Author : Keith Sharp
Some four millennia ago, The Lord promised Abram that he would become a great nation (Genesis 12:2) and that his descendants would inherit the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:7). The Lord’s promises are sure. Just as the divine pledge affirmed, while the descendants of Abraham were in captivity in Egypt, they “became a nation, great, mighty, and populous.” (Deuteronomy 26:5) Also, under the leadership of Joshua and by the grace and power of the Lord, Israel received all the land the Lord had promised them (Joshua 21:43-45; Nehemiah 9:7-8, 22-25).
However, Israel’s continued possession of the land was conditioned on their faithfulness to the Lord their God (Deuteronomy 5:33; 28:15,64). But Israel rejected the Lord God to serve idols (2 Kings 17:7-22; 21:1-16). Thus, the Lord brought against them the Assyrians and Babylonians, who took them away captive (2 Kings 17:5-6,23; 25:1-21).
But the Lord also promised Israel that they would be restored to the land if they repented (Deuteronomy 30:1-3). The prophets foretold that such a restoration would take place (Jeremiah 25:11; 27:22). This restoration was not to be of the entire nation but of a faithful remnant (Isaiah 1:9; Jeremiah 23:3). Once again the Lord God was faithful to His promise, and seventy years after their initial captivity by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the restoration began under Cyrus of Persia (Ezra 1:1-4). People from all Israel returned to Canaan (Ezra 2:70; Nehemiah 7:73). All the land promises to national Israel were fulfilled over two millennia ago.
The covenant the Lord made with Israel was conditioned upon their faithfulness to the Lord (Exodus 19:5-6; Deuteronomy 8:19-20). The promise of the everlasting covenant to the physical seed of Abraham was the land of Canaan (Genesis 17:7-8). But national Israel, the physical seed of Abraham, broke the everlasting covenant (Isaiah 24:5). When national Israel, after having rejected all God’s prophets, finally killed His Son, God cast them off and gave the kingdom to another nation (Matthew 21:33-45). National Israel has no more place in the Lord’s plans.
Jeremiah prophesied that national Israel would be so broken that it could not be restored (Jeremiah 19:1-11). To be restored as a nation, Israel would have to return to a faithful observance of the law of Moses (Deuteronomy 30:1-3,10). But any believing Jew who did that would “become estranged from Christ” (Galatians 5:1-4). The levitical priesthood would have to be restored (Nehemiah 12:44). In this case Christ could no longer be High Priest (Hebrews 7:11-17), and saved Jews would lose our salvation (Hebrews 7:25). Such a restoration would involve a king of the seed of David ruling on the throne in Jerusalem. In fact, the central belief of those who ardently look for the restoration of national Israel is the rule of Jesus Christ on the physical throne of David in earthly Jerusalem. As a noted leader in this movement said, “The purpose of Christ’s return to the Mount of Olives will be to establish Jerusalem as the capital of His new world kingdom” (Dr. John Walvoord [chancellor, Dallas Theological Seminary], Armageddon, Oil, and the Middle East Crisis. 195). But Jesus is the seed of David through Jeconiah (Matthew 1:1,12). And no one of the seed of Jeconiah can ever reign on the throne in Jerusalem and prosper (Jeremiah 22:24-30).
For none of his descendants shall prosper,
Sitting on the throne of David,
And ruling anymore in Judah (verse 30).
Further, in order for each Israelite to inherit his proper portion of the land, the genealogies of Israel would have to restored (Nehemiah 7:5,73). But the genealogies of Israel were destroyed with the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70, and the apostle Paul by inspiration forbids concern over genealogies, “for they are unprofitable and useless” (Titus 3:9). Finally, the restoration of national Israel would of necessity include the restitution of Temple worship with its animal sacrifices (2 Chronicles 36:22 – Ezra 1:4). In this case Jewish Christians would lose the benefit of the sacrifice of Christ to return to sacrifices that cannot remove the guilt of sin (Hebrews 10:1-4; 9:13-14). Why would any believing Jew want to give up the greater blessings in Christ for the old, material system which the New Covenant replaced?
There is a hope for the physical offspring of Abraham. Paul preached the hope of Israel (Acts 26:6-7). This is salvation through Christ, a promise alike to believing Jews and Gentiles (Acts 26:22-23).
God does not have two plans, one for Jews and one for Gentiles. “For there is no partiality with God.” (Romans 2:11)
Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith (Romans 3:29-30).
God sent the same word to the Gentile house of Cornelius that He had already sent to Israel (Acts 10:25-48). He gave them the Holy Spirit even as He did to the apostles to demonstrate that He had removed the distinction between Jew and Gentile (Acts 10:44 – 11:18; 15:7-9). “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.” (Romans 10:12)
“God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew.” (Romans 11:2) “Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace” (Romans 11:5).
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.’ That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed (Romans 9:6-8).
For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God (Romans 2:28-29).
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise (Galatians 3:26-29).
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).
Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:4-5).
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10).
All, whether Jew or Gentile, those of every race, nation, and tongue, both male and female, of all economic and social classes, who come to Christ in faith by being baptized into Him are now the Israel of God, His chosen generation, royal priesthood, holy nation, His own special people. Praise be to our God who has made us the Israel of God in His beloved Son!
