Mark Huey of Outreach Israel Ministries delivers the following message, “A Light to the Nations,” as we consider the important role that Israel has to testify of God’s goodness to the entire world.
For more than three millennia, faithful followers of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, have had a critical individual and corporate responsibility to be the Creator’s representatives or ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20), on this planet, to the rest of humanity. In His mercy, God had to choose a group of people to communicate His love, and as found in the Holy Scriptures, He chose Abraham and his descendants to be His intermediaries to the rest of the world (Genesis 12:1-3). Very soon after Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, the Lord told Moses—another mediator—that the Israelites were uniquely chosen to be His possession among the nations. Israel was to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, with the incumbent responsibility to obey His voice and keep His covenant:
“‘Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel” (Exodus 19:5-6, NASU).
While being one of the “fewest of all people” in number, this unique elected status resulted from the promises of the Lord to their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as confirmed in the deliverance of Ancient Israel from bondage in Egypt:
“For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the LORD loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments” (Deuteronomy 7:6-9, NASU).
The Israelites were also given some significant appointed times (i.e., the moedim of Leviticus 23) which were to be visible testimonies and witnesses to others. One of the primary signs was to observe the weekly Sabbath or Shabbat in perpetuity, as a regular reminder that the Creator rested and was refreshed after the period of Creation:
“So the sons of Israel shall observe the sabbath, to celebrate the sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased from labor, and was refreshed” (Exodus 31:16-17, NASU).
The next significant sign, to be a witness to the nations, was the annual memorial convocation which celebrated Israel’s deliverance from bondage in Egypt:
“Moses said to the people, ‘Remember this day in which you went out from Egypt, from the house of slavery; for by a powerful hand the LORD brought you out from this place. And nothing leavened shall be eaten. On this day in the month of Abib, you are about to go forth. It shall be when the LORD brings you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall observe this rite in this month. For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD. Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and nothing leavened shall be seen among you, nor shall any leaven be seen among you in all your borders. You shall tell your son on that day, saying, “It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.” And it shall serve as a sign to you on your hand, and as a reminder on your forehead, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth; for with a powerful hand the LORD brought you out of Egypt. Therefore, you shall keep this ordinance at its appointed time from year to year’” (Exodus 13:3-10, NASU).
One of the main features that is witnessed down until today, in order to remember the Exodus from Egypt, is how traditional Judaism has formulated what is commonly known to as the Passover seder (seder is a Hebrew term for “order”). Each year, the faithful have a God-expected responsibility to teach their children the significance of this great deliverance, and its influence on both Biblical history and God’s actions in saving His own. People within the broad Messianic community, both Jewish and non-Jewish Believers, also strive to adhere to the instruction to keep the Passover—instructions which are to surely take on new dimensions in association with the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Israel’s Messiah.
It must be observed, if one studies the history of Israel from the Scriptures, how God’s people have not always followed the instructions in Moses’ Teaching, and have suffered various curses rather than promised blessings (Deuteronomy 28-29). Whether it was disregarding the Sabbath, or forgetting to remember the deliverance from Egypt, the shirking of responsibility had consequences.
Without going into all of the details, we see that the Lord has had to send different prophetic voices to restate with different emphasis, what Moses had recorded, in order to admonish wayward people. One of the most prominent prophets was Isaiah, who multiple times in his prophecies used the terminology “light to the nations,” in an attempt to encourage his audience to remember its original calling, as God’s uniquely chosen representatives to the world:
“‘Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry out or raise His voice, nor make His voice heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break and a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not be disheartened or crushed until He has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.’ Thus says God the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and its offspring, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it, ‘I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you, and I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations [l’or goyim], to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon and those who dwell in darkness from the prison. I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to graven images. Behold, the former things have come to pass, now I declare new things; before they spring forth I proclaim them to you” (Isaiah 42:1-9, NASU).
When one reads this prophecy, it has obvious, multiple dimensions to it.. The noted “Servant” can refer to the collective nation of Israel itself, or it can be understood as the Messiah Himself, who will bring justice to the nations. Further illumination about the role of Israel, indicates the intimacy of the Father’s relationship with His own:
“And now says the LORD, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel might be gathered to Him (For I am honored in the sight of the LORD, and My God is My strength), He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations [l’or goyim] so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Isaiah 49:5-6, NASU).
In reading this prophecy, the key concept of being a “light to the nations,” is so that the salvation of the Lord may reach the ends of the Earth. Whether those of Israel are intended, or the reference is to the Messiah of Israel—or even those who are connected to the Messiah by extension—the goal or purpose witnessed is to demonstrate forth the message of God’s goodness, grace, and mercy, to all in the world.
