1. Grace International Baptist (21 Sep 2025).
1. Intro: Why discuss this Hot Potato?
1.1. To Address the Issues: In the past eighty years or so, the issue of Israel has never been far from the daily headlines. There have been wars, unrest, countless debates in the UN and other places; and this is all the more so in the last 3 years given the unceasing bombardment of Gaza by the modern Zionist state. Christian opinion is divided on this with many feeling that the Zionist state of Israel has to be supported at all costs and there are those who feel that a genocide is taking place against Palestinians, and the world is just doing nothing.
1.2. What I Don’t Want to Do: is to go into the rights and wrongs of the Gaza war or delve into the business of Israeli occupation of the West Bank. That would be using the pulpit for political ends. So, why look at the hot potato? I feel that because there is so much badly- shaped thinking out there that I think it is timely to take a break from our series in the Acts of the Apostles to look biblically, at probably the most controversial issue of our time. I use the words “Badly-shaped thinking” because many Christians have not looked at the issues with a scriptural frame of mind.
1.3. The Plan: I will spend 2 or 3 sessions looking at: 1. Israel: people of promise and failure in the OT. 2. The NT’s perspective of Israel. What is God’s plan for Israel? ****
1.4. My Thesis: I want to avoid the mistake of allowing one’s bias to dictate his views of theology. I wish to speak of the perspective of Israel in today’s biblical economy. My basic thesis is that the Lord scattered biological Israel into the nations for good reason but the OT trajectory is for them to be eventually gathered in the ancient homeland. That begs Qs of what happens to those who are already resident there. Is there not a duty to love them and care for them? We will need to look at Scripture for that and it is unwise just to look at the OT without the NT and vice versa.
I am going to do a general tracing of the bible and ask you to follow me to see the stretch of history and the faithfulness of God. By following the references, you will refresh your understanding of the great themes of both the OT and NT.
2. Covenant
2.1. What is a Covenant: it describes the nature of the relationship between the covenanting parties. It starts with Noah. Yahweh establishes covenant with Noah.
“Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you” (Gen 9:9)
This is a unilateral promise that Yahweh will not destroy the earth and not repeat the flood. Then comes a very significant covenant. Yahweh calls Abram and establishes relationship with him. Note the words:
“And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing . I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Gen 12:2-3)
Yahweh adds to this promise and says, “to your offspring I will give this land” (12:7).
2.2. Covenant and Relationship: means a call from Yahweh to invite and establish relationship with him. It is not a relationship that we did anything to deserve. It is a grace, a blessing and in fact, it defines what we can and cannot do as there are expectations that flow from covenant. Although it is unilateral, i.e. God calls and God establishes, it becomes bilateral as we have to accept the call. How we grow as children of the living God depends on how seriously we accept this call and live accordingly by it. Humans are aware of relationships and we have contracts and agreements but only in the very serious relationships, do we call them covenants such as marriage. The difference between contracts and covenants is a breach means the contract comes to an end. Whereas, sin does not bring the covenant to an end. God is gracious. Just look at how he establishes covenant with Abram.
2.3. Covenant and Land: He tells Abram to bring some animals and divides into half. When the Sun went down, Abram fell into a sleep and a flaming torch passed between those cut pieces of meat. The promise made to Abram is that on his honor, the land will be given to Abram’s descendants. This was like the covenants that tribal chiefs made with each other: if they breach the terms of covenant, may they end up like the cut bodies. We cannot minimize the significance of the promise of land!
3. Covenants Old and New
3.1. Covenants and Covenant: Throughout Israel’s history, Yahweh will make other covenants such as with Moses. The promise given to Moses is
“if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Ex 19:5-6)
The Abrahamic covenant is about the promise of land whereas the Mosaic covenant is about laws. The Mosaic covenant is sealed by blood in Ex 24. However, we have to realize that the laws are fulfilled by the death of Jesus and those laws are replaced by the Great Commandments. The law of love of God and love of our fellow humans! There will be the covenant made with King David in 2 Sam 7 when Yahweh promises that he will establish a kingdom that will last forever that will come from David’s line.