How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news!

Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

Grace and peace unto you in the name of our Lord and Savior Yeshua the Messiah.  I bring you a message on evangelism and God’s purpose for us. Through the cross, He has made us one in Him, with Hebrew word study, we can see His purposes for us expressed beautifully.

How lovely on the mountains

Are the feet of him who brings good news,

Who announces peace

And brings good news of happiness,

Who announces salvation,

And says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices,

They shout joyfully together;

For they will see with their own eyes

When the Lord restores Zion.

Isaiah 52: 7-8

“How lovely on the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news,”

The feet, what’s so nice about the feet? If I were to look at the face of the person, that might appeal to me so much more. But the feet? Definitely not so much. When Isaiah talks about the feet, he speaks about the things that delights God so much. This pair of feet is something that God desires. God is delighted when He sees the feet of the people going everywhere to share the gospel.

In Hebrew, the verse opens with “navoo” (נָּאווּ), which connotes a deeper meaning than just lovely. It means pleasant and desirable. It is a pleasant and desirable to the Lord for the one who brings good tidings, declaring peace and salvation. The Hebrew word for the phrase “of him who brings good news” is “mevaser” (מְבַשֵֹר) meaning, evangelist. The word “mevaser” is closely related to “besora” (בְּשֹוֹרָה) meaning good news, or the gospel. As the Word became flesh with Yeshua, He gave Himself for us. As with us, when we share the gospel and going to people, He (Yeshua) becomes flesh in us. In the sight of God, this very act of “mevaser” is a pleasant thing. The verse supports itself; in Hebrew, the word “salvation” is written as “yeshua” (יְשׁוּעָה). The Free Commentary defines the word “yeshua” with the following:

1. rescued by God; salvation
2. successfulness, prosperity
3. welfare or well-being “revak” (רֶוַח)

Taking a closer look at “revak”, the word “revak” also means to be accepted. In this sense, to have “well-being” means to be accepted by God. Thus, our “well-being” means also success and acceptance by God, as we do what is desirable in His eyes, that is – spreading the gospel. God makes us accepted in His sight when we share the Gospel. In fact, that was God’s desire and will from the beginning, for all creation and all knowledge to revel in this truth.[1] As carriers of God’s message, as evangelists, God delights in our feet that move from place to place fulfilling His desire. Hence, the beauty of the feet of the evangelist who says to Zion “your God is reigning!”

In Hebrew, the words for Evangelist, Gospel, and Flesh are closely related – being “Mevaser, Besora, Basar” (בָּשָֹר בְּשֹוֹרָה מְבַשֵֹר)  respectively. Sharing the same roots, these connections and similarities are represented by our Lord Yeshua and His work on the cross. Yeshua paid the ultimate price in His Body (Basar) for our sin. With His Body (Basar) He broke the wall of separation, reconciling man to God, as well as the wall of separation between Jews and Gentiles. With His Body (Basar) He made the two as one, fulfilling the works of God. Throughout the Scriptures, it has been mentioned that the works of God are going to take place by the nations and that His desire is for the nations to be saved and to know Him as the people of Israel hardens their hearts. As the prophet Isaiah says

Foreigners will build up your walls, and their kings will minister to you; For in My wrath I struck you, and in My favor I have had compassion on you. Your gates will be open continually; they will not be closed day or night, so that men may bring to you the wealth of the nations, with their kings led in procession.

Isaiah 60:10-11

What is the link here between Israel, the Gentiles, and the Gospel? It is important for us to see the Lord’s desire fulfilled through what Yeshua did on the cross. It is important for us to understand that Yeshua broke down the wall of enmity, the wall of separation between Jews and Gentiles. First and foremost, God desires to reveal to His own people, the Jewish people their king.[2] God uses His own people to reach their own, He uses the help of the nations, working hand in hand to bring the gospel first to the Jew, then to the nations. The task for followers of Yeshua to participate with the Jewish believers to reach out to the rest of Israel, that they, the Gentile believers may be blessed in the spirit. The Jews are blessed not because they know the language of the Scriptures. Rather, they are blessed because God has put the spirit in them to be a blessing unto the nations, as the “Light unto the Nations.”[3] When Isaiah said, “The law will go out from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”[4] He did not mean any Christian preacher broadcasting a message from Jerusalem. He did not mean any rabbi giving a lecture. God desires to impart a different revelation, one that is deep and personal that speaks to the heart of the believers. A revelation more than just theology and parables, a revelation more than precious gold that cannot be measured. A personal revelation bringing blessing to the Body of the Messiah, strengthening the believer’s faith. Moreover, it is imperative for this revelation to come with obedience, that we speak the gospel just as it has been revealed to us.

Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices, they shout joyfully together;

For they will see with their own eyes when the Lord restores Zion.

Who are the watchmen and what do they do? The word “watchman” was translated from “Tsofayich” (צֹפַיִךְ) which is derived from the root “Tsafah” (צָפָה) meaning – to watch, to observe, to foresee, to expect. To foresee, to see before the arrival, as with one aspect of prophecy. In this sense, the prophet Isaiah has prophesied too that the nations have been joined as one together with us (the Jews), through the crucifixion of our Messiah. We eagerly see and wait for the return of our Messiah to Zion. With the words of prophecy, we know that in the end, everything will work for good for the believers.[5] Jewish believers, Gentile believers, as we are joint together to do His work. God Himself will effect a real change both in the individual countries of the Gentile believers as well as Israel itself, also called “Eretz haZvi” (אֶרֶץ הַצְּבִי) or Land of the Gazelle, symbolizing power and beauty.

Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?

Haggai 1:4

In the heart of God there is so much love. God desires to reveal to us, the things of the prophetic.[6] He desires to reveal to us what He created because He want us. More than that, He longs for us to bring it to everyone that we can, and so much more to His own people. I am calling to you, brothers and sisters, to join hands in prayer with me. And if possible with you, to be here physically with me. This secret has been hidden for 2000 years, since the time of the Messiah till today. Though the Jews hear about Him from the media, from us local believers, they are still blind. I believe with all of my heart that more will arise to come and support this God-given vision, that is – Jewish and Gentile believers coming together to bring the Gospel to Israel.

Here in Israel, we have been sharing the gospel through the following means:

• Visiting the sick
• Satisfying the needs of the poor and homeless
• Helping widows and orphans in their troubles.

Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, I am certain of your love for God and Yeshua. I am sure of your heart for Him, a heart that eagerly desires to do more. I pray with a heart full of hope and faith, that you will enjoy the holy work of the gospel in Zion and in Jerusalem. Will you consider praying with us, and standing with us for Israel and help us to advance the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.

Please feel free to share this message to fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Shlomo Nahum

February 2017

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

Romans 1:20

“For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.”

Romans 8:19

“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the water covers the sea.”

Habakuk 2:14

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.”

Romans 1:16

“I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles…”

 Isaiah 42:6

“Many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.’ The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”

Isaiah 2:3

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

Romans 8:28

“At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”

Revelation 19:10