Jehovah's Name & Israel's Blessing [Baptist, Evang., Pent./Charism., and/or Dispensational]

In Exodus 3:15 the lasting blessing of God's earthly hpeople is secured by the very name of the Lord.

"The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you; this is my name forever, and this is my memorial unto all generations."

This is connected with the revelation of the name of Jehovah, as we see in Exodus 6:2, 3. We know God as "Father," a priceless revelation; but the name of God in connection with the promises made to the fathers, is Jehovah.

It is the eternal and unchangeable One that is before us. His is an unchangeable name, an unchangeable being, and His purposes with regard to Israel are necessarily unchangeable.

"This is My name," not as long as Israel is faithful, but "for ever, and this is My memorial throughout all generations."

How well it is for Israel that their final and full blessing depends, not upon what they are for God, but upon what Jehovah in covenant relation is for Israel.

"And I will establish My covenant between Me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."

It would not be possible to spiritualize this by any reasonable method. It evidently means that the land in which Abraham was a stranger, the land which we call Palestine, is given to Abraham and his seed by an everlasting covenant.

In chapter 26:4 the covenant is confirmed with the first seed, Isaac, the type of the "seed which is Christ." "And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed."

This is the covenant promise which was made to Abraham, confirmed to Isaac. I need not refer you to the Scripture in which it was confirmed to Jacob, but I will simply say that Jacob was an outcast when this covenant was confirmed to him. He had tried to get the blessing by deceit, but his father's blessing was not the blessing, but a carnal blessing.

But when he was an outcast, and lying with a stone for his pillow beneath the open heaven (Genesis 32), then God, at the top of that blessed ladder which typifies the close connection which will exist between heaven and earth in the millennial day, says to him,

Thus the promise was given to Abraham and Isaac, and confirmed to Jacob as an immutable covenant. That Israel has not been faithful to her God accounts for the terrible chastisements which have fallen upon that people, but can never set aside the purposes of God, or change His solemnly repeated covenant-promise. That is quite impossible.

The blessings proposed in the covenant of Sinai were conditional upon the peoples’ obedience; "Which my covenant they break," said the Lord. But the Abrahamic was really a one-sided covenant, as is also the new covenant yet to be made with Israel [Jeremiah 31; Hebrews 8]. The purpose of God is as unchangeable as His great and glorious name.

"For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in."

Notice carefully it is "blindness in part until....." It is not blindness "to all generations." That was the immutable covenant-promise—"Thy faithfulness is to all generations." But the blindness is "in part" and "until." It has a term; the limit is given. "Until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in."

We are looking for the Lord from heaven—looking now this afternoon. We shall be right glad to see Him before the finger of that clock has gone round again. If He does come, the "fullness of the Gentiles" will have been gathered in.

All will be caught up at His coming, and the blindness which, in part, has happened to Israel will pass away, and God’s immutable promise, the original purpose of His heart, will be fulfilled in the blessing of Israel.

"And so all Israel shall be saved." This is "all Israel" in contrast with the election of grace. If a Jew believes today he becomes a member of the body of Christ. As such he is neither a Jew nor a Gentile. He loses his national character. He belongs to the third class spoken of, "the Church of God." (1 Corinthians 10:32) "All Israel," on the other hand, is the elect nation as a whole.

The remnant brought through the fire becomes "the righteous nation." Here is the first national salvation: "so all Israel [or Israel as a whole] shall be saved, as it is written."

Thank God it is written. When once this blessed formula is used about anything, it commands our most reverent confidence.

"As it is written, there shall come out of Sion the deliver, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins."

How important in every way this is! But there is one thing specially that I have read this passage for—to show that Israel is to come in on the ground of pure mercy.

Israel's blessing, while it is the eternal purpose of God, shall be brought in on the ground of mercy, and on that ground alone. Let us read a verse from the Gospel of St. John (11:49, 50):

"Ye know nothing at all, nor consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not."

Mark it well, it is a question not of individuals, but of the "nation." We are distinctly told (verse 51) "that Jesus should die for that nation."

Christ died for the formation of the Church, that the children of God who were scattered abroad might be gathered into one. This choice purpose of God could only be brought about by means of the work of Christ on the cross. But we must not forget that the first thing brought before us here is the death of Christ in relation to the nation of Israel.

