Two Divine Contracts
A serious error that many Bible students make, is to read
all of the Scripture as though it were written to them, and
intended for their obedience. God has given several gospels, or “good news”
messages to individuals and groups of people throughout the Bible. For
instance, when God told Noah to build an ark for the deliverance of his family
from the impending destruction of the flood, that was indeed good news to Noah,
and his obedience to God’s instructions resulted in their salvation. But
because Noah was given those specific orders does not mean that we should
commence building our own ark!
Similarly, when God called Moses to the top of Mt. Sinai to
deliver the Ten Commandments to him, for the nation Israel to obey, the
Israelites responded exuberantly, “All that the Lord has spoken, we will do!” And it was not only the Ten Commandments, but
the over 600 other laws included in the book of Deuteronomy, all of which make
up “The Law”. However, it is clear from later revelation that we that are living
in this current age are not also to be subject to these
regulations. As a matter of fact, we are clearly told by God through the
Apostle Paul that “The Law” which was imposed on Israel, was not given to us,
nor are we supposed to apply any of it to ourselves today to win God’s approval.
“Know that a person is not justified by the works of the
law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ
Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the
law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.” {Gal. 2:16}
“For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart
from the works of the law.” {Rom. 3:21}
If these words had been spoken by Paul in the days of Moses,
he would have been labeled a false teacher and stoned to death, and justly so.
It was not yet time for this message, because Christ had not yet come. You see,
truth heralded in the wrong era is not truth, but a lie. God’s revealed truth
must be applied only in the era for which it is given.
Paul, speaking to Jewish believers in the Galatian assembly
said:
“Before the coming of this faith, we were held in
custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be
revealed. So the law was our guardian until Christ, that we might be
justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer
under a guardian.” {Gal. 3:23-25}
Notice carefully the underlined words in the previous paragraph
indicating specific time frames, “Before”, “Until”, “Now”, “No Longer”.
The Law of Moses containing the Ten Commandments were only
ever applicable to the Jewish nation. Yet we see many good intentioned people
posting the Ten Commandments on signs in their front yards, and strenuously
advocating their posting in the judicial courts and public schools. By doing
this, the implication is that people should return to the Mosaic Law and keep these
commandments of God to win His approval. This misguided idea is that all social
and moral ills can be solved simply by observing “The Big Ten”.
Don’t misunderstand, I am not antagonistic toward The Law, there
is nothing wrong with the Law, it is perfect. The problem is with Adam’s
descendants. This was God’s purpose in giving it to His chosen nation, to
reveal to them their inward corruption and thus their inability to obey it.
Even those religious Jews that believed themselves to be
keeping The Law in Jesus’ days on earth, had to be awakened to the fact that
they had failed miserably to do so. Listen to our Lord’s indictment on them:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit
adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has
already committed adultery with her in his heart.” {Matt. 5:27,28}
Jesus was exposing the truth that even if the outward act is
never committed, they were still guilty before God, for He judges the thoughts
and intentions.
So The Law was instituted by God, not for the purpose of
Israel to successfully keep it, but rather to reveal to Israel their total
inability to keep it!
“For what the law was powerless to do because it was
weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of
sinful flesh to be a sin offering.” {Rom. 8:2,3}
Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and as such, He was the only
One to perfectly obey The Law, both in thought and action. As a result, The Law
is no longer in force, for Israel, or anyone else. It has fulfilled God’s
purpose, to serve as an exposer of man’s depravity and helpless inability.
Israel has now been placed on level with the
rest of the nations. God’s requirement for all mankind today, is
to recognize our inability to be righteous, and rest by faith in Jesus’ work to
secure our salvation by way of The Cross. It’s that simple, no work will
save us, only our faith in Jesus and what He accomplished at Calvary on
mankind’s behalf.
“God made Him (Jesus), who had no sin, to be sin for us, so
that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” {2 Cor. 5:21}
It is a common thing to see a division made between the book
of Malachi and Matthew in our Bibles. Most versions will have a few pages
explaining the 400 “silent years”, where there was no new prophetic revelation
from the Spirit of God to any Jewish prophets. This has become known as the
“Inter-testament” period, where the exploits of the Maccabees against the
Syrian invaders of Israel took place.
