" What Advantage Has the Jew? "

In Paul's letter to the Romans, Chapter three, verse one, he asks the question, "What then the advantage of the Jew?" Then he answers his own question, "Much in every way. Chiefly, for to them were committed the oracles of God." We will explore what Paul meant by these words.

There seems to be a growing curiosity, in these 'last days', about the 'Lost Ten Tribes' of Israel and what became of them. There is a very good reason for this. Because the Father plans to re-gather them back to Himself and put the two peoples, the house of Judah and the house of Joseph, back together as one, in the 'Last Days'. We know where Judah is. They are called Jews. But who and where are the lost tribes? I believe they are basically in all denominations of the Christian church. I believe these two people groups are Jews and Christians.

The Father seems to be giving us a progressive revelation concerning the 'Lost Ten Tribes', beginning with British-Israelism, which was formulated in England in the middle -1600's. And more recently, the theory of Messianic Israel as promoted by Batya and Angus Wootten. There is truth in both of these teachings, but we will also find a certain amount of error. And there is far more to this story than we have yet grasped.

And we will not learn the full story from any one person, because God does not give all the truth to one person. If one person claims to have the whole truth, don't believe him; God doesn't do things that way. The Torah says in Deuteronomy 19:15, "In the mouth of two or three witnesses, a matter is established'. This is the reason people get off the track when listening to the teaching of and following one person or denomination. And every church denomination can be traced back to the interpretation of one man or woman. Proverbs 11:14 says, "In the multitude of counselors, there is safety".

We first need to trace the 'Elect' seed-line down through the Bible and show how this concept ties into the Two Houses. Who are the 'Elect' and what is meant by Predestination? Are we individually predestined for Heaven or Hell, as certain Gentile Christian theologians have taught? The answer to that is an emphatic NO! That is not Biblical Predestination, but just one of the many doctrinal errors the church invented because they lost understanding of the Torah. Without the foundation of Torah, we cannot even begin to understand anything in the New Testament!

There is a pattern all through the Bible of election, beginning with Abel. Why was Cain

Jealous of Abel? Why did God reject Cain's offering? Why did Cain have a bad attitude, which led to his bringing an unacceptable offering? Did God tell him to offer the grain offering, instead of the lamb, because he was being passed over for the Firstborn status, as the family priest? Did he think that if he killed Abel, then he would be the one who would be 'chosen'. But, it didn't work out that way, did it? No, God raised up Seth to replace Abel as firstborn. And Seth then became the 'elect' seed of God. In Genesis 4:25,

And in Genesis 5:1 we read,

Why does the Bible not tell us anything about these other children of Adam? Because; God is only concerned with revealing to us His 'elect' seed. No females are named here, because the seed comes from the male; females do not have seed. This genealogy continues with: Enosh, Cainan, Mahalelel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech and Noah. It then names Noah's three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth, but all three sons are not the elect. Genesis 10 gives us a general genealogy of the three sons for the purpose of showing which peoples and nations descended from them. This chapter is essential for tracing the people groups of the world even today.

Out of Noah's three sons, only Shem continues the 'elect' seed-line. It actually gives Shem's genealogy twice. In Genesis 11:10 we pick up the 'chosen' seed-line again. "This is the genealogy of Shem". It goes through the same order as with Adam, telling of other sons and daughters, but only naming the elect: Arphaxad, Salah, Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor and Haran. In chapter 12, it again picks up the 'elect' seed-line with Abram. Abram has Ishmael and then Isaac. It looks as though Ishmael could be the 'chosen' one until chapter 21:12, when God says, "In Isaac shall your seed be called". Abraham then cries out to God, " Oh, that Ishmael might live before You". That is, as Your 'elect'. But God had already chosen Isaac long before he was born. This is Biblical predestination. It is the 'elect' that is God's predestined chosen people. Chosen for what? Chosen to bring His salvation to bless the rest of the world.

Isaac had twin sons, Esau and Jacob, Esau being the one born first. Surely, Esau was the 'chosen' one, the firstborn. This is what Isaac thought. Esau was Isaac's choice, but God chose Jacob. Are we beginning to see a pattern here? Jacob had 12 sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulon, Joseph and Benjamin. All 12 sons are counted as the builders of the nation of Israel, but only one will be the 'elect' seed. Who will it be?

