Category: Abrahamic Covenant

Great Faith Among the Gentiles #2

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

“When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel” (Matthew 8:10 KJV).

Let us scrutinize the context in order to see some marvelous Bible truths associated with today’s Scripture, especially why Jesus said what He did.

Comparing today’s Scripture and its context (Matthew 8:5-13) with their companion passage (Luke 7:1-10) provides greater details. Note Luke 7:3-5: “And when he [the centurion] heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this: for he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.”

As soon as the Roman centurion (commander of 100 soldiers) who has a sick and dying servant, hears of Jesus’ entrance into Capernaum, he himself does not approach Jesus. Actually, the centurion knows that he can only access God through Israel, as per the Abrahamic Covenant of Genesis 12:3. He knows that Jesus was sent to the nation Israel and not to Gentiles such as him (Romans 15:8). Thus, he sends some Jewish elders to Jesus on his behalf. Note the centurion loved Israel and he even built the Jews a synagogue. He is one of the few Gentiles who are not saturated with paganism—he recognizes Israel’s God is the true God! (Hence Jesus’ response in today’s Scripture.)

Jesus follows the Jewish elders to the centurion’s house, “And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof: wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee…” (Luke 7:6,7a). Note the centurion still knows he is too unworthy to speak with Jesus personally: he sent Jewish elders and then friends instead. It is not until Jesus comes even closer to the house that the centurion shows himself.

Before we get to this, however, let us go back a bit….

Perfect Timing

Sunday, December 16, 2012

“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” (Galatians 4:4,5 KJV).

As today’s Scripture indicates, the birth of Jesus Christ was no accident—God planned its exact moment from eternity past.

When God placed the first man, Adam, on earth, He purposed that man would “subdue [control] it,” to “have dominion” over it and everything on it (Genesis 1:28). Nevertheless, Adam sinned by joining Satan in his rebellion against God. Because of sin, man was now unable to accomplish on earth what God originally created him to do. God left the human race a promise, however, that there would come a Man, who would do what Adam failed to do. Instead of cooperating with God’s adversary like Adam had, this “seed of the woman” would “bruise [Satan’s] head” (Genesis 3:15).

As we travel up through the Scriptures, we note how God lays the groundwork for that seedline. In Genesis 12:1-3, or 2,000 years after Adam’s sin, we read God’s covenant with Abraham, that through Abraham a nation, Israel, will be born, and salvation and blessing will flow to the Gentiles through Israel. The seed of the woman has now become the seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:16).

In 2 Samuel 7:12-16, and 1,000 years after Abraham, we read of God’s covenant with King David, that “his seed” will inherit his throne and reign forever. Now the seed of the woman and the seed of Abraham is the seed of David.

About 1,000 years after David, Matthew 1:1 speaks of Christ’s birth, and declares, “…Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” This is exactly what God had promised for thousands of years!

Jesus Christ’s birth was not some haphazard event of nature. God the Father had preplanned the exact moment of the incarnation of His Son, Jesus Christ (today’s Scripture). Over a period of some 4,000 years, the three members of the Godhead worked to bring about the birth of man’s Redeemer, a plan they had even before man was created! Amazing!

Jesus Christ: A Minister of the Circumcision #5

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

“Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:” (Romans 15:8 KJV).

Jesus Christ “was (past tense) a minister of the circumcision [Israel].” Although His earthly ministry was limited to Jews, the context of today’s Scripture explains that God was concerned with saving Gentiles in Israel’s program. God did want Gentiles saved, in light of Israel being saved first.…

  • Romans 15:8 (today’s Scripture): Christ came to fulfill Israel’s Old Testament covenants, especially the Abrahamic and Davidic Covenants. Why?
  • Romans 15:9: “And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.” This quotes Psalm 18:49, where Israel confesses to God amongst the Gentiles (evangelizing Gentiles in her kingdom).
  • Romans 15:10: “And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.” This quotes Deuteronomy 32:43, another reference to Israel’s kingdom.
  • Romans 15:11: “And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.” Another reference to Israel’s kingdom (Psalm 117:1).
  • Romans 15:12: “And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust” (Isaiah 11:10). Isaiah chapter 11 describes Israel’s Messiah-King (Jesus) and His earthly kingdom!

Had Israel accepted Jesus as her promised Messiah-King, salvation would have gone to the Gentiles through Israel’s rise to kingdom glory (above verses). Sadly, Israel rejected Jesus Christ. Israel was uncooperative with God in evangelizing Gentiles, but God had a plan. In Acts chapter 9, God initiated our mystery program (Dispensation of Grace) to save Gentiles without Israel. “Through [Israel’s] fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles” (Romans 11:11): in our dispensation, the Apostle Paul, not every Jew, was sent to evangelize Gentiles (verse 13).

Once our dispensation closes (rapture), Israel’s prophetic kingdom program will resume. Then, Christ will establish Israel’s kingdom, and redeemed Israel will evangelize Gentiles (not us, but non-Jews outside of the Body of Christ).