So it has become a widely accepted idea that the “Old
Testament” ends with Malachi, and the “New Testament” begins with Matthew’s
gospel. The general understanding of most is that, the O.T. contains Genesis
through Malachi, and the N.T. runs from Matthew through the book of Revelation.
This artificial division of the Scriptures has led to serious error among Bible
students.
The word “testament” is another word for “covenant”, which
is an agreement between the parties involved. Therefore, the O.T. is referring
to the “old agreement” made between God and the nation Israel. We find the
offer of this covenant made at Mt. Sinai in Arabia, when God presents the terms
of the agreement to His chosen nation:
“You
yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’
wings and brought you to myself. 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.’
These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
So
Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all
the words the Lord had commanded him to speak. The people all responded
together, “We will do everything the Lord has said.” So Moses brought
their answer back to the Lord.” {Exodus 19: 4-8}
Israel
made a grave miscalculation of their own abilities to keep the terms of this
testament. They should have realized the inability within themselves to fully
obey. However, God’s purpose in establishing this covenant, was to illuminate
Israel to what was their true spiritual condition. After Moses read all the
required laws for Israel to obey perfectly, they accepted God’s terms, and the
O.T. agreement was established between God and Israel with the
blood of sacrificial bulls:
“Moses
took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he splashed
against the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the
people. They responded, “We will do everything the Lord has said; we will
obey.”
Moses
then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, “This is the blood of
the covenant that the Lord has made with you (Israel) in
accordance with all these words.” {Ex. 24:6-8}
So it
becomes evident to us, that since the O.T. did not begin until Exodus chapter
24, this leaves out the entire book of Genesis, and half of Exodus. This period
could properly be called “Pre- O.T.” times. Now, this may seem to be a
relatively short period of biblical history, but in fact, this time frame
stretched over 2500 years, or over 60% of the period covered in the entire
Bible! During this epoch, God was not dealing with mankind , either in part, or
as a whole, according to any written, revealed standard of requirements! Man
was responsible to God based solely on The Almighty’s revelation of Himself
through nature, and the inward testimony of conscience.
Now
the question comes to mind, “Is this covenant still in force, and if not, when
did it end?” Did God’s testament with Israel conclude at the end of Malachi?
Does the book of Matthew open with the O.T. having been set aside, and the N.T.
being established? No. As a matter of fact, Jesus conducted His whole earthly
ministry under the terms of the Old Testament. This is a shocking statement for
many people, and would seem to be in error, but the testimony of both Jesus and
Scripture will prove it to be so.
We have established that the “Old Testament” (covenant,
agreement) did not begin with Genesis 1:1, but in the 24th chapter of Exodus
between God and the nation Israel at Mt. Sinai, with God giving to them The
Law. This interim totaled about 2500 years after the events of the creation
narrative, and before the giving of The Law. Now that we have determined where
the O.T. began, it is our objective to find out from Scripture if, and when
God’s Old Testament or “contract” with the nation Israel was brought to a
conclusion.
Most readers, due in large part to the wrong division made
between Malachi and Matthew, by the various Bible publishers, assume that the
O.T. ends with Malachi, and the N.T. begins with Matthew’s account of Jesus’
ministry. But, the shocking discovery to many, that Jesus lived His entire
earthly life, and conducted His entire earthly ministry under the constraints
of the Old Testament, brings new light to the events recorded in the 4
gospel narratives. It is when the reader is brought face to face with the fact
that these books were not written to them, or for their obedience, that
the light of truth begins to peel back the layers of tradition, that reveals
precious and life – altering understanding.
First, let’s see what Jesus said concerning the Law of
Moses:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish The Law or
the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
{Matt. 5:17}
It is, sadly, a little known fact among Christendom today,
that Jesus Christ did not come to earth to minister to all people everywhere,
nor were His words meant for all mankind. His message was never intended for
all readers of all eras to obey. “What?, heresy!” you say. But before refusing
to read the rest of this article, let’s remember the rule: God’s truth taken
apart from whom it was intended, and outside the era in which it was given,
ceases to be God’s truth, but a misleading falsehood.
Proclaiming the Jewish Kingdom gospel of repentance and
water baptism today, is no different than preaching Noah’s gospel of an
impending worldwide flood! Both were true at distinct times, but both are false
when proclaimed today. Jesus came to earth to minister only to
God’s chosen nation, Israel.
