As a result God destroyed them as a nation, sending them into exile, before bringing some of them back to the land and seemingly starting over. Israel was a demonstration that no matter what God does for people, we will rebel against him. While it might be tempting to see Israel as a failure, I do not believe that was the case.
God knew their disobedience to the covenant and his purpose for them upfront. And through it all he worked to produce at least two important things out of Israel. Most important was Jesus, who while fully divine, was also fully human. He was Jewish, and living under the covenant law of Israel.
And he not only lived under it. He fulfilled it. The law and the prophets spoke of him Acts , and he came to fulfill them Luke Even though Israel as a nation would seem to have failed, God used them to bring Jesus into the world.
Israel also produced what Christians today call the Old Testament. It is a history with a few bright spots, but mostly it is a story of human failure. And, contrasted with the failure of humanity, we see God clearly portrayed as purposeful, patient, and just.
Our understanding of who God is would be poorer if not for the messy history of Israel. Or have they been set aside? There is much heated debate over this issue. Clearly Israel still exists as a nation, and it would seem that God has been preserving some remnant of them over the past 2, years. The vast majority of the times the New Testament uses the name Israel is in regard to the physical descendants of Jacob.
But I believe there is more to Israel than that today. Looking at Ephesians it is clear that Paul sees something more than just the status quo for Israel.
Paul refers here to a new humanity that Christ has created via his death on the cross. Created out of both Jew and Gentile. Not containing both Jews and Gentiles. But one where that distinction does not exist. Most commonly we call that new humanity the Church. Based on the Bible itself, the ancient peoples of the Levant were generally named for their progenitors.
For example, the smaller southern kingdom of Judah is named for Judah, the son of Jacob. But the biblical explanation for the name of Israel is more complicated. One night, Jacob was attacked by a celestial being. Thus Jacob was renamed Israel after he battled with God and won - but what does the name literally mean? The verb ' isra '? Theophoric names, consisting of the name of a deity and a verb, were common in the ancient Near East.
Examples still in use today include Jeremiah, "God exalts ," Daniel and Jehoshaphat — both meaning "God judges", any number of names based on the Greek and Roman gods, and so on. And while "Israel" is evidently a theophoric name, the Biblical account of the name's origin is hard to accept.
For one thing, its description of how the name was conferred isn't how theophoric names worked. According to the etymology based on the Biblical story, " isra " is a verb that describes Jacob's relationship with the deity El.
But the verb in theophoric names in the ancient Near East, and in ancient Israel in particular, should describe an attribute of the deity, not of the person. So, based on that rule, the verb isra probably described the god El in some way who, 3, years ago, was not considered a sole god, but the head of the Canaanite pantheon. By that interpretation, "Israel" means "God shall fight".
Perhaps because they wanted to be known as a people whose God — remember, then, he was thought to be one of many deities - would indeed fight for them. Supporting that argument, the Bible indicates that the ancient Israelites believed that God was fighting their battles with them, especially when they took the Ark of the Covenant with them into battle.
They were humiliated by military defeats and economic hardships. Ever faithful, God moved his people to acknowledge him by means of these hardships and provided leaders so that the people had freedom and prosperity again. Throughout the turbulent times of the judges, from Othniel to Samuel, God continued to work out his messianic purposes. God's faithfulness in regard to his messianic purposes and goals was dramatically revealed in the time of David and Solomon.
David, a descendant of Judah, of the seedline of Abraham and Shem, was anointed and enthroned. David, the poet and prophet, in spite of his sins, was a man after God's heart. He conquered and reigned over the entire territory God had promised to Abraham 2 Sam His reign is described as just and right 2 Sam The covenant was confirmed and expanded with specifics concerning covenant seed and an eternal dynasty 2 Sam His son Solomon carried out the plans David made for the temple and worship.
