Friday, October 17, 2014

God's chosen people: the Israelites - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Exodus 19:5-6,

"Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."

This is what the Lord told Moses to tell the Israelites as they made camp at Mt. Sinai. What an opportunity for the nation of Israel! However... it was an opportunity squandered by them. Although offered to Israel, and despite her embrace of the offer, verse 8, Israel did not wait long to both break their commitment they made to God as well as turn their backs on him. The sad sight of the golden calf they turned to worship is coming shortly.

Although Israel was offered a very special place in God's world, they failed at their commitment to fulfill it. If anyone has a desire to point the finger at Israel's failure, they only need to look within themselves to discover both why Israel failed and that they would as well: that indwelling sinful nature we all harbor.

Nonetheless, despite Israel's failure to fulfill the role offered them by the Lord, they remained God's chosen people as God used Israel to accomplish many of the things he did. Why Israel? Abraham's faith. Abraham believed in the Lord and it was credited to him as righteousness, Genesis 15:6. As a result, God blessed Abraham with not only a standing of righteousness with him, he also promised some earthy blessings to both Abraham as well as his offspring. These would find their fulfillment in Israel's use by God as he unfolded his plan of redemption for all mankind over the centuries.

Paul points to some of the ways the Lord utilized Israel, "Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen." Romans 9:4-5.

In that same letter we learn that God is not done with Israel yet. In Romans 11:11-12 we read, "Again I ask: Did they [the Israelites] stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!" And, in a few verses later, Paul tells us what the eventual outcome will be in a mystery he reveals, "I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved." Romans 11:25-26.

It is this very choice of God of Israel, as his chosen nation, that has energized and emboldened the antagonism and incomprehensible anti-Semitic hatred of Israel by so many, over the years to today. It is seen in the conflicts in the Mideast today, it is seen at the United Nations, it is seen throughout Europe, it was seen in the Holocaust, it is seen in what animates communists, Progressives, the "global-community", the anti-colonial movement, etc. It is seen in a cursory reading of the Qur'an and so many other places.

Why this incomprehensible hatred of Jews, of Israel? It is the very same cause as the hatred the church bears in the world today. It finds its origin in the conflict that takes place in the spiritual realm. The bottom line is that all the malevolent forces of darkness in the spiritual realm, as well as their counterparts in the world today, seek to destroy what God does in the world. God is building his kingdom and as soon as that effort is complete, we read in Revelation that Satan and those who are his will finally receive their due at the hand of God's justice. Any opposition to God building his kingdom will prolong that eventuality.

If I were facing what Satan and those who are his face, I'd attempt to prolong my time before the punishment coming my way… wouldn't you? The best way for the forces of darkness to carry that out is to oppose God's purposes for this life, the building of his kingdom. Hence, opposition to Israel, opposition to the church, opposition to the gospel message, opposition to all the things of God, even minor things like a public Christmas display, or the commencement speech of a Christian at a college, the mindless "scrubbing" of everything Christian from the public square, etc.

A lot of speculation here, but nonetheless, we find in the Scriptures that Israel was chosen of God, and although they did not fulfill all that might have been theirs, they have been used by God for his purposes in building his kingdom. And... God is not done with them yet!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

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