The Olive Tree

 

Understanding the term, ‘grafted-in’

Some of the olive trees in Israel are 2000 years old and some may be even older, meaning that they were growing when Jesus was there.

We are Grafted In To The Olive Tree

The word of God is very clear on this we are grafted in to Israel.

This does not give us the preeminence above God’s original plan. we do not replace Israel.

Romans 11:1 Amplified Bible (AMP) [ Israel Is Not Cast Away ] I say then, has God rejected and disowned His people? Certainly not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected His [chosen] people whom He foreknew

It is by grace that we are numbered among the believers and the Scriptures caution us to be mindful of that fact. For it is impossible for the branch to support the tree and its roots.

Romans 11:17 (Amplified Bible) But if some of the branches were broken off, and you [Gentiles], being like a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them to share with them the rich root of the olive tree,

Phillips Translation: But if some of the branches of the tree have been broken off, while you, like shoots of wild-olive, have been grafted in, and don’t share like a natural branch the rich nourishment of the root, don’t let yourself feel superior to those former branches. (If you feel inclined that way, remind yourself that you do not support the root, the root supports you.) You may make the natural retort, “But the branches were broken off to make room for my grafting!” It wasn’t quite like that. They lost their position because they failed to believe; you only maintain yours because you do believe. The situation does not call for conceit but for a certain wholesome fear. If God removed the natural branches for a good reason, take care that you don’t give him the same reason for removing you.

Youngs Literal Translation: And if certain of the branches were broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wast grafted in among them, and a fellow-partaker of the root and of the fatness of the olive tree didst become –

King James Version: And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

The actual process of grafting in a new branch into an old tree is a very skillful craft and has to be done correctly if it is to be successful.

The same is also true for us there is a right way for us to be acceptable in His sight and that WAY is through Jesus, Yeshua for He is ‘the Way’ the truth and the life.

Romans 11:19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” Amplified Translation

Phillips Translation: But if some of the branches of the tree have been broken off, while you, like shoots of wild-olive, have been grafted in, and don’t share like a natural branch the rich nourishment of the root, don’t let yourself feel superior to those former branches. (If you feel inclined that way, remind yourself that you do not support the root, the root supports you.) You may make the natural retort, “But the branches were broken off to make room for my grafting!” It wasn’t quite like that. They lost their position because they failed to believe; you only maintain yours because you do believe. The situation does not call for conceit but for a certain wholesome fear. If God removed the natural branches for a good reason, take care that you don’t give him the same reason for removing you.

King James Version: Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.

Youngs Literal Translation: Thou wilt say, then, `The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in;’ right!

It is always the root that supports the tree and all its branches.

 

Romans 11:23 And even they [the unbelieving Jews], if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God has the power to graft them in again. Amplified Translation


Phillips Translation: 
You must try to appreciate both the kindness and the strict justice of God. Those who fell experienced his justice, while you are experiencing his kindness, and will continue to do so as long as you do not abuse that kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off from the tree. And as for the fallen branches, unless they are obstinate in their unbelief, they will be grafted in again. Such a restoration is by no means beyond the power of God. And, in any case, if you who were, so to speak, cuttings from a wild-olive, were grafted in, is it not a far simpler matter for the natural branches to be grafted back onto the parent stem?

King James Version: And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.

Youngs Literal Translation: And those also, if they may not remain in unbelief, shall be graffed in, for God is able again to graff them in;

These pictures that may help you to visualize what is actually happening to you as

the Father works in us to change us,

you have become part of spiritual Israel.

 

Romans 11:24  For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and against nature were graftedinto a cultivated olive tree, how much easier will it be to graft these who are the natural branches back into [the original parent stock of] their own olive tree? Amplified Translation

Phillips Translation: You must try to appreciate both the kindness and the strict justice of God. Those who fell experienced his justice, while you are experiencing his kindness, and will continue to do so as long as you do not abuse that kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off from the tree. And as for the fallen branches, unless they are obstinate in their unbelief, they will be grafted in again. Such a restoration is by no means beyond the power of God. And, in any case, if you who were, so to speak, cuttings from a wild-olive, were grafted in, is it not a far simpler matter for the natural branches to be grafted back onto the parent stem?

