Israel and the Jews
As we open to Romans 11, we all need to understand more and more about how God has worked in the past, and what He has planned for the future. One of the richest ways to do that is through a closer look at Israel and the Jewish people. God has declared that they are His chosen people of destiny. First we need to remind ourselves of the reality God presents to New Testament believers of:
Our Amazingly Jewish Heritage
As believers, we are headed:
· To a city made by God called the New JERUSALEM (Rev. 21:2),
· This city is already constructed by God with Twelve Gates named after the 12 Tribes of ISRAEL (Rev. 21:12);
· There are also Twelve Foundations of this Heavenly home prepared for us that are named after the 12 JEWISH Apostles (Rev. 21:14);
· God describes Himself as enthroned above a hill called ZION (Psalm 48:1-2);
· And as Jesus preached the Gospel He invited all who would respond to come to a Feast He described, that is going to be in Heaven, where we get to sit and eat with ABRAHAM, ISAAC and JACOB who are already SEATED there at the banquet (Matthew 8:11)!
For us who often are "Old Testament-Like" we often overlook or even forget the challenge that all 1189 chapters of the Scriptures present to us that:
· We serve the King of the Jews.
· We are members of a church founded by Jewish leaders;
· We have as our highest authority a Jewish Bible (all the 40 writing authors were Jewish);
· Our God is Jewish, for "salvation is of the Jews", which is what no less than God in human flesh, our Lord Jesus said in John 4:22.
· All of our spiritual benefits are derivative from the Abrahamic covenant.
· And as New Testament members of Christ's Body and Church, we are grafted into the true olive tree, from the root of Abraham as Romans 11 exhaustively explains.
One of the strong evidences of divine inspiration of the Bible (not found in other religious books of either past or present) consists of its hundreds of fulfilled prophesies.
What Does God Say Specifically?
Look with me at this incredible summary of all specifics God has revealed about His Chosen People of Destiny, the Jews.
Now, feel the impact of God's Words to a man standing out in the sands of the Middle East, in a Land called Canaan. God spoke in Genesis 15 and said, I am giving this Land to your children forever as a testimony to the entire World, that I AM GOD!
1. God identified His chosen people of destiny as the Jews, the descendents of Abraham, and He named them Israel.
2. God promised to give a land to His chosen people of destiny the Jews with clearly defined boundaries (Genesis 12:1; 13:15; 15:7, 18-21) to Abraham.
3. God promised to bring His chosen people of destiny to the Promised Land.
4. God promised to judge His chosen people of destiny if they forgot Him in the Promised Land.
5. God promised to scatter His unfaithful but chosen people of destiny from the Promised Land.
For more resources from Dr. John Barnett visit our website at www.DiscoverTheBook.org
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