It looks as if Joseph is to be the one in chapter 37. He boasts of having two dreams, wherein his brothers are all bowing before him. This is why his brothers became jealous and plotted to kill him. But Judah saved his life by suggesting they sell him to Ishmaelite traders. We know that these dreams are somewhat fulfilled when the brothers are forced, by a famine, to go down to Egypt to buy grain. It is Joseph, now second in power to Pharaoh, who sells them the grain. So Joseph physically 'saves' his family.

In verse three we read,

This was a special garment that symbolized the position of authority of the firstborn. The firstborn would be the one chosen to carry on the 'elect' seed-line. Jacob wanted Joseph to be the 'chosen' one, but God had other plans, as we will see. In Genesis 49, Jacob, under the inspiration of the Ruach, blesses his 12 sons, in order of their birth, starting with disqualifying the oldest, Reuben. He then disqualifies Simeon and Levi. Then when he comes to Judah he says some strange things. Strange, that is, if Joseph is to be the 'elect' firstborn. He says in verse 8,

Wait a minute! I thought it was Joseph they were to bow down before! Didn't Joseph dream that they would bow before him? Now Jacob is saying that it is Judah that would be the 'firstborn' leader of the tribes. What's going on here?

1 Chronicles 5: 1-2 says,

The Torah states in Deuteronomy 21:15-17 that:

That is, for the firstborn status. Leah was the unloved wife and Judah was her fourth son in line for the firstborn blessing, but still older than Joseph. Judah qualified himself when he saved Joseph from death and also later saving Benjamin by taking his place as slave to Joseph. Jacob wanted to pass over Judah and give this status to Joseph, but God did not allow it to happen! He caused Jacob to give Judah, not Joseph, this firstborn blessing of the 'elect' seed-line.

Many have somehow misunderstood these blessings in Genesis 48 and 49, to say that Joseph and then Ephraim, his firstborn, received the firstborn 'elect' status. But it is Judah who was being 'chosen' as the 'elect' seed here. He has the scepter of leadership over all Israel (49:8-10).

Joseph did receive one 'part' of the blessing, which was the 'Birthright' double portion of land. You can easily see this double land - mass of Ephraim and Manasseh on any Bible map of Israel after Joshua took the Israelites into the Promised Land. This was all he was given! Joseph does not now have, nor has ever had, the leadership. Joseph / Ephraim was given leadership over the Northern ten tribes, but never over all Israel!

The House of Judah and those called by the name of 'Jews' are the 'elect' of God. This truth has been distorted and very misunderstood during the so-called 'Church Age', because of 'Replacement Theology', 'British-Israelism', and even some of the current 'Two House' teaching of 'Messianic Israelism'. The Gentile church has not replaced the 'chosen seed', nor has the 'House of Joseph/Ephraim' become the 'elect firstborn' in place of nor equal to Judah. The House of Judah, the Jewish people, in general, are the 'chosen people' of God. There are some who claim that Ephraim is 'just as chosen as Judah'. I'm afraid this is only wishful thinking. Within the House of Judah is the remnant of 'spiritual Jews', those who are also 'Jews inwardly', or Torah observant Messianic Jews [Those who believe in Yeshua now or still look for the Messiah to come.].

How can we know for sure that Judah is the 'chosen, elect' seed? We will see ample proof of this as we go on with this study. In case there is any doubt, Psalm 78: 67- 68 says clearly:

[Jerusalem and Zion, in prophecy, means the House of Judah.]

This revelation was written 100 years before Jereboam and the divided kingdom; and about 300 years before the House of Israel went into exile never to return, taken captive by Assyria! God never chose Joseph / Ephraim as His 'elect' firstborn! God revealed to Jacob that Judah was to be the 'elect'. Many in the 'House of Israel/Ephraim' [Church] today do not like to hear this! They do not want to 'bow' before Jews.

Many would bring up Jeremiah 3:7-11 about now, as proof that Judah is no better than Ephraim. And I would agree that, at least at the time this was written, Judah was no better than Ephraim, maybe even worse. But Judah repented after 70 years and was allowed to go back to the Land. And Ephraim has definitely been more unrighteous than Judah for the last 2000 years.

