Covenants #7: The Thankful Blessings of Israel

“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

Elder’s Corner: “Stand Firm”

It occurred to me how much I have to the thankful for in this month of Thanksgiving. There seems to be some controversy on whether or not it is appropriate to stand during the national anthem at NFL games. It is always right to stand and honor those who have sacrificed so much to insure the freedoms we hold dear. Which reminds me of the various Veteran's Day assemblies which will be held in our area to give recognition to those who serve and have served and those who paid the ultimate price for our freedoms. Please show your support by attending one of these services. I still get goosebumps on my arms when the flags are presented and tears in my eyes when the Bugler plays taps.

The Bible has much to say about followers of Christ being good citizens while we are still here on earth.  1 Timothy 2:1-2 “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” Romans 13:1 “Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.” I think these verses point out an obligation to believers. One, we should pray for our leaders, and second we should always be thankful. No, our government doesn't always make good decisions. So I will borrow a quote from Abraham Lincoln “Stand with anyone who stands right, stand with him as long as he is right, and depart from him when he goes wrong.” It is not a “conflict of interest” for Christian people to be patriotic, in fact it is encouraged. We aren't worshiping the Country, or the flag when we stand, we are honoring God who established governments and the people who gave their “last full measure of devotion”-

--Alan

P.S. You are invited to the community thanksgiving dinner November 19, 5:00 – 7:00

The Christian Atheist #4: That’s NOT Fair!

As one who loves kids, for the first 12 years of my married life, my wife and I had only been met with miscarriages when we tried to get pregnant; and even since having our first child, we lost two more. Then I look around and see others who are having kids no problem, and some of them don’t even want them. This is easily seen by the number of kids that are in the foster system and the number of abortions that are performed. It’s like, why God are You allowing people to even have kids who really don’t want them when some people who do can’t have them? Life is not fair!

If you have ever travelled to a third world country or into the slums of a large city, you will find people who are living in object poverty. Yes, some have chosen that lifestyle, but many have not. And as hard as they can, they rarely seem to overcome their struggles for daily existence. Life is not fair! 

We could talk about several other examples of loved ones being ripped from our lives, to hardships that we encountered on account of something that was not our fault. But how do you deal with life when it seems to be so unfair, especially when God could have done something about it but didn’t? I know of many people who have walked away from the Lord on account of that question. I used to think that God was unfair even though I still believed in Him. Maybe you have thought that way too. Then as a result, it is hard to trust Him when we read of His promises to work things out for our good, and that He has a plan not to harm us but to give us hope and a future.

This mindset is not easy to overcome, but there are three things to remember that can help. First, no one deserves good things to happen to them. We are all guilty of sin and deserving of punishment (Rom. 3:23; 6:23). Thus, according to the Bible there is no such thing as “a good person.” And it is because of this reason that Jesus came to die for us, so that we would not have to experience the punishment that we deserve on account of our own sins.

Second, we need to remember that good things happen to bad people. If one looks hard enough, they can always find something to be thankful for. The greatest of these is knowing that one day the suffering and trials of this life will be over with. And just as Jesus was raised from the dead to a perfected state so shall we be when we see Him face to face (1 John 3:2).

Third, we need to remember that God is present in our pain. Jesus, the only One who was and is truly good (Luke 18:19), did not deserve to experience the suffering that He did, but He chose to for our sake. Thus, He sympathizes with us (Heb. 2:18). “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Heb. 13:5). “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him” (Nah. 1:7). “But those who suffer He delivers in their suffering; He speaks to them in their affliction” (Job 36:15).

Pastor Craig Groschel said, “God is not fair, but He is good. And unlike fairness, there is no wrong side to the goodness equation when it comes to God. When you don’t deserve it, God is good. When you’ve messed up and need forgiveness, God is good. When you’re afraid and lonely, God is good. When you’re hurting and life makes no sense, God is still good. He is good all the time!” (The Christian Atheist, p. 34)

In His service,

      Matt 

Covenants #6: The Battle for Israel—Isaac vs. Ishmael

Jesus said, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn "'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law-- a man's enemies will be the members of his own household” (Matt. 10:34-36).

It is hard for many of us to even attempt to comprehend tragedies like what happened recently in Las Vegas! It is heartbreaking to consider the 59 dead and more than 500 injured as a gunman opened fire on a concert! My thoughts and prayers are with the injured and those who lost loved ones. At times it can be very challenging to make sense of things that seem so senseless (and I will not even attempt to in this article)!

