The importance of being enrolled
in Israelby
Jack
Kettler
“And
of the
children of the priests: the children of Habaiah,
the children of Koz, the
children of Barzillai; which took a wife of the
daughters of Barzillai the
Gileadite, and was called after their name: These
sought their register among
those that were reckoned by genealogy, but they were
not found: therefore, were
they, as polluted, put from the priesthood.” (Ezra
2:61-62)
Genealogical
records
were essential to Israel during the Old Testament
because the records proved
a person’s identity as a Jew and member of the
covenant community. If an
individual was not a Jew, that person could not
participate in all aspects of
Jewish life and culture. The same holds true for the
non-member of the Church
today. They cannot participate in all aspects of
Church life, such as voting.
Moreover,
the
genealogical records helped understand the priestly
and royal lines in
Israel's history. At the time of Christ’s birth,
there were genealogical records
that helped determine Christ’s genealogical lineage
and thereby establish his
family tree.
In
addition,
keeping genealogical records was used for
registering citizens and used
for numerous purposes see (Jeremiah 22:30
documenting childless); (Ezekiel 13:9
documenting the forbidden work of divination), and
(Luke 2:1 for taxation). Subsequently,
God is represented as having records of men, their
works, and God’s dealings
with them. This record is called “the book of life
or living.”
In the New Testament, genealogies
are
downplayed and even warned against if misused:
For example:
“Neither
give heed
to fables and endless genealogies, which minister
questions, rather than godly
edifying which is in faith: so, do.” (1 Timothy 1:4)
Instead, passages regarding the
book of
living or life are emphasized in the New Covenant.
The book of living or life
has its roots in the Old Testament:
“Let
them be
blotted out of the book of the living, and not be
written with the righteous.”
(Psalm 69:28)
“Now
at that time
Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the
sons of your people, will
arise. And there will be a time of distress such as
never occurred since there
was a nation until that time; and at that time your
people, everyone who is
found written in the book, will be rescued.” (Daniel
12:1)
Going into the New Testament:
“…
but rejoice
that your names are recorded in heaven” (Luke
10:20).
“I
will not erase
his name from the book of life.” (Revelation 3:5)
“And
if anyone’s
name was not found written in the book of life, he
was thrown into the lake of
fire.” (Revelation 20:15)
The
Israelites
kept a census, equivalent to a membership roll. The
purpose of the
census, according to Numbers 1:3, was in regard to
planning for war. In the New
Covenant, a membership roll makes it possible to
vote to approve a church
budget, the call and election of ruling elders, and
teaching elders. Only
members are allowed to present their children for
covenant baptism and, in some
cases, admittance to the Lord’s Supper.
The Belgic Confession on the
necessity of
covenant membership:
“ARTICLE
28.
Every One Is Bound to Join Himself to The True
Church”
“We
believe,
since this holy congregation is an assembly of those
who are saved,
and outside of it there is no salvation, that no
person of whatsoever state or
condition he may be, ought to withdraw from it,
content to be by himself; but
that all men are in duty bound to join and unite
themselves with it;
maintaining the unity of the Church; submitting
themselves to the doctrine and
discipline thereof; bowing their necks under the
yoke of Jesus Christ; and as
mutual members of the same body, serving to the
edification of the brethren,
according to the talents God has given them.”
“And
that
this may be the more effectually observed, it is the
duty of all
believers, according to the Word of God, to separate
themselves from all those
who do not belong to the Church, and to join
themselves to this congregation,
wheresoever God has established it, even though the
magistrates and edicts of
princes were against it, yea, though they should
suffer death or any other
corporal punishment. Therefore, all those who
separate themselves from the same
or do not join themselves to it act contrary to the
ordinance of God.”
In closing:
In
Ezra,
the importance and necessity of being enrolled are
seen. Likewise, this
principle of enrollment carries on into the New
Covenant by taking the form of
Church membership. Moreover, the Church’s membership
rolls mirror the “book of
the living or book of life” Given the fact of wheat
and tares; the mirror is
not perfectly identical.
“Study
to
shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that
needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy
2:15)
Mr.
Kettler
has previously published articles in the Chalcedon Report and Contra
Mundum. He and his wife Marea attend the
Westminster, CO, RPCNA Church. Mr.
Kettler is the author of books defending the
Reformed Faith. Books can be
ordered online at: Amazon