The Day of New Beginnings

Grafted Into His Name

 

Num. 1:
1* ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the congregation, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,
 2* Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, after their families, by the house of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male by their polls;
 3* From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies.
 4 And with you there shall be a man of every tribe; every one head of the house of his fathers.
 5 And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you: of the tribe of Reuben; Elizur the son of Shedeur.
 6 Of Simeon; Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.
 7 Of Judah; Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
 8 Of Issachar; Nethaneel the son of Zuar.
 9 Of Zebulun; Eliab the son of Helon.
 10 Of the children of Joseph: of Ephraim; Elishama the son of Ammihud: of Manasseh; Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.
 11 Of Benjamin; Abidan the son of Gideoni.
 12 Of Dan; Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
 13 Of Asher; Pagiel the son of Ocran.
 14* Of Gad; Eliasaph the son of Deuel.
 15 Of Naphtali; Ahira the son of Enan.
 16* These were the renowned of the congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers, heads of thousands in Israel.
 17 ¶ And Moses and Aaron took these men which are expressed by their names:
18 And they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month, and they declared their pedigrees after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, by their polls.
 
On the surface these passages seem to indicate only that certain men were chosen by name as leaders of the congregation to stand with Moses. Indeed, most other translations of verse 17 simply state, “Men who were designated by name”, or something similar. But the King James Version words it differently, and this wording is very revealing. “These men which are expressed by their names.” The men were an expression of their names. Each one of these leaders names was an expression of their relationship to God, or their brother. For example, Elizur, of the tribe of Reuben, means, "My God is a rock". Shelumiel, of the tribe of Simeon , means, "friend of God", and so on. 
 
Notice verse 18: And they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month, and they declared their pedigrees after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, by their polls.
 
What does it mean, “they declared their pedigrees?” Again, most translations simply state, “they registered by ancestry”. But “declaring their pedigree” is more accurate as far as the spiritual truth that is being conveyed here. This verse speaks of a lineage being proclaimed. Now, how does all this apply to us today?
 
Re 3:12* 'He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.
 
Re 14:1* Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads.
 
Those twelve princes of the tribes of Israel who were called out to stand with Moses are a type of the Body of Christ moving in the authority of the Lord. They are also pictured as the 24 elders in Revelation who are clothed in white garments and have golden crowns upon their heads. The fact they are expressed through their names means they are partakers of the nature of God. To bear the Lord’s name, to have His name written upon our foreheads, is to have His nature incorporated into our very beings. The body of Christ is to be an expression of the divine nature. 
 
During Jesus’ earthly ministry, the Father’s nature was expressed through Him. Jesus said, “I have come in My Father’s name…” And again, "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word (John 17).” Jesus manifested the Father’s nature to His disciples. That’s why He could say to Phillip, “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father (John 14). 
 
It’s interesting that in the book of Revelation when the false, antichrist manifestation is being described, it also makes reference to a name being written on the forehead. In this case it’s an expression of the old, Adamic nature. “And on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, "BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH  (Rev. 17)."
 
Re 14:11* "And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name."
 
The body of Christ is to function as a great “prince company” (Nu. 1:16) . “And with you there shall be a man of every tribe; every one head of the house of his fathers (Nu. 1:4). There was to be with Moses, a type of the Lord,  a man from every tribe. We see this symbolism again in Rev. 7:
 
4* And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
 5* From the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand,
 6* from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand,
 7* from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand,
 8* from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed.
 
This portrayal of the body of Christ functioning in Christ’s nature, princes of the congregation, moving with the Lord in His authority, is not a pie-in-the- sky doctrine, to be fulfilled some day down the road. It’s being created now. As we submit to the work of the cross, as we learn to appropriate His nature, we find ourselves being grafted in to participate. 
 
Rom. 11:
16* And if the first piece of dough be holy, the lump is also; and if the root be holy, the branches are too.
 17* But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree,
 18* do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.
 19* You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in."
 20* Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear;
 21* for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you.
 22* Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.
 23* And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in again.
 24* For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more shall these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?
 
Paul is speaking here concerning natural Israel and the Gentiles. But there is something deeper being conveyed. Verse 16 says if the first piece be holy, the lump also; and if the root be holy, the branches too. Christ is the first, as He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning of the creation of God (Rev. 3), and He is also the true root (Rev.22). As we are grafted into Christ’s life through the cross experience, we begin to participate in His holiness, in His nature. 
 
Verse 17 makes reference to the wild olive being grafted into the rich root of the olive tree. And verse 24 states, “For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more shall these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?” Both these verses mystically point to a people born of the old, Adamic nature, being grafted into the divine nature of Christ. 
 
In the above context, receiving Christ as our Savior does not mean being grafted into His nature. Many Christians have received forgiveness for their sins, but they have not gone on to appropriate His nature. This grafting into His nature is a work of grace in our lives. Verse 20 states in part: , “…but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear..” The grafting process comes through our faith to appropriate it, and because it’s a work of grace, it glorifies Christ, not our flesh nature. 
 
Num. 6:
22 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
 23* Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,
 24* The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
 25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
 26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
 27 And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.
 
The priesthood was to put the name of the Lord upon the children of Israel and He would bless them. This application still applies. God does not bless our flesh natures, but He does bless His own nature, His own life, coming forth within us. Many within Christianity look for material blessings, etc, or covet the blessings that make the self life feel good, but the blessing that matters is the revelation of the Lord to our hearts that comes as He deals with us and creates His nature in us. 
 
This putting the name of the Lord upon the congregation was a ministry of the priesthood. It’s also the ministry of the spiritual priesthood in Jesus Christ. As the body of Christ grows into maturity, it’s primary function is to minister the nature of God to its brethren. Thus, they put the name of the Lord upon those they minister to.