By Terry Cropper
At the center of many debates today is the question of who is "the Israel of God." It is the belief of dispensations that God made a promise to Abraham (Genesis chapters 15 and 17) that he would give to him an earthly, national people with the result they view has always been God's intention to have such a people.
God was so committed to creating such an earthly, nationalistic people that this was the primary reason why God has never has been nor ever will be done with the physical seed of Israel. It is because is this false teaching that most Christians will not even preach the gospel to a Jews.
It is also an article of faith among dispensations that the creation of a modern state, of Israel in Palestine in 1948, is a providential confirmation of their claim that the Jews are God's earthly, national people and that further, God continues to work with the physical seed of Abraham.
Though it might be exciting to think that God is doing something spectacular with the physical seed of Israel in Palestine in our times,. Lest not confuse what is temporary with what is permanent, and what is permanent with what is temporary in scripture.
It is the argument of this article that Jesus Christ is the true Israel of God and that everyone who is united to him by grace alone, through faith alone becomes, by virtue of that union, apart of God’s true Israel. This means that it is wrong headed to look for, expect, hope for or desire a reconstitution of nationalistic Israel out side of fath in Christ in the future.
We cannot understand what God has done for us in history, apart from understanding one of the most important terms in scripture. (The Israel of God). The church is not plan B or something which God instituted until he could recreate a national people in Palestine, but rather, God only had the national people temporarily (from Moses to Christ) as a foreshadowing of the creation of the New Covenant in which the ethnic distinctions which existed under Moses were fulfilled and abolished (Ephesians 2.11-22; Colossians 2.8-3.11).
Christian mistaken identity has made nationalistic Israel the true Israel of God instead of the spiritual/eternal nation in the body of Christ that is taught in the Bible. As a result, this view teaches that the temporal, type or shadow standards serve as the fulfilment of itself. This view takes away the glory from what Jesus Christ has done.
In the Hebrew scriptures the expression "out of Egypt" occurs more than 140 times. It is one of the defining facts of the existence of national Israel. When God gave the Law he said, "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. (Exodus 20:2) They were a redeemed people belonging to their Savior.
However national Israel coming out of the land of Egypt was a (type or shadow) that pointing to a greater spiritual truth to be fulfilled in Christ Jesus. The type or shadow was not the fulfillment.
If we will only let scripture show us it gives the very definition of God’s true Israel come out of Egypt. It most significant when Matthew quotes (Hosea 11.1) which says. "When Israel was a child, I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My.
Matthew's inspired interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures is our Lord Jesus, not the temporary, nationalistic, people who are the true Israel of God. When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called My Son. (Matthew 2:14-15)
The only reason God orchestrated the first Exodus was so that he might orchestrate the second Exodus and that so we might know that Jesus is the true Israel of God and that all Christians are God's Israel regardless of ethnicity.
Herod was about to execute his bloody rage against the firstborn of the Jews. In Herod’s character, attitude, and actions we are to see an echo from the Old Testament. Herod, king of the Jews, is playing the part of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Herod is doing what Pharaoh did in opposition to God and His people. So what is Matthew doing here? How is he using Hosea’s words? He is saying that Jesus, God’s Son, is Israel, the true Israel. And that Jesus will retrace Israel’s steps. Israel is another proper name of Jesus Christ.
But wait there is more. A further reversal of roles is unfolds in scripture. God refers to the whole nation of Israel as if they were (one person), His ‘son’. We see this in Exodus 4:22-23: Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son, and I told you, “Let my son go, so he may worship me”…’ Now, turning to the pages of the New Testament, we see Jesus is God’s one and only Son and the firstborn over all creation.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. (Colossians 1:15) Jehovah's Witnesses will use the Colossians passage to teach that Christ was physically created by God the Father. This is a misunderstanding of the text. A simple understanding of Old Testament and Jewish culture will help enlighten us in regards to the meaning of this passage. The word firstborn was a term to denote the special role of the first son. The firstborn was the preeminent one, the special one that would receive a double portion from the father. It was the important firstborn blessing from the father that Jacob had stolen form Esau. (see Genesis 27)
Therefore, Colossians 1:15 is declaring that Jesus is the firstborn, or special and preeminent One over all creation. Jesus is the only son of God and firstborn of God. And, being the divine first and last and King of kings, Lord of lords such would be true.