It was for "that nation" in a way and manner that applies to no one else. Christ’s death for Israel is the righteous ground on which God is about to fulfill every good word He has spoken about Israel. His name is named upon them. His name is a guarantee that every word that has been spoken shall be fulfilled. "This is My name forever, and this is My memorial unto all generations."

I have spoken of the original purpose of God. In Deuteronomy 32: 8, 9 you'll find a statement that is very important in this connection.

"When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel. For the Lord's portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance."

How precious it is to hear from the lips of the living God that the people, scattered and peeled to-day, but which have been regained by the Savior's blood, are the lot of his inheritance. We have nothing to do, in the presence of such statements, but to bow the head and worship.

Our God is the God of all grace. If you and I have a sense of God's grace to us, if we know anything of the unsearchable riches of Christ, if we know anything about our oneness with Christ now, we can look with unmixed joy at all Israel's blessings. Envy cannot live in a happy and satisfied heart! We joyfully hail all the blessing which God is going to give the people of His choice, according to His eternal purpose.

We have many a prophecy of this in Isaiah. I will refer to one of them to show that although Israel is now scattered and peeled, in accordance with the solemn threatenings of God, literally accomplished, yet God is going to accomplish His covenant-promise of blessing with the same fidelity, and to the satisfying of His heart.

In Isaiah 10:22 you will notice that the remnant of Israel is brought into blessing after the "consumption" in the midst of the land. Throughout the Prophets, judgment of the wicked invariably precedes the introduction of millennial blessing.

In the 25th verse we read, "For yet a little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction."

Every student of prophecy knows that “the indignation” is God’s wrath because of Israel’s sin, which culminates in the great tribulation. That indignation shall cease, and “mine anger in their destruction,” i.e. in the destruction of the enemies of Israel.

"The Lord of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as his rod was upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt."

This refers to complete destructions of the enemy; and Israel was fully and gloriously delivered. (See Judges 7:25, Exodus 15.) Israel's song of victory on the wilderness side of the Red Sea testifies how completely God had delivered them.

The enemies lie dead on the banks of the Red Sea, and they sing the song of Moses on its Canaan-ward shore. All this has a blessed voice for us, it is written for our instruction; but to spiritualize away its natural meaning with regard to Israel is pure unbelief.

In chapter 11 we have a most magnificent account of the millennium. All nations are at length blessed and Abraham and in his "Seed."

The covenant-promise is fully and gloriously accomplished. "All Israel" is saved and placed in supremacy over a redeemed and delivered creation. Christ Himself, God's chosen one, reigns in Zion, "of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord." "He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of His ears."

Creation shall share in the blessing (Romans 8:19-21) to its widest border; for "the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid." Israel will be a holy nation, a kingdom of priests, and "they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea."

"The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim."

Blessed be God, their union shall be completed in their conversion. (Compare Ezekiel 37:22-28.) It will be no more "carnal" deliverance.

"They shall all be taught of God." Israel as Israel will be saved, as it is written, "In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory." (Isaiah 45:25.)

God is saving individual Jews now, not as Israel, but as sinners; just as He has called you and me as sinners. But here we have the great day of the conversion and blessing of Israel as a nation.

This prophecy closes in chapter 12 with a song that shall be sung in Jerusalem, which you, my fellow-saints, and I shall hear in the blessed abode of the Father's house.

"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and song; He also is become my salvation."

We almost feel our hearts expand with the joy of that day when at home with our blessed Saviour realizing fully the marriage of the Lamb, ourselves the bride that He died to redeem, we shall hear God's redeemed people upon the earth singing His praises as Jehovah, their Strength, their Song, their Salvation. These are not dreams, my brethren; it is the sober history of a future day told us in the word of God.

Let me just indicate one or two passages, upon which I have not time to dwell. Ezekiel 36:16-38. You will observe that this passage relates to the Israel that "dwelt in their own land" and "defiled it," whom Jehovah "scattered among the heathen."

"I will take you from among the heathen. . . . and will bring you into your own land." No principle of interpretation, human or divine would allow us to make a scattering literal and the gathering spiritual; Israel all through the passage must be the same people.

"And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms anymore at all: neither shall they defile themselves anymore with their idols . . . . but I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be My people and I will be their God."

Here it is the same people who were polluted with idols that are saved from idols; the people who were divided that are to be united, never again to be divided. The people who sinned are to be cleansed, and they are to be Jehovah's people, and He is to be their God.

Shall we not take God at His word and say, "Be it to this beloved people according to Thy word "?

