Holy Scriptures and Israel

Guest (Male): Shalom. Holy Scriptures and Israel is a ministry designed to share with the Jewish people the good news of the Lord Jesus, Yeshua the Messiah, and to instruct Christians on the Jewish roots of their faith. And now, teaching God's word from a Hebrew Messianic perspective, here is Gideon Levytam.

Gideon Levytam: The study of Ephesians chapter one. In verses 17 to the end of this chapter, Paul is praying for four things on behalf of the Ephesian believers. I want to go over them one by one as we are moving through this study. The first thing that he prayed for them is found in verse 17.

Here Paul is praying for the Ephesian believers that they will know God. Notice that? Verse 17: "that the God of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him."

That's the first thing that he asks for. Why does he ask that the God the Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah will give the believers at Ephesus to know God? The more we know God, the more it will enable us to know what he has done for us, and the more it will influence us to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord.

That's the key. To know God more will leave an impact upon the life of the believer. He and she will seek to live for him here in this world. The more we know God, the more we realize the goodness, the grace, the love that God has in himself and how he has been so gracious towards the people of God.

You notice that he used that word in verse 17, "the God of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, the Father of glory." Why is he calling him the Father of glory? Because he is—the word for glory is "Kavod" in Hebrew—honor and glory. He is the Father of all the glory. He deserves all the honor and the glory from the human race. He is the Father of glory.

When Stephen spoke to the Sanhedrin in Acts chapter seven and verse two, he said the God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham. But Paul says, not only that he is the God of glory, but he is also the Father of glory. He is the Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. So he prays and he says that he, this God the Father, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of himself.

He is asking actually that God will reveal to the believers a little bit more about himself. The revelation concerning the person of the Father. So he is the God of Yeshua in verse 17; he is the Father of glory; but he can give the believer the spirit that will enable to reveal to us the truth concerning divine things.

If you go back to First Corinthians two for a moment, please. You will notice that those of us that have studied already First Corinthians—we concluded this book of Corinth already—in First Corinthians chapter two and verse 14 and 15 and 16 we read this: "The natural man receives not the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned."

"But he that is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of the Messiah, the mind of Christ." How do we have the mind of the Messiah? Well, we have the word of God. We have the scripture.

Notice that Paul is praying that even though we have so much knowledge already about this divine person, God the Father, he is praying that we will know even more of him. Because naturally, beloved brothers and sisters, the natural man cannot know the things of the spirit of God.

Even we as believers, if we are not in a spiritual state receiving the help of the Holy Spirit of God, how would we know the things of God? Because spiritual things are spiritually discerned as God enables us to understand them.

Paul is praying and he's saying in this verse 17 that God may give you. Now remember, they were already believers. They were already born from above. They were chosen before the time began in eternity past. But he wanted an additional blessing for them to enjoy: "that God may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him."

To know God changes the believer more and more as we are being conformed to the image of the son, to the image of the Messiah. The more we know about God, the more we will walk in a way that is pleasing to the Lord here in this world. It is essential in a life of the believer. Turn to Philippians chapter three.

Paul speaking about himself in Philippians chapter three and in verse 10. Listen to this verse. Paul is saying: "that I may know him." Paul, why do you ask to know him? I want to know him more, Paul's saying. Oh yes, I have already accepted Yeshua, have already been part of the family of God, but I want to know more of him.

The more I know of him, the more I can live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. I want to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering, being made conformable even unto his death. The apostle Paul asks in prayer when he wrote to the Philippians in Philippians 3 and verse 10: I want to know more of him.

Important thing for us, beloved brothers and sisters. When we gather together in meetings, we are not coming here to do anything else except spend some time around the word. And the word of God, in the power of the spirit of God, impresses upon our hearts to know a little bit more about this wonderful God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

He is praying that the brothers and sisters at Ephesus, just like he is praying for you and I, that we will have the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God. This is the first request that he has in prayer for the brothers and sisters at Ephesus.

Notice the second request of the apostle Paul in verse 18, the first part of this verse. He is not now praying for knowing God, but that the believers will know the calling that they have by God. To know God's calling. Look at verse 18a. It says: "that the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling."

We are a people that have been called from above with a heavenly purpose, with a heavenly hope. It's wonderful to realize that. Look at this—I have some verses that I want to relate to that. The church is not a building, but the church are the people, the believers.

According to Matthew chapter 16, when Yeshua said, "I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it," the word for church in Greek is "Ecclesia." And Ecclesia mean called-out ones. We have been called out from among the nation of Israel, those of us who are Jewish believers here in our midst.

Those of us who are not Jewish believers from the nations of the world, we have been called out of the nations of the world and together we are part of a company that is called called-out ones. Together we have been called out of this world to form a company that belong to Yeshua the Messiah. We have been called by God.

Paul is saying I want you—that the eyes of your understanding might be enlightened—that you will know what is the hope of your calling. Sometimes Christians or believers think that when we have been saved by grace, we have a ticket in our hands to go to heaven and I can live in this world away from Yeshua the Messiah.

