1. The verses from the OT are to Children of Israel, and I do not read them as symbolic the way you do. Ephraim is actually Ephraim, not Gentiles.
2. The "Lost Sheep of Israel" refers to sinful Jews. In his entire time on earth, Jesus spoke to a gazillion Jews, but you can count on one hand the number of gentiles he spoke to. He also during his life commanded his disciples to STAY AWAY from Gentiles and Samaritans -- and we KNOW that Samaritans are descendants of the 10 lost tribes.
3. Regarding Romans 11, I noticed that you said grafted INTO Israel. This is not accurate. Gentile believers are grafted ONTO Israel. IOW they benefit from the superior root system, but they do not become a regular olive tree--they remain wild. A graft remains what it was before the graft. For example, if you graft a peach branch onto plum roots, you will still have a peach tree; you will simply have better peaches because plum roots have a better system.
4. Regarding Galatians 3:28: Jews and Gentiles both receive the Gospel and are equal before God, just as men and women are. But if you look around, we still have men and women, and they are different. In the same respect, we still have Jews and Gentiles.
If you want to keep Torah, GREAT!!!! More power to ya. I think you'll be blessed. But are all Gentiles Ephraim? Nope. The Two House form of Messianism is the ultimate Replacement Theology.
This message will respond to yours, in order. So, I figured I’d type this little prologue so it’d avoid all confusion.
Well, first off you’re absolutely right Open Heart, absolutely right. They are to the children of the house of Israel. But, if you haven’t noticed it yet, the whole book, is to the children of Israel. As Jesus, our Savior has even said himself Matthew 15:24, he ONLY came to the lost sheep of Israel. That’s it. He ONLY came, to save those that belong to Israel.
As far as Ephraim being only Ephraim, if you read the book of Hosea, first off, that’s a prophetic message. He was to warn his people, but he also had a message for far off in the future. This can be proven in chapter 2, in the following verse. Hosea 2:23, if it was just to Ephraim, that verse makes no sense. Point blank, makes no sense.
Then, in chapter 3, God tells him to buy back his wife who is playing the harlot, just as he will do in the future with the children of Israel. Then, God says (through Hosea):
4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim:
5 Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days.
I know that it says “David, their king;” but, they never returned during the reign of king David. Nor anywhere else in the bible did they return. So, either God isn’t actually as able as the bible tells, or it’s still supposed to happen. Now I urge you, not to just scan over the next few verses I’ll share with you.
In chapter 6 of Hosea, - Hosea 6:6 - Why is this verse important? Because, Jesus spoke on this, while he ate with sinners of all types. The jews of the day were confused and in uproar that he did such a thing, but he quoted this verse. Why? Because, he was called to save the lost sheep of the house of Israel. If you think he came only to talk to sinning jews for one, you’re greatly diminishing the strength and beauty of his message, and for two why didn’t the Pharisees (jews so guilty of sin, Jesus warned against being like them) receive the message? Because, the lost sheep of the house of Israel, is anyone that has eyes to see and ears to hear. It’s anyone that is helpless and broken enough that they can accept the message with an open and honest heart. Those that desire to stop leaning on their own understanding, and to honestly try to place their entire trust in God. It’s those with a desire to have faith, not in themselves, but in God. Which is why Jesus is called, not just for jews, but also for gentiles. But as Paul says, in Jesus, there is no greek, nor jew, nor gentile. Meaning, since the Jews, that were lost but now through Christ are saved, are Israel, so too are the gentiles. Because Through Christ, there is no difference. There is only one. That one, is Israel.
10 I have seen an horrible thing in the house of Israel: there is the whoredom of Ephraim, Israel is defiled.
Then, in chapter 7:
11 Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.
12 When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard.
13 Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.
“though I have redeemed them,” this is God speaking about what he had even back then, already done through Christ.
Then in chapter 8:
8 Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure.
9 For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers.
10 Yea, though they have hired among the nations, now will I gather them, and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes.
11 Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin, altars shall be unto him to sin.
12 I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.
That’s exactly how the law is to us today, it’s a strange thing. People demonize it. The second you talk of it, they reject it and get angry, and quote verses completely out of context (to not fault of their own) to justify their flesh and their carnal mind’s desires.
That was why I linked Galatians 3:29, because it says, we are heirs according to the promise of Abraham. What does this mean? Well, put it this way, that promise… was with, and for, ... Israel.