MISHPACHAH : Family

A FAMILY ON MISSION. A FAMILY WITH PURPOSE.

 
 

In the beginning…

GOD created the first mishpachah (family) – Adam and Eve. But GOD didn’t want a solitary mishpachah, He wanted them to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth.

He wanted a big, diverse Kingdom Family. 

The Kingdom Family and healthy earthly families are all about two things:

Growing and Gathering.

Healthy earthly families grow by having children and they multiply even more with grandchildren. And healthy families also gather – they celebrate the holidays, birthdays, and love being together.

Likewise, the Kingdom Family should be all about the same two things: growing and gathering. Growing the mishpachah means evangelism and discipleship, and gathering the mishpachah means unity and togetherness.

Jesus prays for the growing and gathering of the Kingdom-mishpachah :

“I pray not on behalf of these (Jews) only, but also for those (Gentiles) who believe in Me through their message, that they all may be one. Just as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You, so also may they be one in Us, so the world may believe that You sent Me.”

— John 17:20-21

 

Jesus is saying that the unity among His mishpachah – consisting of Jews and Gentiles – is evangelistic. Our unity proclaims to the world the Good News of the Kingdom. Unity actually grows His mishpachah – so the world may believe! 

The Story of Mishpachah

The problem is that humanity did not want to be a part of GOD’s mishpachah. Even after the LORD flooded the earth, humanity built the tower of Babel in defiance of the LORD. However, the Father’s desire for a big, diverse mishpachah would not be thwarted. ​​In Genesis 12:3, the LORD finds Abram – a righteous man among the pagan nations – and says to him: 

“I will bless those who bless you, but whoever curses you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

The chosenness of Abraham and his mishpachah is for the purpose of bringing blessing to all the families of the earth. The LORD even gives Abram a new name, Abraham, to reflect this calling. He is to be the father of a multitude of nations or families.

 

The blessing of this relationship is ultimately manifested in the person of Jesus – the one perfect representative of the Abrahamic mishpachah. Through Jesus' great sacrifice on the cross, Jews and Gentiles can be born again into the family of Abraham by faith (Romans 4:16-17; 11:17-24). 

 

We need to see ourselves as a part of His Mishpachah – children of GOD AND children of Abraham by faith: Jews and Gentiles.

 

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”

— Romans 8:14–16

 

GOD’s mishpachah will include those redeemed from every tribe and tongue and people and nation (Revelation 5:9). Today, the diversity of the Kingdom Family can be seen around the world. But even though we remain unique in our distinctions — natural olive branches (Jewish) and wild olive branches (Gentiles) — we are called to be grafted together in unity as One New Man, the Kingdom Family (Romans 11; Ephesians 2).

“There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
— Ephesians 4:4-6

 

The unity with distinction that the family of GOD must ultimately reflect is a demonstration of our image-bearing likeness.

 
 
 

“So God created humanity in His image, in the image of God He created them, male and female He created them.”

Genesis 1:27

Our intended destiny is to become a part of this beautifully diverse and unified Kingdom Family of Jew and Gentile. John writes of that day,

“I also heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling of God is among men, and He shall tabernacle among them. They shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them and be their God.’”

“Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children.’”

Revelation 21:3, 6 & 7

 

Let’s be the answer to Yeshua’s prayer from John 17 and grow in unity as the family of GOD. And let’s grow in our affirmation of the uniqueness of the other as children of Abraham by faith – Jews & Gentiles.

 

Questions for Reflection

  • The world does not yet know and believe that GOD the Father sent Jesus and that He loves them. What are the implications of the fact that Jesus’ prayer in John 17:20-26 has yet to be fully answered? Can our unity help hasten His return? Why or why not?

  • Unity does not mean homogeneity. GOD desires unity with distinctions. How is the principle of unity with distinction observed in creation? How does the principle of unity with distinction manifest in image bearing humanity? Why would GOD continue to demand distinctions and diversity within His family?

  • What is something you could do to help grow and gather the family of Messiah? If you are a Gentile, how could you bless and thank the Jewish part of the family (Genesis 12:3)? If you are Jewish, how is GOD asking you to be a light to the nations?