The Statement
Israel exists as a covenant people through whom G-d continues to accomplish His purposes. In accordance with the New Covenant, Jews and Gentiles who acknowledge Yeshua as Messiah and Redeemer are an elect people and now worship together in the house of G-d (Ephesians 2:2-14; 1 Corinthians 12:13, Hebrews 10:16)
God made an everlasting and irrevocable covenant with Abraham. It includes the unconditional election of Israel as God’s chosen people, the promise of the Messiah through whom the whole earth will be blessed, and the gift of the land of Israel to the Jewish people. (Gen. 12:1-3, 15:9-7, 17:1-5, 2 Sam. 7:12-16; Rom. 9:1-11:21)
The greatest miracle of our day has been the re-establishment or rebirth of the State of Israel according to prophecy, and a central part of God’s end-time plan is the physical and spiritual restoration of Israel, as taught in the Scriptures. (Ezek. 34:11-31 36-39; Hos. 3; Amos 9:11-15; Zech. 12-14; Isa. 11; 43; 54; 60-62; 66; Rom. 11:1-34)
Promises of the Past
[Read Gen. 12:1-3, 15:9-7, 17:1-5]This covenant, known as the Abrahamic, is unilateral. There are no preconditions. Most covenants have conditions for both sides, however Adonai promises Abram both descendants as numerous as the starts and the land from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates. As a sign of this covenant, Abram was renamed to Abraham and Adonai commanded him to be circumcised and circumcise all the males who were with him.
This was followed up with the covenant at Sinai, however the covenant with Moses was bilateral. The dwelling of Israel in the Promised Land was contingent on the people walking in Adonai’s statutes and keeping His mitzvot. (Lev. 26, Deut. 28) However if the people broke the covenant made at Sinai, then Adonai promised to bring punishment and eventually expulsion from the land.
But none of these blessings or curses nullified the covenant with Abraham concerning the land and the people. Moses states it this way in [Deut. 30:1-6].
[Read 2 Sam. 7:12-16]Here we have the Davidic covenant. Adonai promises David an eternal lineage, a kingdom that would not end. Adonai also promises to be a father to David’s son, to bring discipline but to never remove His loving-kindness. David understood Adonai’s covenant and responds in [7:19] that this is a “Torah for all humanity”. Because from the seed of David would come a deliverer who would bless the world just as was promised to Abraham. Notice that nothing in this covenant nullifies any of the previous covenants. David still recognized that the descendants of Israel (at that time the nation of Israel) were still promised the land [7:23-24].
Promises of the Present
What about the new covenant? Well, lets read the covenant in [Jer. 31:31-40]. Notice the context. Firstly, who is this covenant with? Jews or Gentiles? It is a new covenant with the “house of Israel and with the house of Judah.” I’m not saying that Gentiles are excluded, but we must notice the context.
The passage then goes on to explain that this new covenant will supersede one of the previous covenants. Which one? The Abrahamic? The Mosaic? Or the Davidic? It is the covenant that Adonai made “when [He] took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.”
Why is Adonai needing a new covenant? Because Beni Yisrael broke that covenant.
Jeremiah then goes on to confirm the people of Israel and the land. In particular, Jeremiah speaks of the City of Jerusalem being “holy to Adonai” and “never [to] be uprooted or thrown down again- forever.”
What about the Gentiles?
While I don’t want to spend much time on it today, I do want to briefly mention the Gentiles. The Mystery of the Good News, that Sha’ul talks about in (Rom. 9, 10 & 11) and particularly in (11:25) is that Adonai would graft Gentiles into the new covenant promised to Israel through Jeremiah. This is pure mercy of Adonai, which is why none of us can boast or be proud. This mercy of God to include the Gentiles in the promises to Israel caused Sha’ul to explode in praise [Rom. 11:33-36].
Promises for the Future
Now getting back to the promises for Israel. The New Covenant is still for the children of Israel by birthright, and there is nothing in the new covenant that replaces the Abrahamic or the Davidic covenants. And with regards to the Mosaic covenant, it does not replace the Torah, but rather writes the Torah on their hearts, causes them to know Adonai and provides forgiveness for sins. So, the only part of the Mosaic covenant that is superseded by the New Covenant are the offerings for sin and iniquity.
The promise of the land and the covenant of being a people, is still in force from Abraham’s time. The promise of a ruler who is the Son of David, is still in force since David’s time. The promise of provision in the Promise Land and judgement for breaking covenant with Adonai is still in force since Moses’ time. The only thing that has changed is the way of repentance. Adonai provided a Son of David, who according to (Daniel 9:24), put an end to transgression, brought sin to an end, atoned for iniquity and brought in everlasting righteousness.
Re-establishment of Israel
So, what is left for the people of Israel? Well there is still the people and the land. We have seen the one of the greatest miraculous fulfillment’s of Scripture with the re-establishment/rebirth of the State of Israel. (Ezek. 34:11-31, 36-39; Hos. 3; Amos 9:11-15; Zech. 12-14; Isa. 11; 43; 54; 60-62; Rom. 11:1-34) Some today want to downplay just how miraculous the reestablishment of Israel was, but there are so many areas of miraculous events:
- The only time that the USSR and USA ever voted together on anything in the UN
- The greatest amount of rainfall in Israel in hundreds of years occurred on what year? That’s right, 1948
- The only people group to ever be established after almost 2000 years of being dispersed. Every other civilization would be fully integrated within 3-4 generations.
- Survived multiple major conflicts with nations much larger than itself and is still prosperous.
David Ben Gurion said this, “A Jew who does not believe in miracles is not a realist.” (refer to Supernatural or Just Remarkable)
Future (Current) Promises
There is still the eternal kingdom in Zion that Adonai promised to David. (Isa. 59:20-21, Zech. 14:4) There is still the spiritual revival and redemption promised in [Ezekiel 36:24-28]. Adonai promises that after returning the people of Israel to the Land of Israel, He would spiritually cleanse them and put a “new spirit” within them. (Zech. 12:8-13:1; Rom. 11:25-27; Heb. 9:28; Jer. 31:31-40) Before our eyes we are seeing Adonai recovering the remnant of His people from the four corners of the Earth and restoring the Kingdom of David. (Isa. 11) And as Yeshua said in (Matt. 23:37-39) and (Zech. 12:10), when the people of Israel and the capital Jerusalem calls out for Him to return, his feet will once again stand on the Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:4) and He will return as King of kings and Lord of lords!