Section 1 - Introduction
                  The Special Place of Israel
 

Introduction

Many will readily admit that, according to God's revelation in the Scriptures, ISRAEL is God's chosen
people. And many will also insist that, because Israel rejected her Messiah when He came nearly two
thousand years ago, God has cast her aside and has subsequently given the blessings, which He had
promised her, to another group of people who have, in effect, taken over her privileged place with God. 

It is evident from history that for nearly two thousand years since the two devastating wars with Rome
(AD 70 and AD 135), the people of Israel were without a homeland - a decimated, scattered, wandering and despised race. Because of their reluctance, and even aversion, to racial integration, they presented a political problem wherever they attempted to settle in in any significant numbers. As it had happened in their fledgling years in Egypt, they came to be considered a dangerous and suspect element within the populace in almost every such country. Anti-Semitic persecution reared its ugly head and they were forced to shoulder restrictions and limitations in many fields of endeavour. 

The more sinister and repressive measures were experienced among many so-called Christian nations who looked on them as Christ-rejectors and God-forsaken Christ-killers. They were despised, and they were hated. And such discriminatory attitudes towards them worked up excuses for severe pogroms. The low-point to this suffering may well be the fairly recent slaughter of Jews in the Holocaust, though the 'official' figures have been contested. The reaction to this terrible devastation did contribute strongly to the setting up of the official homeland for the Jews. The state of Israel came into being, and the people of Israel had a homeland once again. 

However, though the state of Israel is a recognised political entity, many of her own people do not
consider their nation as complete. For nearly two thousand years they have been wandering outcasts
without a valid religious centre. Their Temple and its associated services are non-existent. Without
these they are unable to properly observe the Law, with its sacrificial rites for national purification and
dedication, that would distinguish them from all other nations, as God's special people. 

All evidence seems to insist that God has set His chosen people aside since the time of Christ and the apostles. It does seem that Israel has lost her place of privilege and is at the receiving end of God's
wrath for her stubbornness. 

Also, in spite of some doubts, even in sincere minds, brought about by the confusing signals given out
by the various 'Christian' denominations and persuasions, Scripture is clear that God has been doing,
during this same period, a magnificently transcendent work with those who are members of what He
terms ‘The Body Of Christ’, popularly referred to as ‘The Church’. 

Inevitably, certain conclusions have been derived from this situation. Because of careless handling of the Scriptures, it has become quite generally accepted that, since God has set Israel aside: 

                (a)  she has become disqualified as The Chosen People Of God 
                      and that, therefore, her elite place has been given over to the Church. 

                (b)  the Blessings that were originally promised to Israel 
                  have now been transferred to the Church; 

                (c)  the Solemn Covenants that God made with her have been abrogated and that 
                  a new and better covenant has been made with the Church in her stead.

Such ideas do appeal to us non-Israelites because, with this rationale, the way is now open for us to
claim for ourselves God's tremendous blessings to which we were alien before. And what truly enviable
blessings these are. For example, one of these is the rulership in the Kingdom of God over the whole
earth (Dan.2:35,44; 7:27) and of the world (kosmos), even (Rom.4:13)! 
 

The Problem Stated

If this teaching concerning Israel and the Church is true, then there must be a valid scriptural basis for
it. We cannot assume that these wonderful blessings are ours by default. We do not have the authority
to deduce that the promises that God made to Israel are indeed ours just because Israel proved
unfaithful to her calling. We must take into account the faithfulness of GOD! 

God chose Israel for His Own reasons and intentions. Israel is the people HE has chosen to be HIS - a
people to bring glory to His name through His dealings with her. It is a fact that Israel has not lived up to the standards God has set. It is true that she is stubborn and wayward and unappreciative of her
privileges. Scripture says that she has become ‘calloused’ and has rejected her Messiah. 

