|
INTRODUCTION
This is not a commentary on current events. If all we did was give a hot take on the latest problem, there wouldn't be time for anything else. But the internet never fails to give us a reason to become more firm in the Scriptures. I sincerely hope this is an edifying and clarifying post. The relationship of the church and Israel has been percolating in my mind for years now. If it does not reflect the biblical witness, I am open to correction. Israel is always in the news, especially with all of the military activity of the last few years. What should Christians think of the modern state of Israel? Today’s (admittedly lengthy) post deals with how the name of “Israel” is used throughout Scripture. It’s not used the same way every single time. It first appears as an individual's name; later, it’s used for the name of the nation that grows out of that one man’s family. But is that the only way it’s used from then on, or is there more development? For example, Paul used the phrase “the Israel of God” in Galatians 6:16. Is that peculiar use of the name of Israel in line with how it was used in the Old Testament and the gospels? Some argue that once the name of Israel is applied to the nation, it is never used in any other way again. In other words, it always and only ever means the nation of people living within that square footage and their physical descendants. How does this apply to today? There are biblical prophecies and promises to “Israel” that must be fleshed out. What was initially the name of an individual and then a nation in the Old Testament is then picked up and spoken of in a kind of third way by Paul. There is a man named Israel, a nation named Israel, and an eschatological (last-days) Israel. If we ignore the development of the term, then we’ll make some wrong conclusions about the recipient of the promises and the intent of the prophecies. Here is why this matters to eschatology. Depending on how we read and interpret not only specific passages but also the entire storyline of Scripture, we either end up with one people of God or two—there is either just one Israel (1), or there is Israel (1) and everyone else (2). There is either still Jew and Greek, or there is now neither Jew nor Greek. There is either one destiny for all of God’s people, or there are two separate destinies, one for Israel and another for everyone else. So, defining who Israel is contributes a lot to our eschatology. The goal today will be to trace the use of the name of Israel as well as the promises made to Israel. In the end, we’ll see how Jesus fulfilled all the promises made to Israel and is himself the true Israel. 1. ONE PEOPLE, ONE KING We could begin in many places, but we will start in one place where the one-people-of-God relationship between Israelites and non-Israelites, or Gentiles, is made plain. In Acts 15, Paul, Barnabas, and some other believers went to Jerusalem to give testimony about how the Gentiles were coming to faith in Christ. That is excellent news, but one question was inevitable. How should the non-Israelites who were coming to faith relate to the Israelites, their law, and their religion? Acts 15:12-20 [12] And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. [13] After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. [14] Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. [15] And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, [16] “‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, [17] that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things [18] known from of old.’ [19] Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, [20] but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. James, one of the elders among the believers in Jerusalem, quotes Amos 9:11-12 to show that God has always intended to bring redemption to Gentiles well beyond the borders of ethnic Israel. At the time of Amos, God promised destruction to every part of life in Israel. The monarchy would fall apart, the temple would be destroyed, and the people would be taken into exile. But as God is full of mercy, he promised to do what he said here. God would restore Davidic kingship, which God describes as a tent that has been destroyed. God will “rebuild its ruins” and “restore it.” By reinstating a son of David as king, the Gentiles would flock to him to be their king. The ruins to be rebuilt are not the land of Israel but the tent of David, which was fulfilled in the coming of Christ. Or, as Paul writes, 2 Corinthians 1:20 [20] For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. James understands that Israelites and Gentiles will serve the same king, who will come from Israel, specifically Judah. God will draw men and women from every tribe, tongue, nation, and people into his kingdom. 2. OFFSPRING AND LAND With that in mind, God always planned to redeem a remnant from the whole world, and we can now trace that theme throughout the Scripture. Notably, the first time the gospel is preached, we read nothing about divisions between people apart from one-- Genesis 3:15 [15] I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” There are two lines of descent. One offspring is the woman's seed, and the other is the serpent's seed. Apart from that distinction between the righteous and the unrighteous, there is no indication that God will work differently with different kinds of people. Of course, after the flood, God works with one specific family. However, the flood story is like a re-creation story. God brings the dry land out from the waters and plants a new humanity in a garden. We see both kinds of seed at work even then. Ham humiliates his father, Noah, by drawing attention to his drunkenness and nakedness. Noah curses Ham’s seed, his son Canaan. But Noah blesses the seed of Shem. There is still only one distinction between people—righteous and unrighteous. In Genesis 12, we begin to see God working with one man in a unique way. God calls Abram out of his idolatry to bless him. Genesis 12:1-3 [1] Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. [2] And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. [3] I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” God is calling out one man from every other living person. Unlike in the time of Noah, God will not destroy everyone else. Instead, God will use this one man to bless the rest of the world. Some time later, more is added to this covenant. Genesis 15:1-6 [1] After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” [2] But Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” [3] And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” [4] And behold, the word of the LORD came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” [5] And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” [6] And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness. God will give Abram an untold number of offspring. It will be a supernatural act. Abram will not contribute anything. Then, the promise continues. I’ll pull out the most relevant verses from Genesis 15 & 17. Genesis 15:7 [7] And he said to him, “I am the LORD who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.” Genesis 15:13-14 [13] Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. [14] But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. Genesis 15:18-21 [18] On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, [19] the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, [20] the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, [21] the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.” Genesis 17:4-8 [4] “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. [5] No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. [6] I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. [7] And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. [8] And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.” The promise of land is an important one. It doesn’t just appear once, though that would be sufficient. God repeats that promise several times. But note—God does not promise one nation to Abraham. He promises “a multitude of nations” (17:5b). The promise of a special piece of property to Abraham’s family was, therefore, typological. The borders of the land were meant to increase, as it was with Adam in the garden. He was to subdue the whole world and fill the earth with worshipers. Now, Israel is given that same commission. Later revelation makes it clear that Abraham was very much aware of the typological nature of the land which pointed to something greater. We read-- Romans 4:13 [13] For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. Hebrews 11:8-10 [8] By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. [9] By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. [10] For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. What was this offspring supposed to be and do? God tells them as he gives them the law at Mt. Sinai. Exodus 19:5-6 [5] Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; [6] and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” Priests within Israel spoke to God on behalf of the people and to the people on behalf of God. But even as a nation, Israel was commissioned to speak the words of God to the entire world. However, Israel was rabidly disobedient to that call. God had promised that ongoing disobedience and idolatry would lead to exile, which meant the destruction of the land. Yet, out of that destruction, God promised to rebuild Israel from the ground up. Isaiah 6:11-13 [11] Then I said, “How long, O Lord?” And he said: “Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste, [12] and the LORD removes people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. [13] And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled.” The holy seed is its stump. God would rebuild and reconstitute Israel from the smallest conceivable number of people: one. Just a seed. Just a stump. Just one Son. 3. THE SON OF GOD The nation of Israel was meant to be understood as a “firstborn” in relation to other nations. We read-- Exodus 4:22-23 [22] Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son, [23] and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’” Hosea 11:1 [1] When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. Isaiah 43:6-7 [6] I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, [7] everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” God promised many nations to Abraham. Israel was the first—the firstborn of many nations, the down payment on the promise. Israel would have special privileges and promises, but they would be the first of many nations to come from the seed of Abraham. That special place would be referred to as Israel being a “son.” But that theme of “sonship” would not remain only on Israel. It would be used in more and more expansive ways. While the concept of Adam being a son of God is there in the creation account, we read plainly in Luke’s gospel that he was. Luke 3:38 [38] the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. Adam’s job as a son of God was to keep and care for the garden as well as rule and subdue the land beyond the garden. When king David seeks to build a temple for God, God instead determines to build a house for David. The house of David will be his descendant who will be the kings of Israel. 