Consequently, if Christ is the true Israel, and I propose that He is, then all those who are in Christ, Jew and Gentile, must be the true Israel of God. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. (Galatians. 6:15-16). Paul taught that since Christ has come only those who have a relationship with God based on faith in Christ are the "Israel of God." Thus, all those joined to Christ are to participate in and receive all the blessings that belong to Christ.
It is because Jesus is the true Israel of God that, in his infancy and indeed in his entire life, he recapitulated the history of national Israel. What rebellious national Israel would not do, Jesus did. He loved God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength and his neighbor as himself. (Matthew 22.37-40; Deu 11:1)
What rebellious national Israel would not obey the commandments of God. (Exodus 16:28; 2 Kings 17:18) Jesus God’s Israel did. (John 12:49) What rebellious national Israel would not shepherd and feed the sheep. (Ezekiel 34:1-2) Jesus God’s Israel did. (Mark 6:34; John 10:11) When the sheep were scattered because rebellious national Israel refused to shepherd over them. (Ezekiel 33:5-10) Jesus God’s Israel gathered them. "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. " (John 10:11) Please take the time to read ((Ezekiel 33:11-15).
Whereas national Israel were law-breakers, Christ was the true law-keeper and this not for His own sake but for ours. And where the nation of Israel failed, Jesus the true Israel, and obedient Son, prevailed. When the axe was sunk through the root (Matthew. 3:7-10) of "Israel after the flesh" in AD70, all that stood was the superior eternal nation called the "Israel of God."
Does this mean God has shut out Jews from salvation? Not at all. He has placed Jews and Gentiles on an equal footing. As Paul teaches it, "There is neither Jew nor Greek...for you are all one in Christ Jesus". (Galatians 3:28)
With all this background in mind we ask the questions, "Who are Abraham's children?" The Apostle Paul argues very clearly that the promises to Abraham were fulfilled in Christ. Galatians 3.16 says, The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," (Singular) meaning one person, who is Christ. Paul explains what he means. The promises given to Abraham were NT gospel promises. They were given before Moses and they were fulfilled in Christ. Jesus is Abraham's true Son, he is "the seed" promised to Abraham. Thus Jesus is the true Israel of God.
Jesus also made a crucial distinction between the nationalistic seed of Abraham and the spiritual seed of Abraham. Jesus said to the Jews, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31-32) To which they respond by pointing out that they are physically descended from Abraham (v.33).
To this Jesus responds, "If you were Abraham's children...then you would do the things Abraham did" (v.39). This, then is our Lord's definition of a child of Abraham. One who does the things Abraham did. What did Abraham do? According to Jesus, "Abraham saw my day and rejoiced" (v.56).
According to Jesus the Messiah, a Jew, a true Israelite is one who has saving faith in the Lord Jesus before or after the incarnation. In fact, Jesus told the Pharisees of His day, that they were sons of the devil! (John 8:44) Thus it should not surprise us to find substantially the same teaching in the Apostle Paul's theology. In Romans 4, Paul says that one is justified in the same way Abraham was justified, by grace alone, through faith in Jesus alone (Rom 4:3-8). And if you are Christ’s then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:29)
Part of the confusion which surrounds God's plan in history, and therefore part of the reason Christians are so confused about God's plans for the future of his people, is the misunderstand what Jesus came to do for national Israel. He did not come to set up a national, earthly Jewish kingdom, but he did come to be their Savior and the Savior of all of God's people whether Jew or Gentile.
"Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" This was John the Baptist's declaration in John 1:29 upon seeing Jesus for the first time. Our Lord, before he was incarnate, identified himself to Israel through the Prophet Isaiah (43.3) as "the Holy One of Israel," their "Savior."
Later, in sermon, Peter said that God has now "exalted" Jesus "to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. Christ did not come to reinstate and fix the Mosaic theocracy or to establish an earthly millennial Jewish kingdom, but to save Jewish and Gentile sinners and to make them, by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, Abraham's children.
"It is not as though God's Word has failed" (Romans 9:6). The reason that only some Jews have trusted Jesus as Messiah is because not "all Israel are is Israel. Nor because they are his fleshly descendants are they Abraham's children." Rather, Abraham's children are reckoned "through Isaac" (9:7) What this means is that "it is not the natural children who are God's, but children of the promise" (v.8). How was Isaac born? By the sovereign power of God. How are Christians born? By the sovereign power of God. Every Christian is an "Isaac" in his own way.
