"Israel (Part 3)"

Victory Can Be Yours!

Article #49 – “Israel (Part 3)”

The question that we left with last week was; how are all the families of the earth to be blessed through Abraham?  “Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed.  He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as referring to many, but rather to one, ‘And to your seed,’ that is, Christ.” (Gal. 3:16)  Jesus, the one who bore the sins of the world on the cross was born of the Virgin Mary, came from the seed of Abraham through the tribe of Judah, in the line of King David.   That is how all of the families of the earth are blessed through Abraham.  “Even so Abraham BELIEVED God, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.  Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham.  The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.’” (Gal. 3:6-8) 

Why was Abraham chosen by God to father this new nation?  God desired for all the nations of the world to come to know Him and to learn about His love, grace, and mercy.  He wanted all the peoples of the world to know who He is, the one and only true and living God.  “But the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King.  At His wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure His indignation.” (Jer. 10:10)  The purpose for Israel was that God would be revealed to the rest of the world.  “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.” (Deut. 7:6)  This nation is the favored of all nations, the apple of His eye, “For thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.  For surely I will shake My hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their servants.’” (Zech. 2:8, 9a)  It is clear from Scripture that God has placed Israel far above any other nation.  He did that a few thousand years ago and it has not changed because God has not changed.

It is clear that God has set Israel apart from other nations in order to accomplish His purpose.  However, while God blessed them in every way he also disciplined them when they disobeyed and strayed from him to worship other gods.  He warned them in the book of Leviticus that if they obeyed His commandments he would bless them but, if they disobeyed His commandments there would be negative consequences, “You, however, I will scatter among the nations and will draw out a sword after you, as your land becomes desolate and your cities become waste.” (Lev. 26:33)  They disobeyed and were scattered, Jesus turned His back on the Jews.  “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it!  Behold, your house is left to you desolate; and I say to you, you will not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” (Luke 13:34, 35)

You, too, can have victory in Jesus!  More to follow on the Jews.

Lowell Parrish