Israel: A Chosen People In A Promised Land - Part 2

BIBLICAL HISTORY

As a Christian the scriptures found within the Bible form the basis for my perceptions, worldview, and connection to the world around me and its history – both modern and ancient - and so it should for all Christians. Furthermore, every Christian has their spiritual heritage grounded in Judaism and the Jewish culture which is inherently entwined with the biblical scriptures. The Bible is written by Jews, about Jewish history, illuminating and describing a Jewish messiah that is the salvation of the world. The Bible is the history of the Jewish people and their special connection to Yahweh (God).

For Christians, it serves as the centrepiece for our understanding and connection to God – how we should live, how we should act according to our faith, and the elements defines our faith in Jesus Christ. As such, the Bible has much to say about Israel as a nation, and the Jewish people – both in antiquity and for modern times.

            When we seek to investigate the biblical history of Israel as a nation and as a people group it is difficult to know where to start. Rather than starting with God’s promise to Abraham, I would like to begin with Numbers 23:19, as it sets a theological, logical, and divine foundation for the existence of the nation of Israel.

Numbers 23:19 (NIV) states… “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?”

Here we see a definite depiction of the nature and character of Yahweh. We know that this is a sincere and true depiction, not because some wise prophet or Levitical priest spoke these words – but rather because an angelic messenger spoke them, and they are in fact the words of Yahweh Himself. So, from the very beginning of this study we are going to rightly assume that these words are everlasting truth. Therefore, any and every promise given to any individual, group of people or nation will be fulfilled to the glory and honour of Yahweh, because he never lies and will do what he sets out to do in His perfect will. Furthermore, Yahweh speaks of His nature and character again in Isaiah 55:11, or perhaps even in 2 Timothy 2:13.

Isaiah 55:11(NIV) states…“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

2 Timothy 2:13 (NIV) states “…if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.”

Now that we have established that whatever Yahweh says will happen, will happen, and whatever He sets out to accomplish will be accomplished – we can look at what the holy scriptures of the Bible say about Israel.

GOD’S PROMISE:

The biblical concept of a nation of Israel and a ‘Chosen People’ stems from God’s promise to Abram. The first of the promises (yes multiple promises) God gave to Abram begin in Genesis 12.

Genesis 12:1-3 (NKJV) states… “Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

In these verses, Yahweh is talking directly to Abram, he sets out a future plan for his family, and the global impact that his family was to have – namely that the nation of Israel would stem from it, and so too the Ha-Mashiach, the ‘Messiah’. Within this promise, we see two distinct features of the future revelation and fulfilment of God’s will.

These are:

A)    The promise of a land of their own – for all the descendants of Abram.

B)    The promise of becoming a nation of people.

These two concepts and promises form the very foundation of the argument for the right of existence for the current nation of Israel. This is a promise that has extended for thousands of years – namely because the word of God never fades, and never becomes irrelevant. Once something is established by God it can never be destroyed nor overcome. In the pages and discussions that follow we will see this repeated many times.

Each of these promises will be discussed in the following sections, as there are many scriptures further detailing the extent of the promise to Abram first seen in Genesis 12.

To view the other parts of this study, and to access the entire document (when uploaded) please follow this link —> Israel: A Chosen People In A Promised Land - Study Page