But, is that the end of the story for her? Has her Messiah, Who advocates forgiveness of enemies, put
her outside the pale of His forgiveness? Is He unwilling to forgive her her wantonness and her
unfaithfulness? Or, is He unable to cause her to change her mind and her ways? 

Has He really given up on Israel ever turning back to Him? Has He really decided that Christians have
been chosen to replace her so that they can receive the blessings promised to Israel, which He is thus
constrained to give to some body of people, or have them all go to waste? Do Christians receive His love ‘on the rebound’ since Israel has spurned His gifts and advances and He has to turn somewhere else for comfort? 
 

The Implications

The implications are enormous. God’s character and His integrity are under scrutiny. His very reputation as being omniscient and omnipotent is at stake. If God has chosen her for some particular purpose, then, whatever that purpose may be, it must be realised exactly as He has pre-determined. 

With His much-vaunted Omniscience, has He failed to anticipate the obstinacy of Israel? Did He not
know that Israel would prove unfaithful? Does God operate according to a human level of faithfulness?
Does He wait for Israel to make the first move towards reconciliation and reunion? Does He initiate and
stimulate a response from His creatures, or does He merely react to their untoward behaviour? 

We are human and the weaknesses of Israel are only typical of humanity. If He will take away His
solemn promises to the people of Israel for their human weaknesses, what assurance do we have that
He will not take away whatever promises He may make to us because of our human weaknesses? 

Will the infinite God allow finite man to destroy, or detract even an iota from, His glory? Will puny man,
in all his ignorance and stubbornness, be allowed to thwart His pre-determined plan? Will man be able,
through his strength of will and sheer obstinacy, to force God into adopting alternative contingency plans and even into changing His set schedules and pre-determined goals? Will man, therefore, become the operating factor that really decides the future of God's creation, his own happiness for which he was created, and the extent and scope of God's power and glory? 

Will God now go back on His word because Israel has proven to be stubborn and utterly unworthy of His blessings? Will He cut back on His solemn oath that He had sworn to Abraham, and to Isaac, and to Jacob, concerning definite exclusive and distinguishing blessings that he would give to them and their descendants? Will He, in the end, give them only a part of what was originally promised - they having then to share those special privileges with the Church? 

Will the kingdom under David, whom God will raise up to rule Israel, consist of those of non-Jewish
descent who constitute the Church rather than of those of Israel who are spiritually and physically
descended from the patriarchs? 

Let us examine these questions, and find our answers from the Scriptures.
 

The Special Place of Israel

The major portion of the bible is concerned with God's dealings with the nation of Israel, from its humble beginnings to the zenith of its glory. In fact, but for a few exceptions, the various books of the bible are addressed to the nation of Israel, and even those that do address themselves to other nations usually do so with reference to the relationship of these peoples to Israel.

That Israel has an unique place in God's dealings with humanity is evidenced by the many exclusive privileges He has bestowed upon her. 

Psalm 147:19,20  He is telling His words to Jacob, 
His statutes and His ordinances to Israel. 
He has not done so for any other nation, 
And His ordinances, they do not know them at all.  Praise Yah. 

Rom.3:1,2  What, then, is the prerogative of the Jew, 
or what the benefit of circumcision? 
Much in every manner. 
For first, indeed, that theywere entrusted with the oracles of God. 

Rom.9:4,5  who are Israelites, whose is the sonship and the glory 
and the covenants and the legislation and the divine service and the promises; 
whose are the fathers, and out of whom is the Christ according to the flesh, 
Who is over all, God be blessed for the eons. 

Jer.31:35,36  Thus said Yahweh, 
Who is giving the sun for a light by day, 
The statutes of moon and stars for a light by night, 
Quieting the sea when its billows roar, Yahweh of Hosts [is] His name: 
If these statutes depart from before Me, An affirmation of Yahweh, 
Even the seed of Israel does cease from being a nation before Me all the days. 

Jer.31:37 KJV   Thus saith the LORD; 
If heaven above can be measured, 
and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath,
I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done,  [cf. Rom.3:3]
saith the LORD. 

