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Jodi Hughes

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Jodi Hughes

April 21, 2024 8:07 pm

THEOLOGY JOLT WHO IS “ISRAEL?” 700 years after Moses, the prophet Hosea ministered in the northern kingdom of Israel. During the early part of Hosea’s ministry, Jeroboam II ruled over Israel, and ... View MoreTHEOLOGY JOLT WHO IS “ISRAEL?” 700 years after Moses, the prophet Hosea ministered in the northern kingdom of Israel. During the early part of Hosea’s ministry, Jeroboam II ruled over Israel, and the northern kingdom enjoyed great prosperity. But spiritually and morally, the Israelites were bankrupt, having fallen into idolatry that would ultimately cause God to drive them out of their land in 722 BC. The people had failed to be what God called them to be—a royal priesthood and a light to the nations (Exodus 19:5–6; Isaiah 42:6). This failure occurred despite God graciously adopting Israel as “His son.” (Hosea 11:1) – “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt, I called My son.” Israel was not true to its identity as “a son” and was finally cast out of the land. But Hosea also saw that God’s anger against His people would not last forever; He would provide a renewed Israel who would serve the Lord faithfully. That hope for a new Israel—a true Israel that would embody all that God called Israel to be—persisted across the centuries into the New Testament era. This hope was finally fulfilled in the incarnation of God’s true Son by nature, Jesus Christ. Matthew tells us that Jesus fulfills Hosea 11. (Matthew 2:13-15) When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my Son.” Jesus is the true Israel, the faithful Israel who succeeds where the Old Covenant Israel failed. Like ancient Israel, Jesus: *Came up out of Egypt (Matt. 2:13-15) *Passed through the waters in baptism - Matt. 3:13-17) *Was tested in the wilderness (Matt 4:1- 11). Compare to Ancient Israel: *Came out of Egypt (Ex. 12:40-42) *Passed through the waters at the Red Sea (Ex.14:1-31) * Was tested in the wilderness (Ex. 16:4) Unlike Old Covenant Israel, however, Jesus passed the test. He is therefore worthy to be called God’s Son because of Who He is in His deity and because of what He accomplished in His humanity. The good news of the Gospel tells us that we can be the true Israel of God as well. If we are in Christ, we share the privileges and relationship He enjoys as God’s true Son. We are spiritual sons of God by adoption, His beloved children in Christ. Therefore we inherit all of the promises given to Old Covenant Israel. Those promises of God that Israel would rule over her enemies and enjoy abundant covenant blessings. The New Covenant through Jesus, the Body of Christ, has become the New Jerusalem – “Spiritual Israel In contrast to natural Israel, spiritual Israel finds residence not in earthly Jerusalem but in heavenly Jerusalem. (Galatians 4:26; Hebrews 12:22). Galatians 4:26 - “… but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.” Hebrews 12:22 “But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly…” We experience God through the power of the indwelling Spirit of Jesus. Circumcision, a physical act done that ceremonially sets Jews apart, has now become a circumcision of the heart by the Holy Spirit (Romans 2:29). The Holy Spirit calls God’s people into a new humanity - God’s spiritual Israel (Galatians 6:15-16). The coming of the Holy Spirit, the empowering personal presence of Jesus, fulfilled the prophetic promises that God would one day initiate a New Covenant relationship with mankind. The prophets foretold this covenantal relationship would not be based on external rules and regulations but on God’s unconditional love, total forgiveness of sin, and an experiential knowing of Him (Jeremiah 31:33; Ezekiel 36:25-27; Isaiah 59:21). God’s people are now guided by the presence of the Holy Spirit, not rules and regulations (2 Corinthians 3:17). Since Jesus is the true Israel and we abide in Him, we share that identity. The true Israel is not a “a political state”, Israel is a Person! Therefore – The modern-day political state of “Israel” is not the true Israel of God – we are - in Christ! The true Israel of God is the Prince of Peace. The true Israel of God does not hate people. The true Israel of God is not political. The true Israel of God is not land in the Middle East. The true Israel of God is the Son of God. The true Israel of God is Christ & His Body. To learn more subscribe to my podcast: www.PresentTruthMatters.com THEOLOGY JOLT WHO IS “ISRAEL?” 