Reader wants to know if we’ve ever encountered the “Black Israelites” or “Black Jesus” teachings

READER QUESTION:

I was wondering, have you encountered anyone pushing black Jesus or black Israel? I’ve been in some heated discussions with some of these people. They refer to whites as Edomites and claim that the blacks are the chosen! I’ve tried on these occasions to promote peace but many of these people are downright hostile! I’ve asked for biblical or even archeological evidence to support their position and they get angry and say that whites are liars and that scripture was mistranslated. It’s completely bizarre. I’ve asked why they think color matters with YHVH and they insist that it does! I usually end it by saying I’m grafted in, Shalom!

OUR RESPONSE:

Your response is perfect!  And yes, I've encountered those types and do my best to steer clear of them. They are as vicious as those twits who believe the earth is flat and NOTHING you can say to them (and no amount of scripture you can provide) matters. They are adamant that THEY and only they are the chosen. All you can do is leave them alone.

Having said that, the thing is, while one may think it's good to know on a personal level "who" we are and where we come from, having such discussions starts taking us down the path of division, not unity. I get so tired of seeing people trying to place themselves above others when it comes to their heritage – especially when it comes to matters of Scripture. After all, aren’t we ONE in Messiah? (Galatians 3:27-29)

This idea that “all true Jews or the original Israelites were all black” is ridiculous – and in the grand scheme of things, irrelevant. And yes, this HAS caused division. (As if we don’t already have enough division in those who have found their way to Torah....)

Consider this: In Numbers 12:1-2 we are told Moshe married a Cushite – Cush could also mean Ethiopia. The people of Ethiopia are black, which seems to indicate that not “all Jews or Hebrews are black” – and that Moshe was NOT black - which seems to knock a hole in that argument. (And again, does it really matter? It seems it does to some people who are pushing the argument that the original Israelites were black.)

Numbers 12: 1 Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had married a Cushite woman); 2 and they said, "Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?" And the LORD heard it.…

The bottom line is: Scripture tells us we are "one in Messiah" where there is no Jew or Gentile, male or female, slave or free! (See Ephesians 2:11-13, Galatians 3:27-29, Romans 12:5, John 17:21.) End of argument.