In our last lesson, we began discussing questions surrounding the current political conflict in Israel.
On October 7th, 2023, the Palestinian terror group, Hamas, opened a gruesome and brutal attack upon Israel.
We are over a month into this attack and innocent people, from both nations, are still dying.
That has led to many asking the question, will God still preserve His people, Israel?
Last week, we discussed two questions:
When was the nation of Israel established?
Was Israel still God’s chosen people through disobedience?
Today, after a brief recap, we want to continue with the following questions:
Is modern-day Israel and modern-day Jews still God’s chosen people?
What are some lies people believe about Israel today?
What is the Christian’s responsibility towards the conflict in Israel?
When was the nation of Israel established?
Jesus Christ, the Messiah, was prophesied to come through Israelite lineage.
The Messiah was necessary because of man’s sin in the garden of Eden.
We saw the first prophecy of God’s plan for redemption in Genesis 3:15.
This proclamation was that, yes, Satan would deal a devastating blow to mankind.
But ultimately, through the fulfillment of the Messiah, God would be victorious.
Meaning, mankind will be victorious if they choose to obey God.
Obedience to God for us today began with Abraham, the first of the Hebrew patriarchs.
Abram was called upon by God to leave his homeland of Ur, which was in Mesopotamia, for the purpose of being the father of many nations (according to Genesis 12:1-4).
Abraham would ultimately have eight sons.
But only one of those sons was with Sarah, whom God promised -- Isaac.
Isaac had Jacob.
This is where we see the beginning of Israel in the Bible.
Through Abraham, Israel was established by Abraham’s son Jacob.
Jacob would later have a son named Joseph.
Joseph, through the sin of his brothers, was relocated to Egypt.
Joseph was blessed by God and became a mighty nation within Egypt.
The nation of Israel.
Blessed by God.
God’s chosen people.
Was Israel still God’s chosen people through disobedience?
Beginning the specific question in our lesson, we explored the question, “Was Israel still God’s chosen people through disobedience?”
Many times, God compared Himself to Israel like a husband to a wife.
According to Isaiah 54:5 and Jeremiah 3:14.
Israel often proved to be an unfaithful spouse, committing spiritual adultery by worshiping false gods and forsaking the Lord. (Jeremiah 3:8-10)
Having just cause, God, the faithful Husband, “divorced” Israel, His unfaithful wife.
God used the shocking illustration of a “divorce” of Israel to stress their guilt before Him.
But God never cut Israel off unilaterally for all time.
He only asked that they return to Him and experience His goodness.
Paul talks about this in Romans 11:1-6.
Romans 9-11 talk about Israel’s rejection of God and God’s relationship with Israel.
Paul is showing us that, today, in this covenant, Israel stands rejected.
Mainly because Israel misunderstands the doctrine of the election of Israel.
In the closing verses of chapter nine and all of chapter ten, Paul shows us that most Israelites stand rejected because they have refused to submit to God’s plan for redeeming man.
They make the choice to rest in their position of privilege and merit.
They fail to believe in Jesus as the Messiah.
They have ultimately elected to attempt to establish their own righteousness on the basis of the Law of Moses.
As a result, the picture painted from Paul through Romans is pretty bleak for Israel.
Most of the Jews stand before God accursed (9:3).
They have, in fact, prepared themselves for destruction (9:22).
Though they have "followed after the law of righteousness," they have not attained it (9:31).
Consequently, they remain willfully ignorant of God’s righteousness (10:3).
They are, by and large, a disobedient and stubborn people (10:29).
Naturally the question arises in the mind of Jewish objectors: Has God cast away His people?
Is Israel irredeemably lost?
Has God given up entirely on the Jews and turned to the Gentiles?
The answer is: No, God wants as many Jews to be saved as possible—even all of them (11:26).
To that end, therefore, Paul addresses here God’s desire to save Israel and how He plans to do so.
Paul demonstrates that salvation is not a matter of choosing between Jews and Gentiles, salvation is designed for the blessing and salvation of both.
So yes, I believe Israel was still God’s chosen people through their disobedience.
However – (and a big however…)
God’s blessings upon His people would cease when they fell away from Him.
