From Kit Culver; Sermon notes
1. Again, God’s covenant relationship with Abraham was the basis of Israel’s election and consecration as His first-born son (cf. Exodus 4:22 and Hosea 11:1 with Isaiah 1:1-4; 30:1-17, etc.). Israel’s covenant sonship was determined and ordered by Abraham’s unique covenant status and God’s purpose that global restoration and reconciliation – in the language of the Abrahamic Covenant, all the earth’s families entering into His blessing – were to come through Abraham’s offspring. Israel was that covenant “seed” in corporate form, and this covenant status established the nation’s unique identity and role with respect to Yahweh, itself, and the world of men.
By divine design, Israel was the focal point in God’s accomplishment of His eternal purpose for His creation. So Israel was obligated to be Israel – the human entity that had prevailed with God (Genesis 32:24-28) and, from its unique vantage point and privilege as son of God, was to mediate the knowledge of Him to the world of men alienated from Him. But Israel failed perpetually in its covenant responsibility, though Yahweh showed Himself lavish and constant in His commitment to love and provide for His covenant son. From Egypt onward Israel’s Father had done everything to ensure its fruitfulness, but all to no avail. Israel would not and could not be Israel, and this brought two crucial consequences:
a. First, God divided the Israelite kingdom – the kingdom promised to Abraham and realized under David, thereby initiating its inexorable decline toward ruination. Both sub-kingdoms (Israel and Judah) were destined for destruction and exile; though Yahweh continued to plead for His son’s repentance, desolation was inevitable.
Replicating the plight of their forefathers (Hosea 11:1-5), both houses of Israel were doomed for exile and captivity outside the covenant land.
b. Second, Israel’s failure – considered from the perspective of the divine oath to Abraham – resulted in Yahweh’s appointment of a new Israel (Isaiah 49:1-6). Failed Israel would give birth to a faithful counterpart: a singular seed of Abraham in whom Yahweh would fulfill His purpose of global restoration and reconciliation. Thus, while God promised the recovery of a Judean remnant from exile and the rebuilding of the holy city and its sanctuary, this temporal restoration only prefigured and affirmed the true restoration to come:
the purging and restoration of all things when the Son of David came and established His everlasting kingdom (cf. Isaiah 44:24-45:7; Jeremiah 29:1-14, 30:1-33:26; Daniel 7:1-14; Hosea 1:1-3:5; Haggai 2:1-9; Zechariah 6:9-15; Malachi 3:1-5).
a. First of all, Israel would fulfill its calling by giving birth to the promised seed of Abraham – the true Israel in whom Israel was to realize its own identity, fullness and destiny (cf. Genesis 3:15, 49:8-10 with Psalm 14; Isaiah 49:1ff; Micah 5:2; John 4:22; Revelation 12:1-5; cf. also Galatians 4:4). b. Jesus Christ is the True Israel and Son of Abraham, but He is accomplishing His work of mediating His Father’s blessing to all the nations through the Abrahamic nation of Israel. He is doing so in two ways, one positive and one negative. - The positive means is through believing Israel – that is Jesus’ Jewish disciples to whom He entrusted the gospel of the kingdom and who became the foundation of the composite Church (Matthew 28:18-20; John 15:26-27; Acts 1:1-8, 2:1-47; Ephesians 2:19-20). - So the negative means is through unbelieving Israel. It was precisely Jewish rejection and hostility that God determined to use as the primary initial instrument for moving His gospel outward to the nations. Thus even Israel’s obstinate refusal to embrace its covenant sonship couldn’t keep it from fulfilling its divine calling to be Yahweh’s agent in bringing His blessing to all of the earth’s families (cf. Acts 8:1-4 and 13:44-52, 18:1-6, 19:8-10, 28:23-28 with Romans 9:1-29).
1. Again, God’s covenant relationship with Abraham was the basis of Israel’s election and consecration as His first-born son (cf. Exodus 4:22 and Hosea 11:1 with Isaiah 1:1-4; 30:1-17, etc.). Israel’s covenant sonship was determined and ordered by Abraham’s unique covenant status and God’s purpose that global restoration and reconciliation – in the language of the Abrahamic Covenant, all the earth’s families entering into His blessing – were to come through Abraham’s offspring. Israel was that covenant “seed” in corporate form, and this covenant status established the nation’s unique identity and role with respect to Yahweh, itself, and the world of men.
By divine design, Israel was the focal point in God’s accomplishment of His eternal purpose for His creation. So Israel was obligated to be Israel – the human entity that had prevailed with God (Genesis 32:24-28) and, from its unique vantage point and privilege as son of God, was to mediate the knowledge of Him to the world of men alienated from Him. But Israel failed perpetually in its covenant responsibility, though Yahweh showed Himself lavish and constant in His commitment to love and provide for His covenant son. From Egypt onward Israel’s Father had done everything to ensure its fruitfulness, but all to no avail. Israel would not and could not be Israel, and this brought two crucial consequences:
a. First, God divided the Israelite kingdom – the kingdom promised to Abraham and realized under David, thereby initiating its inexorable decline toward ruination. Both sub-kingdoms (Israel and Judah) were destined for destruction and exile; though Yahweh continued to plead for His son’s repentance, desolation was inevitable.
Replicating the plight of their forefathers (Hosea 11:1-5), both houses of Israel were doomed for exile and captivity outside the covenant land.
b. Second, Israel’s failure – considered from the perspective of the divine oath to Abraham – resulted in Yahweh’s appointment of a new Israel (Isaiah 49:1-6). Failed Israel would give birth to a faithful counterpart: a singular seed of Abraham in whom Yahweh would fulfill His purpose of global restoration and reconciliation. Thus, while God promised the recovery of a Judean remnant from exile and the rebuilding of the holy city and its sanctuary, this temporal restoration only prefigured and affirmed the true restoration to come:
the purging and restoration of all things when the Son of David came and established His everlasting kingdom (cf. Isaiah 44:24-45:7; Jeremiah 29:1-14, 30:1-33:26; Daniel 7:1-14; Hosea 1:1-3:5; Haggai 2:1-9; Zechariah 6:9-15; Malachi 3:1-5).
a. First of all, Israel would fulfill its calling by giving birth to the promised seed of Abraham – the true Israel in whom Israel was to realize its own identity, fullness and destiny (cf. Genesis 3:15, 49:8-10 with Psalm 14; Isaiah 49:1ff; Micah 5:2; John 4:22; Revelation 12:1-5; cf. also Galatians 4:4). b. Jesus Christ is the True Israel and Son of Abraham, but He is accomplishing His work of mediating His Father’s blessing to all the nations through the Abrahamic nation of Israel. He is doing so in two ways, one positive and one negative. - The positive means is through believing Israel – that is Jesus’ Jewish disciples to whom He entrusted the gospel of the kingdom and who became the foundation of the composite Church (Matthew 28:18-20; John 15:26-27; Acts 1:1-8, 2:1-47; Ephesians 2:19-20). - So the negative means is through unbelieving Israel. It was precisely Jewish rejection and hostility that God determined to use as the primary initial instrument for moving His gospel outward to the nations. Thus even Israel’s obstinate refusal to embrace its covenant sonship couldn’t keep it from fulfilling its divine calling to be Yahweh’s agent in bringing His blessing to all of the earth’s families (cf. Acts 8:1-4 and 13:44-52, 18:1-6, 19:8-10, 28:23-28 with Romans 9:1-29).
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