It’s Okay To Be A Gentile. Really.

Years ago when we began to realize just what journey HaShem was bringing us on, we were excited to learn whether or not we might have any secret Jewish heritage in our families.  We had heard teachings that said things like “If you’re drawn to Messiah then you must be among the 10 lost tribes” and “If you are a believer in Messiah then you have automatically become Jewish.”  As intriguing and tempting as these things sounded, they never sat right with us.  We would discuss among ourselves this one question just about every time a teaching like that would come up: “If all believing non-Jews become Jewish then who are the non-Jews the Prophets speak of in the Messianic Kingdom?  Who are these ‘people of the nations’?”

There is a struggle with the non-Jewish identity.  We believe in the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  We are not pagans or idolators, we are G-d fearers and are recognized as sons (and daughters) of Abraham by the first century Apostles, by James the Righteous (Ya’akov haTzaddik) and the Elders of the Council in Jerusalem.  We believe that He is true to His word and that Messiah is His agent (even the intentions of His heart made flesh, His son).  We are told by the Apostles that we are accepted by HaShem based on our faith, like it was with Abraham.  We are told that we do not need to convert to Judaism before He accepts us, and there were several examples that the early Apostles were directly involved in to confirm this teaching.  This we understand and accept without any trouble.  The Elders on the Council in Jerusalem instructed us in Acts 15 that there are four minimum requirements for us to adhere to that we might be admitted into fellowship in the community.  But the Apostolic Writings never tell us exactly where we fit into the community.

The trouble comes when we begin to feel like we are second class citizens if we aren’t Jewish.  After all, the children of Israel are His chosen people and we are told that we’re included in that heritage now.  We’re included in that heritage but it appears that we remain non-Jews with our own identity.    So who are we and how does that work?  It’s tough to struggle with your identity.  I think that most of us struggle with our identity enough without the Jew/Gentile conflict.  It’s a touchy subject.  Let’s look at the identity of an average Israelite in the Torah.

12 tribes camped in their designated neighborhoods around the Tabernacle

Parashah Korach this week touched on the subject in a way.  G-d chose Israel from all of the peoples on earth to be His special treasure, people set apart from the rest.  In the nation of Israel, there are 12 tribes.  Of those 12 tribes, the tribe of Levi was chosen to be set apart from the rest of the Israelites.  Levi had three sons:  Gershon, K’hat and Aharon.  Each of these families were assigned special tasks and duties but only the family of Aharon was set apart from the Levites to be the priestly family and only one man would be set apart from the house of Aharon High Priest.  So where does that leave someone from the tribe of Asher or Dan or Ruben?  He’s an Israelite but he’s not a Levite and he’s not a priest, he’s just an Israelite from one of the 12 tribes of Israel.  Does that make him any less valuable or somehow less than a Levite, less than a Priest or even the High Priest?  Not at all, they just have different duties.  If everyone could be a Levite or the High Priest, it would become a common station.  These offices are special ones indeed, but it wouldn’t be special if it was open to just anyone.  It is a task assigned to each tribe and each of us have our own assigned tasks.

Korach and his friends (250 of them actually) struggled with the issue of identity like we do.  Many of them were Levites who jealous for Moshe and Aharon’s assigned duties and for the duties assigned to the house of Aharon.  They felt that it was somehow unfair or unjust and that they were getting the short end of the stick.  This is something I think we can relate to, maybe more than we care to admit.  As we read this past Sabbath, things didn’t turn out well for Korach and his friends.  Things don’t turn out well for us, either, when we try to assume duties and roles and positions that are not ours to take.  Some consider it a “tainting of Judaism” or a lessening of their special calling and status when we claim that we are something we are not, but what about the other side of the coin?  What about the special calling non-Jews have in the kingdom?  We forget that when we try to accept a station that wasn’t given to us that we are rejecting the calling that we’ve been given.   But what is our role as believing, grafted-in non-Jews?

In the days of the TaNaKh (the Hebrew Scriptures) we find instances of non-Jews dwelling within the commonwealth of Israel.  Moshe’s father-in-law, Jethro (also called Hovav), had children that stayed with Israel in the desert and lived with Israel in the days of the Judges.  This priest of Midyan learned about the True G-d and recognized that He is greater than all gods and seems to have attached himself, and his family, to Israel.  Throughout the generations the descendants of Jethro remained with Israel yet they retained their identity, and that was okay.  Yael played an important role in saving Israel from their enemies, and she was a non-Jew.

Treat the foreigner staying with you like the native-born among you – you are to love him as yourself, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt; and I  am ADONAI your G-d.  Leviticus 19:34

Many of us understand that faithful heroes like Caleb, Rahab, Ruth and Uriah were all non-Jews who attached themselves to the nation of Israel, and were welcomed.  We, like them, have learned about the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and have chosen to submit ourselves to His Kingship and we have put our trust in Him.  But today we don’t find the acceptance that they once did and we struggle, wondering just where we fit.  The teachings that tell us we have somehow become Jewish or we already were but we didn’t know it are so tempting, it’s easy to understand that teachings have come from a deep seated need to understand our identity and to be accepted.  But it’s also easy to see from the Scriptures that these teachings are incorrect.  Scripture tells us that it really is okay to be a non-Jew in the kingdom of G-d.

