Children of Israel

It may be interesting to read books which tell us of the tribes of Israel; but study of them will not give any real satisfaction or bring us a clearer realization of God and of what constitutes His “chosen” people, unless it turns us to the Bible to seek honestly for ourselves. Such searching, in conjunction with the Christian Science textbook, “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures” by Mary Baker Eddy is, however, very illuminating. First of all, let us read Mrs. Eddy’s definition of “children of Israel” on page 583 of our textbook: “The representatives of Soul, not corporeal sense; the offspring of Spirit, who, having wrestled with error, sin, and sense, are governed by divine Science; some of the ideas of God beheld as men, casting out error and healing the sick; Christ’s offspring.”

In order to grasp the import of this definition, we need to have a clear idea of God as “our Father,” as the only cause or creator, and of the man of God’s creating. God is Spirit; therefore man must be spiritual, “the offspring of Spirit.” The man of God’s creating, whom we acknowledge to be His image or reflection, can manifest only the qualities of that which he reflects, namely, omnipresent God, even as one’s reflection in front of a mirror can reproduce only one’s movements: the reflection can do nothing of itself! Again, since God is infinite, All, His ideas must be governed by Him, the one unerring divine Mind. God never loses sight of one of His children, ideas, and He loves them one and all!

We cannot deny that to the material senses we seem to be surrounded by many ungodlike conditions; but these very conditions, being unlike God, good, are unreal. As for man, as we reason and study we realize that a mortal is not man as God knows him! Mortals and things material are phases of the Adam-dream, and have neither reality nor permanence. As we wake to the truth of being we become more conscious of our true birthright as God’s children. God’s love is universal, and the gifts He bestows are for all to enjoy. And we can awake and claim them, and use them—these wonderful gifts of love, joy, peace, purity, and gentleness.

It does not matter at all to what nation we may belong, because human distinctions are mortal mind concepts, which God does not know anything about. What was it that resulted in Jacob’s name being changed to Israel? Was it not a mental battle with error, with the lie that life, substance, and intelligence are material, when all the time they are truly spiritual qualities? Jacob proved error to be powerless, and gained a clearer realization of the omnipresence and omnipotence of Spirit, God. This experience changed his character, and as a result his name was changed to Israel.

Then our part, if we wish to change our name or character, is to take our stand with God, to look to Him for help and strength and guidance, knowing He can never fail us—no, for He is always present, and always ready when we turn to Him in all humility. In thus proving the allness of God, good, we prove the powerlessness and nothingness of evil, whatever guise it may assume. In realizing and declaring God’s allness and love we are well armed; and in claiming God as “our Father,” we must surely gain some idea of the man of God’s creating, and in turn a growing realization of an unfolding sense of true brotherhood! Nothing but happiness can be born of this knowledge of Truth and Love; for “the way out of the wilderness of human beliefs has been revealed” (The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, pp. 43, 44). We are God’s “chosen” people in the proportion that we put off the old material way of thinking, recognize God as the only Father, whose love is equally shared by all, and honestly strive to reflect more of the qualities of the real man as God created him; for thus do we emerge from the darkness of false human beliefs into the marvelous light of Truth.

In God’s sight “there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.” In Isaiah we read that “the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains … and all nations shall flow unto it;” also, that God will destroy “the vail that is spread over all nations.” Surely this “vail” is an altogether distorted view of God’s universe, resulting from wrong thinking, and is what gives rise among men and nations to false beliefs regarding superiority of power, intelligence, pride of possession, and such like; when all the time God’s love is impartial, bestowing loving gifts on all alike. A realization of this great truth will destroy such thoughts as greed, jealousy, dishonesty, and pride, and bring about a wonderful sense of true brotherhood.

Mrs. Eddy writes on page 467 of Science and Health: “It should be thoroughly understood that all men have one Mind, one God and Father, one Life, Truth, and Love. Mankind will become perfect in proportion as this fact becomes apparent, war will cease, and the true brotherhood of man will be established.” Then we should rejoice in knowing that the love of God is everywhere, and that it is His will that all should share it equally. As we reflect more love to our fellow-men, the “vail” that seems to divide men and nations will be dissolved, and growing unity of thought, desire, and activity will finally result in perfect harmony.