King James Version: For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

Youngs Literal Translation: for if thou, out of the olive tree, wild by nature, wast cut out, and, contrary to nature, wast grafted into a good olive tree, how much rather shall they, who [are] according to nature, be graffed into their own olive tree?

 

As (Yeshua) Jesus said to His disciples in John 15:1, here He is talking of the Vine in a similar reference to us being connected to the main body of the plant in question. My Father is the Vine dresser He is the Gardener who tends the new growth.

“I am the real vine, my Father is the vine-dresser. He removes any of my branches which are not bearing fruit and he prunes every branch that does bear fruit to increase its yield. Now, you have already been pruned by my words. You must go on growing in me and I will grow in you. For just as the branch cannot bear any fruit unless it shares the life of the vine, so you can produce nothing unless you go on growing in me. I am the vine itself, you are the branches. It is the man who shares my life and whose life I share who proves fruitful. For the plain fact is that apart from me you can do nothing at all. The man who does not share my life is like a branch that is broken off and withers away. He becomes just like the dry sticks that men pick up and use for the firewood. But if you live your life in me, and my words live in your hearts, you can ask for whatever you like and it will come true for you. This is how my Father will be glorified—in your becoming fruitful and being my disciples.

He is the one who does the grafting in process by the power and presence of His Holy Spirit, (Ruach Ha Kodesh) its not of our own ability or knowledge.

 Sometimes the process is painful and we have to be trimmed and cut into shape to fit the place God has planned for us to fill. It comes in chastisement BUT only because He loves us, if you want the status of being His child, son or daughter then.. in the book of Hebrews 12:6 it is clear.

For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. KJV

For the Lord corrects and disciplines everyone whom He loves, and He punishes, even scourges, every son whom He accepts and welcomes to His heart and cherishes. AMP

After all, your fight against sin has not yet meant the shedding of blood, and you have perhaps lost sight of that piece of advice which reminds you of our sonship in God: ‘My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by him; for whom the Lord loves he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives’. Phillips

Only when we are accepted in the beloved then we become new creations, new creatures and can be successfully grafted in to the Tree of Life.

2 Corinthians 5:17  Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]. Amplified Translation (AMP)

Phillips Translation: This means that our knowledge of men can no longer be based on their outward lives (indeed, even though we knew Christ as a man we do not know him like that any longer). For if a man is in Christ he becomes a new person altogether—the past is finished and gone, everything has become fresh and new. All this is God’s doing, for he has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ; and he has made us agents of the reconciliation. God was in Christ personally reconciling the world to himself—not counting their sins against them—and has commissioned us with the message of reconciliation. We are now Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were appealing direct to you through us. As his personal representatives we say, “Make your peace with God.” For God caused Christ, who himself knew nothing of sin, actually to be sin for our sakes, so that in Christ we might be made good with the goodness of God.

Youngs Literal Translation: so that if any one [is] in Christ — [he is] a new creature; the old things did pass away, lo, become new have the all things.

King James Version: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Because everybody has a favorite version of the Bible and the translations are so different, it is impossible to include all the different ones. In trying to stay as close to the original transcripts as possible, MMM refers to the following King James version (KJV), the Amplified Bible (AMP), the Phillips and the Youngs Literal Translation. (all the references come from the site biblegateway.com where they have many other translations that you can read and compare. Having these options helps us to comprehend what was the original meaning and therefore better understand what the Lord is saying to us. )

Are you Grafted in??  Are you saved?  Not sure?

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Our Manna is the Bread of Life

Our Manna is the ‘Bread of His Life’.

The use and reference to both ‘Manna’ and ‘Bread of Life’ is spread throughout the Bible, (Tenach), and for good reason. In the old testament it is very much a representation of the Coming Messiah and in the ‘renewed covenant’, (Brit Chadasha), Jesus, Yeshua uses the term to refer to Himself on many occasions. John 6: 48  Jesus declares clearly, I am the bread of life.

