God made a promise to Israel that He would make
a new covenant with them by which He will pour out His Spirit upon them. It is critical to understand this today, both
because many people have a renewed interest in Messianic theology, and because there is a literal nation of Israel
that we need to understand properly.
With
respect to the former issue, we hear often of people who, having seemed to come
to Christ, opt to join a Messianic fellowship because the come to accept the
obligations of the Law that are part Jewish culture. With respect to the latter issue, it seems
that many prophecies are being fulfilled in Israel today, prophecies concerning
the regathering of the Jewish people and the restoration of the land. Yet it is clear that today’s nation of Israel
is not a saved nation, given that salvation is in no other name but that of
Jesus the Messiah.
One result of this is that there is a rise,
among conservative Christians, of replacement
theology that the promises made to the nation Israel, including the New
Covenant, belong to Abraham’s spiritual descendants, the Church, instead of to
the nation Israel.
Our
study will involve going into the Old Testament to consider the promises God
made. But before we do that let us
consider the ministry of Jesus: to whom did He come to serve? Here is what we believe is the answer:
·
Jesus came to minister to Israel.
·
The Messiah’s ministry to Israel was intended by
God to reach to the nations.
The Abrahamic Covenant promised a nation,
people and land but also a blessing to the Nations (Gen. 12:1-3; 13:14-18;
22:15-19).
The Messiah was promised the nations as an
inheritance (Psa. 2:6-9), and that through His ministry to Israel the Gentiles
would also be saved (Isa. 49:1-13). Note
carefully Isa. 49:6: the Servant (Messiah) would be a light to the Gentiles in
addition to Israel, not in place of Israel. The Redeemer (Messiah) will come to Zion
(Isa. 59:20), God will make His covenant with them (Isa. 59:20), and the
Gentiles will come to Messiah’s light in Zion (Isa. 60:1-3).
In Romans Paul quotes the OT to make the point
that the Gentiles are saved by virtue of Christ’s ministry to Israel. In 10:18-21 and 11:11-24 the Gentiles receive
salvation by Israel’s rejection of Christ.
He clearly adds that Israel still has a future salvation
(11:25-32). In 15:7-13 he says Jesus Christ has become a servant to the
circumcision (Jews) … that the
Gentiles might glorify God and supports this with several OT quotes,
including Deut. 32:18 (Rom. 15:10).
Deut. 32 is the Song of Moses
that predicted the demise of Israel, the salvation of Gentiles, and the
eventual restoration of Israel.
John 1:11 says He came unto His own, meaning Israel. Jesus Himself said I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel
(Matt. 15:24). This was the plan, as
Jesus told the Samaritan woman, salvation
is of the Jews (Jn. 4:22). He was
named Jesus because He would save His people (Israel) from their sins
(Matt. 1:21). Mary understood this when
she said that God has helped His servant
Israel, in remembrance of His mercy as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and
to his seed forever (Lk. 1:54-55).
So did Zacharias when, filled with the Spirit, he said of the Incarnation,
Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He
has visited and redeemed His people (Lk. 1:68). He came to Israel; the Gentiles would benefit
from that visit to Israel.
Now the work that Christ came to do was to mediate a better covenant, the New
Covenant, as is made clear in Hebrews.
We will consider that covenant as we continue our study. For now it should be clear: the ministry of
Christ was not for the Gentiles instead of the nation Israel; rather His
ministry was to the Gentiles in addition to and through His ministry to Israel. We ought to say what Paul said we should say,
in this very context: Oh, the depth of
the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His
ways past finding out! … To whom be glory forever. Amen. (Rom. 11:33-36)
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