History of the Lost Sheep

By Pastor Bob Hallstrom

In the beginning Israel’s family was small in size, and since we visualize a tribe as a small group, we would us the English word “tribe.” After it grew in size into a family of some three million people. In our minds, it would be too large to be considered a tribe or family — we would be more inclined to call it a nation. After crossing the Jordan River into the land of Canaan they had geography as well as people and were probably considered a nation of people as well as a race (family) of people having the same heritage, habits, and customs.

Israel was later split into two groups or nations called the House of Israel and the House of Judah. They still shared a common ancestry and many of their habits and customs remained the same. However, the House of Israel began worshiping other gods under Jeroboam, who reinstituted the idols brought out of Egypt. He did so in an effort to keep the newly split nation (House of Israel) form returning to Jerusalem to worship, and out of fear for his own life should they do so (1 Kings 12:25-33). Even though their religious customs may have been altered, the northern kingdom of Israel was still of racial Israel (of the same family) and shared a common ancestry with the house of Judah. Benjamin became part of Judah, and these two tribes became Judah, or the nation called the House of Judah.

With the captivity and dispersion of the majority of Israel, they were still racial Israel (of the same family), but they no longer possessed any geography and became a massive racial tribe (family of people) or nation being located in more than one place. Scattering the Chinese throughout the world would not make them something other than Chinese. Likewise with Israel, even though they were scattered they were still of Israel. Those of the dispersion became known as the “lost sheep of the House of Israel.” They were of the race (family) of Israel, but they were now the dispersed nation of the House of Israel. From the perspective of those who were to remain in Palestine there were not the “ethnos,” — the other tribes — the other nations — the house of Israel….

In the land of Judaea at the time of Christ “ethnos” became partially associated with geography. If you did not live in Judaea or practice Judaism, you were “ethnos” — not of Judaean citizenship or ancestry. At the time of Christ, the majority of the people of the House of Israel were scattered throughout Europe, Scandinavia, and the British Isles — not in Palestine. In addition, no matter where they resided, they all had a common heritage; they had all been divorced by God.

Therefore, even in the normally accepted usage of the definition of the word “gentile” (those outside Palestine), the House of Israel could be considered as gentiles because they were no longer geographically in Judaea, nor did they practice…[Hebraism].