“And the foreigners who join themselves to ADONAI to serve Him, to love the Name of ADONAI, and to be His workers, all who keep Shabbat and do not profane it, and hold fast to my covenant, I will bring them to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”  Adonai ELOHIM says, He who gathers Isra’el’s exiles:  ’There are yet others I will gather, besides those gathered already.’”  Isaiah 56:6-8

“Every citizen is to do these things in this way when presenting an offering made by fire as a fragrant aroma for ADONAI.  If a foreigner says with you – or whoever may be with you, through all your generations – and he wants to bring an offering made by fire as a fragrant aroma for ADONAI, he is to do the same as you.   For this community there will be the same law for you as for the foreigner living with you; this is a permanent regulation through all your generations; the foreigner is to be treated the same way before ADONAI as yourselves.  The same Torah and standard of judgement nwill apply to both you and the foreigner living with you.”  Numbers 15:13-16

… an idolator who becomes a proselyte and studies Torah is like a High Priest.    Numbers Rabbah 13:16

The Torah and the Prophets give plenty of indication that there are people from the “nations called by My Name“.  Tradition has grown to explain these verses as taking place when Messiah comes, and only when Messiah comes and until then any non-Jew wanting to attach themselves to Isra’el needed to convert to Judaism.  This was a way to preserve the Torah from being maligned by those who were untaught and unaware.  As exclusionary as it was, it was intended to safeguard the Torah and the people, keeping the people separate from idolators who were merely curious, and not serious, about being a servant of the King of the Universe.  The key here is that for a non-Jew to be accepted as such, it must be evident by the way we live our lives.  This is why the Council handed down the four minimum requirements in Acts 15.  We non-Jews are expected to be ones who “sojourn with Israel” and “dwell among Israel”.  We’re not to be a separate people doing our own thing or an arrogant thorn in the flesh.  We are to be WITH Israel, even living peacefully with Israel in the land of Israel.  If we claim to be one with Israel and we act like arrogant pagans, well, can we ever hope to be trusted and accepted into fellowship?

For ADONAI will have compassion on Ya’akov – He will once again choose Isra’el and resettle them in their own land, where foreigners will join them, attaching themselves to the house of Ya’akov.   Isaiah 14:1

Some will say, “Yes, it is true that Gentiles will serve G-d and be accepted.  But that is for the Messianic Era and not for today.”  I would like to point out that we believe that Messiah has come once as Messiah:  Son of Joseph, the Suffering Servant.  If this is indeed true then the Messianic Kingdom has begun already, though it has not yet reached it’s fullness.  The fullness of the Messianic Era will come when Messiah:  Son of David, The Conquering King comes to lead the battle against Israel’s enemies and bring peace and rest on every side, as He reigns as King in Jerusalem and the Torah goes forth from Jerusalem to all the nations of the earth as the rulers of every nation comes to Messiah in Jerusalem seeking His wisdom and council.  Soon, soon we’ll see the fullness of Messiah and His Kingdom.  But for now we are in a holding pattern, entrusted with Messiah Yeshua’s message of teshuvah (repentance) sent out “to Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and even to the ends of the earth” as we await the fullness that is yet to come.

In the end of days the mountain of ADONAI’S house will be established as the most important mountain.  It will be regarded more highly than the other hills, and all the Goyim will stream there. Many peoples will say ‘Come, let’s go up to the mountain of ADONAI, to the house of the G-d of Ya’akov!  He will teach us about His ways and we will walk in His paths.  For out of Tziyon will go forth the Torah, and the word of ADONAI from Yerushalayim.  He will judge between the nations and arbitrate for many peoples.  Isaiah 2:2-4

Then ADONAI will be king over the whole world.  On that day ADONAI will be the only one, and His Name will be the only Name.  Zechariah 14:9

“ADONAI-Tzva’ot says, ‘In the future, peoples and inhabitants of many cities will come; the inhabitants of one city will travel to another and say, “We must go to ask ADONAI’S favor and consult ADONAI-Tzva’ot.  I’ll go too.”  Yes, many peoples and powerful nations will come to consult ADONAI-Tzva’ot in Yerushalayim and to ask ADONAI’S favor.’  ADONAI-Tzva’ot says, ‘When that time comes, ten men will take hold – speaking all the languages of the nations – will grab hold of the cloak [tzit tzit - the fringes that represent the Torah] of a Jew and say, “We want to go with you, because we have heard that G-d is with you.”‘”  Zechariah 8:20-23

Yes, in the Messianic Era there will indeed be Gentiles, people of the nations, seeking and serving HaShem and dwelling in the land of Israel.  Ezekiel tells us that in the Messianic Kingdom there are indeed non-Jews who even receive a portion of the land:

“This is the territory you are to divide among the tribes of Isra’el.  You are to divide it by lot as an inheritance both to you and to the foreigners living among you who give birth to children living among you; for you they are to be no different from the native-born among the people of Isra’el – they are to have an inheritance with you among the tribes of Isra’el.  You are to give the foreigner an inheritance in the territory of the tribe with whom he is living” says Adonai ELOHIM.    Ezekiel 47:21-23

If in the early days it was okay to be a non-Jew in the commonwealth of Israel, and in the Messianic Era it will be acceptable to be a non-Jew dwelling with Israel then it must be okay to be a non-Jew participating in the Kingdom of Messiah.  What is our role though, where do we fit?  We get to be servants, just like our Master!!  No, we don’t become Jews, we don’t get to pick which tribe we are part of, we don’t become Levites or Priests or even the High Priest.  Those are stations reserved for whomever HaShem chooses (and He already made His choice clear).  We retain our status as non-Jews who sojourn with Israel and we are accepted as such.  We have a role in the kingdom and if we choose to take on someone else’s task, will it end for us like it did for Korach, Aviram and Datan and their buddies?  HaShem has every right to do it again.  Besides, if our Master wasn’t beneath being a servant it isn’t beneath us either.  It’s a privilege and an honor to be like our Teacher.