Wow! The wisdom of God! 🙂

Jesus Christ: A Minister of the Circumcision #4

Monday, July 2, 2012

“Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:” (Romans 15:8 KJV).

Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry was to Jews only, with two recorded Gentile exceptions (the Canaanite woman and the Roman centurion). As today’s Scripture indicates, Jesus was in accordance with and came to “confirm” “the promises made unto the fathers….”

In the Abrahamic Covenant (circa 2000 B.C.), God swore to Abram that He would make a nation (Israel) of his lineage, and that His salvation and blessings would go to the world (Gentiles) through Israel: “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:2,3; cf. Genesis 22:18; Genesis 26:4; Genesis 28:14).

According to the Davidic Covenant (circa 1000 B.C.), God promised King David that one of His descendants would rule Israel forever (2 Samuel 7:12-16; cf. Daniel 2:44; Daniel 7:14,18,27; Luke 1:31-33). “Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me” (Psalm 89:35,36).

The covenants were given to Israel, not Gentiles, so Jesus Christ went to Israel. Christ Jesus came to fulfill Israel’s covenants (“confirm [fulfill] the promises [covenants] made unto the fathers [Israel’s patriarchs, especially Abraham and David]” of today’s Scripture). “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1).

Here is God’s method of saving Gentiles in Israel’s prophetic (kingdom) program. Jesus Christ limited His earthly ministry to Israel because Jews were to be saved first by accepting Him as their Messiah-King. Then, He would establish His earthly kingdom, and redeemed Israel would evangelize the Gentiles (Matthew 28:19,20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8)! One day, Israel will be a “kingdom of priests” for that purpose (Exodus 19:5,6; Isaiah 61:6; Zechariah 8:20-23).

Jesus Christ: A Minister of the Circumcision #3

Sunday, July 1, 2012

“Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:” (Romans 15:8 KJV).

Why was Christ’s earthly ministry limited to Israel? Today’s Scripture gives us the answer.

In John 4:22, Jesus explained to a (Gentile) Samaritan, “…For salvation is of the Jews.” The Bible says Jesus Christ came to Israel, to save them from their sins (Matthew 20:28; Luke 1:67-75; John 1:11; Acts 3:26). Jesus, in Matthew 15:24, bluntly declared: “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

But why? Why only Israel? Was Jesus unconcerned about Gentiles being saved? Why was God so focused on saving Israel during Christ’s earthly ministry? Rather than (blasphemously) accusing Jesus of “bigotry” and “racism”—as some foolishly and recklessly assert—we will approach the Bible from the dispensational standpoint, and what amazing clarity there is regarding this oftentimes-confused topic!

When God called Abram (Abraham) about 2000 B.C., He told him: “I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:2,3). God will bless the whole world through the nation He will make using Abraham, and this nation is Israel. This is the Abrahamic Covenant, which was in force until the middle part of the book of Acts.

Isaiah 2:1-4, Isaiah 60:1-3,14, Isaiah 61:6, Micah 4:1-3, Zechariah 8:20-23, and others show that God will bless Gentiles through Israel: Israel will one day be a kingdom of priests, and Jews will evangelize the Gentiles (this is where Matthew 28:19,20 and Mark 16:15 belong: contrary to religious tradition, these verses do not belong to us). This was God’s plan in redeeming Israel first: this is why Jesus Christ was sent to Israel only. God would save Israel first, and then He would use redeemed Israel to reach Gentiles with the salvation He had given them first (still future).

The Children of Israel

Monday, April 16, 2012

“And he said, Thy name shall be no more Jacob, but Israel…” (Genesis 32:28a KJV).

The King James Bible uses the term “the children of Israel” 616 times. Why is this expression important?

In Genesis 12:1-3, the Abrahamic Covenant, the LORD promised Abram that he would father the nation Israel, the seed-line of the Messiah (Jesus Christ). In Genesis 15:4, God promised Abram a son, Isaac, through his wife Sarai. After years of waiting for Sarai to conceive, Abram grew impatient. Finally, he hearkened unto Sarai’s voice and had a son, Ishmael, by her handmaid Hagar (Genesis 16:1-16).

However, God did not promise Ishmael; that was Abraham’s doing (Galatians 4:22,23). God responded, “But my covenant will I establish with Isaac…” (Genesis 17:21; cf. Romans 9:6; Hebrews 11:18). The Abrahamic Covenant was transferred to Isaac, not Ishmael, for Isaac was the son God promised.

Now, Isaac had two twin sons, Esau and Jacob (Genesis 25:21-26). Esau was an ungodly (faithless) man who ignored God’s Word (Genesis 25:31-34; Hebrews 12:16). Jacob, however, was a man of faith (Hebrews 11:21); thus, the Abrahamic Covenant was transferred to Jacob, not Esau (Esau fathered the Arabs [Genesis 25:22,23; Romans 9:11-13]).

