ISRAEL

TURNING POINT MINISTRIES

I came across some interesting comments from Pastor John Hagee regarding Israel, the Covenant promises, war in the Middle East, etc. One of his comments was …“We support Israel because all other nations were created by an act of men, but Israel was created by an act of God! The Royal Land Grant that was given to Abraham and his seed through Isaac and Jacob with an everlasting and unconditional covenant.” If examined by the Biblical record, does this statement pass the test? It is true that Israel was created by God and given to Abraham and his seed, but who does the Bible identify as his seed and were the promises unconditional? The Lord, speaking to Abraham, declared…“For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth:” (Gen 13:15-16). Again, who are the seed of Abraham? Is this referring to his literal descendants? Well, in Romans 9:6-7, the Apostle Paul under inspiration of the Holy Spirit makes it clear that “…not all Israel, which are of Israel” and he says further that “Neither, because they [Jews] are the seed of Abraham, are they all children:” Why was such a bold and profound statement made? Well, sadly, many Jew’s during the time of Paul, Jesus and the prophets, believed that even in their disobedience and unbelief they were still heaven bound simply because they were the literal decedents of Abraham. Today, Satan has brought this deception into the church by leading many to believe that all is well between them and God even while harboring hatred, living in adultery, rejecting God’s Word and trampling upon His Law. Can we truly say we belong to Jesus while rejecting the precepts of His Word? (Exodus 20:7).It was faith in God (Hebrews 11:8, 17) that led Abraham into complete obedience to God’s Word. The Lord repeated the promises to Abraham’s son Isaac and also reminded Isaac to why Abraham was originally blessed, “Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” (Genesis 26:5). It is this same faith, and its manifestation of loving obedience, which God requires all of Abraham’s decendant’s to follow. And it is here that the dividing line is drawn and the words of Paul in Roman’s 9 become clear. Indeed “…not all Israel, which are of Israel”. Why? Because the requirement was always faith in Christ and the test being obedience to that which is professed to be believed. God requires no more of Abraham’s seed than He required of Abraham, and no more of then literal Israel than He requires of His Church. Hence, neither Jew nor Gentile can claim to be Abraham’s children without fulfilling the Biblical requirement (John 8:39, Romans 2:28-29, John 14:15, Matthew 22:37-39). But Pastor Hagee also said that the covenant promises were “unconditional”. Is this true, does the Bible teach that God places no requirements on those that say they are His? Speaking to Moses, the Lord said “Now therefore, if ye [the Jews] will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people” (Exodus 19:3-5). The prophet Jeremiah goes further and pleads with his people to return to the God of their fathers…” Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. For if [Condition] ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if [Condition] ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; If [Condition] ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.” (Jeremiah 7:3-7). Without a doubt God’s love for man is eternal and without condition. However, salvation, His promises are conditional and based on their faithful obedience to the Lord of the Old Testament and New, In Jesus Christ!