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Romim (Romans) 15:5-6
5 Now may the Elohim (G-d) of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Messiah Yeshua,
6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the Elohim and Father of our Adon Yeshua Messiah.
Shabbat Shalom, Nazarenes.
We had some very interesting and involved discussions with a number of leaders in the Ephraimite movement this week, which kept us very busy. Having examined a number of different strategies for organizing the Stick of Ephraim, we finally settled on a familiar approach that, while it might not be ideal for after the Ingathering, promises to work for now. Thus we have decided to move forward with a practical solution that works, rather than attempting to stick with a much more popular ‘ideal solution’ which we cannot seem to get to work (at least not in the Dispersion). We will talk more about this more as this letter progresses.
Why is there a need to organize? As we discussed two weeks ago in the post, stickofephraim.org (attached), Ezekiel 37 tells us the Ephraimite people must follow the same pattern of organizing that the Jewish people followed (in the formation of the Zionist Movement), before they can come back to the Land of Israel. Only after the Stick of Ephraim is formed can the Ephraimite people come back to the Land of Israel.
Yehezqel (Ezekiel) 37:15-17
15 Again the word of YHWH came to me, saying,
16a "As for you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and write on it: 'For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions.
16b Then take another stick and write on it, 'For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.'
17 Then join them one to another for yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand."
The Zionist Movement brought the Stick of Judah together by focusing on some very limited objectives that all could agree upon, chief of which was their desire to return back to Zion, and escape what they saw as persecution at the hand of the Christians. Because YHWH works with equal weights and measures, and because Ezekiel 37 tells us that the Ephraimite people must also form a Stick before they will be brought back to the Land of Israel, we need to form the Stick of Ephraim, so we can all go home.
While I was still dwelling in Jerusalem, and was in talks with the rabbis about orchestrating Ephraim’s return, the rabbis indicated that we needed to set up an organization, and a united board with which they (or the Knesset) could negotiate. When I asked them to say more, I was also told that at least in their minds, they would know that we are truly a people when we met what traditional Judaism considers to be the hallmarks of all true Israelite societies everywhere:
1. They have a system of self-governance;
2. They have an internal system of judges, and a means of resolving disputes (i.e., a judicial system); and
3. They live in communities.
The requirement of living in communities is exceedingly difficult for Ephraimites, first because the Ephraimite Diaspora is different than the Jewish Exile, and second because the Ephraimite people are different than their Jewish brethren. However, the exact same principles of governance and self-order still apply to Ephraimites as well as the Jews, as YHWH is an Elohim of order (and not of disorder), as in all of the assemblies of the saints.
Our initial thoughts (and our initial experiments) have focused on establishing a Beit Din. However, since the Ephraimites are different than their Jewish brethren, and since they have different needs, what we have learned is that it is not appropriate to formulate a classical legislative Beit Din (Supreme Court) structure to lead Ephraim while he is still out in the Dispersion. While the classical legislative Beit Din structure does an excellent job of maintaining homeostasis, it has not proven suitable for maintaining the kind of dramatic change and growth that promises to define the Ephraimite Movement in the days and years to come.
Because of these things, we adopted the following as an interim/working system of self-governance for the Ephraimite people as long as they remain in the Diaspora, to be revised as necessary in the days following the Ingathering and the Religious Unification:
Before Ingathering/Religious Unification:
1. The Overseer is primarily a facilitator, and a servant to the other ministers, and to the people. His focus is primarily education, coordination, facilitation and service; and his duties include coordinating conferences, enhancing the functionality of the website, making it easier for the people to find and come into fellowship, and making decisions that will assist the ministers and the people in coming together as one body, so that they grow together as one renewed man.
Romim (Romans) 15:5-6
5 Now may the Elohim (G-d) of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Messiah Yeshua,
6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the Elohim and Father of our Master Yeshua Messiah.
Due to the nature of the Overseer’s duties, he will naturally seek continual counsel from the people, from his advisors, from the Minister's Council, and from the Beit Din.
2. The Minister's Council is made up of ministers who are busy serving the people as YHWH leads them. Since they are so busy ministering to the people’s needs, they do not normally have a lot of time to get involved in the day-to-day business of the Overseer and his advisory board. Rather, in addition to serving the people, the Minister's Council generates ideas as to how to help His people grow together as one Body in Him.
3. When all twelve tribes of Israel are finally restored to the Land it might be appropriate for the Beit Din to be the highest legislative and executive authority (as well as the highest judicial authority). However, in the Dispersion this is not really the case, since "leadership by committee" tends to lead to stasis, whereas the needs of building the Stick call for dynamic leadership and change. While the Beit Din may become the highest legal governing body following the Ingathering, in the Dispersion the Beit Din will be limited primarily to resolving disputes, and in suggesting improvements to the Articles of Incorporation.
After the Ingathering/Religious Unification:
It is not yet known exactly what the government structure will look like following the Ingathering and the Religious Unification. According to Ezekiel 45:22, a Nasi (President/Prime Minister) will serve in the Renewed Temple. We know that this is not Yeshua, since this Nasi makes sin offerings for himself (whereas Yeshua is sinless).
Yehezqel (Ezekiel) 45:22-23
22 “And on that day the prince shall prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bull for a sin offering.”
This Nasi also has human sons (re: Ezekiel 46:17-18).
Yehezqel (Ezekiel) 46:17-18
17 “But if he gives a gift of some of his inheritance to one of his servants, it shall be his until the year of liberty, after which it shall return to the prince. But his inheritance shall belong to his sons; it shall become theirs.
18 Moreover the prince shall not take any of the people's inheritance by evicting them from their property; he shall provide an inheritance for his sons from his own property, so that none of My people may be scattered from his property.”
Therefore, this Nasi (Prince/Prime Minister/President) can only be a human being.
It may be that after the Religious Unification, the Beit Din will become the highest legislative and judicial body in the Land, as patterned after the model maintained by traditional Judaism. If so, it seems likely that the Nasi (Prince, Prime Minister, President) will be appointed by the Beit Din, along with the Av Beit Din (the 'Father of the Beit Din'). However, there are also other theories; but at the moment we have adopted the above temporary formula for self-governance and order, and will adopt changes as it seems appropriate.
Let us all bear firmly in mind that the success or failure of this system depends on two things:
1. That all leaders and ministers think of themselves as servants, and seek the low place, in order to serve not their own ministries, but rather just to seek to serve the ministry that YHWH already has going on.
Mattithyahu (Matthew) 20:25-28
25 But Yeshua called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.
26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.
27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave,
28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
2. That all leaders and ministers (and all of His people as well) put aside their pride, and their egos, and seek genuinely to serve one another, and consider the others to be greater than themselves; for it is only in this way that YHWH will ultimately choose to bless our efforts.
Philippim (Philippians) 2:1-4
1 Therefore if there is any consolation in Messiah, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy,
2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
In the Dispersion,
Norman B. Willis
Overseer, Stick of Ephraim
Fifth day of the Sixth Hebrew Month, 6009 (est.)
(8/27/2009)
יברכך יהוה וישמרך
יאר יהוה פניו אליך ויחנך
ישא יהוה פניו אליך וישם לך שלום
May YHWH bless you and keep you.
May YHWH shine His face upon you, and show favor to you.
May YHWH lift up His countenance upon you, and give you Shalom.
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