 In the Book of Revelation 2: 17, Messiah was talking to John about the spiritual conditions that were apparent in local congregations.

Addressing the situation in the congregation at Ephesus, urging them to return to their first love.

He also said

the one who has ears must now listen to what the spirit is saying to the congregations. To the one who conquers, I shall give the manna, which has been concealed. (Psalms 78:24)

The reference above to Psalm 78:22 -25 tells us He was angry because they did not believe in Him nor were trusting His salvation.

‘Though He had commanded the skies from above and open the doors of heaven and had rained down manna on them to eat and had given them the grain of heaven.’

He gave bread from heaven for them to eat.

John 6:31; ‘our fathers ate manna in the wilderness just as it has been written’ in Exodus 16:15.

 

Jesus (Yeshua) was quoting scripture from

Num 11: 7–9  then Jesus said to them, ‘most certainly I say to you Moses has not given new the bread from heaven that my father is giving you the true bread from heaven, for the bread of God is that which descends from heaven and gives life to the world’.

  ‘then they said, you must always give us this bread.’

John 6:34–66

Verse 30 –40  Jesus declares clearly, I am the bread of life.

Verse 44; no one is able to come to Me unless the Father, the one who sent Me would draw him then I will raise him on the last day and all will be taught by God. Isaiah 54:13

John 6:47 the one who believes (‘believe’ requires a change in behavior) has eternal life. 48. I am the bread of life  49. Your father’s ate manna in the wilderness and they died. This one is the bread that descended from heaven so that who ever would eat of it would not die. Verse 50:1  I am the living bread that descended out of heaven if anyone would eat this bread he will live forever and also the bread which I shall give on behalf of the life of the world is My flesh.

John 6:52–53 unless you would eat the flesh of the Son of Man and you would drink His blood you do not have a life in yourselves (Matthew 5:6)

verse 54 the one who chews my flesh.

Here, the words ‘chews my flesh’ means to break a word of scripture into small pieces, study, discuss and meditate on it.

Jeremiah 15:16

John 1:14

Verse 54 ‘the one who chews my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.’

Here ‘drinks my blood’ means to swallow, digest the word of God and translating it into changes in behavior in our everyday life, as in transforming the word into action and becoming a ‘DOER’ of His word and NOT a hearer only ….

This was a hard saying for many of His followers who left Him, after He told them that this was necessary for them to become and remain His disciples.

The Word of God tells us clearly that ‘The Life is in the blood’ Leviticus 17:11) and from ancient times the Jewish people used wine to express covenant with wine representing the blood.

Some Benefits Of Eating and Drinking…

We take Him Jesus (Yeshua), the Bread of Life and His blood of the renewed covenant into ourselves and allow His life to be absorb into ours to feed our spirits and souls in refreshing newness of life and to restore and heal our physical bodies and make us whole and complete in Him. The difference between the manna from Exodus and Him being the Bread of Life is that the first was temporary sustenance and they all died. With Jesus as the Bread/Manna we will live and remain in Him for ever.

Verse 54 and I shall raise him on the last day. verse 55 for My flesh is true food and My blood is true drink.

verse 56 the one who chews My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father then the one who chews Me even that one will live because of Me. Verse 58  this is the bread which has come down from heaven not just like the father’s ate and died, the one who chews this bread will live forever.

Verse 60–71 63 the spirit is that which gives life, the flesh does not profit anything. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.

Mini Manna Moments is an aid to help you break the word into small pieces, study, discuss and meditate on it. And as covenant believers to enable us to swallow, digest the word of God translating it into changes in behavior and the way we live our lives with Him at the center of all conscious activity. As days grown darker spiritually from the worlds influence, we must shine all the brighter as a beacon of hope to those without any and boldly reflect the light of eternity that is our salvation and His life through us, always reaching for the lost to show them the path, the way, the truth and the life.

Jeremiah 15:16    1 John 1:5–7

There are many voices out there but only those rooted and anchored firmly in the truth of God’s Word will benefit the listeners.

