Last week we looked at the controversial issue of whether the NT Church is the continuation of OT Israel. The central issue here is determining who the descendents of Abraham are.Discontinuity Theologians argue that the descendents of Abraham are his physical offspring, those who are related to Abraham by blood. Because the promises are made to Abraham’s physical children, only Jews can inherit the promises to Abraham. Therefore, the church cannot inherit the promises to Abraham.
Continuity Theologians argue that the descendents of Abraham are his spiritual offspring, those who are related to Abraham by faith. Because the promises are made to Abraham’s spiritual children, ethnicity is not the determinative factor. Therefore, the church can inherit the promises to Abraham.
Obviously, the people to whom God makes promises must be the people who receive the fulfillment of the promises. The Israel of promise must be the Israel of fulfillment. Who is Israel?
Israel/Jew as Ethnic Terms
There are times when the Bible speaks of Israel in terms of ethnicity, or physical descent from Abraham.
Roma 9:3 (NKJV) For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh,
4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises;
5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.
Paul speaks of the profound advantage that ethnic Jews had over Gentiles.
Roma 3:1 (NKJV) What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision?
2 Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God.
The Bible uses does sometimes use “Israel” and “Jew” to refer to ethnic descendents from Abraham, regardless of their faith.
This is how most of the world uses these terms today. “Israel” is usually a reference to the modern nation of Israel, which is comprised of ethnic descendents from Abraham. We call them Jews. These are ethnic designations. They have little or nothing to do with religion. An atheist Jew is still considered a Jew.
Only 15% of the modern nation of Israel are practicing Judaism. Even fewer are Orthodox Jews. Yet, we continue to call them “Jews” and “Israel.” This is fine, as long as we understand this as a strictly ethnic designation. We need to acknowledge that the Bible does sometimes speak of Israel/Jews in an ethnic sense.
Israel/Jew as Spiritual Terms
What we need to remember is that ethnic descent from Abraham has never been a qualification for inheriting the promises to Abraham.
Genesis and the OT
Last week, we looked at Genesis 12-17 and how not all of Abraham’s natural offspring will inherit the promises. For example, Ishmael and his descendents are not part of the covenant. Abraham’s six sons by Keturah are not included. The line of Esau is cut off. When God establishes circumcision in Genesis 17, he states that those who are not circumcised are cut off. So, not all of Abraham’s ethnic descendents inherit the promises.
We also saw how God expands the line of promise beyond physical descendents. Foreigners became heirs to the promises through circumcision. Converts such as Rahab and Ruth not only became Jews but married into the line of David and of Christ.
Romans 2
The NT makes it even more explicit. Paul explains that a true Jew does not depend on ethnicity, but on an internal work of the heart.
Roma 3:1 (NKJV) What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision?
2 Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God.
Paul is saying in 3:1-2 that ethnic Jews have an advantage over Gentiles because ethnic Jews were in covenant with God, they were entrusted with the law of God, etc.
Nevertheless, Paul has already made it clear that this advantage is wasted if it is not combined with faith. In 2:28-29, Paul specifically states that spiritual Jews are true Jews.
Roma 2:28 (NKJV) For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh;
29 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 9
In Romans 9:3-5, Paul laments that ethnic Israel does not believe in Jesus as Messiah.
Roma 9:1 (NKJV) I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit,
2 that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart.
3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh,
4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises;
5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.
Paul rehearses the advantages that ethnic Israelites have. Yet, Paul also teaches that not all of ethnic Israel will be saved.
Roma 9:6 (NKJV) But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel,
There is an Israel (ethnically) that is not Israel (spiritually). Whenever those who claimed to be Israel assumed that Israel was a fixed and static entity, a people self-evident to all, the prophets issued strong warnings.
The promises given to Israel were not like automatic guarantees to be received apart from faith and obedience. Because Israel was disobedient, the prophets announced that in the end, only a remnant would be saved.
Isai 10:20 (NKJV) And it shall come to pass in that day
That the remnant of Israel,
And such as have escaped of the house of Jacob,
Will never again depend on him who defeated them,
But will depend on Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
21 The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob,
To the Mighty God.
22 For though your people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea,
A remnant of them will return;
The destruction decreed shall overflow with righteousness.
The vast majority of ethnic Israel was faithless. This is why Jesus said that claiming ethnic descent from Abraham was never a sufficient basis for claiming the covenant promises.
Matt 3:9 (NKJV) “and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
Jesus is using “children of Abraham” in a spiritual sense. This was God’s desire all along, that ethnic Israel would also be believing Israel.
Galatians 3
In Galatians 3, Paul explains that Abraham’s sons are those who have faith.
Gala 3:7 (NKJV) Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.
Furthermore, Paul states that the true descendent of Abraham is Jesus Christ.
Gala 3:16 (NKJV) Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ.
Thus, what is important is not physical descent from Abraham. What is important is spiritual descent from Abraham and ultimately, Abraham’s seed, Jesus Christ.
Gala 3:29 (NKJV) And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Gentiles who have no physical relationship with Abraham can become a descendent of Abraham and heirs of the promise if they are spiritually related to Jesus Christ.
From Israel to the Nations
God’s promises to Abraham were always intended to expand beyond his ethnic descendents.
Gene 12:1 (NKJV) Now Yahweh had said to Abram:
“Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you.
2 I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
God later reiterated this promise.
Gene 22:18 (NKJV) “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
The blessing of the nations was going to come from the descendents of Abraham.
Isaiah
Isaiah prophesied of the blessing being given not just to Israel, but to the other nations as well.
Isai 19:23 (NKJV) In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will serve with the Assyrians.
24 In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria-- a blessing in the midst of the land,
25 whom Yahweh of hosts shall bless, saying, “Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.”
Egypt will be called “My people.” Assyria will be called “the work of My hands.” These are prophesies of the expansion of the blessing from Israel to all the world.
Israel was to be a light to the nations.
Isai 42:6 (NKJV) "I, Yahweh, have called You in righteousness,
And will hold Your hand;
I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people,
As a light to the Gentiles,
7 To open blind eyes,
To bring out prisoners from the prison,
Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.
God did not elect Israel to be his only people on the earth. He elected them to reach all the peoples on the earth.
Jesus
Jesus was blunt with Israel in his day.
Matt 8:11 (NKJV) “And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
12 “But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Just before his ascension, Jesus commands the gospel be taken to the world.
Matt 28:18 (NKJV) And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Through Jesus, the Son of Abraham, all nations are being blessed and the promise to Abraham is being fulfilled.
This fulfills the reason that the Father sent Jesus.
John 3:16 (NKJV) "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
This is celebrated in heaven.
Reve 5:9 (NKJV) And they sang a new song, saying:
"You are worthy to take the scroll,
And to open its seals;
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
Thus, God’s plan was never to limit the blessing of his promises to the ethnic descendents of Abraham. God’s plan was to use the ethnic descendents to bless the entire world.
Ethnic Israel largely failed at this task. It was not until God sent Jesus as the true Israel that the nations were brought to God.
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