“Give thanks
to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever” (Psalm 107:1).
It is at this
time of year that we tend to think of all the things that we have to be
thankful for. Yet sometimes giving thanks can be harder than we would like to
admit. It can be so easy to get bogged down among life’s challenges and daily
routines to really consider all that we have to be thankful for. And regardless
of how challenging or devastating our year has been, there are still things to
be thankful for.
Throughout
history, God’s chosen people have encountered challenge after challenge: from
slavery in Egypt, to the wilderness wanderings, to enemies in the Promised
Land, God’s people have dealt with it all. Yet one thing remains true, there
are great blessings which Israel can be thankful for! Now, when I say that many
of us naturally think of the nation of Israel. However, as we saw last month,
God’s chosen people is “Israel” regardless of whether this is referring to
faithful followers of the Lord living during Old Testament times or faithful
followers since the time of the New Testament (see http://eugenechristianchurch.blogspot.com/2017/10/covenants-6-battle-for-israelisaac-vs.html).
There has always
been only one bride for the Lord (Isa. 61:10; Eph. 5:24, 32). By itself this
principle can be very challenging for many to understand. Yet God chooses to
explain His relationship with His faithful followers in the terms of a
marriage, since, marriage is the closest and most intimate relationship on the
planet, fulfilling many of our relational, emotional, and physical needs. Thus,
God is showing us how He can fulfill our every longing, giving us a lot to be
thankful for.
As the bride of
Christ, we have several blessings to be thankful for. There are four such blessings that I’d like us to consider this month.
First, there is the blessing of prominence. When God originally revealed
His blessings to the father of all of Israel, Abraham (Gal. 3:7), God told
Abraham that He would make him (and his descendants) into a great nation (Gen.
12:2). As a Christian, our nationality is not defined by country of earthly
residence, but rather by being heirs of a global kingdom, the Kingdom of God.
In a broad sense,
the Kingdom of God refers to God’s sovereign and eternal rule over the entire
universe (Ps. 103:19; Dan. 4:3; Rom. 13:1). But it is more narrowly defined by
those who have been born again (John 3:5-7). And every believer can enjoy the
prominence of being greatly prized and dearly loved
by God, having a place of honored belonging (Matt. 5:19;
20:26).
Second, there is
the blessing of provision. God promises that His people will be taken
care of (Deut. 28:4; Luke 12:30-32). “My God will meet all your needs according
to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). Yes, we may go through
some trying times, but He promises to provide for His people (Ps. 23:1). And
ultimately, we have the promise of a bountiful harvest (Deut. 28:8,
11-12).
Third, there is
the blessing of protection. (Gen. 12:3; Deut. 28:7). God's protection is
unlimited, eternal, and certain. Yes,
there can be times that we experience great dangers, including death, but they cannot
take our souls (Matt. 10:28).
And fourth, there
is the blessing of property. (Gen. 12:1). Yes, God promises “Israel” His
spiritual descendants through Abraham land, and this is not referring to a
chunk of ground in the Middle East. Martin Wyngaarden points out the
overwhelming spiritualization of the Holy Land or inheritance concept (Num.
18:20; Deut. 18:2; Psalm 73:26; 16:5; 142:5; 119:57; Jer. 10:16; 51:19; Ezek.
40:17, 20; Matt. 5:5; John 14:3; Rom. 4:13; Col. 3:14; Gal 3:29; Heb. 9:15;
11:10; 1 Peter 1:3–5; Rev. 21:8, 22; 22:15). Hence we see that in the primary
inheritance, the real portion of Israel was not Canaan, but Jehovah
Himself, and only in a secondary way whatever Jehovah might give to His
people. Thus, the Messiah’s prophesied rule over the land of Israel’s
inheritance becomes His rule over the new heavens and new
earth (The Future of the Kingdom in Prophecy and Fulfillment,
pgs. 91-93).
Therefore, in
spite of trying times that we might encounter, as faithful followers of the
Lord Jesus Christ, the spiritual Israel, we have a lot to be thankful for all
year long, for the blessings of Israel are ours!
In His service,
Matt
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