Listen to Jesus’ own words to a Gentile woman:
A
Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of
David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering
terribly.” Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and
urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
He
answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord,
help me!” she said. He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s
bread and toss it to the dogs.” “But Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs
eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” Then Jesus said to her,
“Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was
healed at that moment. {Matt. 15:22-28}
This
narrative is hard for many to understand. Why would The loving Savior ignore
this Gentile? Was He not compassionate? Did He not love her? Why would He,
after her persistent pleading, balk at her request, on the grounds that she did
not meet the criteria for blessing, not being one of God’s chosen progeny,
(Israel), but a Gentile dog! What is your answer to this seemingly hard –
hearted portrait of the Son of God? True, He ultimately granted her request,
but only after a humiliating encounter in front of the crowd of Jewish
followers.
The
answer to this dilemma is dispensational in nature. A dispensation is a
“dispensing” of something. A pharmacist dispenses medicine according to the
prescription. He is a “steward” over the medication, to give it out exactly as
prescribed by the physician.
Jesus
came as The “Steward”, The Great Physician’s Son, to dispense God’s Truth to
His people, Israel. The “medicine” He came to dispense would have
resulted in healing for God’s rebellious nation. There was nothing wrong with
God’s remedy, but the refusal of the patient to accept it. The prescription was
God’s call for Israel’s repentance that Jesus heralded. The Gentiles had
long before rejected God’s revelation of Himself through nature and conscience.
“For
although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to
him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of
the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds
and animals and reptiles.” {Rom. 1:21-23}
God
has always intended to take the Gentiles to Himself, but that time could not
come before Israel had lost their position of privilege. Would Jesus’ words to
this woman be true today? No. But God’s program for dealing directly with
Gentiles was not yet implemented. God’s revelation to man is progressive. We
must determine what His Truth is for today, and respond
accordingly.
Jesus
was making the point to the Gentile woman that His healing ministry did not
involve her… yet. Jesus was not being unkind to the Canaanite woman, for
He graciously healed her daughter because of her persistent faith. But the fact
remains, this was an exception to the national purpose for which He was
sent. Israel was the nation contracted to God through The Law, and it was for
the purpose of rebuking and bringing spiritual healing to His disobedient
children, that Jesus’ earthly ministry unfolded.
Of course,
we now know that Christ came to deliver all mankind from sin’s curse by means
of The Cross, but that truth was not yet revealed. Paul was called into
God’s service years later, in order to reveal God’s secret purpose for Christ’s
sacrifice.
We cannot read Pauline truth, which was revealed after
Christ’s ascension to Heaven, back into the narratives of Matthew through John.
This is the fatal error of most Bible teachers today, which leads to a false
gospel of faith plus works. As long as Jesus’ earthly
ministry lasted, He, along with every other Jew, was subject to
obedience to the Law contract.
Paul
explains:
“But
when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born
under the Law, to redeem those under The Law (Jews), that we might
receive adoption to sonship.” {Gal. 4:4}
Paul
states further:
“To
the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under The Law (Jews),
I became like one under The Law (though I myself am not under the law), so as
to win those under The Law. To those not having The Law (Gentiles),
I became like one not having The Law (though I am not free from God’s law but
am under Christ’s law [ of love] ), so as to win those not having The Law.”
{1 Cor.
9:20,21}
“Indeed,
when Gentiles, who do not have The Law, do by nature things required by The
Law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have The Law”
{Rom. 2:14}
Returning
to our original question, Did the New Testament begin with Matthew 1:1? If
Jesus was born and lived under The Law, and taught His followers to be obedient
to the imperatives of The Law, which was the Old Testament, how does
Christendom teach this as the beginning of the New Testament?
It
requires a person to totally ignore the Jewish directives given in Matthew
through John in order to cling to their vain tradition of these books
containing God’s message to the Body of Christ. Consider just some of Christ’s
words and actions in these writings:
“Jesus
reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!”
Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, “See that
you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the
gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” {Matt. 8:3,4}
“These
twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the
Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost
sheep of Israel. As you go, Proclaim this message: ‘The Kingdom of
heaven has come near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse
those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received;
freely give.” {Matt.10:5-8}
“And
I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church,
and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” {Matt. 16:18}
“Some
Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to
divorce his wife?” What did Moses command you?” he replied. They said,
“Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”
“It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,”
Jesus replied.” {Mark 10:2-5}
“Good
teacher,” he asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do
you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You
know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit
adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall
not defraud, honor your father and mother. “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I
have kept since I was a boy.” Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing
you lack,” he said. “Go sell everything you have and give to the
poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” {Mark
10:17-21}
“Therefore
I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have
received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you
hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father
in heaven may forgive you your sins.” {Mark 11:24,25}
“The
centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking
him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded
earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, because he
loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” So Jesus went with
them.” {Luke 7:3-5}
“If
people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet
as a testimony against them.” So they set out and went from village to village,
proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.” {Luke 9:5,6}
“The
next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who
takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man
who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not
know him, but The reason I came baptizing with water was that he might
be revealed to Israel.” {John 1:29-31}
“Sir,”
the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on
this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must
worship is in Jerusalem.” “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is
coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in
Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do
know, for salvation is of the Jews” {John 4:19-22}
“Yet,
because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not
come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a boy on the
Sabbath. Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that The Law of
Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s
whole body on the Sabbath?” {John 7:22,23}
It is
from verses like these from the four gospel accounts, that Christendom has
drawn its misplaced doctrines of: A dependence on keeping The Law of Moses
for a right standing and acceptance with God.
1.
A “gospel” which includes MIRACULOUS
HEALINGS, EXORCISMS, and MATERIAL PROSPERITY for those with enough
faith.
2.
CONDITIONAL
FORGIVENESS from God based on forgiving others
their faults against us.
3.
SABBATH KEEPING,
WATER BAPTISM, TITHING, FASTING, and
other religious rituals for acceptance with God.
4.
The PAPACY, with Peter as the
first pope and apostolic succession.
5.
An ecclesiastical PRIESTHOOD,
taught as the only access of the worshipper into God’s presence.
6.
A “gospel” of establishing God’s KINGDOM
on earth through the means of THE CHURCH and its influence over society.
Christendom,
in its various denominations, has taken certain truths that The Savior spoke to
Israel, and misapplied it to themselves for obedience today. Depending on
which teachings they deem to still be in force today, will determine what sect
of Christianity they associate with. What was true for
Israel’s obedience under the Old Testament teachings of the four
gospels, is false for anyone’s mandatory obedience today.
It is the mixing of The Law of Moses from the gospels, with the pure grace
from Paul’s writings, which has created this religious monstrosity of confusion
among believers today.
Paul
tells us the purpose for Jesus’ earthly ministry:
“For
I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of
God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be
confirmed.” {Rom.15:8}
It
was only after the Jewish nation rejected God’s offer of forgiveness for their
breaking the Law contract, and the subsequent crucifixion of His Son, that God
would reveal His outreach to all nations with His offer of amnesty based on the
sacrifice of Christ. The Jew no longer would hold a privileged position in
God’s dealings with men. All mankind would be given access to God on the merits
of Christ’s faithfulness. Works and religious rituals have no place in this
Gospel of Grace. This was Paul’s Good News taken far and wide throughout the
Gentile world. But was this gospel the revealing of the promised New
Testament?
By
God’s astounding grace and patience, the Cross was not the end of the Old
Contract between God and Israel. He continued His dealings with Israel under
the terms of the Old Covenant, even though they had killed God’s Son! As He
hung on the cross, Jesus had requested an extended period of mercy for His
people due to their ignorance, and The Father granted His plea:
“Two
other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they
came to the place called the Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the
criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father
forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided
up his clothes by casting lots.” {Luke 23:32-34}
God’s
Spirit continued to woo the rebellious nation to repentance. From the Jewish
feast of Pentecost, where the 12 apostles began their Spirit-empowered
ministry, imploring the nation to repentance and water baptism, right up to
Paul’s address to Jewish elders at Rome in Acts 28, God gave Israel ample
opportunities to change their minds and hearts concerning their Messiah. God’s
threatened judgment finally fell upon Jerusalem in 70 AD with the mass
slaughter of millions of Jews, and the destruction of Herod’s Temple
representing God’s presence with His people.