But, the point is not about who is better, but who is, chosen by God. Some like to pull this Scripture out to claim that Ephraim is 'equal' to Judah. God did not divorce Judah, as He did Israel. Paul stresses that 'election' is not of works, but of grace. God chose Jacob in the womb, before he had any works. Judah is also chosen by grace.

This seed-line of the 'elect' of God continues on down through Judah to David and ultimately to Messiah. Even then, after Messiah came, the House of Judah was still in the position of the 'elect' chosen 'House' or people of God. For as Paul says in Romans 11:29, "The calling and gifts of God are irrevocable". Messiah came to the House of Judah, which is called the 'House of Israel' in the Apostolic Writings.

In Matthew 10: 5- 6,

He said in Matthew 15:24,

Some believe that 'lost sheep' here means the 'lost ten tribes'. It does not, it is speaking here of the 'lost' sheep in the Land, the House of Judah, as the context will prove.

Now Yeshua refers to the 'other sheep', the lost tribes and / or Gentiles. He also said in John 10:16,

Who are these two people groups that are to be made one? There are only two groups of people on this earth who claim to worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They are Jews and Christians. And these are representative of the two 'Houses', Judah and Ephraim. As He has promised, the Father will bring these two peoples together as one, in His own way and time. And He will use whomever He will. He will not limit Himself to using only one organization of men to do this.

Yahweh has a plan for everything. He planned it long before mankind was created. He predestined certain people, individuals and groups, for certain purposes. He made no mistakes. He knows what He is doing. Do we know what God is doing? We can know what He is doing, because He tells us plainly in His Word. We just need to learn how to study it and then believe it. He tells us who He has chosen and whom He has not chosen. Predestined, chosen, loved, and election: all have the same meaning in God's Word. These words will show you who God is working with and through to bring about His blessings to the Gentile world. These blessings will come through Judah, His elect. For "salvation is of the Jews". (Jn 4:22)

What happened to the Ten Tribes of the Northern Kingdom? God gave Jereboam a chance to also be blessed, but he refused God's conditional offer. In this case, this was not a matter of grace, but works! God says, If you will do as David, I will make your 'house' (that is, the House of Israel), a sure house also.

Because of the continuous idolatry of the Northern Kingdom, God finally cut them off completely. The House of Israel assimilated into and became Gentiles. They did not just 'become lost to their identity' as Israelites, but lost their identity as Israelites, as far as God was concerned. As we read in Amos 9:7- 8.

When Jacob blesses his sons in Genesis 49, it is Judah who is given the scepter (rulership) in the Kingdom. And in Deuteronomy 33, Levi is given the priesthood, because Joseph lost that right, with the idolatry of the golden calf, as explained in Psalm 78. Remember that the Tabernacle was first in Shiloh, the territory of Ephraim, but God rejected Ephraim and moved it to Jerusalem [Judah]. Both the scepter and priesthood ended up in the House of Judah, when Levi joined Judah after the splitting off of Jereboam to form the Northern Kingdom.

Joseph received only the double portion, not the whole firstborn blessing. Joseph is later cut off completely; from the; covenant, promises, land, everything. When was he cut off? In the book of Hosea, chapter 1, verses 4 -9, we find the answer.

Did the House of Israel become the wife of another? Did they covenant with another god? Yes, she married Baal. When she loses track of her Baalim, Ephraim / Israel will try to go back to her first husband, Yahweh.

This is mistranslated. It should say, "But you whore with companions many, yet you return to Me?" No way!

So, the Torah states that she cannot return to her former husband. And yet God says, in Jeremiah 3:12-13,

In Isaiah 7:8-9,

Yeshua is the High Priest of Israel of the Royal Priesthood. The Torah is also clear that the High Priest can only marry a virgin of his people in Leviticus 21:13-14.

So, where does this leave the rest of us, especially the other 10 tribes of the House of Israel and/or Gentiles? Remember that the Kingdom was split into two Houses or Kingdoms. The Northern Kingdom was called Israel or the House of Israel. God gave them a chance to be chosen as well as the House of Judah. As He said to Cain, "If you do well, you will also be accepted". We do well when we accept the one God has chosen, in a right attitude. As Paul tells us in Romans 11:20, "Don't be arrogant against the natural branches'.

