What God Promised Israel

                                   What God Promised Israel

#Israel   #Tanakh
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One group of people that for millennia have been hated, mistreated and murdered is the Jews. They’re like everyone else with one exception. According to the Bible, the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were given great and far-reaching promises God intended to fulfill literally. God said that if they obeyed Him they would be blessed, but if not, they would be cursed (Deut. 28). Further, God said the nations that blessed his chosen people would be blessed, but those who opposed them would be cursed (Gen. 12:3). Let me sketch the great covenant promises God gave the Jews.
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A Land Forever
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God told Abraham “All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.” This land extended from Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates and to Lebanon and the whole land of Canaan. It was to be an everlasting possession to Abraham and his descendants. And although Israel would periodically be exiled for disobedience, God would bring back a remnant. God’s promise of the land was unconditional and not dependent upon Israel’s obedience. See Gen. 15:18-21; 17:8; Isa. 11:11.
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A Nation Forever
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God promised Abraham’s descendants would become a great nation forever, repeated it to Isaac, then Jacob from which came the twelve tribes and a great nation in Egypt. Ishmael, the slave woman’s son, was not the promised son and was cast out (Gen. 21:10-12). God made Israel the only chosen nation, a kingdom of priests and holy nation giving them the covenants, the law, the prophets, the temple and promised Israel would endure forever regardless of unfaithfulness. And that one day the Messiah would come through them. See Ex. 19:5-6; Ps. 147:19-20; Isa. 65:17; 66:22; Rev. 21-22. ”Forever” means the same whether Israel or the church.
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A King Forever
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God alone has the knowledge, wisdom and power to make certain His promises will be kept. He has promised His son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the God-man, will reign both over a political and spiritual kingdom. “To us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor; Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6). But in 605 B.C., Israel went into exile and has no king since. Were God’s promises annulled?
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No. God’s prophets predicted this would happen. “The Israelites will live many days without king or prince” (Hosea 3:4). “I will maintain my love to him [David] forever, and my covenant with him will never fail. I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure” (Ps. 89:28-37). The thrown was unoccupied but the promise was not occupation but establishment forever and it will be (Matt. 24:30; 19:28).
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Restoration of Israel Forever
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The Tanakh, OT, repeatedly promised Israel would return to the land and have a king. See Amos 9-11; Mic. 4:7-8; Dan. 2:44; 9:24-27. Daniel predicted the king’s absence from the decree to restore Jerusalem until the Anointed ruler comes which is from 445 B.C. until Christ died in A.D. 33.
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Presentation of the Messianic King
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John the Baptizer, Christ, and his apostles all announced Jesus as the promised ruler (Matt. 3:1-2; 4:17; 10:5-7). Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey as such and the common people received him gladly throwing palm forms before his way and recognizing him as the son of David meaning a rightful heir.
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Rejection of the Messianic King
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But Israel’s rulers rejected Jesus as their king calling his casting out of demons a work of the devil (Matt. 12:24). At his trial, the high priest tore his garments meaning Jesus blasphemed saying he was the Son of the Highest (Matt. 26:65). When crucified, the authorities protested that his superscription not say Jesus was king of the Jews, but that he said, he was king of the Jews (John 19:21). Jesus predicted the Jews would fall by the sword, be taken to all nations and Jerusalem would be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled (Luke 21:24). Israel won’t be restored until the full number of Gentiles has come in (Rom. 11:25). 
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Restoration of the Messianic Kingdom

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Thus, the kingdom without the King is postponed, but Jesus is coming to set it up (Acts 1:6-7). We are, however, not to be deceived by Jehovah’s Witnesses and others who are not the tribes of Israel but false prophets predicting the time of Christ’s return (Matt. 24:36). Meanwhile, the Jews will continue in unbelief until the tribulation when 144,000 will witness to the coming restored Messianic kingdom (Rev. 7; 14).

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Israel was again declared a nation in 1948. It has always had to fight for its existence and does today. Great Britain and the United States support it today as a true democratic alley. But that support seems to be wavering because of influence from socialism and radical Islam that want to destroy it. Israel is 1/6 of 1% of the Arab world and 5.5 million Jews compared to 300 million Arabs and Muslims who want to drive her into the sea. Why such hatred of God’s chosen people? Jesus predicted a beginning of tribulation when all nations will hate Israel for Christ’s sake (Matt. 24:9) and then a great tribulation unlike anything since the beginning of the world and that if the time were not shortened no flesh would be saved (Matt. 24:21-22). This is no time to be playing church and Christian. We should be living for Christ and telling others about his wonderful salvation. It’s the world’s only deliverance from hate and Hell and means of hope.

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While Israel and the church have much in common as chosen people of God, I don’t believe Israel is the church. Moses was the head of Israel; Christ is head of the church. Israel began with Abraham, the church at Pentecost. Israel was governed by law, the church by grace. Jews are born of Jacob, Christians born of Christ.

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Christians are instructed to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, to seek to win Jews to their Messiah (means Anointed) and Savior. God has promised that the nations that bless Israel will be blessed; those who curse her will be cursed (Genesis 12:1-3).  I believe God's promises--what about you.? Only the Lord Jesus Christ could be Israel's Messiah for only he was virgin born, without sin, died to save sinners, and rose from the dead, ascended into heaven as Scripture said Messiah would (Isaiah 7:14; 53; Psalms 22:16-18; 16:10; 68:18).   

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