The
general idea among Christendom, is that the New Testament began with Matthew
1:1, and therefore everything written from then on is applicable to believers
today. But do most even know what the New Testament is? As we stated before,
“Testament” simply means “Covenant”, “Contract”, or “Agreement”. We know that
the “Old Contract” was made between God and the chosen nation, Israel. So, who
is the “New Contract” to involve?
“The
days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a New Covenant
with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will
not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the
hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke My Covenant, though I
was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. “This is The Covenant I will
make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I
will put My Law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be
their God, and they will be My people.” {Jer. 31:31-33}
The same
parties are to enter into the New Covenant as were involved in
the Old Covenant. It will once again be God and the nation, Israel.
So, has this New Covenant been instituted? Jesus spoke of it at the last supper
with His disciples:
“In
the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the New
Covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” {Luke 22:20}
The
cup of wine represented the blood that Jesus was to pour out, forming the basis
of establishment of the New Covenant with Israel. But does this mean that this agreement
has been implemented? As is evident in the word itself, there must be agreement
between the parties for it to be put in force. Has the nation Israel ever been
reconciled to God in order that the New Testament can be established? Has the
Jewish nation ever repented for the murder of its Messiah?
The obvious answer to these questions is, no. Israel, led by
her leaders, remained defiant against her Messiah, even after the testimony of
Christ’s Apostles during the 40 years after His crucifixion. True, there was a
remnant from the nation that believed, but it was a small minority of the whole
nation.
According
to prophecy, the nation is to be regenerated in a day, and all at once, when
they are brought face to face with The One they rejected. Listen to the
prophets describe that Day:
“And
I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem
a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, The One they have
pierced, and they will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and
grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn Son. On that day the
weeping in Jerusalem will be as great as the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in
the plain of Megiddo. The land (Israel) will mourn, each clan ( tribe)
by itself, with their wives by themselves:” {Zech. 12:10-12}
“I
will surely gather them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious
anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place (Israel) and
let them live in safety. They will be my people, and I will be their
God. I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will
always fear me and that all will then go well for them and for their children
after them. I will make an everlasting (age-lasting) covenant with
them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me,
so that they will never turn away from me.” {Jer. 32:37-40}
This
glorious day awaits the future for God’s covenant people. Israel has existed
without a covenant with God for almost 2000 years. Although the New Covenant
was ratified by Jesus’ blood at Calvary, it has not yet been inaugurated.
That will occur at The Savior’s 2nd coming. This will follow Israel’s Great
Tribulation, whereby God will humble the nation, to prepare them for His
Presence. After the brokenness, weeping, and humble repentance of all the
nation of Israel, there will be a great time of feasting and rejoicing as Jesus
takes His rightful place on the throne of His Kingdom.
“On
this mountain (Jerusalem), the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich
food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats and the finest
of wines. On this mountain (Jerusalem) he will destroy the shroud that
enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up
death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all
faces; he will remove His people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord
has spoken. In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we
trusted in him, and He saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him;
let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” {Isa. 25:6-9}
“At
that time they will call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord,
and all nations will gather in to honor the name of the Lord. No longer will
they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.” {Jer. 3:17}
Just
before The blessed Savior went to the Cross, He looked down upon the rebellious
city of Jerusalem and mournfully cried:
“Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how
often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her
chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to
you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is
He who comes in the name of the Lord.” {Luke 13:34,35}
Yes,
the New Testament will be inaugurated with Israel at some future
date. This will be an agreement that will last, for it will be a Covenant that
Israel will never break! The reason for this, is that God’s Spirit will indwell
and empower His people to obey every desire of their Father.
“They
will not labor in vain, nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune; for
they will be a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants
with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will
hear. The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw
like the ox, and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor
destroy on all My holy mountain (Jerusalem),” says the Lord.” {Isa.
65:23-25}
Saul
of Tarsus was a Jewish zealot that considered Jesus of Nazareth to be a false
messiah. He was actively seeking out any followers of Jesus to arrest and
execute them if they refused to recant, and repudiate their allegiance to Him.
After Jesus appeared from heaven to Saul, and saved His fiercest enemy, he
became the Apostle Paul. One of his greatest joys was found in God’s revelation
pertaining to the ultimate salvation of his beloved nation, Israel.
