Shalom!

 
I remember years ago, sitting in church and hearing the Pastor say, "Jesus spoke more on the Kingdom than any other subject." I so clearly remember thinking, then tell us "what is the Kingdom?" More and more today I am understanding what is the message of Yeshua and the Kingdom. In this week's Torah portion, Lech Lecha, Avram enters into an everlasting covenant with El Shaddai and thus the Kingdom of YHWH begins to take shape.
 
Bereshith/Genesis 17:1 When Avram was ninety-nine years old, YHWH appeared to Avram and said to him, "I am El Shaddai; walk before Me and be blameless. 2 "And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly." 3 Then Avram fell on his face, and Elohim talked with him, saying: 4 "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. 5 "No longer shall your name be called Avram, but your name shall be Avraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 "I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. 7 "And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be Elohim to you and your descendants after you. 8 "Also I will give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their Elohim." 9 And Elohim said to Avraham: "As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.
 
A kingdom requires a King, people, laws, and a land. Notice the seven "I will's" of the Avrahamic covenant. Avraham believed these "I will's", and it was considered to him as righteousness, and thus Avraham and his descendents entered into covenant.
 
Now Avram was not an Israelite. He was a man living in Babylon who at some point received the truth and the invitation from El Shaddai to enter into covenant with Him. While Avraham is definitely the father of Israel, as believers in Yeshua we know that Avraham is also the father of our faith:
 
Romans 4:16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the Torah, but also to those who are of the faith of Avraham, who is the father of us all
 

The promises to Avraham stated that he would have many descendents, yet he and Sarah began to doubt as the years passed by and no child was born. The result was that they took matters into their own hands and came up with their own fleshly solution. Thus came Ishmael, the son of a concubine. But the children of the concubine have no inheritance. For an audio teaching that will challenge you and perhaps answer a few questions, check out Barry Phillip's teaching on The Bride, the Concubine, and the Harlot

 

Lech Lecha means "go for yourself". It can mean.... Go! Discover your mission! Discover your calling in life! Seek first the Kingdom of Elohim and His righteousness! Do not stay where you are! Begin to walk out your salvation in the Kingdom of Righteousness! Do you get the idea? There is a kingdom with multiple promises and it is not found in the United States, or England, or Africa, or Australia or anywhere else. The Kingdom will eventually land in the covenant "land of Canaan". The Kingdom will run according to the instructions of Torah. The Messiah will be our King! And just as Avram was given the call to leave Babylon, we know that there will be another moment in time when the call will come to the seed of Avraham to "come out of her, My people" and leave Babylon. This will require listening for His Voice, faith, and an obedient heart that is ready to leave for the Promised Land!

 
Jeremiah 51:6 Flee from the midst of Babylon, And every one save his life! Do not be cut off in her iniquity, For this is the time of YHWH's vengeance; He shall recompense her.
 

The Sinai covenant will lay out may of the "laws" of the Kingdom. We need this, for commandments are a lamp and doing them with the right heart brings light to the world because when we keep the commandments from the heart, we reflect our King:

 
Proverbs 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp, And the Torah a light; Corrections of discipline are the way of life
 

The laws of the Torah are necessary to secure the covenant inheritance of the Land - otherwise the Land will vomit out the people. Pretty strong language, right?

 
Vayikra/Leviticus 18:25 'For the land is defiled; therefore I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants. 26 'You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations, either any of your own nation or any stranger who dwells among you 27 '(for all these abominations the men of the land have done, who were before you, and thus the land is defiled), 28 'lest the land vomit you out also when you defile it, as it vomited out the nations that were before you. 29 'For whoever commits any of these abominations, the persons who commit them shall be cut off from among their people. 30 'Therefore you shall keep My ordinance, so that you do not commit any of these abominable customs which were committed before you, and that you do not defile yourselves by them: I am YHWH your Elohim.' "

 

Just a short update now on what's going on for us here in the Promised Land. There has been a very serious shortage of rain in Israel the last several years. The Sea of Galilee and other bodies of water are very low. This water is necessary for drinking and irrigation of the many crops during the seasons when there is no rain. We were so touched last night when our community of believers was asked to join with Jews from all over the Golan at a nearby synagogue to pray together for rain. If you've every been around Jews who pray pleading from the heart, then you understand what it was like. Shoulder to shoulder, I could not understand it all, but I could hear the call for Mashiach and for the rain. We need the Living Water here!! Join us in praying for the showers of blessing, both physical and spiritual!

 

 
Ezekiel 34:26 "I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing.
 
Oh, and just one more thing. Mike Clayton is currently in the Land with a tour. He has posted slides and videos (check out the video with Yehuda Glick). Find them here - Israel
 
Shabbat Shalom!
Ardelle