How to Get Back

By Polly Grimes

Introduction

I want to say, I’m thrilled to be here. It was  hard making a decision to come, because I had so much on my plate. But I really pray that I’m going to receive, and give much, as we bring to the table what the Lord really shows to us. Thank you, Chris, for your obedience to the Lord and your faithfulness. And I love what John said that we are here because we are seekers of truth, because we are open. God’s work is progressive as we open our hearts to Him. But you know next year I’m going to be a lot farther than I am today.

You know why He chose Abraham? The Scriptures tell us why. Because He knew Abraham would teach his children and that he would have a teachable spirit.

I don’t even know how long ago it was when He started to reveal to me this truth about Ephraim and Judah. It was long before I could even talk about it, because by and large, folks just can’t understand in both Christianity and Judaism. And it was so exasperating to me because I feel that it’s a vital part of God’s Word. You know it’s there. How we could all have been so blind, I don’t know. But this is the day that He chose for it to happen. [to be revealed]

I’m so glad that the Father allowed us to live now and  has chosen us to be on planet earth at this moment in time. And with this great privilege, comes the awesome responsibility that we must share as He opens the door. I do believe this is the day it is to be brought forth, and I look forward with all my heart to these sessions.

I’m so glad for Ben Cohen and that you, John, brought him into our lives. I do believe that he is a man God has really ordained and prepared for this moment of time.

(Chris asked Polly to tell some of the things she is doing now for Israel.)

We started taking Gospel music to Israel in December 1973, right after the Yom Kippur war. We took a ship load of musicians and tourists, landing at the Port of Haifa right at the very end of the Yom Kippur War. We were able to give concerts throughout the state. Since that time the Lord has allowed us to take many notable Gospel music groups, too numerous to mention, in acts to Israel and standing in love with them.

Several years ago, I think it was in 1995, the Lord after one of our concert tours, gave me a theme, though I didn’t understand it at the time. I came home and I shared it with Hal Lindsay who is a good friend, and he said, “Polly, that is divinely inspired; that is all of God’s plan.” I said, “I know it is, brother, but I don’t know what it’s all about.” [how to go forward with it]

And the theme was: God’s Love for a People (the Jewish people); the people’s love for the land (of Israel) and the people’s love for a people. It is a musical drama presentation. [Right, Polly?]   I received the first two parts, but the last one, “The People’s Love for a People” just didn’t come. Lately, it seems to be falling into place and we have a group working on it now.

I was born in a Bible believing family and I knew very early in life that the Jewish people were a very special people of God. And I knew that there was a connection there for basically everything of eternal value in our lives, we received through the Jewish people. But it wasn’t till 1968 when I went to Israel for the first time that my life was so drastically changed.  And I have to say that I was very happy with my life; I had a wonderful life with  professional ministries, producing some glorious gospel music productions throughout the United States and in some foreign countries. Arenas were filled with many thousands of people.

But when I went to Israel in 1968, I felt as if I’d come home. I came back such a changed person. I didn’t really realize what was required of my life, so I gave myself to studying the Scriptures all over again. I will never forget how they opened anew to me. It was so powerful! I realized that in the following days the more I studied, the more reality took place.  The Word, became my road map, my guidebook for life. I really fell in love with the Scriptures, the Land of Israel and the people of the Land. From that day to this that love has never changed, even though we’ve been over some rough places and suffered a lot of misunderstanding, especially in those early days. And it was very difficult because I didn’t have anyone to talk to except my teenage daughter. She was the only one that understood.

But I’m so thankful to God that He did fulfill my life so graciously. My heart and life has been turned to helping the Jewish people, helping the land of Israel, and trying to repay in some small way for the great debt that I owe to the Jewish people.

For the past several years we’ve worked, everything from lobbying Washington D.C. on what was going on in Lebanon and many other situations.

And no one could have told me - just like they couldn’t have told you. You just need to have the experience for yourself.

The Way Back

I love it when it says how would they get back? It’s to set up roadmarks, the way they came out and to get in the same way.

 “Set up for yourselves roadmarks; place for yourself guideposts. Direct your mind to the highways, the way by which you went out, return”  [Polly, please supply reference and version]

 Many times Jesus alluded to [the uniting of the two houses], “I’m come to the lost sheep of Israel . . . Other sheep I have . . .  that they might be one as I and the father are one.”  And not only that, but in the Gospel of John is prophecy [of the High Priest]  that Messiah  would and die for the nation and not for that nation only, but that He might gather together into one all the children of God who are scattered abroad (John 11:52).

I think that by and large, the church has not realized all the role of Messiah. In Isaiah 49 “my servant” was understood by the ancient rabbis and theologians to be referring to the Messiah. One of the roles of Messiah is to gather together all the children of God and the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 

And  He IS doing it!

Let’s look at the first verse of the book of James: To whom was he writing? “The 12 tribes that are scattered abroad.”  There are 12 tribes, but at that point they were certainly dispersed. [? Want to clarify a point?]

John [Stembridge] also spoke of the blessing upon Ephraim that it was  “the firstborn” blessing. Actually most of our translations says Ephraim would become a multitude of nations, but the Hebrew says, “the fullness of the Gentiles”. It says that from Ephraim will come the fullness of the Gentiles.

And as far as I can ascertain, the only other time the Bible uses the term “the fullness of the Gentiles” is in Romans 11 when Paul says that when the fullness of the Gentiles is come then all Israel will be saved.

And certainly not one kernel is lost, but these are the ones that their seed went among the Gentiles and their children were reared as Gentiles.

Messiah’s Role

 The role to do this, to gather them together, is Messiah’s, as He prayed, “That they may be one as I and the Father are one.” We can’t do it. “Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, saith the LORD of Hosts.” He is fully capable of taking care of His whole creation. If we play our roles, He does. We are His people. We are co-workers, we are co-creators if we put to work the knowledge He gives us, and the help He gives us. Faith, of course, is active. It’s not just believe, but we really walk it out. One man can’t do it alone, but it can be accomplish together.

Zechariah 10:6-10 is so powerful: ‘And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring THEM back; and because I have had compassion on them and they will be as though I had not rejected them. And I am the LORD their God, and I will answer them.

‘And Ephraim will be like a mighty man, and their heart will be glad as if from wine. Yes, indeed my children will see it and be glad and their heart will rejoice in the LORD.

‘I will whistle for them to gather them together, for I have redeemed them and they will be as numerous as they were before when I scattered them from among the people.

‘They will remember me in the far countries and they with their children will live and come back and I will bring them back from the land of Egypt and gather them from Assyria and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon until no room can be found for them.’

Talk about real estate in Israel?

[Joyous laughter]

Then in Isaiah 49,  it says that the children are going to say, “ Make room for us for the time is right for us to live.”

[John: “Aliyah is really the answer to all this problem of giving away the land.”]

[Polly continues]  I don’t think we can close without bringing Micah 5 because this again has been recognized throughout the centuries as being messianic, by Jews and Christians alike.

“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephratah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you one will go forth from me to be ruler in Israel. His going forth is from long ago from the days of eternity.

“Therefore He will give them up until the time when she which in labor has borne a child. Then the remainder of his brethren will return to the sons of Israel.

“He will arise and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord and in the majesty of the Lord his God; and they will remain for at that time he will be great to the ends of the earth.

“And this one will be our peace. . . .” (Vs. 2-5).