2 Samuel 7:12-14a [12] When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. [13] He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. [14] I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. Adam was a son of God, and he was meant to rule over creation. Israel was a son of God, and he was meant to rule over creation. And as Adam was to extend the borders of the garden to fill the earth, so Israel was to extend the borders of the nation to fill the earth. Isaiah spoke of the intention behind Israel being made into a nation. Isaiah 26:15 [15] But you have increased the nation, O LORD, you have increased the nation; you are glorified; you have enlarged all the borders of the land. Isaiah 27:6 [6] In days to come Jacob shall take root, Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots and fill the whole world with fruit. The expansion of Israel was understood by Israel to be a central component of their worldview. Why would Israel keep growing? Because God was going to establish his reign over all the nations under one king, as was his intention from the beginning. Genesis 1:28 [28] And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 26:3-5, God promises Jacob land beyond the borders of Israel [3] Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. [4] I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, [5] because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” Genesis 28:14, God blesses Jacob [14] Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Isaiah’s expectation of Israel increasing is rooted plainly in the patriarch’s ancient understanding that they were supposed to spread out and extend to the end of the earth. They were a “corporate Adam,” or a son of God. Suddenly, Romans 4:13 (Abraham will inherit the whole world) is as plain as day. Yes, Israel is tied to the land. But the purpose of the land was to be a “home base” of sorts in order to begin the worldwide expansion and redemption project. The borders of Israel would only ever be fixed once they covered the earth. That means that modern-day Israel is not a direct fulfillment of any biblical expectation concerning Israel. Modern-day Israel is a parliamentary democracy, not a theocracy. There’s no concern over keeping the ten commandments, no sacrificial system, and no priesthood. No individual knows which tribe they are. Foreigners who immigrate into Israel aren’t circumcised. Modern-day Israel is a Western nation. I struggle to see how modern-day Israel, once the facts are laid bare, is in any sense a continuation of biblical Israel. That doesn’t mean that we don’t support Israel when they’re surrounded by enemies; but neither does it mean we should be Zionists who want to be buried facing Jerusalem. Sonship, which was initially Adam’s, was then applied to Israel, then King David, and finally Christ, the true King of Israel. Matthew 3:16-17 [16] And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; [17] and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Jesus Christ is the true son of God who would accomplish what Adam, Israel, and David did not. He will fill the earth with the knowledge of God and take dominion and authority. 4. THE CHURCH AND ISRAEL The question now turns to how exactly the one people of God incorporates both ethnic Israelites and Gentiles. Interestingly, listen to how Paul takes passages from the law and the prophets and identifies the church as the heir of that promise. 2 Corinthians 6:16-18; 7:1 [16] What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. [17] Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, [18] and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” [1] Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. Paul quotes from Leviticus 26, Isaiah 52, 2 Samuel 7 (Davidic covenant!). Paul pulls from the covenant documents of Israel (Leviticus), the prophetic documents of Israel (Isaiah), and the royal documents of Israel, which established the monarchy (2 Samuel). Paul is not making loose, haphazard, over-spiritualized, figurative connections but rather tying several different threads together and affirming that the new covenant church has the same promises as old covenant Israel but under the covenant headship of Christ. Let’s consider a few different passages that show the church and Israel are one entity, and then let’s tie all these threads together. 1 Peter 2:9-10 [9] But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. [10] Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Similarly to what Paul did 2 Corinthians, Peter pulls together different passages from different parts of the Old Testament and applies them to the church. In verse 9, he alludes to-- Exodus 19:5-6 [5] Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; [6] and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” Deuteronomy 7:6 [6] “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. Deuteronomy 7:6 [6] “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. And in verse 10, he alludes to-- Hosea 1:9-10 [9] And the LORD said, “Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.” [10] Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.” Hosea 2:23 [23] and I will sow her for myself in the land. And I will have mercy on No Mercy, and I will say to Not My People, ‘You are my people’; and he shall say, ‘You are my God.’” So far, these passages show that the apostles considered the new covenant people to be heirs to the old covenant promises. These linguistic connections are important, but Paul also makes the case more conceptually. Paul takes time to explain the relationship between Israel and the church in something more like an essay. Between Romans 9 and 11, Paul retells the long history of Israel’s disobedience. Since Israel rejected their Messiah, and many still do to this day, Paul reassures us that God’s plan has not failed. It’s all part of the plan. In fact, Israel's hard-heartedness serves a purpose. Romans 9:6-13 [6] But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, [7] and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” [8] This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. [9] For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” [10] And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, [11] though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls—[12] she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” [13] As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” Paul has all sorts of sorrow and pain over the reality that most of his fellow Israelites have not had faith in Christ. But God’s word never returns without having done its job. The problem was not with the word of God; the problem was that many Jews felt entitled