Professing Christians who say, "Oh yes, I settled my matters, I have accepted Yeshua the Messiah, my ticket has been paid, but I can live in this world as if the Lord is not existing in my life." As if he has no power over our life, no authority over our life.

Do you think that's the reason why Yeshua died for us on the cross, on the tree? So you can get saved and you're going to feel good? You see, I'm going to heaven, I got my ticket paid, but you carry on life as if you don't need him in your life, as if he has no power over our life, no authority over our life.

Sometimes we do so when we are not in a right spiritual state. We had to confess it before the Lord. We know it in our own life; every one of us know it. But it is not something that we are to do on an ongoing basis. We have been called by God—a people that belong to him.

We are linked with the person that is in heaven and every believer in this universe belong to the head, which is in heaven, called by the Lord from above. I want you to just see some of the verses that we have here in scripture in connection with being called. I want you to turn to First Peter chapter two and verse nine.

Peter was writing to Jewish believers and he had to explain to them the calling that they have had. Notice what he said to them in First Peter two, and he said in verse nine: "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people." Listen, why? Listen to the second part of verse nine: "that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."

We have been called out of darkness. You remember before you became a believer, we were in darkness. We lived in sin. We had no desires for God. We were dead in trespasses and sins. But something have happened. God who have chosen us in eternity past and called us in time had brought us to be part of the family of God.

Notice as it says here in verse nine, called us out of darkness so we will come to be part of this marvelous light of the Messiah. We are linked with our blessed Lord Yeshua the Messiah. Where did we come from? We came out of darkness. We were blinded by Satan. We were blinded by our old nature.

Gloriously saved us and called us to be part of his redeemed people. There is a beautiful song that we sometimes sing, "Called from Above with Heavenly Light." In other words, God in his goodness have called us from heaven to be part of his redeemed company, purchased us from the darkness and brought us into this marvelous light.

God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. That's the kind of a God that we have. He's called us out of darkness into light. Unfortunately, we are not always in a suitable condition to appreciate that. We admit that, we know that. But nevertheless, that's the calling of the Lord upon every one of us.

Whether you understand it or not, Paul is praying for the believers at Ephesus to grasp it, to understand it. He's saying to them you have been called from darkness to light. Notice another verse in First Peter, this time in chapter five. Not only that we have been called out of darkness, but we have been called unto glory. Listen to this. First Peter chapter five and verse 10.

Hebrew believers of first century—this is Petros Shimon writing to them and he said: "But the God of all grace who has called us unto his eternal glory by the Messiah Yeshua." He called us, not only out of darkness—First Peter chapter two and verse nine—but unto his eternal glory.

Living here in this world, we are only passing through. We have been called out of darkness, we are heading to his eternal glory. We are going to be with Yeshua the Messiah eternally. Isn't it amazing? Just realize this, brothers and sisters.

Paul in his own simple way is praying on behalf of the brothers and sisters of the Ephesians. He says, brothers and sisters, listen. I want you to know God, but not only to know God, I'm praying that you will know God's calling upon you. Not only calling of salvation.

God called us to serve him. He gave us gifts. Every one of us who are believer here, brother or sister, have spiritual gifts. This is your calling: to use your gifts for the glory of God, for the blessing of God's people. If you don't do so, you are not fulfilling the call that God has upon you.

Bible teacher, an evangelist, a shepherd. One can be a helper. One can be a prayer warrior. One can be an assistant. One can be in various spheres and areas of the work of the things of God. Every one of us have not only a calling unto salvation, but a calling that we have upon our life to serve our Lord Yeshua the Messiah here in this world.

Why do you think we are starving spiritually and we are in such a weakness spiritually? Many church groups and assembly groups and congregation groups are divided and scattered and not enjoying their life as believers. Why? Because we did not fulfill the calling that God has upon us here and now.

Paul is saying in chapter one and verse 18: "that the eyes—listen to that—the eyes of your understanding." The word the eyes of the understanding really should be the eyes of your heart. He says, "being enlightened." Your heart ought to be enlightened that you may know what is the hope of God's calling. Of course, primarily is the calling out of darkness unto his eternal glory.

Galatians chapter one and verse 15. Look at what Paul said about himself. "But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by his grace." Do you know that? When Paul was born, already from his mother's womb he was called to be a child of God, but a servant of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

Born to a Jewish family. He grew up among our people Israel. He didn't want to hear about Yeshua the Messiah whatsoever. But God called him from his mother's womb. He couldn't say a word yet. He had no idea as a baby being held by his mom that the future that God has for him is to be a servant of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

When he became a mature man, studying under the feet of Gamaliel, he opposed the message of the gospel and took many of our Jewish brethren and brought them to Jerusalem to be punished because they believed that Yeshua was the Messiah.

He mentioned it in Galatians 1:15, that it pleased God to separate him from his mother's womb and he called him by grace. It is the grace of God. There is nothing that we have done. It is totally the grace of God that brought us to be part of the family of God. We have nothing to boast except to humble ourselves before the Lord and say, "Lord, I thank you for calling me and for saving me, and I want you to use me for your glory."