“For
I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest
you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has
happened to Israel… UNTIL the fullness of the Gentiles has
come in. And so, all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The
Deliverer will come out of Zion (Jerusalem), And He will turn away
ungodliness from Jacob (Israel);
For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.” Concerning the gospel they are enemies for
your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the
sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are
irrevocable.” {Rom. 11:25-29}
Those
that refer to themselves as “covenant believers” believe that God is through
with the Jacob’s progeny. From their perspective, God has forever cast away His
chosen nation, Israel, and has replaced them with The Body of Christ. They
believe that The Church has inherited all the blessings that were promised to
national Israel (minus the curses), and that these earthly promises must be
“spiritualized” to understand what God really meant by these passages of
national restoration.
It is
evident that Paul did not interpret these promises to Israel in this manner. He
believed these passages to be literally applied to the Jewish nation, and his
constant references to them in contrast with The Body of Christ, is undeniable.
He first sought out the Jewish worshippers in their synagogues in every Gentile
city he visited on his journeys, and made several pointed visits to Jerusalem
to address his beloved people in a vain attempt to open their eyes to Christ.
He was deeply grieved at the stubbornness of his fellow Jews, and mournfully
stated:
“For
I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my
countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom
pertain the adoption, the Glory (Shekinah), the covenants, the
giving of The Law, the service (priesthood) of God, and the
promises; of whom are the fathers (patriarchs) and from whom,
according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally
blessed God. Amen.” {Rom. 9:3-5}
How
could Paul have stated Israel’s identity any clearer? Those that have deluded
themselves into believing that they are the true Israel, must close their eyes
completely to the clear witness of hundreds of scriptures dealing with national
Israel’s future forgiveness and restoration. This is the very same Israel that
God miraculously delivered from slavery in Egypt, and gave them the promised
land of Canaan as a lasting possession. Their failure to retain the land was
due to their disobedience, and breaking of The Law contract.
Israel’s
miserable failure to do what they had promised was no surprise to God. He had
presented them with His requirements in order that they
would break them! It was impossible for any Israelite to keep these 600+ laws
perfectly, let alone a whole nation of sinners!
In
order for them to see themselves in the light of perfection, The Law was an essential
tool. It was a mirror for the sinful nation, to see themselves in comparison
with absolute holiness.
Israel should have recognized their weakness in the flesh,
and after experiencing constant failure, implored the Lord to renegotiate the
terms of The Contract. But sinful man turns a blind eye to his own faults, and
always blames his failures on someone or something other than himself. The Law
was the perfect illuminator for sin, but the Jewish people as a whole refused
to gaze into its perfection, and so continued in their darkness.
But
God had the solution to Israel’s failing, and will yet reveal it to them. Based
on the fact that His Son absorbed the penalty for Israel’s (and all mankind’s)
sin, He will institute the New Covenant, and because they will be indwelt by
His Spirit, He will keep The Agreement through them and on their behalf
perfectly!
There
is a sense wherein believers in Paul’s gospel are made partakers of the New
Covenant ahead of national Israel. The wonderful thing about the New Covenant,
is that The Spirit of God will fill the Jewish nation of that day, in order
that they will do the will of God from the heart. Paul draws the similarity
with those that believe in Christ before that glorious day of Israel’s filling
by The Spirit:
“Not
that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our
competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a New
Covenant—not of the letter but of The Spirit; for the letter kills,
but the Spirit gives life.” {2 Cor. 3:5,6}
The
Spirit empowerment of the New Agreement will accomplish unparalleled joy and
prosperity for Israel, but the pre-believers of the good news concerning
Christ, receive the filling of God’s Spirit now, ahead of national Israel! It
is the believer’s seal of God’s ownership that was meant to provoke jealousy
among the chosen people that God has sidelined for now.
Paul
explains:
“What
then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain.
The elect among them did, but the others were hardened, as it is
written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see and ears
that could not hear, to this very day…Again I ask: Did they 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!” {Rom. 11:7,8,11,12}
The book
of Hebrews was written shortly before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman
army in 70 AD. Israel was at the point of no return. She not only had murdered
her Messiah in blind hatred of His testimony against her, but stubbornly
refused to repent of her heinous sin in spite of the call to repentance by
Peter and the 11 apostles.