to God’s faithfulness based on their ancestry, the very thing that many Christians insist upon in order to support Zionist views of the contemporary state of Israel. There are certainly promises to the nation of Israel, but those promises are based not on physical ancestry but spiritual ancestry. Earlier, Paul wrote: Romans 2:28-29 [28] For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. [29] But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God. And elsewhere: Galatians 3:7-9 [7] Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. [8] And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” [9] So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. Not only could you be a physical descendant of Abraham, but you could also have the sign of the covenant, and still not be a spiritual descendant of Abraham. In Romans 9:7, Paul quotes Genesis 21:11. “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” Remember the context of this promise. Ishmael is now a teenager, and Isaac is still around the age of a toddler. Ishmael is making fun of Isaac, so Sarah wants Abraham to kick out Hagar and Ishmael. God tells Abraham, Genesis 21:12-13 [12] But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. [13] And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.” God is comforting Abraham, reminding him that the covenant promises have always been directed toward Isaac, not Ishmael. In Genesis 15, Abraham tried to convince God to use his servant Eleazar to be his heir, but God reminded Abraham that Isaac would be born from his own body. In Genesis 16, Sarah convinces Abraham to have a son with her servant, Hagar. But again, God makes plain that physical descent means nothing. The covenant will be propagated by supernatural means; a barren woman will be blessed with a son. But wasn’t Ishmael still Abraham’s seed? In a sense, yes. But Ishmael had nothing to do with the promise that God had made to Abraham. The only seed that God is truly concerned with is the seed of promise. Therefore, God can say that Isaac is the source of Abraham’s futrue offspring. It is God’s word, not physical ancestry, that determines who belongs to Israel. Faith in Christ determines the true Israel. And so, people from anywhere on earth can belong to Israel, as long as they have faith in Christ. So, no, God has not forgotten his promises to Israel. But we must never forget that not all who descend from Israel are Israel. From the very beginning, there was confusion about who Abraham’s descendants really were. God’s word was clear, but it took a new birth to enter into Abraham’s spiritual family. This is exactly what Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3. John 3:3-4 [3] Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” [4] Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” John 3:9-10 [9] Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” [10] Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? Clearly, Jesus expected the Pharisees, who were supposed to know the Bible frontward and backward, to understand that physical descent did not save. It took a second birth, a spiritual descent, to enter into Abraham’s family. Paul then uses the example of Jacob and Esau to make the same point. The relationship of Isaac and Ishmael was not an isolated situation. God did not take either Jacob’s or Esau’s life into consideration when he chose Jacob over Esau. Choosing the younger sibling, who should inherit nothing compared to the oldest male, made that point even clearer. But what makes Jacob and Esau an even greater example of there being a true Israel is that both sons shared the same father and mother, unlike Isaac and Ishmael. They were even twins! God chose one over the other. Physical descent did not make a difference in God’s people. Both Ishmael and Esau were physical descendants of Abraham, yet they did not share in the covenant. CONCLUSION There is the nation of Israel. Within that body politic, there is a remnant of believing, faithful Israelites who have faith in God and have had their faith counted as righteousness. Physical descent means nothing in terms of salvation. As John the Baptist said to the Pharisees, “[9] And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham” (Matthew 3:9). If Romans 9 teaches that we must have a right understanding of the nation of Israel in order to understand God’s work of salvation among the Jews, then we see the continuity between the old and new covenants. Salvation has always been by grace through faith, never a matter of works or ancestry. Israel cannot depend upon who their grandpa is for their entitlement to God’s grace. There is an Israel of physical descent, and there is an Israel of spiritual descent. God’s promises, just like to Abraham, are to the spiritual descent, not the physical. If you read Romans 1-3, you will see that both Jew and Gentile are under God’s wrath apart from his grace. The only way into God’s grace is through his sovereign election and faith in the promises. Therefore, don’t be surprised by the fact that many of the physical descent of Abraham rejected Jesus Christ. “Why have so many of God’s chosen people rejected him?” is the wrong question. Paul is interested in a different question and is introducing a different paradigm—how exactly would God bring about the salvation of eschatological Israel by hardening the hearts of many of national Israel? Now we start to get a more plain statement on who Israel really is. Paul writes, Romans 11:1-24 [1] I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. [2] God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? [3] “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” [4] But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” [5] So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. [6] But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. [7] What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, [8] as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.” [9] And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; [10] let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever.” [11] So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. [12] Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean! [13] Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry [14] in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. [15] For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? [16] If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. [17] But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, [18] do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. [19] Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” [20] That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. [21] For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. [22] Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. [23] And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. [24] For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree. Through the plot of the Jews to kill Jesus, the prophecies of the nations coming to Israel are being fulfilled. The inclusion of the Gentiles serves to make the Jewish remnant jealous, which will, in turn, bring them to salvation. In terms of the relationship between old covenant Israel and new covenant Israel, we are most interested in verses 17-24. Israel is likened to branches growing out of a vine. Gentiles are likened to wild olive shoots. Israel is a natural growth, while Gentiles are grafted in by a gardener. Why were the Jews exiled out of their land, the land left fallow and deserted, and the son of David killed? This was all done in order to bring about the full inclusion of the Gentiles. It is little wonder that Paul tells the Gentiles not to boast or be wise in their own sight. No one has done anything to bring about their own salvation. Paul continues, Romans 11:25-27 [25] Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. [26] And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; [27] “and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” Paul’s argument up to this point is that we should not think that the fact of national Israel’s disobedience proves God’s plan to be flawed. In fact, he writes, the remnant of believing Israel will actually be saved. Paul wrote in Romans 11:1 that he was an example of the remnant of believing Israel 2000 years ago. We do not need to wait for a massive influx of Jews into the church only at the time preceding the second coming (though I will happily affirm that); it is happening even now, from Paul’s day into our own. But they are being saved under a new covenant (11:27; cf. Isaiah 59:20-21), which is by grace through faith in the Son of God. So yes, God’s promises to Israel are valid—because they were fulfilled in Christ. To say that when the New Testament authors speak of “Israel” they only mean ethnic Israel is to say too much. You have to read at the conceptual level, as well. We have to understand the progression of their argument and read the Scriptures as revealing God’s plan of redemption. We should avoid two extremes. It is not right to say that the church has replaced Israel. But neither is it right to say that the church and Israel are two different bodies with two different destinies. Gentiles have been grafted into the faithful remnant of Israel. Therefore, Galatians 3:28-29 [28] There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. [29] And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. There are plenty of other times outside of Romans that Paul applies categories of spiritual Israel to Gentiles. Some of them have been mentioned already, such as Galatians 3:7 and Romans 2:28-29. He writes, Philippians 3:3 [3] For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh[.] And Paul’s benediction in Galatians reads, Galatians 6:15-16 [15] For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. [16] And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. In Ephesians, we read of two peoples, the believing remnant, chosen from both ethnic Israel, and the Gentiles being made into one new, eschatological people—the church. Ephesians 2:13-22 [13] But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. [14] For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility [15] by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, [16] and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. [17] And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. [18] For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. [19] So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, [20] built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, [21] in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. [22] In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. All of the irrevocable promises of God to Israel are fulfilled in the true Israelite, Jesus Christ, and by extension, the true Israel, his body, the church. In sum, God’s plan has always been to unite all people under one king. The land promises were never meant to isolate Israel forever but were meant to one day fill the whole world with the knowledge of God. The typology of sonship begins with Adam, then is passed on to Israel, then to David, then to David’s greater son, the eternal Son of God, who fulfills all the Davidic promises. And finally, the remnant of believing Israel includes believing Gentiles. Therefore, we must say that two extremes are wrongheaded, though certainly well-intentioned: 1) the church isn’t Israel, and Israel isn’t the church; and 2) the church has replaced Israel. The New Testament works with a different paradigm. Gentiles are grafted into Israel as a wild olive shoot is grafted into an existing branch. There has been, is, and always will be one people of God who inherit the very great and precious promises of God. Eschatological Israel is those who have been chosen by God, saved by grace through faith, and will see God face-to-face in the new Jerusalem.
0 Comments
Have you struggled to put the story of the Bible together?