Mini Manna Moment’s intent, is to simply present some treasures discovered along ‘the way’, and offer some ‘light’, in the form of expounding on scriptures. Those that sometimes seem obscure and confusing or simply don’t seem to make a lot of sense to us today in our 21st century way of life.

John 1:4 In Him was life and the life was the light of men.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mini Manna Moments appreciates that this is not for everyone and the content is not intended for argument, or to incite controversy, but for those who have had similar questions.

Hopefully it inspires some thoughts and offers possible answers, which will help to make sense of those hard to comprehend sayings, as we view them from a foundational Hebraic perspective. An Israelite mindset based solely on the Scriptures, primarily from the Torah, the writings and prophets, and also from the New Testament, with which we are more familiar. Sadly it becomes clear how much we have lost in translation.

 

These are simple truths for those in a hurry and some deeper dips for those still hungry and with more time to read and whose hunger is not so easily satisfied.

 

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Don’t just pay lip service to the idea, get real and get right with God.

You are only 1 decision away from a totally different life.

Say out loud

Father God I believe that you sent your son, Jesus, to die for all my sins. I believe that you raised Jesus from the dead, so that my broken relationship with you can be restored. I admit that I am a sinner and need you, so I repent of all my sins and ask you to forgive me and cleanse my heart with your blood. I choose today to turn away from my old life and ask you to come into my heart and give me your new life. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit to strengthen me and help make me the person you want me to be. Thank you for saving me and writing my name in the Lambs Book of Life. Amen

Just what is Manna anyway?

Most are familiar with the saying ‘manna from heaven’ by way of saying something is a timely blessing from God

It comes as we know, from the incident in Exodus where God fed the children of Israel while they journeyed through the wilderness after leaving behind them the slavery of Egypt.

As with all words in the Hebrew language there is more to the name than just its simple meaning. Many Hebrew words also represent concepts and there are levels of revelation that are found through studying its construct.

The word manna is made up of two words ‘MAH’ and ‘NAH’.

The first part which is ‘MAH’ means ‘WHAT’ and the word ‘NAH’ means ‘IS THIS’.

So the word MANNA is actually a short sentence, it’s not just a word to name the food, it’s a sentence, a question, ‘what is this’?

What did it look like? References to manna say it looked like hoar frost or corriander seeds in size and shape.

What did it taste like? Corriander seeds and sweet like honey

 

For believers the food called ‘what is this’ ? means that as a child of God each person must live by God’s holy manna, or in other words God’s holy ‘what is this’?

In real terms it means we are to live by what we do not know, literally by faith, that as we walk with Him, He will reveal to us what we do need to know. It means that we are to hold what we do not yet know as valuable as a hidden treasure, more than the things we already know and understand with our minds.

In simple terms we should expect to find ‘what is this’? manna every time we open up the Scriptures. It’s so important that we never get so used to God’s Word and over familiar with the Scriptures that we begin to think we know everything. If and when that happens then we stop hearing His word and we cease to know anything.

What we need to do when we read or listen to scripture is to have the attitude that we don’t know even the half of it and every time we open the Bible we need to generate the attitude of, ‘father God there is so much that I do not know please show me.’ We should feel that the more we know the more we realize how much we really don’t know.

The reference to manna is also to remind us of some other things.

Primarily, the daily miracle and the wonder of His provision for the needs of His children right on time. When you are exactly where you are supposed to be in the centre of His will, the covenant promise of His provision is already there waiting for you.

It also reminds us that His mercies and His revealed knowledge are new every morning. The manna is always fresh and that His faithfulness is more reliable than anything else that we can put our trust in.

“Give us this day our daily bread”, is to know what we don’t yet know and to receive His love through His Word with the mindset and thinking that we are experiencing it for the very first time. new, fresh, exciting, full of hope, faith and victory.

May you be filled up with all the fullness of everything He has yet to show us for that is His promise to us.

Call to me and I will answer you and I will show you great and mighty things you know not of. Jeremiah 33:3

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