon Himself to die for the sins of the fallen angels, demonic beings and evil spirits, for example.  If He did not die for the angels, who were higher in the scale of being than humans, they, too were sinners needing a Savior.  Yet none has been provided for them!  He “took on Him not the nature of angels” (Hebrews 2:16).

He didn’t die for the two angels who visited Lot shortly before the cities’ destruction; He didn’t die for three of the angels who were with Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego in the fiery furnace; He did not die for the many angels who ascended and descended on the ladder at Bethel as Jacob dreamed; He didn’t die for Gabriel who was delayed in his coming to Daniel; because these angels already have immortality and they had not sinned. 

On the other hand, there is a group of fallen angels which have sinned against their creator.  They have taught man to do some very evil things over the years:  sorcery, incantation, observers of the stars, astronomy, child killing, murder, stealing, drug taking, cussing, abusing, miscegenation, etc.  These angels have sinned, they need a Savior, but they did not get one.

This verse not only brings out the truth of election, it also presents the solemn fact of reprobation.   Christ is not the Savior of any sinful angels.  For Jude 6 says:  “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, He hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.” 

He is not the Savior of fallen angels, but of the elect family of Abraham.  We are lost in astonishment when we allow our minds to rest on the number and dignity of those whom He does not take hold of, and the comparative as well as real vileness of those of whom He does take hold.  A sentiment of this kind raises a very interesting question as to why the Son of God saves them rather than angels. 

Confusion reigns in America and the lands of Christendom today because they have been fed the lie that they are Gentiles, and that the Jews alone are Israel!  And since the Bible story centers in Israel and the covenant promises that God made with Abraham and his seed, to mistake the identity of this people, or to ‘spiritualize’ them and apply their promises to a so-called ‘Gentile Church’ can only lead to confusion and spiritual darkness.

I met a very interesting person at my job.  She was eating and working in a text book at the same time.  I was given the urge to ask her a question:  “May I ask what book you are working on?” 

I thought it might have been a childhood education math book, but I was shocked at her answer.  It wasn’t an elementary education math, it was New Testament Greek workbook.  She quickly informed me that she was a Greek Orthodox member and was a seminary student.  She grew up in San Francisco and was studying in Boston at the Seminary.  She had previously studied in Rome and at different places in Europe.

She showed me her work book and I asked her to read me a few of the problems.  She did so, both in Greek and in English.  One verse went something like this:  “Hearken unto me O Children of Israel, I am the LORD your God.”

 I replied:  “It sounds like He is the God of the Israelites only.”

She answered:  “He isn’t just the God of the Jews only.” 

But she was a little bit confused.  But she kept her sparkling personality.

I replied:  “Jews and Israel are not the same.  The Jews say in their own encyclopedia that they are descended from Esau and the Canaanites.”

She look sheepishly at me and said:  “That is very interesting.  I will have to ask my professor about this.”

The Jews of today are a religious sect classed with Protestants and Catholics. They have not, they are not, and they never will fulfill the prophetic history of the nation of Israel!  Yet most of our Fundamentalist and Futurist friends are vainly trying to prove that they have, or will yet fulfill, that prophetic history.  We thus have the blind leading the blind and both are falling into the ditch.  What is even more serious is, that the preaching of such fable and tradition makes the Word of God of none effect.  Its light not only does not shine on our national pathway, it is hidden beneath an avalanche of tradition that is taught as being the Word of God.

Think with me for a moment. The main feature of the Abrahamic Covenant was that of great national development.  Not only was Israel to become a great nation, but Abram’s name was changed to Abraham because he was to become the “father of many nations” (Genesis17:4-5).

This promise of great national development on the part of the Israel people is reiterated time and again. We are plainly told that there was more than one great nation that was to spring from just the birthright house of Joseph:

“And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it, he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.” Genesis 48:19.

This future “multitude of nations” is from the House of Israel, which the jews do not claim to be from.  They were scattered over much of the known earth at the time while the vast majority of jews were living in and around Jerusalem.

