In the final article I want to describe to you the Born Again Process; or the process by which every man must proceed to become an heir of righteousness and one of Yehovah’s spiritual seed, the Ezrach man, beni Israel (otherwise know and poorly understood as “the children of Israel”).
The four individuals with respect to Yehovah’s “Born in the Land” people who I have described at length in my last two blogs; also describes the born again process, the 4 progressive stages that every man must go through in becoming a “born in the land” son and heir of Yehovah’s kingdom. Here again are the four types of men which I have described.
[note: This is a continuation from The Ger Becomes an Ezrach (Part 1), (Part 2) & (Part 3)]
Born Again Process And Exodus 12:43-48
- Foreigner (alien to true Israel, ben nekar)
- Sojourner (involved alien with true Israel, Toshab)
- Stranger (citizen of true Israel, Ger)
- Native in the land (citizen of true Israel, Ezrach)
Born Again Process Begins with the Ben Nekar (son of a foreigner)
We (men) all start by being born into some kingdom of the world, a ben nekar, the son of a foreigner. As a ben nekar we do not know anyone from true Israel, nor any of their ways. That is where I was for the majority of my life.
The Toshab Is The Next Step In The Born Again Process
At some point along our life journey Yehovah’s see to it that we find some truth, or more frequently meet someone who is true Israel (a Ger or an Ezrach) and begin to see the light of the creator through their righteous deeds. For me this happened in 1996; I had a customer that always wore tzitzit and at one point during one of my many visits with him at his place of business he said to me “Michael, you need to find out about the feasts of Yehovah!” Eleven words that stuck with me for the next 4 – 5 years of my life.
During that time I searched through the Creator’s words given through Moses and the Prophets and began to see that many of the things that I thought I knew, did not line up with the scriptures that Yeshua, Paul, Peter, James, John and Jude all taught from. I began to question my pastor after each service, both to his dismay and my wife’s, but the only answers I received where just more doctrines and traditions of men. Ha – when Yehovah’s light begins to shine through His people in a very dark world it forces decisions. We must either embrace the light and move forward in it or flat-out reject it. I choose to take the red pill and move ahead.
The Born Again Process Continues With A Man Becoming A Ger
If we choose to embrace the light through repentance and turn to all the Creator’s ways (this is the circumcision of the heart), by beginning to learn and do them, we become a Ger. We leave the kingdom and the elohim of our birth and join ourselves to Yehovah and His holy people, those who have done the same; and now serve only THE lawmaker and judge, Yehovah, the Elohim on the mountain.
Becoming An Ezrach Is The Final Step In The Born Again Process
Once each year the Ger has the opportunity to become as “one born in the land,” an Ezrach, by being circumcised (this time in the flesh along with all the males of his household) and then eating of the Passover.
And when a stranger [Ger] dwells with thee [the Ezrach] and wants to keep the Passover to Yehovah, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; AND BECOME AS A NATIVE OF THE LAND [an Ezrach]. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it.” (Exo 12:48)
Some Examples Of The Born Again Process
Now that we better understand the born again process let look at some examples of people moving through it.
Ittai the Gittite
Then the king [David] said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why are you also going with us? Return and remain with the king. For you are a foreigner (ben nekar) and an exile from your own place. In fact, you came only yesterday. Return, and take your brethren back. Mercy and truth be with you.” But Ittai answered the king and said, “As Yehovah lives, and as my master the king lives, surely in whatever place my master the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also your servant will be.” So David said to Ittai, “Go, and cross over.” Then Ittai the Gittite and all his men and all the little ones who were with him crossed over. (2Sa 15:19-22)
Ittai (and those men, women and children) moved from a foreigner (ben nekar) status to a Sojourner (Toshab) status by virtue of his confession and maybe even to that of a Stranger (Ger) by virtue of their “crossing over.” I think the latter.
Ruth
But Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave thee, or to turn back from following after thee; for wherever thou goes, I will go; and wherever thou lodge, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God, my God. (Ruth 1:16)So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him [Boaz], “Why have I found favor in thy eyes, that thou should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner (a nokree, a foreign woman)?” And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me, all that thou have done for thy mother-in-law since the death of thy husband, and how thou have left thy father and thy mother and the land of thy birth, and have come to a people whom thou did not know before. Yehovah repay thy work, and a full reward be given thee by Yehovah, God of Israel, under whose wings thou have come for refuge.” (Ruth 2:10-12)
Ruth moved from a foreign (nokree) woman status to that of a sojourner (Toshab, at least in character – there are no female toshab) by virtue of her relationship to Naomi; and then became a Stranger (Ger and citizen of Israel, again, in character) by the circumcision of her heart which was demonstrated through her confession and subsequent actions.
