Compare to the Word of God

God Is Not Done With Israel

Ken

God is not done with Israel. “I say then, Hath God cast away His people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin” (Romans 11:1 KJV). When the LORD established His covenant with Abraham, He unconditionally promised, “I will make of thee a great nation [Israel]” (Genesis 12:2), but He further promised, “in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed [the Church]” (Genesis 12:3). Both Israel and the Church were foreseen. And, no, the OT Mosaic law and feasts are not necessary for the salvation and sanctification of the Church. “In that He saith, A new covenant, He hath made the first old [literally, obsolete]” (Hebrews 8:13). Remember, humanity is equal in the sight of God — “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16) — but, He still has a special place in His heart for Israel — “Ye are My witnesses, saith the LORD, and My servant whom I have chosen” (Isaiah 43:10) — and in His prophetic program — “to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16). 

It was no accident that the Gospel message started first “in Jerusalem, and [then spread] in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). All the first converts to Jesus were Jews, who crucified their Messiah. “Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children” (Matthew 27:25). Peter’s instructions to the Jews at the beginning of the Church, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call” (Acts 2:38-39), which includes the rest of us Gentiles, who have come to Messiah Jesus. 

The essence of Bible prophecy is God’s before-it-happens-certain-declarations of future events. If the OT Jews misread prophecy and missed the Messiah the first time, then shouldn’t the Church pay closer attention to prophecies to prepare for the return of Messiah Jesus the second time? “So Christ [Greek, Christos, anointed one, the Messiah] was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Hebrews 9:28). Isaiah reveals God’s special relationship to Israel. “1 O Jacob, and He that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine. 4 Since thou wast precious in My sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. 5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; 11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside Me there is no saviour. 12 I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are My witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God. 18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:1, 4-5, 11-12, 18-19). 

That “new thing” (Isaiah 43:19) prophesied by Isaiah was spoken of by Jeremiah, as well. “For the LORD hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man” (Jeremiah 31:22). “Created” (31:22) implies divine intervention. “Woman” (31:22) indicates an individual, not a collective noun. “Man” (31:22) compares to Isaiah 9:6, where it refers to God. Jeremiah 31:22 was believed by many in the Early Church as a reference to the Virgin Birth (Isaiah 7:14) of the Messiah: a virgin womb encircling a man without the necessity of a man’s participation, yielding the miraculous result of a Savior. As difficult to believe as this narrative, it would eventually result in Israel becoming a nation spiritually at Messiah’s Second Coming. “Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children” (Isaiah 66:8). 

Paul asked the Romans, “What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision” (Romans 3:1). What strategic advantage had the Jews over the rest of the world? The Jews superiority was their possession of the Word of God. “Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God” (3:2). But, you say, Nearly everyone today has access to the Word of God, so where is the advantage? Scripture has no practical benefit to us unless understood and obeyed. “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified” (2:13). Intelligence is valuable in society, science, government, military, and business, as well. It is not what you know, but what you do with the Word of God. “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him” (2Chronicles 16:9). 

We must remember, the Jews have long been the subject of prophecies: (1) that they would be subjected to the Babylonian captivity of Judah, i.e., “shall be carried to Babylon” (Isaiah 39:6), and (2) that they would be held in the Babylonian desolations for seventy years, i.e., “And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years” (Jeremiah 25:11). 

But, the Jews were also told: (1) when “Messiah the Prince” (Daniel 9:25) would appear, He would be “be cut off, but not for Himself” (9:26), answering to Christ’s atonement [First Coming of the Messiah], and (2) they were also told the Son of Man would have an “everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away” (7:14), answering to the Millennial Reign of Christ and beyond (Revelation 20:4) at the end of the Seventieth Week of Daniel (Daniel 9:26-27) [Second Coming of the Messiah]. 

In summary, the Jews were responsible for the custodial care of the Divine Scriptures (Romans 3:2), furnishing the bloodline of the House of David for the Messiah (Matthew 1:1-17), for the political rebirth of the modern nation of Israel (1948), and providing us a prophetic clock for the reappearance of the Messiah. “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in” (Romans 11:25). 

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6). 

Father, You have not cast away Israel, the “apple of [Your] eye” (Deuteronomy 32:10). We pray for Your success in winning back the hearts of Your Chosen People Israel. Cause us the Gentiles to provoke Israel (32:21) to faith in the Messiah (Romans 11:11). We ask that our eyes would be enlightened, and we would not follow Israel’s former example of unbelief. May we see our victories in the immediate inspiration of Your Spirit inciting us to obedience (Ezekiel 36:27). May Jerusalem see Your peace. Messiah Jesus, return quickly. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.

Try the Spirits

Ken

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1John 4:1 KJV). Of what need to try the spirits? Like determining if the water is safe to drink, when visiting a foreign country. Consider that it was John the Beloved Apostle, who made this command or imperative to his “little children” (2:1, 12, 13, 18, 28; 3:7, 18; 4:4; 5:21), so he was being careful for the young ones without being an alarmist. Why did John mention “false prophets,” when speaking of “spirits”? Just as God’s Spirit influences the godly, evil spirits influence the ungodly. God’s Word taught by His Spirit enables us to discern the spirits. “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20).

Our mistake is to assume the Kingdom of God is not in active warfare with the devil. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1Peter 5:8). Only action based upon faith can put the enemy to flight. “Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world” (5:9). Start with not being afraid. “And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do” (Luke 12:4). But, you say, ‘The agony of the pain the enemy may inflict may be too much for me.’ True, we do not have a No Suffering Clause in our contract with the LORD. 

[Scan ahead. This is a bit longer of a blog entry, but not too long.]

What’s the importance of suffering? Jesus promised us suffering or “tribulation” (John 16:33), but added He had “overcome the world” (16:33) — and, so will we, if we trust Him. Suffering is God’s appointed means to teach us obedience, for “though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered” (Hebrews 5:8). But it is important to note, we do have an Escape Clause to limit our suffering to no more than we can bear. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer [allow] you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1Corinthians 10:13). 

All enemies visible or invisible are to be dealt with through faith. “Whom resist stedfast in the faith” (1Peter 5:8). How does that work? Scripture is essentially a book of promises that God means what He says and says what He means, that is, take God at His Word. “So shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). Our chief difficulty is the prevention of becoming Dead Letter Literalists, where we neglect the spiritual reality of our existence. “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by Thy name, O LORD God of hosts” (Jeremiah 15:16). If we can only remember this life is not just preparation for eternity, but we are duplicating or attempting to replicate life as it is in Heaven. “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). The Almighty is so much more ready to assist us, when He sees we are comprehending His plan. And, we are all the more delighted to labor for the understanding, since it puts us among His royalty to gain that understanding. “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter” (Proverbs 25:2).

Now, when we speak of Spiritual Warfare, we should not become frightened of the ghost and the darkness. What is true during the day is true during the night. “Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness” (1Thessalonians 5:5). When God opens our eyes to the teeming hordes of the darkness around us — “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:11-12) — for there are more with us than with them. “And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha” (2Kings 6:16-17).

May God give us discernment by His Spirit from His Word to know the spirits, whether they are of God or nay. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:12-13).

Father, educate us about the reality of the war in which we are engaged. Cause us to measure the spirits with the light of Your Word. Cause us to see not just the foul fiend of the enemy, but to have a greater appreciation of You as the LORD of the Host. Hallelujah! Cause us to have courage and overcoming, and by Your grace, we shall! Lord Jesus, return quickly. In Jesus’ name, we ask it. Amen.