Brothers and sisters, and I'm speaking to the younger one here especially, those of you that came to know Yeshua the Messiah already, you ask God what he has for you. Pray sincerely, "Lord, what do you want me to do? I believe I've accepted Yeshua, but I want to serve you. I want to be part of the ministry of God's ministry here in this world. Use me. Make me a vessel that is suitable for ministry here in this world."

It's so beautiful to see how God had called the apostle Paul and he called you and I. Notice also in this verse that I want to emphasize in chapter one and verse 18. He says: "that the eyes of your heart being enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling."

I want to speak a little bit about the word hope. Sometimes we say, "I hope so that something is going to happen to me. I hope that we are going to receive this or to have that." But that is not at all what the scripture is presenting before us. Paul did not hope, maybe yes or maybe no. No. This was a living hope, a sure hope.

Understood that the hope of the believer is eternal, is a sure hope. It's not if and but and maybe. No, it is a sure hope. I emphasize this in Hebrews chapter six if you turn there. The writer to the Hebrews, some believe that it may be the apostle Paul, he says in verses 18 and 19.

Hebrews 6:17: "Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, he confirmed it with an oath." Verse 18: "that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope that is set before us."

Now notice verse 19: "Which hope we have as an anchor of our soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil." The writer to the Hebrews says in verse 18 and 19 that this hope is as an anchor to the soul. It is a sure hope; it is a steadfast hope.

We are not hoping maybe we're going to go to heaven or maybe not. We know that we are going to heaven; we know that we belong to Yeshua. This is the living hope that every believer had, not because of our performance but only because of the finished work that Yeshua the Messiah have done for us.

The apostle Paul said it in Ephesians chapter one and verse 18a. He prayed that the believers at Ephesus may know God's calling and that they will know that living hope and sure hope that they have because they belong to our Lord Jesus, to our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

In verse 17 he prayed that they may know God. In verse 18a he prayed that they may know God's calling. But now notice in verse 18b he is praying that they will know God's riches, God's wealth. He says after he said that the eye of your understanding being enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of your calling, then here's another what: "that ye may know what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints."

Very, very important point here that the apostle Paul is praying. He wanted that the believers will know the wealth that they are—that you and I are—to God. Not the wealth or the inheritance that we will receive from God one day. First Peter chapter one tells us that our inheritance are incorruptible, undefiled, reserved for us in heaven. Yes, we are going to receive an inheritance.

Verse 18b, he is saying that you and I, the Ephesians, are God's heritage. Every one of us is a trophy that God gave to his son. We are God's heritage.

Belong to God, and if we are his trophies, if we actually link with him in such a way that we are his heritage, don't you think that he want to take care of this heritage and to stimulate this heritage that they will be more and more for his own glory and honor?

Riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. When we gather together, for example, God is approved of the saints gathered together and he says, "You know what? This group of people, this is my heritage. They belong to me. I'm going to bring them to be into my presence one of these day and they will enjoy me forever. They are for my glory."

Israel also is God's heritage in Isaiah 46 and verse 13. "I bring near my righteousness, it shall not be far off, my salvation shall not tarry, and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel, my glory."

Nation of Israel had been called and chosen for the glory of God. Israel, her elected people, chosen nation, as we have it in Deuteronomy chapter seven. But Israel failed to represent God.

Failed as well as the body of Messiah. The body of Messiah fail in that. But nevertheless, the people of God are God's heritage, God's glory. He intend to see them built up and having a good testimony for him here in this world. That's why God has his own heritage in the believers, because God has a future for his own people.

Going to go to heaven, we are going to be with him forever. We are his heritage. When the Messiah will present us before the Father, he says in John chapter 17 and verse 24, Yeshua said in his prayer to the Father: "Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me, for thou lovest me before the foundation of the world."

Yeshua wants us to behold his glory, the glory that he has with the Father since eternity. Let us bow in a moment of prayer. Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you that you have chosen us in eternity past, that you called us in time to be part of the family of God, part of the heritage of God.

Living hope and that we have the knowledge of yourself. We pray, Father, that our hearts and minds will be enlightened more and more to understand the greatness of our calling and the greatness of our God. We pray in Yeshua's name. Amen.

Guest (Male): Shalom. Holy Scriptures and Israel is a ministry designed to share with the Jewish people the good news of the Lord Jesus, Yeshua the Messiah, and to instruct Christians on the Jewish roots of their faith. For more information about this ministry, write to Holy Scriptures and Israel, Box 1411, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, L0S 1J0. Or visit our website at holyscripturesandisrael.com.

You are also invited to Gideon's weekly Bible teaching on Fridays at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. and Saturdays at 1 p.m. at Willowdale Christian Assembly Hall, 28 Martin Ross Avenue in Toronto. Holy Scriptures and Israel is made possible by your prayers and financial support. If you would like to support the program, visit holyscripturesandisrael.com. God bless you. Shalom, shalom.