Incidentally, Ruth later became a daughter of Yehovah through her marriage to the Ezrach and son of Israel, Boaz. A man of Israel is only allowed to marry a woman of Israel so the fact that it had been “fully reported” to him how Ruth had left her father and her mother and the land of her birth, and had come to a people whom she did not know before was very important.
The eunuch and the ben nekar
Thus says Yehovah: “Keep justice, and do righteousness, for My salvation is about to come, and My righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who lays hold on it; who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.” Do not let the son of the Foreigner (Ben Nekar) who has joined himself to Yehovah speak, saying, “Yehovah has utterly separated me from His people”; nor let the eunuch say, “Here I am, a dry tree.” For thus says Yehovah to the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, and choose what pleases Me, and hold fast My covenant, even to them I will give in My house and within My walls a place and a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. “Also the sons of the foreigner (Ben Nekar) who join themselves to Yehovah, to serve Him, and to love the name of Yehovah, to be His servants, everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and holds fast My covenant even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their slaughters will be accepted on My altar; for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations. Isa 56:1-8
The son of the foreigner (Ben Nekar) and the eunuchs who joined themselves to Yehovah, they were naturalized into True Israel, and both moved from a status of a foreigner to that of a Stranger (a Ger).
Moses
And she bore him a son. He called his name Gershom, for he said, “I have been a stranger (Ger) in a foreign (nokree, foreign) land.” Exo 2:22
Moses was a stranger (Ger) when he came back to Egypt by virtue of his own confession. And as one born in the land (Ezrach) when he left Egypt by virtue of his partaking in the Passover lamb. He, and many others, became “born in the land” just before they left Egypt; and hardly any of them had ever even seen the land.
We, True born in the land men (Ezrach), Israel, were all strangers (Gerim) at one time. Yehovah, speaking with Israel, says:
“Thou [born in the land, Israel] shall neither mistreat a stranger (Ger) nor oppress him, for you were strangers (Gerim) in the land of Egypt. Exo 22:21
Everyone who has been born into True Israel was once a Stranger (a Ger) in their Egypt, since we can not become native-born, Ezrach, without being a Ger first!
Let us now consider our own lives in relation to this Born Again Process. Where are we in this journey? We (men) all start being citizens of a foreign land, a ben nekar. Have we begun our move in this born again process towards becoming as one born in the land? I would say by virtue of you visiting this site you have now become a Toshab.
So, where does the man who simply confesses Yeshua as “lord” stand?
- Has he repented and committed himself to keeping all of Yehovah’s commandments, no matter where he is at?
- Does he still maintain his citizenship in another kingdom?
- Does he have anything more than a superficial relationship with True Israel?
- Does he even know anyone who is True Israel, a Ger or an Ezrach?
Since we can not become True Israel without becoming a Ger first; let us repent today and commit to becoming a Stranger (a Ger) in a foreign (nokree, foreign) land.
The Born Again Process
- We all begin in our Egypt as a Foreigner, a Ben Nekar and a citizen of another kingdom.
- Yehovah will see to it that everyone becomes a sojourner (Toshab) by sending His light of truth in the world; usually by meeting someone from true Israel. Most men will reject that small piece of light, but others will rejoice and begin searching for more.
- The sojourner (Toshab) who repents and leaves the kingdom of his birth will become a Stranger (Ger) and be immersed into True Israel and follow only Yehovah and His eternal and unchanging ways. He will become a subject citizen of the kingdom of True Israel, no matter what kingdom he was previously a citizen of.
Human aspiration must rise higher than the elimination of the negative; it must strive for positive achievement. One is not complete until one has come to the resting place of Yehovah’s presence with the offering that represents a covering for the past and a dedication for the future.
That is what Passover is all about; a yearly renewal of our covenant with Yehovah.
Yeshua said, You must be born again!
- One time every year a Stranger (Ger) has the opportunity to become as one born in the land (Ezrach). He can become a son and heir of True Israel by getting circumcised and keeping the Passover, the Time Of Life, as codified in Exodus 12.
We must all ask ourselves Where am I in this born again process? Remember, Yeshua said,
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of Elohim.” (John 3:3)
Is it possible that the Way of Life is far more narrow than most have ever imagined? Yeshua was not talking to the Gentiles when he said “strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads to life, and few there be who find it;” he was talking to the people who thought they were Yehovah’s people already.
Let’s renew our commitment today to learn, do and teach only Yehovah’s ways; for if we will, we can be great in Yehovah’s kingdom. I, want to be great in Yehovah’s kingdom and I want that for you also!
For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the Torah until all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Mat 5:18-19)
Go to “Celebrating a True Passover“