Ari Sorko-Ram To The Jew First TO THE JEW FIRST By Ari Sorko-Ram Maoz Israel Publishing Box 535788, Grand Prairie, Texas 75053-5788 www.maozisrael.org www.istandwithisrael.com To the Jew First Copyright © 2008 by Ari Sorko-Ram All rights reserved. Cover design by: Omer Leon Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version of the Bible, copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Scripture quotations marked (CJB) are taken from the Complete Jewish Bible, copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. Published data is on file with the Library of Congress ISBN 9-7896571-833-35 Printed in the United States of America TABLE OF 17 Chapter Three: The Bigger Picture CONTENTS The Order: To the Jew First Why Paul? 5 Not Ashamed of the Gospel Chapter One: Order God’s Plan of Salvation Israel’s Advantage God will do what He Promised The New Covenant Principle of God’s Order Messiah is Coming Back Importance of following God’s Order Always in the Picture 9 31 Chapter Two: First Fruits Chapter Four: Israel and the Nations The Omer Provoking Jealousy It’s the Season I will Pour out My Spirit It’s about Counting A Word for the Nations Where am I as an individual in this process 38 It’s about Character Summary Lord of the Harvest 39 Bring Something! Grateful Heart and More About the Author revival. However, not all of us know that the CHAPTER nations, according to God’s plan, must play a major role in Israel’s salvation. ONE: ORDER While the world is waiting on Israel to accept her Messiah, God is waiting for the nations to fulfill their critically important commission in order to bring His promises to pass in Israel. God will do what He promised Israel is ready for revival. Living in Israel since Principle of God’s order 1976, we can testify that we have started seeing the beginning signs of this revival in the past few We must never forget that anything and years. I know what is evident today is no way everything that is happening on the face of near what God has promised for this generation this earth is about God. He has His plan and – not only in Israel, but throughout the world; unchangeable will for His creation. He focuses He has promised a worldwide outpouring of His on fulfilling His will which is revealed in the Spirit on all flesh. So, what’s holding back this Bible, and it cannot be changed. mighty move of God’s spirit? Therefore, as His servants and His family, it Most of us know the general outline of God’s is important for us to know His heart. We have plan to bring salvation to as many people as will to be familiar with His Master Plan, and there is accept Him. We can read in the Bible numerous only one plan. There never was and never will times that when the people of Israel truly call on be “Plan B.” Therefore we need to focus on Plan the Name of the Lord, it will propel a worldwide A – God’s original plan to redeem the human 5 race conceived before creation. There really is nothing we can do for God except love Him, draw close to Him and be obedient to One of the foundational truths of our faith His Word. And when we act according to His is that without faith it is impossible to please Word – we please Him, regardless of who or God. Therefore we have faith in Him and in His what we are – whether man or woman, Jew or promises and in His plan. Gentile, one race or another. All that God intended to happen will happen, And God treats the nations the same way. He and as for me and my house, we just want to go does not love one nation more than another – He where God is going and be a part of what God loves all nations equally. is doing. If I am a farmer and I know that God is focusing on blessing potatoes this season, I But, He does have different purposes and am not going to plant cotton, hoping God will direction for different nations. It’s the same for change His mind. a husband and wife – God doesn’t prefer one over the other. But there are different things the The Bible teaches us that God is not a respecter husband can do that the wife can’t do, and vice of persons. Nevertheless, He does honor what versa. This is the way God created us – each we do when it lines up with what He is doing. for a unique purpose in His Master Plan. Everything we do is documented in heaven, Now, in God’s specific plan and purpose for and is examined in light of whether we have been you there are some things you have to do first obedient to His will. Yes, He could redeem the –in order for you to fulfill your part in His plan. world without us, but He wants us to work jointly There is an order. with Him as co-heirs of His Kingdom – just because He loves us and loves doing things with us! What I am ultimately talking about is God’s 6 order and Israel’s position with the nations. If lights will not function – no matter how much we want the purposes of God fulfilled in our power is flowing up to the grid of the house. No nations, our cities and our families and lives, electricity will flow because something is out of we have to understand God’s order. Again, I am order. So, you face two choices. You can either not saying that Israel is better than any other decide that you don’t need the electricity and nation. I am saying that Israel has a purpose and use candles instead. Or you can find out what position unlike