What if I told you that the Bible gives you the major plot points so you can understand it more easily? How great would that be? The good news is that Jesus is the central figure in the entire Bible. If we want to better understand the Bible as we read it in 2025, we need to look no further than Jesus. Jesus is made known to us as the fulfillment of the promises of God. As Paul writes, 2 Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. If the promises of God, or the covenants he made with man, progressively lead us to Jesus, they must be the Bible's major plot points. So, let's see how the covenants teach about Jesus. First, the Covenant of Works Because Adam was a creature, he owed complete and unquestioned obedience to God. But God did not make man to be just another animal. God made man in his image to rule over the earth. So, God made a covenant with Adam in order to bless him, which is why God told Adam to work and keep the garden and not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. For obedience to the commands of God, he would bless Adam. But God also threatened death if Adam broke the covenant, which he did. And so, Adam would die as the penalty for his sin, as would all those represented by him. God, though, promised that the seed of the woman would redeem mankind from Adam's sin. God said, Genesis 3:15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel. Where the first Adam failed, the last Adam was faithful. This is how Paul speaks of the ministry of Jesus. Romans 5:15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 1 Corinthians 15:45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. Jesus brought to fulfillment the covenant of works. Christ has undone what Adam did. Because Jesus was not conceived in a normal way, he did not inherit Adam's sin like all of us. How does the covenant of works show us who Jesus is? He is the promised seed of the woman, the last Adam, and the spirit who gives life. Right there, in the beginning, we have the gospel promise. Next time, we'll look at how the covenant with Noah expands upon this and continues to show us who Jesus is. John 1 tells the Christmas story, but it starts before the beginning. Jesus came as the light of the world, the very presence of God in the flesh.
Verse 14 brings us to the heart of the Christmas message: John 1:14 [14] And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. The eternal Word, who was with God and was God, took on human nature without ceasing to be divine. This is the mystery of the incarnation. John presents Jesus as the true tabernacle of God—the place where God chooses to live among his people in a special, intimate way. “Dwelt” is the same word that describes what God did in the tabernacle, or the tent, that Moses built in the wilderness. “Dwelt” is just the verb of the noun “tabernacle.” That’s great, but why does it matter? God gave Moses a blueprint and a list of materials with which the people of Israel would construct the tabernacle. Five chapters of the book of Exodus are about the demanding detail of the place where God would dwell among his people. Why was a special place ever necessary? Because that place would be made holy in the midst of a very unholy world. God decided, in mercy and without any compulsion, to sanctify one single place so that his people would have access to him, mediated by a priesthood that offered and received sacrifices. Those sacrifices did not themselves forgive sin or make sinful people holy, but they did show the people what God’s holiness demanded—the death of the sinner or a perfect substitute. The people continued to rebel against God. They turned to worship idols and the false gods of the nations around them. They thought the sacrifices were like lucky charms. Then, one day, the presence of God left. He chose to no longer entertain the false worship of the people. The prophet Ezekiel describes it as a vision at the beginning of his book. But Ezekiel also describes a new temple at the end of his book. This temple won’t go away. This temple will have life-giving waters flowing out of it. On the river bank, there will be a tree nourished by the waters of life, whose leaves heal those who find it. In his final vision in Revelation 22, John sees that tree in the new creation. But he doesn’t see a temple. The river flows from the temple, so where is it? He doesn’t see a brick and stone building, but he does see the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb, who he says is the temple. The tabernacle and the temple that followed were a way of preparing the people for the true temple, the real place where the fullness of God would dwell forever—the God-man Christ Jesus. John testifies that in Christ, we see the glory of God—a glory "full of grace and truth." This glory is the same glory as the blinding radiance that fell upon Mount Sinai—the glory of God's love and faithfulness displayed in the humility of the incarnate Son. In Christ, grace and truth, God’s steadfast love and faithfulness, are perfectly united. He reveals the truth of God's holiness and justice while extending the grace of forgiveness and reconciliation by grace through faith. As we behold the glory of the incarnate Word, we are called to respond in faith and repentance. Are we marveling at the grace and truth of Christ? Are we living as children of God, reflecting His light and glory in our lives? John 1:9-14 confronts us with the wonder and weight of the incarnation. The true light has come into the world, revealing God's glory and offering the gift of adoption as children of God. Yet, this light also exposes the darkness of sin and the tragedy of rejection. This passage calls us to marvel at the sovereignty of God in salvation, to rest in the sufficiency of His grace, and to live as witnesses to the light of Christ. May we stand in awe of the Word made flesh, who came to dwell among us, full of grace and truth, of steadfast love and faithfulness. As we continue to look at part of the first chapter of John and relate it to the birth of Christ, let's remember that John is describing Jesus as "light." Verses 9-11 tell us that “light” is a sign of God’s presence with us and purpose for us.