After
Spirit-filled Stephen was murdered, following his indictment on the nation’s
leadership, there was no remedy remaining. Israel had rejected The Father, The
Son, and the holy Spirit of Father and Son. The judgment of Gehenna’s fire was
about to be ignited outside Jerusalem by the Roman military. The Old Covenant
was about to disappear in Temple flames, this is what the writer of Hebrews
alludes to:
“For
if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would
have been sought for another. But God
found fault with the people and said: “The days are coming, declares the
Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with
the people of Judah…. By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the
first one obsolete; and WHAT IS OBSOLETE AND OUTDATED WILL SOON
DISAPPEAR.” {Heb. 8:7,8,13}
During
the nearly 2000 years between the end of the Old Contract and the inauguration
of the New with Israel, God has been dealing with all men everywhere, not based
on a performance contract for the benefit of a select few, but based on the
blood of God’s Son as a benefit for all. He has laid the guilt of mankind upon
Him, in order that we may have free access to The Father of the universe! The
Blood that ratified Israel’s New Testament, was the same that God secretly
decreed to be the basis for the salvation of His whole creation!
The
Apostle Paul was commissioned by the risen, exalted Savior to herald this
secret message everywhere. There has never been greater or more liberating news
than this! God is not measuring men now according to their ability or success
in keeping a list of rules, but only by whether they believe Paul’s astounding
message concerning Christ and His accomplishment for mankind upon the Cross.
Israel
is the example to the rest of the human race, of the utter and complete failure
of man’s ability to obey God according to a performance based contract!
Believing God’s declaration of Grace to all mankind based SOLELY
on Jesus’ sacrifice, is what saves us today. Christendom has for the most part
lost this glorious message of Grace alone. Instead, her leaders send their
people back to the Old Testament books of Matthew through Acts, and Hebrews through
Revelation to get their doctrines of salvation.
God
saved Saul of Tarsus in an apocalyptic manner. On his way to arrest Jesus’
followers in the Gentile city of Damascus, Syria, with the intent to return
them to Jerusalem for trial and probable execution, Saul was confronted by the
risen, exalted One he was fighting so intensely against. From man’s
perspective, this was Christ’s opportunity to powerfully put fear into any that
would dare to do harm to His followers. But instead of a public vaporization of
His fierce enemy, Jesus’ words to Saul were conciliatory toward him: “Saul,
Saul, Why do you persecute Me?” God did not deal so graciously toward His
people’s foes under the Old Contract with Israel.
“Then
he (King Ahaziah) sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. The
captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to
him, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down!’” Elijah answered the captain, “If
I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your
fifty men!” Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men.” {
2 Kings1:9,10}
It is
evident that such a high profile antagonist as Saul, was being dealt with not
according to Law, but Grace. Paul was to receive a series of secret messages
from the ascended Christ, and our Lord was exhibiting His patience and
longsuffering with Saul which would be a hallmark of this new Gospel message.
Paul comments on this goodness of the risen Savior:
“I
thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me
trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and
a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance
and unbelief. The GRACE of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly,
along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” {1 Tim.
1:12-14}
And
why was Christ’s grace poured out abundantly upon Paul? It was
because Paul was to be the first saved under God’s new order of The Mystery.
Paul continues…
“Steadfast
[is] the word, and of all acceptation worthy, that Christ Jesus came to the
world to save sinners -- FIRST of whom I am; but because of this
I found kindness, that in ME FIRST Jesus Christ might show forth
all long-suffering, for A PATTERN of those about to believe on
him to life age-during:” {1 Tim. 1:15,16 (YLT)
Some
translations use the word “Worst” instead of “First” for the Greek word
‘Protos’. Paul is not declaring that he was the “worst of sinners”, but rather
that he was FIRST in position. As Christ’s foremost
enemy, Saul was known far and wide to many people as “The Enemy” of “The Way”.
It was for this very reason, as the high profile persecutor of believers, that
Christ made Paul “a pattern” for the dispensing of His abundant Grace.
Paul was the pattern in which Jesus would deal with His enemies from that time
onward. As Paul was saved dramatically outside the land of
Israel, his salvation was the outline for God shifting His focus of ministry to
the Gentile nations.