Solomon exhibited wisdom 1 Kings and the splendor of the theocratic monarchy was unsurpassed 1 Kings Psalm 72 expresses the glory of the messianic kingdom, as initially realized under David and Solomon and to be fully and finally realized under Jesus Christ. The prophetic office served Yahweh's purposes. Moses had been a prophet par excellence; Samuel fulfilled a key role in anointing David 1 Sam and Nathan pronounced one of the most significant prophecies when he addressed David, assuring him that a descendant would reign, that David's throne and kingdom would last forever.
In this prophecy no reference is made to the nation of Israel itself but rather to the central person, David, and to his seed. Israel would provide the context but the central thrust was on the house of David, his throne, and the kingdom God was to bring to ever fuller manifestation.
The high points, as exhibited in the covenant with David, his victories, his just and righteous reign, the wisdom of Solomon and grandeur of his throne and kingdom, were not maintained. God's purposes did not diminish; the privileges given to the royal house of David were initially expanded. But Solomon in his later years and the majority of the Davidic dynasty did not remain faithful covenant and kingdom believers and obedient servants.
A major part of the theocratic nation seceded and took the name"Israel. The low point came after Israel was deported into exile in b. A small remnant from Judah fled to Egypt Jer ; The prophets continued to speak God's words of both warning and promise. Judah particularly was repeatedly reminded that God's kingdom and covenant would continue; the promise of the messianic mediator was repeated before Isaiah and Micah and during Ezekiel and Daniel the exile.
The descendants of Jacob, the Israelite covenant community, whether in homeland or in exile, would continue so that God's covenant promises concerning the conquering seed, as represented by the Davidic dynasty, and concerning his all-encompassing kingdom would in time be realized. Thus the nation of Israel was not the central focus; God's purposes to be realized through Israel were.
Israel, as a people, would bring in the Messiah. After the exile, the descendants of Jacob, often referred to as Jews rather than Israelites, formed a social and religious community. The efforts to be a worshiping, called-out people were diminished by legalistic scribal and priestly activities and by various fanatic attempts that failed to transform the people living in Palestine into a nation again.
Thus, while Israel as a nation no longer functioned, it did as a social and religious community. In that setting the ultimate purpose for Israel's call and existence was fully realized in Jesus, even as God had purposed. Forty years, the same period of time Israel wandered in the desert, after Jesus ascended to reign over the kingdom, the Israelite community, temple, and sacrificial system were removed. The promise God made to Adam and Eve, repeated to Abraham, Judah, and David concerning the conquering, reigning Seed of the woman was fully kept.
Israel, in spite of its repeated Acts of unbelief, disobedience, and rebellion, fulfilled the purposes for which God had called and prepared it. Contemporary Issues Regarding Israel. The relationship of Israel to the Scriptures is definite.
Both the Old and New Testaments were written by people who were known to be of Israelite nativity. The fact remains, the entire Bible was given by God through the believing, obeying, and serving covenant community. Moses and the historical, poetic, wisdom, and prophetic writers were covenant servants; equally so were the New Testament evangelists, historical epistolary, and apocalyptic writers.
Serious differences of views pertain, however, concerning the nature of the entire Bible. Is it a record of Israel's origins, existence, and development as a nation? In other words, is the Bible a strictly human book or is it a divinely inspired book that has the message of divine creation, humanity's fall, God's redemptive and restorative program, and his enduring kingdom to and initially carried out largely by Israel? The biblical account is clear and definite: Israel was God's instrument by which the Bible was given to the entire world.
The biblical record concerning Israel's origin is clear. Scholars, working in the areas of Near Eastern archaeology and historical criticism have offered variant views. That Israel as a body of approximately two million people lived and served as slaves in Egypt is not accepted by many such scholars. That there is some evidence that a group of Semitic people lived and were enslaved in Egypt is generally accepted. But the manner and time of the dramatic exodus event are not accepted as historically or archaeologically verifiable.