Those blessings would resume upon their repentance and restoration.
Hosea 3:1
“Then the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery, just like the love of the Lord for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans.”
And that leads us to the question we left off with last week:
Is modern-day Israel and modern-day Jews still God’s chosen people?
I think that we’ve probably already started to form some opinions of the answer to this question.
Galatians talks a lot about the promises to Abraham and his seed.
But it’s important to recognize that the promises to Abraham dealt not only with the future nation of Israel but also the gentiles.
Galatians 3:5-9 says…
“Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?— just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.”
These were prophecies that Paul is referencing.
Even though Israel and Christ came through Sarah, who was the freewoman, "Jerusalem that now is" is compared to Hagar, the bondwoman. (4:21-31)
This shows that Christ was the culmination of the covenant with Abraham in which all nations would be blessed. (3:8-9)
The purpose of the nation of Israel was to bring Christ to bless the whole world.
The purpose of law was to keep Israel under guard until "the faith" (new law) came to pass and to teach Israel through prophecy that Christ would come. (3:21-25)
Abraham himself shows the way for faith and righteousness without the old law and regardless of heritage. (3:7)
Now let’s look at our text for this lesson, Galatians 6:16.
“And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.”
The “rule” that Paul is talking about here is recognizing that there is a standard.
If we each had a different belief on what an inch is, then we’d never be able to build anything.
The same is true with spiritual matters – Paul is emphasizing that very concept.
But he says to those who walk according to (truth), peace and mercy be on…the Israel of God.
Israel today is a nation of people who, in majority, disobey God by rejecting the Messiahship.
We’ve already identified that.
Let’s read Jesus’ words in Matthew 10:33…
“But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.”
Simple question – do the Jews today deny Jesus Christ? Yes.
Would Paul later then be saying “peace and mercy” on those who Jesus condemns?
I think right there we can make a pretty good case that, no, Jews today are not Gods chosen people.
We need to identify who this “Israel of God” is because that basically holds the answer to our question.
Let’s flip back to Galatians 3:16-29…
“Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise. What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one. Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
Read what Paul says in Romans 2:28-29…
“For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.”
So, when Paul refers to the “Israel of God” he’s simply referring to the universal church.
Christians all over the globe.
His chosen people.
Remember 1 Peter 2:9-10…
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”
John 8:31-41
“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?” Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.” They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You do the deeds of your father.”
Even Abraham, because of his faith, would have accepted Jesus as Messiah.
But modern-day Jews are disobedient to God because they refuse to accept the Messiah.
Jesus Christ wasn’t the great, victorious military leader they expected.
Jesus Christ didn’t fit the mold they had made for what they thought their Messiah should be.
So, God has once again divorced them and He awaits their repentance and obedience.
Galatians 3:13-14 says, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”
What are some lies people believe about Israel today?
During Covid-19, people had all sorts of false ideas about God’s involvement in the world at that time.
The same is true with the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Here are some that I personally have heard over the last few weeks:
God will ensure Israel’s victory.
This is the beginning of the Armageddon.
The antichrist will emerge from within Hamas.
Jesus’ return is imminent.
For time’s sake, I’m not going to be able to go too deep into all of these, but please, let’s talk after if you’re interested in any specific one of these, or if perhaps you’ve heard others.
False claim #1: God will ensure Israel’s victory.
God may or may not ensure Israel’s victory.
We know that God has used governments and militaries to accomplish His purpose, but we don’t know what that purpose is in this regard.
However, because the nation of Israel is not God’s chosen people, it’s hard for me to think God will intervene to ensure they are victorious.
They may be.
Because I believe Hamas is to blame, I hope they are.
And God may take vengeance on Hamas for their evil (Romans 12:19).
But we can’t say that God will definitely see them victorious.
We have no ground to state that claim with any kind of certainty.
False claim #2: This is the beginning of the Armageddon.
Some think that the current conflict in Israel is the beginning of the battle of Armageddon.
This is something that deserves a study on its own.
The Battle of Armageddon is a spiritual battle found in Revelation 16.
Because the weapons of the Christian’s warfare are not physical (1 Cor. 10:4), we can know this is a spiritual battle.