Eventually God rejected Joseph's descendants and sent them away, never yet to return. Hosea 1:6 - 7 says, "I will no longer have mercy on the House of Israel...Yet I will have mercy on the House of Judah." And in verse 9, " Lo - Ammi, You are not My people", you are Gentiles, no more or less. The House of Israel became Gentiles. You are legally Gentiles, not Israel, no matter how much Israelite DNA you have, until you come to faith into Messiah, which brings you into Israel. Ishmael and Esau both have Abraham's DNA, but they are not counted by God as Abraham's seed. If God says you are "not My people", then you are NOT Israel!

Yahweh divorced the House of Israel. They were 'cut off', from the covenant, the land, and the promises of God. British - Israelism and Messianic Israelism both teach that the House of Israel retained the legal title of Israel in exile. That even though divorced, rejected, and cut off, and remarried: they were still Israel. This is wishful thinking, not reality. This is like saying that even though divorced and remarried, you are still married to your ex husband and carry his name and the privileges of being his wife!

If they kept the title of Israel, we would be able to locate them, in history, by the name Israel. We may have traced their migrations, but only under the names of Celts, Scythians, Anglo-Saxons, Cimmerians, Vikings, etc. But the only people known, by the name of Israel all those years, were the Jews. When the Northern Kingdom was disowned by God, the title of Israel legally reverted to Judah. The House of Judah is the legal title-holder of the name Israel, today! This is why it is perfectly legitimate that they called their modern nation Israel.

The House of Israel was divorced from the betrothal covenant of God. Jeremiah 3:8 says,

" And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery, I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce." God divorced Israel and she went out and became the spiritual wife of another man, or god, called Baal. The Torah, in Deut. 24:1- 4, very specifically says that when this occurs, the first husband cannot remarry her, even if her second husband dies. It is an abomination for her to go back to her first husband. When

Israel loses track of her Baalim, she says, "I will go and return to my first husband". Her first husband was Elohim. But the law says that she cannot do this. And yet God says, "Return, O backsliding children, for I am married to you." Does God break his own law?

The Torah is also clear that Messiah, as High Priest, can only marry a virgin of Israel. But the House of Israel is a harlot and is no longer Israel. How then is he going to re-marry the House of Israel? There is a way that this can be worked out. God's word shows us how Messiah can return to marry both Judah and Israel. And there will be one pure virgin bride, without sin, spot or wrinkle; for the bride will have made herself ready.

The way that Messiah can marry Judah and Israel as one pure Israelite bride, even though Israel has been divorced, cut off from the covenant of promise, destroyed from off the face of the earth, and cannot return to marry her first husband is this:

Judah, that is, the 'house' of Judah, was not divorced or cut off. The simple truth is that they are the 'chosen' elect people of God, the ones God will accomplish his plan of redemption through. This is why Yeshua said to the Samaritan woman at the well [who was part Israelite], "Salvation is of the Jews." All who are not His people are to be added to the remaining 'household' of God, which is Judah! Whether you are purely a Gentile or a returning Ephraimite, you have no covenant with God, and must be grafted into the covenant people, Judah, the good, that is, cultivated olive tree! Gentiles and/or Ephraimites are a wild olive tree. The only way to use a wild olive tree is to graft its branches into a good olive tree. A wild olive tree is useless of itself. If will not bear fruit. If it does bear some fruit, it is inedible, even poison.

Why is Judah the cultivated olive tree? Because; they have kept or guarded the Torah. The Torah is the cultivator. Ephraim is the wild olive tree because he rejected the Torah. The good olive tree can be likened to the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden, and the wild olive tree can be likened to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. And these two trees can be likened to the two 'houses'.

Judah, with the Torah, is as the Tree of Life. If Ephraim wants to live again he must be grafted into Judah's tree, the cultivated olive tree. Ephraim sees the Torah as a 'strange thing', and has always preferred the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, meaning they decide for themselves what is right and wrong apart from the Law. This is what the Gentile and/or Ephraimite church has done for about the last 1900 years. And look at their 'fruit'! If they have any fruit, it is bitter, poison!

Bitter is a metaphor for idolatry. The House of Israel, Ephraim, has always mixed a lot of pagan idolatry into their religion. Hosea 4:17 says, "Ephraim is joined [married] to idols, let him alone." Let or leave him alone means get away from him! And this is what we must do. We must get away from Ephraim, and be grafted into Judah, if we want to be a part of the Bride of Messiah.