The fact is confirmed in Scripture, most notably by the very definition of who is Israel. The role of natural Israel was a temporal picture of God’s true Israel Christ. It is declared early in the Bible, and is maintained throughout. In Hosea we read. "When Israel was a child, I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son. And in Matthew 2:15, we read the fulfillment of this Scripture which speaking of Jesus Christ. And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
In Exodus 4:22-23 we read. Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son, and I told you, “Let my son go, so he may worship me”…Obviously, Christ is the only begotten son of God, and his firstborn. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. (Colossians 1:15) Hebrews 12:23 refers to the saved as the "church of the firstborn"
Who is the Israel of God? Christ is the true Israel of God. Notice it Paul says (those IN Christ Jesus). For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. (Galatians. 6:15-16).
Is God finished saving Jews? Not at all. Salvation is of the Jews, Gentiles, by God's undeserved favor, have been grafted into the true Israel of God which is Christ Jesus.
Showing posts with label covenant promise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label covenant promise. Show all posts
The Israel of God
Thanks again Terry Cropper.
Most Christians have been taught the true “Israel of God” is comprised of all biological descendants of Abraham only. However I believe God’s word teaches that “true Israel” has always been a (willing obedient spiritual group of people) in a covenant relationship with God form various nationalities, not just an exclusive biological group.
In this article I will endeavor to show why I come to believe from scripture, that from the beginning, there was a “physical Israel” and a “spiritual Israel” - a group within a group -two separate entities even during Old Testament time.
When most Christians are first saved that are told to read the New Testament. The problem is the right way to understand the New Testament is to have a good grasp and understanding of the Old Testament first. When we are told to read the Bible from the end of the story, (The New Testament) and not from the start of the story (The Old Testament) our understand of many of the New Testament concepts which started in the Old Testament are lost. Such as Paul’s words in (Romans 9:6)
In the beginning, God started with one righteous men named Abraham, and subsequently his biological descendants, the nation of Israel. However what is over looked God deals with the patriarchs of Israel as individuals. He dealt with Abraham as an individual; with Abraham’s son Isaac, as an individual; Abraham’s grandson Jacob, as individual. And approximately 400 years after the time of Joseph, God dealt with Moses as an individual, instructing him to lead the children of Israel out of slavery in Egypt (Exodus 12:37).
After God miraculously brought the children of Israel out of Egypt and through the Red Sea, He spoke to them (as a group) for the very first time establishing the conditions by which individuals within that group would be considered His covenant people. (Exodus 19:3-6) As you read this passage notice the qualifying words “if” and “then.” After God spoke to the group and establishing the conditions by which individuals within that group would be considered His covenant people.
Following the death of Moses, Joshua received his first instruction from God. ( Joshua.1:2ff). God dealt with Joshua as an individual. After the death of Joshua the God dealt with Judah as an individual. Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, "Who shall be first to go up for us against the Canaanites to fight against them?" And the LORD said, "Judah shall go up. Indeed I have delivered the land into his hand." (Judges 1:1-2) All through out the Bible God deals with individual beginning with Adam.
Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, had his name changed to 'Israel' by God. His descendants eventually became known as the people of Israel (i.e. the descendants of Israel). The Old Covenant was offered to Abraham’s descendants as a nation, because of their genealogy and because of God’s choice.
Rather, God chose these people because of His love for them and His unconditional covenant with Abraham. This doesn't mean that God loved Israel more than other people, it was just that He intended to use Israel as His means to love and bless everyone.
A study of the Old Testament clearly shows that, even then, people for other nationalities were welcome to becomes part of God’s covenant people (i.e., God’s “Israel”) if they were willingly faithful and obedient to the conditions of the covenant.
The reason the majority continued to be from the same nationality during Old Testament times is that God never commanded the nation of Israel to evangelize. However God always left the back door open for any alien living among the Israelites who had a sincere desire to become part of God’s covenant people (God’s “Israel”).
Through the ages God’s covenant people included only those individuals who were willingly faithful and obedient to the conditions of the covenant. In other words, God’s true covenant people has always been spiritual group of believers who had trust in God, even during Old Testament times.
We find in the Old Testament that people from other nationalities were always welcome to become apart of God’s “Israel.” Through willing faith and obedience to the conditions of the covenant, people from other nationalities were assimilated (absorbed as equals) into God’s covenant people. God’s “Israel.”