By the time of Yeshua, the Jewish people were primarily focused around the Land of Israel, with diverse communities spread throughout the Mediterranean basin via the Diaspora. Even with a widespread Jewish rejection of the Messiah present in much of the First Century, and with the Apostle Paul was given a distinct mission as an “apostle to the nations” (Acts 9:15; Romans 11:13), he recognized how his own Jewish people had some important distinctions because of their being chosen by God:
“Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God” (Romans 3:1-2, NASU).
God foreknew that the Jewish people would be able to persevere down through the centuries, despite the exile, persecution, and hardship they would endure—in order to see themselves, the Hebrew Scriptures, and their traditions and customs preserved for perpetuity. To this end, all modern-day followers of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—especially non-Jewish Believers in Israel’s Messiah, who have been grafted-in to the olive tree of Israel (Romans 11:17-24)—should be eternally grateful. We especially see an additional reference from Isaiah indicates that the nations will indeed come to the light of Israel, and be delivered from the darkness of unbelief. This includes the added benefit that in time, those drawn to the light of Israel, will aid in the restoration of the Twelve Tribes to the Promised Land:
“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For behold, darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples; but the LORD will rise upon you and His glory will appear upon you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes round about and see; they all gather together, they come to you. Your sons will come from afar, and your daughters will be carried in the arms. Then you will see and be radiant, and your heart will thrill and rejoice; because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you, the wealth of the nations will come to you” (Isaiah 60:1-5, NASU).
Now when one considers the Messiah being the Light which is promised, simply reviewing some of His statements found in the Gospel of John, confirm how Yeshua was not bashful in making such a declaration:
“Then Yeshua again spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life’” (John 8:12, NASU).
“While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world” (John 9:5, NASU).
“And Yeshua cried out and said, ‘He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me. He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me. I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness” (John 12:44-46, NASU).
But elsewhere in Yeshua’s proclamations, He also made it clear that He considered His Disciples to also be representatives of the Light, embodied in Him. Speaking to those gathered at His Sermon on the Mount, Yeshua declared,
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16, NASU).
Being a disciple of Yeshua’s has responsibilities which should be taken seriously by all who call upon His name. In this case, observing God’s commandments becomes one of the primary ways of how people testify for the Lord before others. This can certainly mean that various, visible “signs,” such as those regarding the appointed times like the weekly Sabbath and the convocations like the Passover seder—are ideal times to witness or “be a light” to family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers.
Believers in the Messiah of Israel need to always understand that to many, the light of the gospel is shrouded from view to those who are perishing. By participating in these appointed times, some may be provoked to want to know more about the hope of glory (Colossians 1:7) which resides inside the hearts of those who have received the Messiah’s gift of salvation. The Apostle Paul described it this way to the Believers at Corinth:
“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Messiah, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves but Messiah Yeshua as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Yeshua’s sake. For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Messiah” (2 Corinthians 4:3-6, NASU).
Note in this passage that the emphasis in declaring the good news is not necessarily placed upon the Believers, but upon Yeshua the Messiah and His accomplished work, by those who claim to be His servants. And if one is truly a servant, then it is critical that he or she do what the Master has commanded. Therefore, followers of the Messiah are to be a “light to the nations,” through their observance of tangible signs like the appointed times, so that they might be able to witness to those who are perishing.
Personally, we believe that opportunities like the Passover seder and the week of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, are ideal times for not only sharing the gospel of the Messiah, but introducing others to what early First Century assemblies of Believers would have been doing. As the Holy Spirit leads, we highly recommend that Messianic Believers invite curious or searching people to your family or congregational seder, in order to expose them to the light of the gospel. When presented from a Messianic perspective, with Yeshua poignantly noted as the Lamb of God—eyes will be opened and hearts moved toward repentance!
Do not hide your personal light or understanding of the good news under a basket—because as children of the light (Ephesians 5:8), born again Believers are to serve the Kingdom of God by being the Heavenly Father’s witnesses to the world! A Believer’s challenge is to testify of the Light of the world to all those whom he or she encounters! Take this opportunity, as the Lord is in the process of currently fulfilling the prophesied “restoration of all things” (Acts 3:19-21), to demonstrate that you know God and want to walk in a manner that emulates the Messiah Yeshua, who certainly participated in remembering the Passover! As the Apostle John would direct us,
“By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:3-6, NASU).
Pray that the Lord might use you to not only share the true Light of the world with others—but to especially provoke Jewish people, who do not yet know Yeshua, to jealousy (Romans 11:30-31). Enjoy this season of remembrance and the Divine privilege and opportunity to represent the Holy One of Israel, the Lamb of God, the “Light” of the world—and be about reflecting God’s light and love to all in the world!