Deut.4:7,8   For what great nation is there which has elohim so near to it 
as Yahweh our Elohim is in all that we call to Him? 
And what great nation is there which has statutes and judgments so righteous 
as all this law that I am putting before you today? 

Deut.4:32-35   For ask now about the former days which came before you, 
from the day that Elohim created humanity on the earth, 
and from one end of the heavens unto the other end of the heavens: 
Has there occurred anything like this great thing, 
or has anything been heard like it? 
Has a people ever heard the voice of the living Elohim
speaking from the midst of the fire just as you heard it, and lived? 
Or has an elohim ever tried to come 
and take for himself a nation from among another nation 
by trials, by signs and by miracles, by war, by a steadfast hand 
and by an outstretched arm and by great fear-inspiring deeds, 
such as all that Yahweh your Elohim did for you in Egypt before your eyes? 
You were shown this to know that Yahweh, He is the only Elohim. 
There is no one else aside from Him. 

Lev.25:55   For to Me the sons of Israel are servants; 
they are My servants whom I brought forth from the land of Egypt: 
I, Yahweh, am your Elohim. 

Deut.7:6   For you are a people holy to Yahweh your Elohim; 
Yahweh your Elohim has chosen you to become His, 
a special people from all the peoples who are on the surface of the ground. 

Deut.26:18,19   As for Yahweh, He affirms today 
that you are to be for Him a special people, 
just as He promised to you, and that you are to observe all His instructions; 
then He promises to give you supremacy over all the nations which He has made, 
for praise, for a name and for beauty, and 
for you to be a people holy to Yahweh your Elohim 
just as He has promised. 

2Sam.7:23,24   And who [is] as Your people, as Israel— one nation in the earth, 
whom Elohim has gone to redeem to Him for a people, 
and to make for Him a name—and to do for you the greatness— [cf. Rom.9:17]
even fearful things for Your land, at the presence of Your people, 
whom You have redeemed to You out of Egypt—
[among the] nations and their elohim? 
Yea, You do establish to You Your people Israel, to You for a people unto the eon, 
and You, Yahweh, have been to them for Elohim. 

2Sam.7:23,24   It was not because your multitude 
was more than all the other peoples that Yahweh was attached to you and chose you, 
for you were the fewest of all the peoples. 
But it was because of the love of Yahweh for you 
and because of His keeping the oath that He had sworn to your fathers 
that Yahweh brought you forth with a steadfast hand 
and ransomed you from the house of servants, 
from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 

Lev.20:24,26   Yet I said to you: You shall tenant their ground, 
and I Myself shall give it to you to tenant it, a land gushing with milk and honey. 
I, Yahweh, am your Elohim, Who separates you from the peoples…. 
So you will become holy to Me, for I, Yahweh, am holy, 
and I am separating you from the peoples to become Mine. 

Isa.41:8-10   Now you, Israel, My servant; Jacob, whom I have chosen; 
the seed of Abraham, My love, whom I encourage; 
from the ends of the land, and from beside it I called you. And I am saying to you, 
`My servant are you. I choose you, and I do not reject you.
You must not fear, for I am with you, 
and you must not take heed for yourself, for I am your Elohim. 
I make you resolute; indeed, I help you.
Indeed, I uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness.'

Deut.10:14,15   Behold, to Yahweh your Elohim 
belong the heavens and the heavens of the heavens, the earth and all that is in it. 
But Yahweh was attached to your fathers to love them 
so that He chooses their seed after them, 
you, out of all the peoples, as it is this day. 

Psalm 33:12   Happy is the nation that has Yahweh as its Elohim, 
The people He chooses as an allotment for Himself. 