(...about 600.000 ) men women and children left Egypt with Moses however NOT all the men women and children were biological descendants of Abraham. Some were aliens from other nationalities who trusted the God of Abraham and became apart of God’s “Israel.”
“An alien living among you who wants to celebrate the Lord’s Passover must have all the males in his household circumcised; then he may take part, like one born in the land...The SAME law applies to the native-born and to the alien living among you’ (Exodus 12:48-49).
“An alien living among you who wants to celebrate the Lord’s Passover must do so in accordance with its rules and regulations. You must have same regulations for the alien and the native-born (Numbers 9:14)
“For this is what the Lord says; ... ‘Foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to serve Him, to love the mane of the Lord, and to worship Him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it, and who hold fast to my covenant these I will bring to My holy mountain and give them joy in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’” (Isaiah 56:4a, 6-7)
As we have seen from the previous Scriptures under the Old Covenant system, people from other nationalities who desired to serve the God of Abraham were assimilated (absorbed as equals into God’s covenant “Israel.”
When Matthew began his Gospel with a genealogy or family tree of Jesus, contrary to Luke and many of the genealogies in the Old Testament, he included four women and two of these women were NOT biological descendants of Abraham. Rahab, the great, great grandmother of David (Matthew 1:5) was a common prostitute in Jericho.
When Joshua sent two spies into the city of Jericho, Rahab, gave them shelter. When the king of Jericho sought their lives she hid them on her roof, and afterwards helped them escape. (Josh 2:1-8) They promised her that if she tied red cord to her window when the Hebrew people invaded Jericho, she and all her household would be saved. (Josh. 2:18-21).
They kept their promise, and when Jericho was taken, she and her household escaped. (Josh 6:17- 22). By professed faith in the God of Israel ( Josh. 2:11) Rahab became a part of “Israel” along with her entire family (Josh. 6:25; James 2:25). Ruth, the great grandmother of David and daughter-in-law of Rahab (Matthew 1:5) was from the country of Moab, but professed faith in the God of Israel (Ruth 1:16) and became part of “Israel” with full approval from the elders of the city (Ruth 4:11-12).
This is notable since it was not customary for Jews to include women in their records. The examples of Rahab and Ruth help us understand how God views “Israel” as those individual who trust in the true God. One should also remember both Rahab and Ruth.
Rahab is unusual in that she recognized the action of God, and put her faith in him while the rest of Jericho followed the Canaanite religion. She is listed in Hebrews 11 as one of the heroines of the faith.
Apparently, God Himself was impressed with Ruth's conversion, because He chose to send the Messiah through Ruth's offspring! What an exciting and inspiring example to everyone of us to think that God may have something very important in store for us, even though we have ungodly beginnings.
Just as those individuals in the Old Testament were apart of God’s “spiritual Israel” because they were willingly faithful and obedient to the conditions of the covenant. Those individuals who were NOT willingly faithful and obedient to the conditions of the covenant were apart of “national Israel.”
The Apostle Paul alludes to this basic fundamental covenant principle in his letters to early Christians. But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, "In Isaac your seed shall be called." (Romans 9:6-8) What Paul is saying is that not all the people form the nation of Israel are truly people of God’s Israel.” The covenant relationship is, and was an individual decision and choice as seen with the story of Rahab. The choice, the responsibility, and the Covenant relationship with God are individual , not national.
At the beginning of New Testament times, it was an accepted fact that God’s Covenant “Israel” still included people who were not biological descendants of Abraham (i.e., non - Jews). They were referred to as “proselytes” or “converts” and are mentioned fore times in the New Testament Scriptures; Matthew 23:15; Acts 2:10-11, 6:5, 13:43.
I believe that it has always been God’s intentional, plan that we see being a part of (Spiritual Israel) has always been a matter of faith not biological descendants even during Old Testaments times. In 21th century Christianity, we miss the significance of so much that is written in the New Testament by not having any understanding of how God has always assimilated (absorbed as equals) people for other nationalities into His covenant people “spiritual Israel” even in the Old Testament.
