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Christians are quick to remember how G-d has severely disciplined
Israel for violating the Mosaic covenant and rejecting Y'shua as
the Messiah. But they forget that didn't abrogate His unconditional
love and covenant commitment to Israel through His promises to Abraham.
G-d calls Israel to turn from her backsliding, loves her with an
everlasting love, and with lovingkindness He is drawing her back
unto Himself [Jer. 3:22 & 31:3].
2 Chron. 20:7 Art not thou our G-d, who didst drive out the inhabitants
of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed
of Abraham, thy friend, forever? G-d will never forget His promises
to Abraham.
In Jer. 31:31-37 G-d reveals His desire to make a New Covenant
with the Houses of Israel & Judah. This covenant would not be
like the Mosaic one, but would provide forgiveness and forgetfulness
of their sins. Verses 35-37 are of particular interest for any that
would think that G-d has cast off Israel for their sins.
Jer. 31:35-37 Thus saith the L-RD, which giveth the sun for a
light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and the stars for
a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof
roar; the L-RD of Hosts is His name. If those ordinances depart
from before me, saith the L-RD, then the seed of Israel also shall
cease from being a nation before me forever. Thus saith the L-RD;
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 they have done, saith the L-RD.
The implication from these verses is that G-d has no intention
of casting off His people, to which the Apostle Paul says, G-d forbid
[Rom. 11:1]. The Apostle Paul explained how G-d consigned the Jewish
people to unbelief so that through their rejection of Y'shua as
the Messiah, the Gentiles might accept the Gospel, provoking the
Jewish people to jealously [Rom. 11:11]. By provoke, I believe it
means a tangible expression of G-d's agape' love for the Jewish
people along with a genuine demonstration of the Jewishness of the
Gospel
G-d Is Restoring His Covenant People To Their Covenant Land!
In Ezekiel 36:16-38, we see that even though G-d is furious with
the unfaithfulness of His people, that He will still fulfill His
promises to them, if only for His Holy name's sake! He foretells
His returning the children of Israel to their land and then to Himself,
from all the nations where they were scattered by His judgment.
Ezek. 36:24 & 28 For I will take you from among the nations
and gather you out of all the countries, and I will bring you
into your own land. And you shall dwell in the land that I gave
to your fathers; and ye shall be My people, and I will be your
G-d.
When Jacob fled from his brother Esau and camped at Beth-El, G-d
reconfirmed to him the promise He had made with his forefathers.
G-d was reiterating to Jacob, the eternal, unconditional promise
He had made to Abraham and to Isaac
Gen. 28:13-14 And behold the L-RD stood above it and said, I
am the L-RD G-d of Abraham, thy father, and the G-d of Isaac.
the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy
seed. And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou
shall spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north,
and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families
of the earth be blessed.
We Can Testify to the Covenant Faithfulness of G-d
In all of this I am attempting to present a clear testimony of
G-d's covenant faithfulness. G-d is the original Promise Keeper.
When He makes a covenant, He keeps it. Though we have broken the
covenant, G-d has kept His end of the promise, in spite of our sins
[Rom. 11:28-29]. He brought us back to the land after almost 2000
years of dispersion. Since Israel's independence - May 1948 and
Jerusalem's reunification - June 1967 He has begun to bring multitudes
of Jewish people face-to-face with their Messiah [Luke 21:24 &
Rom. 11:25-26]. Where would the Church be today if G-d treated New
Covenant believers as some teach He has treated Israel? The New
Covenant is unconditional grace, but Abraham's Covenant is not?
Something is very wrong with this picture. "The L-RD never
changes, therefore the sons of Jacob are not consumed (Malachi 3:6)".
I humbly request that you consider the scriptures I have shared
and the biblical citations I've included. I trust they will enable
you to understand Israel's divine right to the Land. Not to negate
G-d's love for the Palestinians, for He does love them equally.
He has very good plans in store for all the Arab peoples of that
region [Isa. 19:19-25] I believe that it is G-d's will for us to
clearly and justly affirm His eternal commitment to all of His covenant
people. It glorifies His Holy name, by testifying of His covenant
faithfulness! May G-d grant us His shalom as we ponder His eternal
promises.
Messianic Rabbi Ed Rothman
Seed of Abraham Messianic Congregation, St. Louis Park, MN
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