The point I would make here, is, that none of the national promises made to Israel have ever been fulfilled in the Jews, nor are they about to be, and the end of the age is upon us. Neither have the Jews as a people entered into New Covenant salvation.  The fact is, they are the most anti-Christ people in existence today!

To therefore present them as being “God’s chosen people” and heirs to the promises given to Israel, has led to confusion confounded. Yea, it leaves our people perplexed and in darkness with respect to the meaning of the events that are bringing this age to a close.

The great Israel nation as prophesied by Isaiah and Micah, which was to be chief among the nations, is none other than our own United States.  The people who came here from England and Western Europe, are the Anglo-Saxons, Nordic and English speaking peoples. What is more, we comprise the people who above all others, have embraced New Covenant salvation. And by every Biblical mark of identification we are the once lost sheep of the house of Israel. It is only as we recognize this fact and get back to God in our national life in keeping with God’s Kingdom purposes, that we will ever be rid of our confusion and begin to solve our mounting problems.

If the racial equality view is true, then there are some questions that have to be answered:

If God’s prohibition against racial discrimination is based upon His character, how could God determine that Israel should exterminate some races?

Deuteronomy 7:1-6:

1. When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;
2. And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:
3. Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.
4. For they will turn away thy son from following me that they may serve other gods:  so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.
5. But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.
6.  For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God:  the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

The covenant people of God were to completely destroy the seven nations that were in the land that was promised to them by God. They were not to send any missionaries, for that would be sending a message that could never be accepted by them.  It would be “casting pearls before swine.”

They, the seven nations, worshiped other gods, and if the Israelites married them they would to.  Therefore, Israel was instructed to destroy both them and their way of worship to avoid breaking the first commandment that was given them.

This is not racial equality and religious tolerance.  God told His people to completely destroy the seven nations of the Canaanites.  All men, women and children, including infants.  And if God told His people to do this, why would He then later die for these people that made up the seven nations of the Canaanites?

But most Judeo-Christians would agree.  God would not die for these seven nations of Canaanites, for that was under the Old Testament.  It was after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, probably after the death of the martyr Stephen that it all changed to racial equality.  At that moment, all races of the world became eligible to believe that God take on Himself the sins of their race.  And they, by believing on Jesus, could become a Son of God.

Race has nothing to do with it at all, they would say.  It is all faith and grace.  But the death of Stephen was after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, so how could what happened to Stephen change what already happened?  Jesus Christ did die for one group of people and then after something happened later how could He increase the number of people that He died for?  How did that work?  Was He sovereign?

God was king over the people of Israel at one time in history.  He led them into battles against many enemies.  Do you think that He didn’t die for these enemies of Israel, but later died for their descendants?  They wrongly say:  There is not a possible descendant of any race that Jesus Christ didn’t die for. All races have the choice of salvation!  They are the elect of God!

That is double-talk.  How could a person choose someone and then they become the choice of someone else?   In other words, how could a Korean choose Jesus Christ and then become the elect of God.  It is based on what the Korean does, not on what God does.

It is based on the belief that all people are of one race because of the popular but wrong teaching that all people originated from Adam.  This is where the idea comes from that all races and cultures are the same in God’s sight.  But if the Chinese culture goes back farther than Adam’s, then how could the Chinese be descended from Adam?

Who came first?  Adam or the Chinese?  Or, Adam or the Negro?  If the African came before Adam, then how could the Negroes be descendants of Adam?  They couldn’t. 

What most Christians are ignorant of, and what they are not usually taught, is that God separated the sons of Adam and set boundaries between the races!

“…When He separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.” Deuteronomy 32:8

Notice what Joshua said to his fellow Israelites:

Joshua 23:3-5

1. And ye have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto all these nations because of you; for the LORD your God is He who hath fought for you.
2. Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from the Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the Great Sea in the west.
3. And the LORD your God, he shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as the LORD your God hath promised unto you.”