"And David my servant shall be king over them." Christ will reign as David until He has put His enemies under His feet, and then reign in peace as Solomon, the king’s son. "Give the King thy judgments, oh God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son." (Psalm 72:1.)

"Moreover, I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; and I will place them and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore." Lord, hasten it!

We cannot feel jealousy when we are satisfied with Christ Jesus. Moreover, it is for the glory of the God of all grace to whom we ourselves owe every thing. (Ezekiel 36:22.) Let us keep this before our hearts.

We have all that divine grace can give; all that the precious peace, made by the blood of the cross, means; all that is associated with Christ Jesus exalted on high.

We can delight in the grace that will soon bring Israel into the fullest blessing, and joyfully hail the answer to the often repeated prayer, "Thy kingdom come, Thy Will be done in earth as it is in heaven." "Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"

Somehow this sounds a lot like the promise of Ephesians 2, wherein God breaks down the middle wall of separation, and makes of the two one new man. And what God has joined together, let no man put asunder. One people, one destiny, one King, one hope. All of the promises of the Bible funneled through One Seed (singular) of Abraham, then lavished upon all who, through Abraham's faith, are true seed of Abraham.

The world has yet to see what God can and will do as we, His chosen people, lay hold by faith of His entire Word, and apply it to our entire world.

If you spiritualize the text, okay. I believe the mountains are literal mountains, and that the land promises are literal to a physical seed of Abraham. I find no reason to spiritualize the promises.

I do believe there is one new man created in Christ Jesus of saved Jews and saved Gentiles in this current dispensation, and so did the author of the article. But there is nothing in that text of Jews and Gentiles being put in to one body.

If I could find a justification for making the mountains and the land something other than mountains and land, I would. But I don’t.

"But there is nothing in that text of Jews and Gentiles being put in to one body. ".....Here it is

Eze 37:16 And thou, son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:

Eze 37:17 and join them for thee one to another into one stick, that they may become one in thy hand.

Eze 37:18 And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not show us what thou meanest by these?

Eze 37:19 say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his companions; and I will put them with it, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in my hand.

Eze 37:20 And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thy hand before their eyes.

Eze 37:21 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, whither they are gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:

Eze 37:22 and I will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all; and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all;

Eze 37:23 neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will save them out of all their dwelling-places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.

Eze 37:24 And my servant David shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in mine ordinances, and observe my statutes, and do them.

"All of those references in Ezekiel that you cited say specifically the house of Israel and the house of Judah — nothing there about the Body of Christ. Those are Millennial passages which will be fulfilled literally"

Eze 37:24 And my servant David shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in mine ordinances, and observe my statutes, and do them.

David the shepherd is.........?
Now the real question is ....Who Is Israel? (Hint - Romans 11:25-26)

David. How about if David is . . . David. He was promised an everlasting kingdom. He will be resurrected. And, what if his job is not over? Just as the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb still have a job assigned to them (Matthew 19:28) that has not even begun.

I realize that many want to just metamorphosize the nation of Israel into the Body of Christ, making Israel the Church and the Church Israel. I totally reject that. I believe that in prophecy, there are still three distinct entities: the Jew, the Gentile, and the Church of God.

There are literal physical, territorial, land promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel). The Church has no promise of any territory on this earth.

"There are literal physical, territorial, land promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel). The Church has no promise of any territory on this earth."

Jesus sent the disciples to find his church, to find the scattered sheep of Jeremiah's writing. "The Lost Sheep of the House of Israel." The two brothers, two sticks together (Judah and his companions and Ephraim and his companions) in God's hand would be all Israel - "the church."

Mat 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and charged them, saying, Go not into any way of the Gentiles, and enter not into any city of the Samaritans:
Mat 10:6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Mat 15:24 But he answered and said, I was not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Shabbot Shalom

Jehovah isn't a name. It isn't even a Hebrew word.

The point is, the four letter Name of the Almighty as it appears in the Masoretic text was interlaced with vowels for another word: Ad0nai: L-rd. It was done by the Masorete scribes to tell the reader: "Read this (a yod, a hay, vav, and a hay), but say "Ad0nai." It was a well-known practice among Hebrew speakers, but ignorance of the language and Hebrew scribal notations (and arrogance on the part of some "Christians") convinced them to create a word out of whole cloth.

Ignorance of the orgins of the non-word "Jehovah" casts doubt on the value of any point therein.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.