Israel and the Gospel for Planet Earth
(Shofar Show Good)
 
Christianity and Israel
We are following up last month’s theme of Election with this month’s theme of Israel for the very good reason that they are really one and the same. Israel is the nation whom God elected to bring about His good purposes for the world. Israel’s exclusiveness is not an end to itself but a means to an end that is for the world. When King David was young, he fought many battles on behalf of his nation and won great victories. But at the time when he had grown older, he nearly died in battle because his age was catching up with him. He had to be rescued by one of his “mighty men”, Abashi, and then the army told him that he should no longer go into battle (2 Samuel 21:15-17). Why was this? Was David more important than other men? Was his life more valuable? No. As an individual, David’s life was as valuable as anyone else’s. But we are not merely individuals. David was the figure-head of a community. The community’s honor, security, and sovereignty were represented in the king. Therefore the king had to be protected for the sake of the whole. It is the same with U.S. Presidents. The nation of Israel is very similar in the purposes of God for which she was elected. God doesn’t love Israelites individually more than individuals from other nations. But God’s love for ALL the nations was bound up within God’s purposes for Israel as a whole. This is why Israel’s scriptures are also for the whole world. Israel is especially elect for the sake of the whole world.
Western Christians, and particularly North American Christians, are very confused about all things Israel, whether we are talking about ancient Israel and the Mosaic Law or modern Israel and it’s complicated relationship with the West and with Palestine. On the one hand, we tend to be fanatical supporters of the modern state of Israel, (though, if the truth be told, much of the Western support of the modern state of Israel, if scrutinized, is pretty thoroughly self-centered), and yet, we are largely ignorant of the culture and understanding of ancient Israel, which would provide us with the proper context for understanding her scriptures which we now claim as our own. We would do well to divorce ourselves from our current love affair with the modern state of Israel and to fall in love again with the heart-beat of ancient Israel, particularly the ancient Israel that has graciously provided us with her scriptures. We would do well, in fact, to marry ourselves to the Israel represented in the Apostle Paul who saw Jesus as the Messiah as and the reconstitution of Israel herself; as well as those who were baptized into His name. There is, in fact, no clean break from Judaism into Christianity. Rather, the reconstituted people of God in the Messiah Jesus is like the flower which bloomed at the top of the stem of Israel. For all those who have been baptized into the name of Jesus are now the people of God, the children of Abraham, and God’s Israel.

“For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.”  Galatians 6:15-16 NASB.
Shofar show good…