Ezek.16:6-14   And I do pass over by you, And I see you trodden down in your blood, 
And I say to you in your blood, Live, And I say to you in your blood, Live.
A myriad--as the shoot of the field I have made you, 
And you are multiplied, and are great, And come in with an excellent adornment, 
Breasts have been formed, and your hair has grown--And you, naked and bare! 
And I pass over by you, and I see you, And lo, your time [is] a time of loves, 
And I spread My skirt over you, And I cover your nakedness, 
And I swear to you, and come in to a covenant with you, 
An affirmation of the Lord Yahweh, 
And you do become Mine. 
And I do wash you with water, And I wash away your blood from off you, 
And I anoint you with perfume. 
And I clothe you with embroidery, 
And I shoe you with badger's skin, 
And I gird you with fine linen, 
And I cover you with figured silk. 
And I adorn you with adornments, 
And I give bracelets for your hands, And a chain for your neck. 
And I give a ring for your nose, And rings for your ears, 
And a crown of beauty on your head. And you do put on gold and silver, 
And your clothing [is] fine linen, And figured silk and embroidery, 
Fine flour, and honey, and oil you have eaten, 
And you are very very beautiful, 
And do go prosperously to the kingdom. 
And go forth does your name among nations, because of your beauty--
for it [is] complete, In My honor that I have set upon you, 
An affirmation of the Lord Yahweh. 

Isa.61:5-9   And aliens will stand and graze your flocks, 
and sons of foreigners will be your farmers and your vineyardists. 
And you, priests of Yahweh shall be called, 
"Ministers of our Elohim," to you shall be said. 
The estate of nations shall you eat, and with their glory you shall change yourselves. 
Instead of your shame, a second portion is yours, 
and for confounding they shall jubilate in their portion. 
Wherefore, in their land a second portion shall they tenant. 
And rejoicing eonian shall come to be on their heads. 
For I, Yahweh, am a lover of judgment, and a hater of pillage by iniquity. 
And I give them their wage in truth, 
and a covenant eonian will I contract with them. 
And known among the nations is their seed, 
and their offspring in the midst of the peoples. 
All seeing them shall recognize them, 
that they are the seed blessed by Yahweh Elohim. 

1Pet.2:9,10   Yet you are a chosen race, 
a "royal priesthood," 
a "holy nation," 
a procured people, 
so that you should be recounting the virtues of Him 
Who calls you out of darkness into His marvelous light, 
who once were "not a people" yet now are the people of God, 
who "have not enjoyed mercy," yet now are "being shown mercy." [cf Rom.11:29-32] 

Hos.1:4,5   And Yahweh is saying to him, Call his name Jezreel, 
for still a little and I visit the blood of Jezreel on the house of Jehu, 
and I cause the kingdom of the house of Israel to cease. 
And it shall come to be in that day that I break the bow of Israel in the vale of Jezreel. 

Hos.1:8-11   …And she is becoming pregnant again and is bearing a son. 
And He is saying, Call his name Lo-ammi, 
for you are not My people, and I am not your I Am Becoming. 
Yet the number of the sons of Israel shall become as the sand of the sea, 
which is not being measured nor numbered. And it comes to be 
in the place in which it was being said to them, Not My people are you, 
there shall it be said to them, sons of the living El.
And the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel shall be convened together. 
And they shall place one head over them, and they shall go up from the land, 
for great is the day of Jezreel. 

Ex.19:3-6  …Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob and tell to the sons of Israel, ….
if you shall hearken, yea hearken to My voice and observe My covenant 
then you will become Mine, a special possession, above all the peoples, 
for Mine is all the earth. …
you shall become Mine, 
a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. 
These are the words which you shall speak to the sons of Israel. 

Rev.1:5,6   and from Jesus Christ, the Faithful Witness, the Firstborn of the dead, 
and the Suzerain of the kings of the earth. 
To Him Who is loving us and looses us from our sins by His blood
and makes us a kingdom and priests to His God and Father,
to Him be glory and might for the eons of the eons! Amen! 

Rev.5:10   Thou dost also make them a kingdom and a priesthood for our God, 
And they shall be reigning on the earth. 