Whose God was it that gave the land of Palestine to the Israelites?  It wasn’t the god of the Canaanites.  And what God was it that drove the Canaanites out of the land so that the Israelites could have it? 

Joshua 23:7-10

1. That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them.
2. But cleave unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto this day.
3. For the LORD hath driven out from before you great nations and strong; but as for you, no man have been able to stand before you unto this day.
4. One man of you shall chase a thousand; for the LORD your God, he it is who fighteth for you, as he hath promised you.”

Who delivered on His promise?  Was it the Israelites or the God of the Israelites?

“The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ:  (he is Lord of all:) Acts 10:36.

Who are the New Testament books written to and for?   They all can be shown that they are addressed to the “seed of Abraham.”  But there is one book that it is so obvious that it doesn’t take any investigative skills to determine the recipients:  The Book of Hebrews.

But there is a major problem in the Christian World of today.  Who are the Hebrews?  Let’s look at what “Google” says about who the book is written to:

• “The letter was addressed primarily to Jewish converts who were familiar with the Old Testament and who were being tempted to revert to Judaism or to Judaize the gospel.”
• “The strongly Jewish character of the letter to the Hebrews helps to narrow down its date of composition, most likely AD 64–69.”
• “Paul loved the Jews. He talked to them. He wanted them to be converted to the truth, but they rejected him completely in Acts chapter 28. The last thing he said there was that from now on he was turning to the Gentiles.”
• “The book of Hebrews is written to Hebrews because that’s who it addresses in the name, just like the book of Romans, Ephesians, Galatians, etc. It’s foolish to say that it was written to gentiles unless you don’t believe in an inspired inerrant Bible.”
• “The writer of the book of Hebrews wrote to mostly Jewish believers and refers to them as the brethren who were made up of both the brothers and sisters in Christ.”

Conclusion

My answer:  The book of Hebrews was written to the people known as Hebrews.  Who is a Hebrew?

The Hebrews include the same RACIAL family as the seed of Abraham.  Jesus Christ is also in this lineage.

What information is found in the book of Hebrews?  This book of Hebrews tells of Christ superiority over:

• Prophets of Israel
• Angels
• Moses
• Joshua
• Aaron

And it also mentions:

• The change of the Priesthood
• The two covenants
• The Mediator
• The great Sacrifice
• The faith of Abel
• The faith of Enoch
• The faith of Noah
• The Call of Abraham
• The faith of Sarah
• The faith of Abraham
• The faith of Isaac
• The faith of Jacob
• The faith of Joseph
• The faith of Moses’ parents
• The faith of Moses
• The faith of Israel
• The faith of Rahab
• The faith of the judges
• And many more.

It all deals with the people and history of the children of Abraham.  All of the people mentioned above were related to the “seed of Abraham.”  Why would a person who is not related to these people be interested in them or even know who they were?

Notice how many churches today advocate a guilty sinner to become a believer.  This is from a tract that I got from the place  where I work. 

“If you have done these things (lying, stealing, blasphemous and adultery) the Bible warns that one day He will punish you in a terrible place called Hell.”  [Where is the Scripture that says this?]

“But God is not willing that any should perish.  He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for guilty sinners.” [Where is the Scripture that says that Jesus died for all guilty sinners of all races?]  “Then He rose from the dead, defeating death. 

Sinners broke God’s Law and Jesus paid their fine.  ‘For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.’”  [Where does it say that the New Guinea savage broke God’s Law?].

“You can’t buy, steal, or earn your way into Heaven; but if you repent and trust Jesus, God will grant you eternal life as a free gift.”  [What do you repent of and how do you trust Jesus and not His Father?]

“Then read the Bible daily and obey it.” “God will never fail you.” LivingWaters.com.

If there is nothing you can do to earn salvation, then why do you have to read the Bible daily and obey it?  Especially when it will teach you the wrongness of universalism; it will teach you the exclusiveness of Israel!

“And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children.” Acts 13:32

May God have mercy on our souls!

Blessed be the LORD God of Israel.

Sinners broke God’s Law and Jesus paid their fine.