Interestingly, the first time “the children of Israel” appears in the Bible is Genesis 32:32, the context of today’s Scripture, when God changed Jacob’s name to “Israel,” meaning “prince of God” (verse 28).

The Bible uses the term “the children of Israel” to remind us that the Abrahamic Covenant belongs to Abraham’s son Isaac and his son Jacob: the Jews are “the children of Israel [Jacob].”  To wit, “the children of Israel” does not refer to literal kids; it designates that the race of people God promised to Abraham, which is the seed-line of Isaac (not Ishmael), and of Isaac’s son Jacob (not Esau).

Why is this significant? Christ’s lineage goes through Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham (Luke 3:23,34), thus fulfilling God’s original goal in creating Israel: to have a bloodline through which the Messiah-Redeemer would be born. Furthermore, the only rightful heirs to Israel’s covenants are the descendants of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the grandson of Abraham (Romans 15:8).

The Little Flock #3

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

“Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32 KJV).

According to the Abrahamic Covenant, God’s purpose in forming the nation Israel was to make her a kingdom of priests through which He would send salvation and blessings to the world (Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 19:5,6; et al.). Sadly, during the 2,000-year period between Abraham and Christ, sinful Israel drifted from JEHOVAH. Furthermore, Satan kept Israel from becoming what God wanted her to be. The devil sent false prophets to deceive and encourage Israel to embrace pagan idol worship (Deuteronomy 13:1-18; Jeremiah 6:13; 2 Peter 1:21–2:3; et al.).

Just before her Messiah-King Jesus comes, the Jews are “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 9:36; Matthew 10:6; Matthew 15:24). So, God sends John the Baptist to “make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:17). John preaches, “Repent ye, the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2).

The Jews who believe and obey John’s message of “the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins” form the “little flock,” the believing remnant in Israel (Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3; Acts 13:24). Contrariwise, the remaining Jews refuse John’s baptism and message, and thus willingly continue in apostasy and spiritual blindness (Luke 7:29,30).

When Jesus’ ministry begins, shortly after John began his ministry, He preaches to Israel the message John proclaimed: “the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15; cf. Matthew 4:17). John’s converts now begin to follow Jesus (their Messiah); this includes the twelve apostles (John 1:40ff).

Jesus then sends the twelve apostles to convert the rest of Israel and continue forming the “little flock” (Matthew 10:5-7). Once Jesus dies, is buried, is raised again, and is ascended, He again sends the twelve apostles to convert the remaining Jews (the first eight chapters of Acts).

Unfortunately, most of Israel remained in unbelief, so God temporarily paused their program and opened our dispensation. But, Israel’s program will resume one day. Then, as today’s Scripture says, God will give the “little flock” their earthly kingdom!

The Little Flock #2

Monday, December 5, 2011

“Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32 KJV).

When God promised the Abrahamic Covenant, He intended to form a nation (Israel) in the earth through Abraham’s son Isaac, and Isaac’s son Jacob (Genesis 12:2). Then, God would establish His earthly kingdom, and through the Jews, God would send salvation and blessings to the Gentiles (Genesis 12:3; Genesis 22:18; Exodus 19:5,6; Isaiah 60:1-3; Zechariah 8:20-23; et al.). Throughout the Old Testament, God continued to form His nation Israel.

However, some 2,000 years after Abraham, during Christ’s earthly ministry, Israel is “the lost sheep” (Matthew 9:36; Matthew 10:6; Matthew 15:24; et al.). Satan has so confused sinful Israel that she has strayed from the commandments and doctrines JEHOVAH gave her through Moses. Israel, as a whole, is in unbelief. As long as Israel is lost (unsaved), she cannot be God’s vessel to bring salvation to the Gentiles.

So, God sends John the Baptist to warn Israel that her kingdom is near and to declare Jesus as her Messiah-King (Matthew 3:2; John 1:6,7; John 1:29-34; Acts 13:23,24; cf. Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1). The few Jews who listen to John the Baptist’s preaching receive his water baptism and become “a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:13-17; cf. Mark 1:1-9; et al.): they form Israel’s believing remnant.

Now, God will not give that earthly kingdom to just any Jew—only Jews who are members of the “little flock” (see today’s Scripture). Matthew 21:43 says God will only give that earthly kingdom to Jews who “bring forth the fruits thereof [the kingdom of God]”—the Jews of faith!

Thus, when the Bible says, “For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel” (Romans 9:6), it means that not every descendant of Jacob (a biological Jew) is God’s Jew (a born-again, saved Jew; see Romans 2:28,29). Not every descendant of Jacob (Isaac’s son) is saved. Only saved Jews (the believing remnant in Israel, the “little flock”) can inherit that earthly kingdom (cf. John 3:3,5).

One day, as today’s Scripture indicates, the “little flock” will receive their earthly kingdom!