any other nation in God’s plan is out of order, correct that one wire (put it in for salvation and establishing His Kingdom. order), and you will have all the light you need. Order is a law of science and a law of the Spirit. Importance of following God’s order Years ago I played football. As does every other game, football has rules and order. The We need to understand that it is of utmost first thing that takes place is the center hikes the importance that we follow God’s assigned order. If ball. The ball goes to the quarterback - except we don’t follow it – things will not line up. If a family when the ball is punted. Now, if the quarter- is out of the God-designed order, the anointing and back decides to walk away from the field before blessings cannot flow as God intends. If the authority the ball is hiked to him – the play will be dead. structure is out of order, the anointing and blessings If the ball is not going to the quarterback, the will not flow as God intends. game cannot continue. So, the quarterback has The example I like to use is an electric circuit. to get the ball first. I was a wide-receiver. I could If the lights are turning on and off as they are run the entire field, but if the center did not hike supposed to, it means that the person who the ball, I would be running for nothing. The arranged the circuitry did it correctly. But if linemen could block, and everyone else could you put just one little wire in a wrong place, the do what they were supposed to do in the game, 7 but if the quarterback did not get the ball first – there would be no play. It is the same way in baseball. The umpire says, “Play ball,” but if the pitcher doesn’t step up to the mound, there will be no game. He has to pitch the ball. Certain things have to happen first. Otherwise nothing happens. 8 fifty days of obedience. For fifty days the children CHAPTER of Israel were commanded by the Lord to do something. They were to do it every year. Obeying TWO: FIRST this law requires the longest continuous observance of any commandment in the Bible so we should take note of it. As I see it – if the Lord reminds FRUITS us to do something every year for fifty days, there is surely something in this commandment very important for us to learn and experience. The Omer It’s the season During the Biblical year we encounter a very unique season called the “Counting of the Omer.” The yearly counting of the Omer starts at This season falls between the Feast of Passover Passover. The Passover is celebrated in the and the Feast of Shavuot (Pentecost). month of Nissan (March-April), the beginning of all months – the first Biblical month of the The Lord commanded the children of Israel to spring of the year. You might wonder why it is count the Omer for fifty days starting from Passover. the first month – unlike January of the Gregorian On the fiftieth day they were to celebrate the Feast calendar and September of the Orthodox Jewish of Shavuot (Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost). calendar. The Bible calls Nisan the first month An Omer is a sheave. Counting the Omer is a because it signifies the beginning of life as a very important principle and commandment in free people. It was the month Israel gained her the Biblical calendar. Counting the Omer required freedom and salvation out of Egypt physically. 9 Passover, when instituted, also foreshadowed Omer is a measure of wheat or barley, and the day when the Messiah would give His life on according to tradition the farmers would go out the cross and sacrifice Himself as the Passover into the field on the first day after Passover and Lamb of God, slain for the sins of the world. tag the visible buds – the first fruit of the field. It For the New Covenant believer, Nisan is the is important to know that I’m not talking about month when deliverance from spiritual Egypt ten percent of the buds – what we call a tithe, was offered to” whosoever will”. but rather every single bud they spotted that first day after Passover in their fields. Becoming a free person is the beginning of everything. Until we are free, we aren’t able to Then for the next fifty days they counted. And fulfill our destiny. So, every year the Lord reminds it didn’t just mean one, two, three, four, five… It us through His Word of this important day when meant going out to the field every day, watering we’re to begin counting fifty days. At the end of these first buds, pulling the weeds around them, this period we celebrate Shavuot, also known as tending them carefully, making sure that in fifty Pentecost (meaning fifty) or the Feast of Weeks. days these buds would grow into ripe fruit or It is at this time when we begin to prepare for the grains– the first fruits. Then the farmers would harvest, having brought forth the first fruits and gather all of these marked buds and bring them having dedicated them to the Lord. to the Temple of the Lord – to present them as an offering unto the Lord at the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot). God promised that if we brought It’s about Counting these first fruits to Him as He said – He would then bless us with a bountiful harvest. So what do we do during these fifty days of Omer? The Lord commands us to count. The You may wonder where I am going with all this. 10