Likewise, the Sinai experience, the forty-year wandering in the wilderness, and the military conquest of Canaan have been seriously doubted. Alternate views are projected, such as a small group that escaped from slavery in Egypt, joining other groups, gradually infiltrated Canaan and took on many of its ways of life. The development of Israel as a nation has been seen as a gradual formation of a league of tribes of various origins. The evidence presented by archaeologists and historical critics has not bee accepted by many scholars, particularly evangelical, conservative scholars.
These scholars, however, have shown that archaeological and scientific historical studies do not contradict the biblical record but illumine it. A third debated issue in relation to Israel, and closely related to the two already mentioned, is the origin and nature of Israel's religion. Reference is made particularly to Israel's beliefs, worship patterns, and practices.
The Scriptures testify to Israel's faith as revealed by God and its worship activities directed by him. With the aid of scholars who have studied Israel's social structures and psychological attitudes, students of Israel's surrounding nations and their religions have attempted to demonstrate that much of what Israel practiced religiously was adopted from those of the peoples around them. Israel did not live in isolation from its neighbors; it had various religious practices that were outwardly similar, such as portable shrines, systems of sacrifice, and religious objects such as altars.
Israel's religion was unique, however, in origin and practice. God revealed himself directly to Abraham, as he had done to Adam and Noah. He especially revealed himself as a covenant Lord to them and this covenantal relationship with all its ramifications and implications was explicated in detail by God through his appointed mediatorial agents. Israel's faith and religious life and activities had their origin in revelation, not in borrowing or in religious perceptions.
It must be added, however, that Israel was not always faithful to their sovereign covenant Lord. There was much vacillation in its loyalty to him and there is much evidence of disobedience as exhibited in Israel's following of their neighbors' detestable idolatrous practices. Much discussion is involved in the issue of Israel and the land.
That God promised Abraham and his progeny a land as their possession cannot be doubted. But did God unconditionally promise that it would be an eternal possession? Many evangelical Christians believe this is the case; they speak of the Palestinian covenant on the basis of their interpretation of Deuteronomy Other equally sincere evangelical biblical students point to five important qualifying factors.
First, Moses emphatically stated that obedience was a basic requirement to inherit the land and to remain blessed possessors Deut ; Second, the term translated "everlasting" is often translated correctly"for a long time, " "for ages. Third, God fulfilled his promises regarding the land and its extent at the time of David and Solomon 2 Sam ; 1 Chron ; 1 Kings ; Psalm Fourth, the prophetic promise of a return to the land after the exile was fulfilled when a remnant returned Ezra 2.
Fifth, the New Testament does not refer to Israel as a nation possessing the land forever; rather, it speaks of Abraham's believing covenant offspring inheriting the world Rom Another issue concerns the interpretation of prophecies concerning Israel. This issue is closely related to Israel's relationship to the land, the church, and the millennium Rev The following factors must be kept in mind. The prophets spoke of a future for Israel.
They did not, however, always refer to Israel as a political entity, an organized nation. The concept of the remnant is dominant, particularly of Israel as a believing covenant community. Furthermore, when the prophets spoke to their contemporaries they did so in terms the people at that time understood. Hence, when prophets spoke of the wonderful future of Yahweh's covenant people, they did so in simple urban, pastoral, agricultural, and natural nature terms Isa Strict literal interpretation, often controlled by certain presuppositions regarding Israel as a political, national entity, must be used very discretely if not completely avoided.
Another specific issue concerns the relationship of Israel and the New Testament church. On the basis of a too literal interpretation of Old Testament prophecies concerning Israel and maintaining the view that New Testament writers referred to a politically organized national entity rather than to the believing covenant community, a strict separation is posited between Israel as a nation and the non-Jewish New Testament covenant community of believers, the church.
It is believed that God has two distinct people in mind with a distinctly separate program for each. Many biblical scholars have difficulties with this separation. Some of the points stated in preceding paragraphs should be kept in mind.
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