Just as marvelously, that same light, Jesus Christ, turns God's enemies into his children. John writes, [12] But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, [13] who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. In Christ, the darkness of ignorance and sin is exposed, and the way to peace with God is made known. We affirm that Christ’s light shines on all people in a general sense, revealing God's existence, righteousness, and the need for redemption. Yet, it is only through the sovereign work of the Spirit that this light is embraced savingly. As we celebrate Christmas, we must ask ourselves whether we are walking in the light of Christ. Have we allowed His truth to expose our sins and guide our steps? Are we living according to the law as a rule of life? Are we proclaiming this light to a world still shrouded in darkness? The rejection of Christ by the world is not merely an unfortunate misunderstanding but a willful act of rebellion. Romans 1 reminds us that humanity, despite knowing God through His creation, refuses to honor Him. Romans 1:18-23 [18] For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. [19] For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. [20] For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. [21] For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. [22] Claiming to be wise, they became fools, [23] and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. The rejection of Christ is the ultimate expression of this rebellion and pride. This rejection underscores all the darkness of the human heart. Humanity, apart from the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, is incapable of recognizing and receiving Christ. The blindness of the world is not just of the mind but is moral and spiritual. Yet, even in this rejection, we see the sovereign purposes of God unfolding. Christ's rejection by His own people becomes the means by which salvation is extended to you. The very darkness that rejects the light has become the means by which God's redemptive glory shines most brightly. As we consider the rejection of Christ, we are reminded of the depth of our own sin and the wonder of God’s grace. Let this be a time of humble repentance and gratitude for the mercy that has brought us into the light. In the darkness of rejection, there is a glorious promise: those who receive Christ by faith are given the right to become children of God. This is not a status earned by human effort or merit but a gift of grace rooted in the sovereign will of God. Verse 13 emphasizes that this new birth is "not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." Salvation is entirely the work of God’s sovereign grace and good pleasure, ensuring that he receives all the glory. May we never lose our affection for what God has done for us. It is so easy to treat the incarnation of the eternal God as something ordinary or something he should have done anyway. This happens when we forget that, at one time, we did not love him. We walked in darkness. And only because he sent the light into the world do we see the truth at all. It was God’s will to save us, and that is the only reason it happened. No one is born physically into God’s kingdom—“not of blood.” And neither does anyone choose to do so on their own—“nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man.” The only reason any of us have ever come to know God, to see the light, is because of the will of God, in his demerited, matchless love and mercy—“but of God.” One of my favorite Sherlock Holmes stories is A Study in Scarlett. It’s the first Sherlock Holmes story that was published. Holmes is called in to consult on a case, and all I’ll say is that kidnapping Mormons, the German language, and aneurisms are all key to solving the case. You don’t see it coming. As Sherlock is explaining what happened, he says, “In solving a problem of this sort, the grand thing is to be able to reason backward.” He means that the end explains the beginning.
The same is true of John’s gospel. At the end of the book, John gives us the purpose for which he set out to write his gospel. John 20:30-31 [30] Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; [31] but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. Knowing that John wrote his gospel with the express purpose that we would believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God fills the entire gospel—including his birth— with richer, fuller meaning. His gospel famously begins with an extensive reflection on who Jesus was in eternity past. Everything that John wrote, even the glorious, mysterious account of the pre-incarnate Christ, is so that we would know him as he is for the salvation of our souls. The Christmas season is a time of special celebration for the Church of Jesus Christ. It is a time when we remember and proclaim the miracle of the incarnation, that God the Son took on human flesh and dwelt among us. As we worship God by turning our attention to John 1:9-14, we come face to face with the profound mystery of the Word made flesh. Since this passage speaks indirectly to the birth of Christ and all his glory, it does not offer us the familiar shepherds, angels, or a manger. John does, however, lift the curtain to reveal the cosmic and eternal significance of the incarnation. It calls us to see Christ's glory, recognize His work of redemption, and respond to him in faith. We need to know who Christ was before he took on a human nature in addition to his divine nature in order to understand the meaning and purpose of his life, death, and resurrection. “Light” is a sign of God’s presence with us and purpose for us. John 1:9-11 [9] The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. [10] He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. [11] He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. John begins this passage by identifying Jesus Christ as the "true light." Throughout the Bible, you’ll read about light being a sign of God’s truth, holiness, and special presence. For example, God required lampstands in the tabernacle, along with several other items, to be a sign of his presence inside the tent where Israel offered her sacrifices. “Light” is a sign of God’s presence with us and purpose for us. King David asks in the Psalms, Psalm 27:1 Of David. [1] The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? The prophet Isaiah wrote, Isaiah 9:2 [2] The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. The apostle Paul writes about how God shines light in our hearts so we can see him. 2 Corinthians 4:6 [6] For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. The biblical authors often use light to illustrate the fact that God is light, and in him, there is no darkness. What does it mean, though? Without the utterly basic existence of God as the foundation on which we know everything else, we will never arrive at the truth. It is a fool’s errand to think we can blend Christian and secular worldviews and pretend that we can build a society without any regard for the created order. We will never build a society that is peaceful and productive and honors God if we tell those who reject him, “You do you.” Give your ten-year-old a car and tell them, “I wouldn’t dare tell you how to use your own car; the one who manufactured your car has no right to tell you how to drive it.” That’s exactly what it’s like, multiplied by infinity, to reject the light of God. Why do we argue for the sanctity of life from womb to tomb? Why do we vote for those who will write laws that are most in line with biblical reality? Why do we seek personal holiness in our homes? Because God is our light, our foundation, our purpose. We cannot build a life built on darkness. But that’s exactly what John said has happened. “He came to his own, but his own people did not receive him.” “His own” is his creation, from the smallest molecule to the biggest star. He exists completely outside of it. He is not dependent on it in any way. He needs nothing. He is not served by human hands. Creation offers him nothing but worship. If the universe never existed, God would be the same. If he made 100,000 worlds like ours, God would be the same. He is totally outside of reality. Yet he does not abandon his creation at any moment. The word of his power upholds every second. Should he stop his provision, this world would unravel. “His own” is also a stark reminder to whom all creation belongs. Mankind resists the will of our creator the way that a 10-year-old drives a car with no instructions or guardrails. What pride we have to think that we determine the meaning of life and how we live. We do not do with nature or our bodies or our families or our nations whatever we think is best. Light has shone in the darkness, and yet mankind continues to resist the light every chance we get. An even greater offense is that “his own people did not receive him.” “His own people” was the nation of Israel, the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God gave them the patriarchs, the law, the covenants, the glory, and the promises. It would be Abraham’s offspring that gave the world the Messiah, Jesus Christ. And yet they did not receive that Messiah, that Savior. Their leaders manufactured a lie and had the Roman government do the dirty work of killing Jesus for them. From the opening words of Genesis, where God declares, "Let there be light," to David’s confession that God is his "light and salvation" (Psalm 27:1), light represents the revelation of God's character and purposes. In calling Christ the "true light," John emphasizes His authority as the eternal God and sufficiency as the Savior. He is not a lesser reflection or a temporary guide or a moral example but the ultimate and eternal light. All other lights—whether the Law, the prophets, or natural wisdom—point to Him as their source and fulfillment. As the true light, Christ "gives light to everyone," meaning He reveals the truth of God universally. This does not imply universal salvation, but it does highlight the universal scope of Christ's revelation. No one is without excuse. To resist even just the simple existence of God is to build your house on the sand. But to believe that God exists and not to turn to him and worship him as the creator God is the pinnacle of human pride. When we focus entirely on the manger, the wise men, and all the other characters and scenes, we are tempted to isolate the Christmas story from the full history of redemption. We miss that the incarnation of Jesus Christ is about how mankind has rejected the reign of God at every turn and set up our own empires, which will all be torn down and replaced with the kingdom of God. We wonder why people just get sentimental at Christmas and move on so quickly—well, this is why. Do we keep the incarnation, the true light, which gives light to everyone, front and center? "He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him." These verses confront us with the tragedy of human sin. The Creator entered His creation, yet the world did not recognize Him. Even more treasonous, He came to "His own"—the covenant people of Israel—but they rejected Him. As we get closer to Christmas, remember that God is with us in the light of Jesus Christ. Even amidst the tragedy of sin, the light of God is present among his people. And that light turns even the most grievous of his enemies into his children. |
Archives
March 2024
Categories |
RSS Feed