During the time of Jesus many biological Jewish Christians also had great difficulty accepting the non-Jewish Christians as equals in the eyes of God - even to the point of not eating with them (Galatians 2:11-16). And as non-Jews began to accept the New Covenant Gospel message, in some instances they too thought of themselves as God’s elite, and as a group totally separated from believing biological Jews. Paul reprimanded the non - Jewish believers in Rome for this very attitude, as we read in (Romans 11:17-18).
God spiritual Israel seems to have been a difficult concept for BOTH Jews and non- Jews to grasp in the first century - just as it is for so many Christians in the 21th century. Any individual who accepted the new covenant relationship offer by Jesus Christ is apart of God’s “spiritual Israel.” The Church has NOT replace the Israel of God. The Church is (i.e., God’s “Israel”) which started in the Old Testament of individuals who put their faith in God. God deals with individuals.
All through the Bible, God’s faithful obedient covenant people are referred to as “Israel.” Unfortunately the nation is also called “Israel.’ This is were the confusion, lies both then and now. In other words, from the very beginning there was a “physical Israel” and a “spiritual” Israel. Those who were part of spiritual Israel were those individuals who accepted the covenant relationship offer and willingly chose to be faithful and obedient to the conditions of the Covenant
The biological descendants of Abraham could be “cut off” from “Israel,” through disobedience to the conditions of the Old Covenant, even though they continued to live in the nation of Israel. “Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people, he has broken My covenant (Genesis. 17:14)
The Lord replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot out of My book’‘ (Exodus 32:33) “..... any Israelite...who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice, and does not being it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting to sacrifice it to the Lord, that man must be cut off from his people” (Leviticus 17:8-9). If any Israelite does not obey the prophet (referring to Jesus) would die, be cut off from God’s people;’ (Acts 3:22-23, quoted from Deut 18:15-19). For further study read (Lev. 24:16; Num. 9:13; Deut. 17:2-5).
During the “tribulation” period, culmination in 70 A.D., God used the complete destruction of Jerusalem to dramatically show biological Israelites AND Christians that everything connected to the Old Covenant system was over and done: the priesthood; the animal sacrificers; the earthly temple; the earthly city; the favored nationality; the genealogy records; even possession of all the land.
To this day, many Christians still don’t fully understand it. Consider the following. Since the Jewish genealogy records were destroyed in 70 A.D. along with the temple, ON-ONE can prove that he or she descended form Abraham. This bring us back to the starting place of this study. God deals with individuals who willingly chose to be faithful to his covenant not biological group.
God’s covenant principles of individual choice has been the same from the beginning of time, and continues to this day and into the future. With the coming of Jesus and the establishment of the New
Covenant system, the “rules” simply changed as to how one becomes part of (i.e., God’s “Israel”). Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."(John 6:29).
When studying the subject of “Israel” in the Bible, we need to remember to distinguish between the spiritual nature of God’s covenant “Israel” and the physical nature of the nation of Israel.
Most Christians have been taught the true “Israel of God” is comprised of all biological descendants of Abraham only. However I believe God’s word teaches that “true Israel” has always been a (willing obedient spiritual group of people) in a covenant relationship with God form various nationalities, not just an exclusive biological group.
In this article I will endeavor to show why I come to believe from scripture, that from the beginning, there was a “physical Israel” and a “spiritual Israel” - a group within a group -two separate entities even during Old Testament time.
When most Christians are first saved that are told to read the New Testament. The problem is the right way to understand the New Testament is to have a good grasp and understanding of the Old Testament first. When we are told to read the Bible from the end of the story, (The New Testament) and not from the start of the story (The Old Testament) our understand of many of the New Testament concepts which started in the Old Testament are lost. Such as Paul’s words in (Romans 9:6)
In the beginning, God started with one righteous men named Abraham, and subsequently his biological descendants, the nation of Israel. However what is over looked God deals with the patriarchs of Israel as individuals. He dealt with Abraham as an individual; with Abraham’s son Isaac, as an individual; Abraham’s grandson Jacob, as individual. And approximately 400 years after the time of Joseph, God dealt with Moses as an individual, instructing him to lead the children of Israel out of slavery in Egypt (Exodus 12:37).
After God miraculously brought the children of Israel out of Egypt and through the Red Sea, He spoke to them (as a group) for the very first time establishing the conditions by which individuals within that group would be considered His covenant people. (Exodus 19:3-6) As you read this passage notice the qualifying words “if” and “then.” After God spoke to the group and establishing the conditions by which individuals within that group would be considered His covenant people.