700 years after Moses, the prophet Hosea ministered in the northern kingdom of Israel. During the early part of Hosea’s ministry, Jeroboam II ruled over Israel, and the northern kingdom enjoyed great prosperity. But spiritually and morally, the Israelites were bankrupt, having fallen into idolatry that would ultimately cause God to drive them out of their land in 722 BC. The people had failed to be what God called them to be—a royal priesthood and a light to the nations (Exodus 19:5–6; Isaiah 42:6). This failure occurred despite God graciously adopting Israel as “His son.” (Hosea 11:1) – “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt, I called My son.” Israel was not true to its identity as “a son” and was finally cast out of the land. But Hosea also saw that God’s anger against His people would not last forever; He would provide a renewed Israel who would serve the Lord faithfully. That hope for a new Israel—a true Israel that would embody all that God called Israel to be—persisted across the centuries into the New Testament era. This hope was finally fulfilled in the incarnation of God’s true Son by nature, Jesus Christ. Matthew tells us that Jesus fulfills Hosea 11. (Matthew 2:13-15) When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my Son.” Jesus is the true Israel, the faithful Israel who succeeds where the Old Covenant Israel failed. Like ancient Israel, Jesus: *Came up out of Egypt (Matt. 2:13-15) *Passed through the waters in baptism - Matt. 3:13-17) *Was tested in the wilderness (Matt 4:1- 11). Compare to Ancient Israel: *Came out of Egypt (Ex. 12:40-42) *Passed through the waters at the Red Sea (Ex.14:1-31) * Was tested in the wilderness (Ex. 16:4) Unlike Old Covenant Israel, however, Jesus passed the test. He is therefore worthy to be called God’s Son because of Who He is in His deity and because of what He accomplished in His humanity. The good news of the Gospel tells us that we can be the true Israel of God as well. If we are in Christ, we share the privileges and relationship He enjoys as God’s true Son. We are spiritual sons of God by adoption, His beloved children in Christ. Therefore we inherit all of the promises given to Old Covenant Israel. Those promises of God that Israel would rule over her enemies and enjoy abundant covenant blessings. The New Covenant through Jesus, the Body of Christ, has become the New Jerusalem – “Spiritual Israel In contrast to natural Israel, spiritual Israel finds residence not in earthly Jerusalem but in heavenly Jerusalem. (Galatians 4:26; Hebrews 12:22). Galatians 4:26 - “… but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.” Hebrews 12:22 “But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly…” We experience God through the power of the indwelling Spirit of Jesus. Circumcision, a physical act done that ceremonially sets Jews apart, has now become a circumcision of the heart by the Holy Spirit (Romans 2:29). The Holy Spirit calls God’s people into a new humanity - God’s spiritual Israel (Galatians 6:15-16). The coming of the Holy Spirit, the empowering personal presence of Jesus, fulfilled the prophetic promises that God would one day initiate a New Covenant relationship with mankind. The prophets foretold this covenantal relationship would not be based on external rules and regulations but on God’s unconditional love, total forgiveness of sin, and an experiential knowing of Him (Jeremiah 31:33; Ezekiel 36:25-27; Isaiah 59:21). God’s people are now guided by the presence of the Holy Spirit, not rules and regulations (2 Corinthians 3:17). Since Jesus is the true Israel and we abide in Him, we share that identity. The true Israel is not a “a political state”, Israel is a Person! Therefore – The modern-day political state of “Israel” is not the true Israel of God – we are - in Christ! The true Israel of God is the Prince of Peace. The true Israel of God does not hate people. The true Israel of God is not political. The true Israel of God is not land in the Middle East. The true Israel of God is the Son of God. The true Israel of God is Christ & His Body. To learn more subscribe to my podcast: www.PresentTruthMatters.com

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