It may be a literal battle in a spiritual plane, or it could be allegory for something.
But we know it’s not a physical battle with physical weapons unless we are also expecting three frog spirits to jump out of a dragon’s mouth. (Rev. 16:13)
I don’t know what the Battle of Armageddon will look like, or even if it will be.
But I do know it’s not a physical battle stemming out of this middle east conflict.
False claim #3: The antichrist will emerge from within Hamas.
Once again, the antichrist deserves its own study.
When reading about this, it’s important to know the antichrist and the man of sin are the same individual.
In addition, many believe he will be some super human malignancy who shall rise to power in the time right before the end and shall demand the worship of all mankind.
In the book, The Late Great Planet Earth, the writer Hal Lindsey says concerning the antichrist…
"He will have a magnetic personality, be personally attractive, and a powerful speaker. He will be able to mesmerize an audience with his oratory. The Antichrist will deify himself…He will proclaim himself to be God. He will demand that he be worshipped" (pp. 108-109).
He also says, "There would be no earthly advantage in being alive when the Antichrist rules. We believe that Christians will not be around to watch the debacle brought about by the cruelest dictator of all time" (pp. 112-113).
In popular premillennial theory, the antichrist is said to appear after the supposed removal of all the Christians from the earth.
The antichrist isn’t a single individual, rather John said, "even now many antichrists have arisen" (1 John 2:18).
The antichrist doesn’t appear at the end of time, rather, many existed in the first century.
The antichrist is not a superhuman individual or an incarnation of the devil, rather, they were ordinary people (2:19).
Let’s read 1 John 2:18-23…
“Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.”
To put it simply, when the Bible refers to antichrist, it’s not a specific person but a class of people.
John says, “Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.”
So, you could say that antichrist will emerge from this conflict because the Jews are antichrist.
But no, we do not see example of one man or woman being this “antichrist” that will lead people into destruction.
False claim #4: Jesus’ return is imminent.
Many people believe this because of Matthew 24 and the signs like, “Wars, rumors of wars, persecution, etc…”
But Jesus isn’t prophesying His return – He’s prophesying the destruction of Jerusalem.
That took place in AD 70.
In fact, Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:2, “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.”
My thought towards this is the same as during other times when people say “Jesus is coming soon.”
Yes, He is.
But we don’t know when.
And there’s not going to be any warning.
Just like the 5 foolish virgins in Matthew 25…
One day, when we least expect it, Jesus is going to shut the door of opportunity.
Forever sealing your fate in eternity.
What is the Christian’s responsibility towards the conflict in Israel?
It’s absolutely heartbreaking to hear of the horror going on in Israel right now.
There are things happening so brutal, so horrible, it might give nightmares to those who hear of it.
Ben Shapiro, who is a Jew and has family in Israel, had a show on October 9th in which he showed video released by Hamas of their treatment of the Jews.
It was unhuman.
In defense and retaliation, Israel has launched attacks on Hamas and the Palestinian people.
Unfortunately, there have been civilian casualties, though appears to be non-intentional.
During wars and natural disasters, it leaves us wondering, what can we do to help?
What is the Christian’s responsibility towards the conflict in Israel?
2 Timothy 2:1-7 says this…
“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.”
Hebrews 13:3 says…
“Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.”
Paul is talking here about suffering Christians, but I do believe it’s a lesson in empathy.
We need to pray for the people of Israel.
Pray for the US citizens who are being held captive by Hamas in Israel.
And especially pray for our brethren there.
We can also be generous to the efforts there.
As a church, we would not send funds from the church treasury, unless it’s for fellow Christians in need.
But as individuals, we can also seek out and send humanitarian relief for medical aid, which is desperately needed.
Lastly, we need to remember that those in Israel, both Jews and Palestinians, are made in the image of God.
They are precious souls.
They are people who God loves.
They are a special people for being of the lineage that brought us the hope of Salvation.
They are people deserving of our prayers, in that they survive this conflict for one purpose.
To recognize Jesus Christ as their Messiah and be obedient to His gospel.
The same gospel that the Jews on the Day of Pentecost were blessed with first (Romans 1:16).
