Natural Israel
The God of scripture has always had a chosen people to accomplish His purpose on earth. From the promise of Abraham and the initial formation of Israel with Moses in Exodus, to the clear prescription on their behalf in The New Testament, Israel, the Jewish Nation, is special to God. Look at multiple statements to this end in scripture:
Genesis 12:3 NASB95
And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
Exodus 19:3-6 NASB95
Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: [4] ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. [5] Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; [6] and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”
Numbers 24:8-9 NASB95
“God brings him out of Egypt, He is for him like the horns of the wild ox. He will devour the nations who are his adversaries, And will crush their bones in pieces, And shatter them with his arrows. [9] “He couches, he lies down as a lion, And as a lion, who dares rouse him? Blessed is everyone who blesses you, And cursed is everyone who curses you.”
Isaiah 41:9-10 NASB95
You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, And called from its remotest parts And said to you, ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and not rejected you. [10] ‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
Romans 1:16 NASB95
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Romans 11:1-6 NASB95
I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. [2] God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? [3] “Lord, they HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE.” [4] But what is the divine response to him? “I HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL.” [5] In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice. [6] But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.
While most of these scriptures are self explanatory, look just a bit closer at Romans 1:16. God even prescribes the preaching of His wonderful gospel in a distinguishing way. Scripture clearly states that the good news should be shared with the Jew first. While there are a number of good reasons for this action, primary among them is the model of God’s faithfulness against all natural odds and the ability of a people to self sabotage (see Romans 15:4 among many other passages). The Church, God’s by Faith in Christ, cannot speak of His faithfulness while maintaining a narrative that The God of Israel has given up on them and revoked the promises that He made to this unique nation and people. It is ironic that The Church, using Romans 1:16 as a foremost verse for the basis for evangelistic outreach, largely ignores the portion of it that specifically states to be dedicated to reaching out to the Jewish people. This key must and will be restored to the message that Jesus is the answer to the spiraling condition of the world.
The Gospel & The Church
The word for gospel in scripture literally means good news. By faith (see Eph 2:8, Rom 10:9-10, etc.) anyone can become part of God’s plan and purpose on earth.
1 Peter 2:9 NASB95
But you are a CHOSEN RACE, A royal priesthood, A holy NATION, a PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
With Christ in a person’s heart, they are chosen and distinct with a clear purpose. In whatever place in society a Christian influences, they are called to proclaim how great Jesus is and that He loves everyone. Because Christ truly changes a person and makes them both different from who they were before knowing Him and distinct from the world they live in, they are all called as messengers of His redemption and power. He can and will change the most despicable characteristics of people and impossible situations facing mankind. The fruit of our lives and the words of our mouths should herald this truth.
Understanding why we must know we are chosen
Consider the cause and effect of 1 Pet 2:9. Because you know that you are chosen by God, you are able to speak about the wonder of His promises. Conversely, when this comes into question, the ability to preach the good news is compromised. It should come as no surprise that the enemy of God’s people wants the world and even the church to declare that Israel is forgotten and no longer beloved of God. Using the same methodology, the devil will use every difficult circumstance, disappointment by another, and personal failure to lie to individuals and make them think they aren’t loved by God. He cannot stop the word (1 Pet 1:22-25, Heb 4:12, 1 John 4:4, etc.) of God so he wants to shut down those called to deliver it!
Words from My Mother
One of the great examples of faithfulness in my life is my mother. She has been a rare example of unwavering support and love for her family and others even when their behavior didn’t warrant such support. When I was very young she told me, “The whole world has tried to destroy Israel, God won’t allow it. NEVER turn against Israel.” She was right and the scripture supports her life long observations.
Likewise, we cannot let the enemy convince Christians that we are unworthy to be used by God. Even if you have made mistakes with significant consequences, Christ remains steadfast in His love for you. Some choices result in both suffering and loss that didn’t have to occur. BUT if you will turn to God and continue following Him, He will still find a way to bring good out of the sin/failing.
Romans 8:28 NASB95
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
The time for repentance, healing and the righting of baseless self loathing is now. God is about to pour out His Spirit in a profound way. In preparation to participate in this do two things:
1) Pray about being a practical blessing to the nation of Israel and reaching out to Jewish people wherever you are called to live and minister.
2) Open your heart up to His scrutiny and let him change whatever part of you that doesn’t believe that you are special and marked for His purpose.
Comments 1
Jeremiah 31:35, 36
Thus says the Lord, Who gives the sun for a light by day and the fixed order of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, Who stirs up the sea’s roaring billows or stills the waves when they roar–the Lord of hosts is His name:
If these ordinances depart from before Me, says the Lord, then the posterity of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me throughout the ages.