Israelite Info Part II: How Does One Become an Israelite?

 In the Old Testament, Israelites are often referred to as "the Children of Israel". Israel, in the Early Old Testament, referred to a man, Jacob. This Jacob was the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham. He fathered the twelve sons who became the patriarchs of the twelve tribes. Jacob was renamed Israel by YHWH; you can look in Genesis 32 for the story. So, the "Children of Israel" would refer to the descendants of the man, Israel. However, as I said above, the title "Israelite" is not one you inherit from birth.

     The Nation of Israel (as you will) was more or less solidified when YHWH brought them out of the land of Egypt. Prior to this, they had been in communication with Him, but He hadn't given them their identity yet; there was no Law, no binding principle to show kinship--all they had was their shared blood.

     When Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt where they had been enslaved, they did not leave alone. Along with them came "a mixed multitude" (Exodus 12:38). After they left Egypt, YHWH gave Moses the law (Torah). The key point is this: at that moment, the literal children of Israel and the mixed multitude became one: "All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. When a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover of the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land...One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you" (Exodus 12:47-49, KJV, emphasis added). This passage refers to the feast of Passover directly, but indirectly, it shows what is necessary to be considered "one of the congregation", ie: one of the people. Foreigners were not allowed to keep the passover. Strangers were not allowed to keep the passover (Exodus 12:45 and :43, respectively). A stranger who sojourns, however, was allowed to participate in Passover. The law applies to both blood Israelites and those who wish to keep it. The merger is explained more clearly in Leviticus 19:33-34, "And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him... the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God". Therefore, it is established, a person who sojourns with Israel is the same as a person born into Israel.

    But, you may wonder, if one is a sojourner, rather than a blood-born Israelite, does one still have to keep the Law? I would first refer to the above, "One law shall be unto him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger who sojourneth with you", but also to the punishments for breaking of the law. 

     Punishments for breaking the law vary. A thief must return the stolen item along with an added 1/5 of the item's value (Leviticus 6:1-5). Murderers were executed (Leviticus 24:17). There is another punishment, seemingly more serious and direful than execution--being "cut off". Being "cut off" refers to the practice of banishment, not just physically, but spiritually. A person "cut off" from Israel must leave the land and loses all claim to the faith. They are no longer protected or blessed. Their connection and agreement with YHWH is severed. 

     The agreement with YHWH includes such deals as, "Wherefore ye ye shall do My statues, and keep My judgments, and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety" (Leviticus 25:18), "If ye walk in My statutes, and keep My commandments, and do them; Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit" (Leviticus 26:3-4). It's rather simple, if A, then B. Being one of Israel, if A, ties one into the blessings and protection of Israel, B. Being cut off puts one in line for the curses, C. (Look in Deuteronomy 28, starting with verse 15, for the full list of curses; they are thorough, creative, and variable). Being cut off looks something like this: 

But if it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field...Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land...The Lord shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly...the Lord shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until He have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it...And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life.

    In a word; Damn.

    It continues in Deuteronomy 29:24-29, "Even all nations shall say, 'Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this land? what meanest the heat of this great anger?' Then men shall say, 'Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them forth out of the land of Egypt: For they went and served other gods, and worshiped them, gods whom they knew not, and whom He had not given unto them. And the anger of the lord was kindled against their land, to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this book:...those things which are revealed belong unto us and unto our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law."

    These promises of punishment count equally for those "born in the land" and the "sojourners", because they are the same people. A "sojourner" Israelite suffers the same punishment as a blood Israelite; The law applies to all people. Never say it's all doom and gloom, however. There are positive promises, as we before mentioned (see the first part of Deuteronomy 28 for the comprehensive list; they are also thorough, creative, and variable). Even if an Israelite chose option C, YHWH allows for them to realize their mistakes and return to Israel with full benefits--Deuteronomy 30:1-5. [Forgiveness is not the sole province of the New Testament]

    Now, this started out as a light-hearted post, showing you that Israelites look like other people. (If you were one of the observant folks and noticed some similarities between the people in the photos in dress, congratulations :) you have discovered the topic for the next couple posts in this series.) Though the message got a bit threatening in the middle, that is not the point or intention. 

The point is this: an Israelite can be anybody, regardless of sex, race, creed, or past. 

An Israelite can be you.

 "Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do" (Deuteronomy 29:9).