Following the death of Moses, Joshua received his first instruction from God. ( Joshua.1:2ff). God dealt with Joshua as an individual. After the death of Joshua the God dealt with Judah as an individual. Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, "Who shall be first to go up for us against the Canaanites to fight against them?" And the LORD said, "Judah shall go up. Indeed I have delivered the land into his hand." (Judges 1:1-2) All through out the Bible God deals with individual beginning with Adam.
Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, had his name changed to 'Israel' by God. His descendants eventually became known as the people of Israel (i.e. the descendants of Israel). The Old Covenant was offered to Abraham’s descendants as a nation, because of their genealogy and because of God’s choice.
Rather, God chose these people because of His love for them and His unconditional covenant with Abraham. This doesn't mean that God loved Israel more than other people, it was just that He intended to use Israel as His means to love and bless everyone.
A study of the Old Testament clearly shows that, even then, people for other nationalities were welcome to becomes part of God’s covenant people (i.e., God’s “Israel”) if they were willingly faithful and obedient to the conditions of the covenant.
The reason the majority continued to be from the same nationality during Old Testament times is that God never commanded the nation of Israel to evangelize. However God always left the back door open for any alien living among the Israelites who had a sincere desire to become part of God’s covenant people (God’s “Israel”).
Through the ages God’s covenant people included only those individuals who were willingly faithful and obedient to the conditions of the covenant. In other words, God’s true covenant people has always been spiritual group of believers who had trust in God, even during Old Testament times.
We find in the Old Testament that people from other nationalities were always welcome to become apart of God’s “Israel.” Through willing faith and obedience to the conditions of the covenant, people from other nationalities were assimilated (absorbed as equals) into God’s covenant people. God’s “Israel.”
(...about 600.000 ) men women and children left Egypt with Moses however NOT all the men women and children were biological descendants of Abraham. Some were aliens from other nationalities who trusted the God of Abraham and became apart of God’s “Israel.”
“An alien living among you who wants to celebrate the Lord’s Passover must have all the males in his household circumcised; then he may take part, like one born in the land...The SAME law applies to the native-born and to the alien living among you’ (Exodus 12:48-49).
“An alien living among you who wants to celebrate the Lord’s Passover must do so in accordance with its rules and regulations. You must have same regulations for the alien and the native-born (Numbers 9:14)
“For this is what the Lord says; ... ‘Foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to serve Him, to love the mane of the Lord, and to worship Him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it, and who hold fast to my covenant these I will bring to My holy mountain and give them joy in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’” (Isaiah 56:4a, 6-7)
As we have seen from the previous Scriptures under the Old Covenant system, people from other nationalities who desired to serve the God of Abraham were assimilated (absorbed as equals into God’s covenant “Israel.”
When Matthew began his Gospel with a genealogy or family tree of Jesus, contrary to Luke and many of the genealogies in the Old Testament, he included four women and two of these women were NOT biological descendants of Abraham. Rahab, the great, great grandmother of David (Matthew 1:5) was a common prostitute in Jericho.
When Joshua sent two spies into the city of Jericho, Rahab, gave them shelter. When the king of Jericho sought their lives she hid them on her roof, and afterwards helped them escape. (Josh 2:1-8) They promised her that if she tied red cord to her window when the Hebrew people invaded Jericho, she and all her household would be saved. (Josh. 2:18-21).
They kept their promise, and when Jericho was taken, she and her household escaped. (Josh 6:17- 22). By professed faith in the God of Israel ( Josh. 2:11) Rahab became a part of “Israel” along with her entire family (Josh. 6:25; James 2:25). Ruth, the great grandmother of David and daughter-in-law of Rahab (Matthew 1:5) was from the country of Moab, but professed faith in the God of Israel (Ruth 1:16) and became part of “Israel” with full approval from the elders of the city (Ruth 4:11-12).
This is notable since it was not customary for Jews to include women in their records. The examples of Rahab and Ruth help us understand how God views “Israel” as those individual who trust in the true God. One should also remember both Rahab and Ruth.
Rahab is unusual in that she recognized the action of God, and put her faith in him while the rest of Jericho followed the Canaanite religion. She is listed in Hebrews 11 as one of the heroines of the faith.
Apparently, God Himself was impressed with Ruth's conversion, because He chose to send the Messiah through Ruth's offspring! What an exciting and inspiring example to everyone of us to think that God may have something very important in store for us, even though we have ungodly beginnings.