Zechariah 8:23 says,

These ten 'men' are the ten tribes, the house of Israel. The Jew is the tribe or house of Judah. "We have heard that God is with you". Who is God with? God is with the Jews! This does not say for us to grab onto the tzitzit of a Messianic Israelite, even if he ties them onto the belt - loops of his Levis. Wearing Levis does not qualify him as a Jew.

The House of Israel is a harlot, and cannot be the Bride of Messiah! Only Judah, who is still in the betrothal covenant, can be His Bride. So, how can Israel come back into covenant with God? How can Ephraim / Gentiles be a part of the Bride? All this is explained thoroughly in

the Apostolic Writings. They must come back as Gentiles. As Paul, apostle to the Gentiles, clearly shows in Romans 11:11- 29, they must come out of the 'wild' Gentile olive tree and be grafted into the 'good' olive tree of Judah.

This is how Messiah can now marry Israel again after divorcing her. Because he is marrying Judah the betrothed bride, that Ephraimites will be grafted into. Even though some Jewish branches may be cut off, the 'tree' of Judah was not cut off nor denuded, as some are teaching, but remained within the covenant, as the covenant people, the betrothed bride of Messiah. The whole tree of the House of Israel was 'cut off' and became wild or Gentile, and the only branches that will survive will be those that are grafted into Judah.

DNA is not what is important here. Ishmael had Abraham's DNA, so did Esau, but they are not counted by God in the covenant. They also must be grafted into Judah. Just as Ishmael and Esau were rejected, so is Ephraim. The House of Israel assimilated into and became Gentiles. I found from a factual study of history that the House of Israel (wherever they were) did not carry the name Israel with them but seemed to take on the name of the peoples they migrated with. There are possible traces of their where-abouts to be found, but none are as conclusive as we would like to think.

Yes, Ephraim has taken the 'Gospel' to, all the world. But what kind of 'Gospel', and what kind of 'Messiah' have they presented? Actually a lawless 'Gospel' and false 'Messiah'! A Gospel and a Messiah of their own making! This will result in the whole world worshiping a False Messiah, the pagan Jesus, who abolished the Law! This is the Bitter (idolatrous) 'fruit' of the House of Israel! If we want to bear good fruit, our individual branches must be grafted into Judah, who represents Torah truth. Only the Gospel and the Messiah of the Torah promises salvation! Anything else is 'another Gospel', and another 'Jesus', and another Spirit as Paul says in 2 Cor. 11:4! A Messiah that destroyed the Torah is a false Messiah! And a liar! And a Counterfeit! This has been Ephraim's contribution.

Jews who today still look for the Messiah to come are "believers", because they have not rejected the true Messiah. They simply have not yet seen their Messiah who has been hidden behind Ephraims Torah-less counterfeit!

The Gospel of the Kingdom that is to be preached, in all the world, before the end of this age, is the Gospel according to Torah. It is the "Restoration of all things." This is being done today by the 'Philadelphia' era of the church; Messianic Judaism [see our study on 'The Seven Churches of Revelation'], and some of those returning 'grafted - in Ephraimites who recognize, accept and appreciate Judah's position in God's order.

Just as the Prodigal son comes back to present himself as a servant, not as a son, we must say to the Father: " I have sinned against you and am not worthy to be called your son". Then, and only then, will we be welcomed as a 'son of the Living God'. This takes a great deal of humility on the part of Ephraim. Unfortunately, Ephraim is very proud and does not like to properly acknowledge Judah's position. He is jealous of Judah's 'chosen-ness'. This is the jealousy that Ephraim must get over if these brothers are to be reunited.

As in Isaiah 9:9-10,

In other words, Ephraim says, "we will rebuild our 'house'. The bricks of this house have fallen down, but we will rebuild with even better stone". Ephraim will not rebuild the House of Israel. The father is destroying that 'house'. " The virgin of Israel has fallen, never to rise again, in Amos 5:2. God is burning that 'house' down, but those who escape can join themselves to the other 'house', the House of Judah, just as some from the Northern Kingdom escaped to join Judah right before the Assyrian captivity. We need to abandon the burning house and join with Judah.