Rev.20:6   Happy and holy is he who is having part in the former resurrection! 
Over these the second death has no jurisdiction, 
but they will be priests of God and of Christ, 
and they will be reigning with Him the thousand years. 

Isa.45:1-5   Thus says Yahweh Elohim to His anointed, to Cyrus, [cf Isa.44:28]
whose right hand I hold fast, to sway over nations before him, 
and the waists of kings will I unloose, to open the doors before him, 
and the gates shall not be closed. 
"I, I will go before you, and mountains will I level. 
Doors of copper will I break, and bars of iron will I hack down. 
And I give to you treasures of darkness. 
And those buried in concealment will I open for you, that you may know 
that I, Yahweh Elohim, calling you by your name, am the Elohim of Israel. 
On account of My servant Jacob, and Israel, My chosen, 
I am calling to you by your name. I am titling you, yet you do not know Me. 
I am Yahweh Elohim, and there is none else. There is no Elohim except Me. 
I am belting you, yet you do not know Me. 

Isa.45:25   In Yahweh shall they be just, 
and in Elohim all the seed of Israel shall boast. 

As He has never done with any other people, God entered into a number of solemn covenants, or contracts, with His Chosen people. 

We propose to set out for examination some of God's appointments and promises in proximity with their fulfilment to enable us to see for ourselves whether or not God is true to His word.

We shall study these under the special covenants God made with this elite nation, viz.,
     (a)  The Circumcision Covenant
     (b)  The Territorial or Kingdom Covenant
     (c)  The Sabbath Covenant
     (d)  The Sinai or Old Covenant and The NEW Covenant
            (with their common points and the vital differences).

Scripture shows us how God set about organising His people into an orderly nation with religious and social systems and regulations.

To facilitate their approach to Him He set up an intermediary system, a priesthood set under Aaron (Ex.4:10-16; 28:1-3, 41; 29:19-21; 30:30) which was not derived from that of Melchisedec (Gen.14:18-20; Heb.11:11,17; 8:3-5). Because God had appointed the tribe of Levi as His priests this system is known as the Levitical Priesthood. 

[ We, on the other hand, do not have a priesthood as Israel had and will have. In reality, there is only ONE Mediator - Christ. He has given us direct access to the Father, God. See 1Tim.2:5-7; 4:9-11 ]

This priesthood was intimately associated with an elaborate and detailed sacrificial system to atone for sins and allow for a fellowship with God. All these are detailed in the book of Leviticus.

[ We have been reconciled to God once and for always through the death of His Own Son and are recipients of God’s righteousness through Christ’s faith. See 2Cor.5:14-21; Rom.5:6-11; 18,19; and Col.1:15-29 ] 

In preparation for Temple service, to be set up when they eventually came into their land of promise at the end of their 40-year wanderings in the wilderness, a compensatory system was established for the priests who officiated according to their turn of office. This was the tithing system, and it applied exclusively and stringently to the land God was allowing them to tenant. The people were compelled to bring their tithes to the Temple only, and nowhere else except on every third year, and only the Levites were permitted to benefit from this ‘rental’ of the land. For some details see Deut.12; Lev.27:30-33; and Mal.3:8-11. 

[ Ours is a voluntary giving from the heart. Even those in ministry cannot use Scripture to enforce any sort of tithing system. See Act.18:3; 20:33-35; 1Cor.4:12; 9:9,14,15; 2Cor.9:7; Gal.6:7,8 ] 
 

Back to:
....Main menu of articles

Proceed to:
....Section 2a & 2b   -   The Circumcision Covenant 
................................    The Kingdom or Territorial Covenant 
....Section 2c & 2d   -   The Sabbath Covenant 
..............................     The Sinai or Old Covenant 
....Section 3   -   Israel's Failure 
....................... . Israel Chastised 
....Section 4   -  God's Good Name 
.........................Still The People Of God 
....Section 5   -  Conclusion