True,
Saul was a Jew, but he was also a Roman, which gave him dual citizenship with
both Jewish and Gentile privileges, which he employed several times during his
ministry. Thus, he represented both Jew and Gentile in one man, a perfect
picture of what God’s secret ‘new man’ consisted of. He also assumed the
Gentile form of his Jewish name, Saul, for he will ever be known by his Greek
name, Paul.
Paul
became known as “The Apostle of the Gentiles”, for God had begun setting aside
His chosen nation in order to deal with all men equally, based on the
sacrificial Blood of His Son. This was not possible until the Old Covenant was
finally ended by God, and Israel became “Lo-Ammi”, or “Not My People”. They
were relegated to just another one of the nations on earth, the position they
were in before being set apart to God. Under Paul’s stewardship, there is now
no difference.
“As
Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For
there is NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JEW AND GENTILE—the same Lord is
Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on
the name of the Lord will be saved.” {Rom.10:11,12}
This
was not the case before Israel’s cutting off from God’s blessing. They held the
special position of “Firstborn Son” among all the nations. God had placed them
there for a special purpose: to be a LIGHT to the
Gentiles, so that all nations would be drawn to Israel’s God.
“Then
say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is My firstborn son,
and I told you, “Let my son go, so he may worship me.” {Exo. 4:22,23}
And
as the prophet Isaiah spoke concerning Israel:
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and
the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick
darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you (Israel) and his
glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to
the brightness of your dawn.” {Isa. 60:1-3}
As is
evident from this last passage, Israel will yet fulfill the role that God has
for her when her children are filled with The Spirit of God at the inauguration
of the New Covenant. National Israel will return to that
special place, not because God loves them more than any other people, but
because He chose them to become His servants to minister to all the
nations of the earth! See, God never chooses any individual, or group, or
nation to bless ONLY them, but as a vehicle to minister to
ALL! Israel will yet be a useful tool in the hand of The
Almighty God, to bring all people to Himself.
It is
a great privilege to be an instrument in the hands of The Almighty. But there
is a biblical principle that must not be ignored. “To whom much is given… much
will be required”. This was eminently true for national Israel. She had every
possible place of privilege any people could have, and yet human greed and
depravity turned her blessings into curses.
However,
God never begins a work that He fails to bring to completion. This is
especially true concerning His rebellious chosen nation. When Israel’s Messiah
reveals Himself in heavenly splendor at His 2nd coming to earth to inaugurate
the New Covenant with His long lost people, the scales will fall from their
blind eyes, and they will grieve for their rebellion against their Savior. The
prophet Zechariah gives us the scene of that great day of recognition and
repentance:
“And
I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem
a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one
they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child,
and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. On that
day the weeping in Jerusalem will be as great as the weeping of Hadad
Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. The land will mourn, each clan by itself,
with their wives by themselves: the clan of the house of David and their wives,
the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives, the clan of the house of
Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, and all the rest
of the clans and their wives.” {Zech. 12:10-14}
When
Israel is finally restored under the New Covenant, her people will be
supernaturally empowered to accomplish that purpose for which God made them.
They will finally bring praise to His Name and joy to their hearts and the
hearts of all people on earth.
It is
wrong to declare that Israel as a national people have no future place in God’s
plans and purpose. As Paul explains to us in Romans 11:26-29
“The
deliverer will come from Zion;
he
will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
And
this is My Covenant with them
when
I take away their sins.”
“As
far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as
election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for
God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.”
Man’s
religious tenets and creeds are short-sighted and arrogant. They seek to erase
national Israel from God’s on-going process of discipline that brings forth illumination,
humility, repentance, and reconciliation.
Saul
of Tarsus was an example of what The Father will ultimately do for the entire
nation, as he was brought to his knees at the appearance of Jesus from heavenly
glory on the road to Damascus.
Israel
serves as an example of how God will deal with all the nations of earth, all rebellious
sons of Adam. His grace is super-abundant, and will overcome every obstacle
erected by wayward humanity. Adam’s progeny have missed the mark, but Christ
Jesus scored a bull’s-eye! He has rescued the whole race through His Cross work
of deliverance. I leave you with glorious news from the pen of The Apostle Paul,
but more importantly, from the loving heart of The Father in glory, Praise be
to Him!
“Consequently,
just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all
people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification
and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of
the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of
the one man the many will be made righteous.
The
law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the
more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might
reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our
Lord.” {Rom. 5:18-21}
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