Ezekiel 37 says, in verse 19,

The word 'stick' here is the Hebrew word for tree, which is etz. A better translation would be this: 'I will take the tree of Joseph... and put it with the tree of Judah... and they will become one tree". One [good olive] tree, instead of a wild olive tree and a good olive tree.

How do we take two trees and make one tree from them? Paul tells us in Romans 11. You cut off some branches of one tree (in this case, the wild olive tree [Ephraim]) and graft them into the better tree (in this case, the cultivated olive tree [Judah]). This is how the two 'sticks' (really, trees) become one.

Ephraim's other sin, besides pride, is jealousy. Just as Cain was jealous of Abel's chosen-ness, and Ishmael of Isaac, and Esau of Jacob, so is Ephraim jealous of Judah's 'chosen-ness'. But, the way to 'get over' our jealousy, is not to deny that Judah is chosen, and try to replace him or demand equality, but to also become 'chosen' by being grafted into their tree. Just as God said to Cain, " If you do well, You will also be accepted." How do we 'do well'? By humbly accepting Judah's position.

So, what is ' the advantage' of the Jews? The word 'advantage' here is actually the Greek phrase 'to perrisson', which means superiority and more accurately, pre-eminence! Therefore this should read: "What then the superiority of the Jew"? Or: "What then the pre-eminence of the Jew?" Much in every way!

Notice that this specifically says 'Jews', not all Israelites. The Jewish people are the House of Judah, and to them alone was entrusted the Torah of God. And it is a good thing it was not entrusted to the Gentile church, for they would have destroyed it long ago, as a 'strange thing'! They certainly tried to destroy it, and even the whole Bible, with their persecutions and book and scroll burning.

The House of Judah is pre-eminent. They are God's 'chosen' people. Judah is the good olive tree. They are the Covenant people of God, because they are the 'house' that was retained by God, or chosen by grace, when he divorced the House of Israel. We must come back as gentiles, not as the House of Israel or Ephraim. We must be grafted - into Judah, because he is the older son who remained with the father. In the parable of the Prodigal Son, the Father says to him, "You are ever with me and all that I have is yours". Judah is holding the legal title to all the inheritance. Ephraim has no inheritance, because he wasted his on harlots.

Ezekiel 16: [Prophecy to Judah]

So, let's not say as Jereboam did,

Q: Doesn't Jeremiah 31:9 say that Ephraim is the Firstborn?

Jeremiah 31:9. They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.

A: This is future, when Messiah has returned and Israel is one nation again in the land, with the Kingdom restored. Ephraim's part of the blessing, the double portion, is restored. (Ezekiel 48:4-5)

Q: Does not Isaiah 50:1 show that YHVH never divorced the House of Israel?

Isaiah 50:1. Thus saith the Lord, Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? Or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother 'put away'.

A: Actually, it says that He definitely did divorce her (the mother, the House of Israel). 'Put away' means divorce!

Q: Does not this passage in Jeremiah show that YHVH will take her back?

Jeremiah 3:1. They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? Shall not that land be greatly polluted?

A: This asks a rhetorical question, reaffirming the Torah command that He cannot take her back after she has remarried. It is a last warning before the divorce.

Q: Did YHVH ever really divorce the House of Israel? (Some do not believe this clear statement!)

Jeremiah 3:8 ...And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of Divorce...

A: This passage shows clearly that YHVH 'put her away' and gave her a 'bill of divorce'. He pleads with her to return to Him, before he gave the bill of divorce.

Q: Does not Jeremiah 3:13 show that YHVH is still married to the House of Israel?

Jeremiah 3:14. Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you:

Interlinear: Turn back O sons, apostate, says Yahweh. For I am lord [ba'al (lord) not 'married', not husband (ish)] over you.

A: No, the word here is not 'married' but lord, master. Notice also that it is speaking to the children, not the mother (the House of Israel).

This shows that He is not bringing back the House (the mother), but the children (individuals), which He will bring to Zion (bring to be grafted in to Zion, which is Judah).

Q: What about the typology of Hosea and Gomer? Does this not show that YHVH takes the 'House' of Israel back as His wife?

Hosea 3:1. Then said the Lord unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.

A: Once again: it is the children, which are being spoken of here. Notice also that she is being bought back as a slave! And this is how the Prodigal Son returns, as a slave.

Written by Cathy Styer