Unfortunately, tragedies like this are a very sad reality if one is up to date on world news. It seems like it is commonplace to hear about people going on killing sprees, suicide bombings, and constant fighting someplace in our world today. And there is no other place in the history of the world for experiencing such atrocities than in the Middle East.

The land of Israel has seen war after war for thousands of years. Some of the wars were a result of God’s hand of judgment upon His people when they rebelled against Him. The Old Testament spends a significant amount of time detailing the war with the Assyrians and the Babylonians. And both Old and New Testament alike depict the war that would take place between A.D. 66-70 with the Romans.

Since then, the greatest amount of fighting has come as a result of a battle for Israel. There are really 3 sides in this battle: first there are those who believe that the land belongs to Abraham’s descendants through his son Isaac. Second, there are those who believe that it belongs to Abraham’s descendants through his son Ishmael. And third, there are those who believe that the descendants of Abraham are spiritual; thus, implying that those who have faith in Christ, which includes Old Testament Jews who had faith in the Lord, and Christians since the time of Jesus’s death on the cross, are the true Israel. And that the land was given really to point to something bigger than just a chunk of ground in the Middle East. Regardless of what side you find yourself on, one thing is for certain: Christian persecution is on the rise and all the while the enemies of Israel are closing ranks around her borders. 

Therefore, what should our response be? It really comes down to the matter of what the Bible has to say. Muslims believe that Ishmael is the child of promise not Isaac. The basis of this comes from their belief that the Old Testament has been altered by the Jews to make it seem as if Isaac is the child of promise. However, as one writer pointed out, in order to substantiate this claim of textual corruption, two things need to be done. First, an earlier manuscript that shows the non-corrupted text needs to be shown. And second, an explanation of how the alterations were achieve without anyone noticing needs to likewise be given. But, neither one of these issues has ever been solved. Thus, the view of Muslims is quickly falsified. Even still, fighting will continue from these individuals who are following a lie.

While all Christians view Isaac as the promised descendant of Abraham (in comparison with Ishmael), they differ on the identity of “Israel” today. Does “Israel” refer exclusively to the Jewish people or does it refer to all Christians? Perhaps the most common view sees a separation between God’s chosen people, the Jews, and all Christians in general. This view has been popularized by books and movies like The Late Great Planet Earth and the Left Behind series. A huge percentage of Churches, preachers, and televangelists proclaim this message as well. Thus, many Bible believing Christians are convinced that the Jewish people and the present nation of Israel will be the primary participants in the events surrounding the second coming of Christ.

On a side note, the point of this article is not to create dividing lines among Christians, rather it is to help everyone to understand the significance of God’s covenant with “Israel” and its implications for all people today.  Yet is there really a separate covenant for the Jews vs. Christians? Let’s consider what Scripture has to say.  Galatians 3:28-29 says, “In Christ's family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ. Also, since you are Christ's family, then you are Abraham's famous "descendant," heirs according to the covenant promises” (MSG).

Romans 2:28-29 says, “For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by God’s Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people” (NLT).

The point that Scripture is making is that “Israel” consists of both Jews living during the time of the Old Testament and all Christians regardless of ethnicity since the time of Jesus’s death on the cross! This can be seen in several other passages as well, and was even prophesied about in the Old Testament (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 37:14-28; 47:22-25; John 1:13; 10:16; Rom. 2:28-29; 4:11-12, 16-18; 9:6-18, 24-25; 11:11-24; Gal. 3:8-24; Eph. 2:11-3:6; Phil. 3:3; Heb. 8:8-10; James 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1;  2:4-10; 5:13).  So what does this mean for us today? It means that the promises that are related to “Israel” are for us as Christians today. Next month we will further unpack these promises of God’s covenant with “Israel.” Yet for now, what is the appropriate response to the violence that is taking place in the Middle East?

The appropriate response to the violence and persecution of Christians and other people groups in the Middle East should be the same as our response to the tragedy that happened in Las Vegas.  God’s Word calls us to stand strong in the true faith even in the face of suffering and persecution (Rev. 2:10-11). At the same time, God has ordained governments to deal with the issues by means of force (Rom. 13:1-7). Thus, we should support our police and armed forces. Praying for those who are committing these atrocities, and ultimately leading them to Christ for this is how real lasting change takes place—through sharing the Good News to the captors (Matt. 5:9, 44). For it is only through God’s work in our world that lasting peace will eventually be accomplished. And one day, Jesus, the Prince of Peace, will return to usher in His eternal peace to “Israel,” all who have chosen to follow Christ by faith (Isa. 9:6; Rom. 4:16). 

 In His service,

        Matt