Romans 2:28-29; 9:6-8; Galatians 6:12-16
Introduction:
1. The heart of the premillennial and modern Jewish position is that ethnic/national/physical Israel is still God’s chosen people/nation.
2. If true, the promise of the restoration of David’s kingdom could not have been fulfilled in Jesus’ first coming.
3. If the promise was fulfilled, however, then “Israel” must have taken on a new or more complete meaning in the NT.
4. The solution demands we grasp the overall concept of God’s kingdom as set forth in Scripture in pondering Israel’s election.
Discussion:
I. Israel: God’s Special Kingdom
A. We must first acknowledge God’s universal reign has always been.
1. The term kingdom (Heb. malku; Gr. basileia) primarily means rule, reign, or sovereignty.
2. Sometimes it refers to a kingdom as a geographical, political, or ethnic entity. (Joshua 13:12, 21, 27, 30, 31; Esther 5:6; 7:2).
3. God’s universal reign saturates Scripture (Genesis 18:25; 1 Chronicles 29:10-12; Psalms 22:27-28; Jeremiah 10:10; Daniel 4:17, 25, 32; 5:21).
B. Israel’s chosen status should be viewed against this backdrop as it speaks to the reason, scope, and duration of their election.
1. At Sinai, Israel became God’s peculiar/special kingdom within His universal kingdom (Exodus 19:5-8; Deuteronomy 7:6-12).
2. God was clear this election was not one of ethnic preference.
a. It had nothing to do with their prominence (Deuteronomy 7:7).
b. It had nothing to do with superior character (Deuteronomy 9:4-12).
3. It was based solely on God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Deuteronomy 7:8-10; 9:4-5, 27-29; cf. Genesis 12:1-3; 22:17-18; 26:4).
4. The root of that promise was to bring forth the seed of the promise given to Abraham (Genesis 12:3; 22:17-18; Galatians 3:15-25).
C. If they turned from God, they would be driven from the land as the nations before had been (Exodus 19:5-6; Deuteronomy 28:1, 15-20 1 Kings 9:1-9).
D. However, the Davidic line would stand forever (2 Samuel 7:12-16).
II. The True Jew and the Israel of God
A. The prophets are flooded with promises to restore David’s throne never again to be disrupted (Isaiah 2; 11; Amos 9:11-12; etc.).
B. This promise is the core of NT teaching on Messiah’s reign and Israel’s hope (Luke 1:30-33; 2:25-32; Acts 26:6-7; 28:20).
C. We saw last week that the prophetic promises were fulfilled in Christ (Luke 24:26-27; 44-49; Acts 3:18; 13:22-27, 32-39; 15:14-18).
D. Yet, national/political Israel was not reconstituted, leaving Jews who rejected Jesus and the premillennialists to look to the future.
E. Clearly “Israel” must have a deeper meaning than one’s bloodline.
F. By Paul, God revealed the nature of a true Jew and the real Israel.
1. In Romans 2:25-29, he pointed out that a true Jew was marked internally, not externally (cf. Deuteronomy 10:16; 30:6; Jeremiah 4:4; Colossians 2:11).
2. In Romans 9:6-8, he highlighted that citizenship in Israel was not a matter of bloodline but of faith (cf. Romans 4:12-16).
3. In Galatians 3:25-29, he defined Abraham’s offspring and the heirs of promise as those who are in Christ (cf. John 8:39-40).
4. In Galatians 6:12-16, he spoke of the Israel of God separate and apart from circumcision and Moses’ Law.
G. The election language of Exodus 19:5-6 is applied to those who come to God through Christ now (1 Peter 2:4-10; cf. Hosea 2:21-23).
III. The Everlasting Covenant
A. With the above definition of a true Jew and the real Israel, the words of the prophets harmonize.
B. Jeremiah spoke of a new covenant of a different and everlasting nature (Jeremiah 31:31-34; 32:36-44).
1. Hebrews 8:8-12 confirms the new covenant has come.
2. Hebrews 13:20 confirms this is the everlasting covenant.
C. All that remains is for Christ to deliver the restored and transformed kingdom of Israel to the Father at the end (1 Corinthians 15:20-26).
Conclusion:
1. Jesus restored the Davidic dynasty when He sat down at God’s right hand upon His ascension (Acts 2:30-33; Matthew 28:18-20; Daniel 7:13).
2. The true Israel of God was, is, and always will be those living by faith.