Just as those individuals in the Old Testament were apart of God’s “spiritual Israel” because they were willingly faithful and obedient to the conditions of the covenant. Those individuals who were NOT willingly faithful and obedient to the conditions of the covenant were apart of “national Israel.”
The Apostle Paul alludes to this basic fundamental covenant principle in his letters to early Christians. But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, "In Isaac your seed shall be called." (Romans 9:6-8) What Paul is saying is that not all the people form the nation of Israel are truly people of God’s Israel.” The covenant relationship is, and was an individual decision and choice as seen with the story of Rahab. The choice, the responsibility, and the Covenant relationship with God are individual , not national.
At the beginning of New Testament times, it was an accepted fact that God’s Covenant “Israel” still included people who were not biological descendants of Abraham (i.e., non - Jews). They were referred to as “proselytes” or “converts” and are mentioned fore times in the New Testament Scriptures; Matthew 23:15; Acts 2:10-11, 6:5, 13:43.
I believe that it has always been God’s intentional, plan that we see being a part of (Spiritual Israel) has always been a matter of faith not biological descendants even during Old Testaments times. In 21th century Christianity, we miss the significance of so much that is written in the New Testament by not having any understanding of how God has always assimilated (absorbed as equals) people for other nationalities into His covenant people “spiritual Israel” even in the Old Testament.
During the time of Jesus many biological Jewish Christians also had great difficulty accepting the non-Jewish Christians as equals in the eyes of God - even to the point of not eating with them (Galatians 2:11-16). And as non-Jews began to accept the New Covenant Gospel message, in some instances they too thought of themselves as God’s elite, and as a group totally separated from believing biological Jews. Paul reprimanded the non - Jewish believers in Rome for this very attitude, as we read in (Romans 11:17-18).
God spiritual Israel seems to have been a difficult concept for BOTH Jews and non- Jews to grasp in the first century - just as it is for so many Christians in the 21th century. Any individual who accepted the new covenant relationship offer by Jesus Christ is apart of God’s “spiritual Israel.” The Church has NOT replace the Israel of God. The Church is (i.e., God’s “Israel”) which started in the Old Testament of individuals who put their faith in God. God deals with individuals.
All through the Bible, God’s faithful obedient covenant people are referred to as “Israel.” Unfortunately the nation is also called “Israel.’ This is were the confusion, lies both then and now. In other words, from the very beginning there was a “physical Israel” and a “spiritual” Israel. Those who were part of spiritual Israel were those individuals who accepted the covenant relationship offer and willingly chose to be faithful and obedient to the conditions of the Covenant
The biological descendants of Abraham could be “cut off” from “Israel,” through disobedience to the conditions of the Old Covenant, even though they continued to live in the nation of Israel. “Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people, he has broken My covenant (Genesis. 17:14)
The Lord replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot out of My book’‘ (Exodus 32:33) “..... any Israelite...who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice, and does not being it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting to sacrifice it to the Lord, that man must be cut off from his people” (Leviticus 17:8-9). If any Israelite does not obey the prophet (referring to Jesus) would die, be cut off from God’s people;’ (Acts 3:22-23, quoted from Deut 18:15-19). For further study read (Lev. 24:16; Num. 9:13; Deut. 17:2-5).
During the “tribulation” period, culmination in 70 A.D., God used the complete destruction of Jerusalem to dramatically show biological Israelites AND Christians that everything connected to the Old Covenant system was over and done: the priesthood; the animal sacrificers; the earthly temple; the earthly city; the favored nationality; the genealogy records; even possession of all the land.
To this day, many Christians still don’t fully understand it. Consider the following. Since the Jewish genealogy records were destroyed in 70 A.D. along with the temple, ON-ONE can prove that he or she descended form Abraham. This bring us back to the starting place of this study. God deals with individuals who willingly chose to be faithful to his covenant not biological group.
God’s covenant principles of individual choice has been the same from the beginning of time, and continues to this day and into the future. With the coming of Jesus and the establishment of the New
Covenant system, the “rules” simply changed as to how one becomes part of (i.e., God’s “Israel”). Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."(John 6:29).
When studying the subject of “Israel” in the Bible, we need to remember to distinguish between the spiritual nature of God’s covenant “Israel” and the physical nature of the nation of Israel.
