Posted on 11/01/2022 4:27:41 PM PDT by grumpa
“And I will establish my covenant between you and Me and you and your offspring after you through their generations for an everlasting covenant. . . and I will give to you and your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession.” (Genesis 17:7-8; cf. Genesis 13:15; 48:4; Isaiah 60:21)
“The LORD will establish you as a people holy to himself, as He has sworn to you, IF you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in his ways. . . But IF you will not obey. . . the LORD will send on you curses. . . until you are destroyed.” (Deuteronomy 28:9, 15, 20; cf. Zechariah 11:10)
Errors of biblical interpretation arise for several reasons, including:
1. Failure to reconcile all passages that seem to be different. 2. Presuppositions from errors arising from one’s denominational echo chamber (“mass formation hypnosis”). 3. Confusing new covenant things with old covenant things.
The two passages above from Genesis and Deuteronomy appear to be contradictory. On the one hand, God’s promises to Israel are everlasting. On the other hand, they are contingent on obedience. How do we reconcile these? Here’s how: “God’s promises to Israel were forever so long as they were obedient. If they fail the obedience test, the promises are null and void. There is a limit to God’s patience.”
Was Israel obedient? NO. God took the blessings of the covenant away from the Jews as we see in such passages as this:
“Therefore, I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. . . When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that He was speaking about them.” (Matthew 21:43, 45)― leaving a remnant of faithful Jews to be saved along with believers in Christ―the new Israel of God (Romans 11)
The New Testament declares that all God’s covenant promises were fulfilled in Jesus (Luke 1:54-55, 69-75; 2 Corinthians 1:20), the ultimate offspring of Abraham (Matthew 1:1; Galatians 3:16). The new covenant began at the cross, being announced at the Last Supper when Jesus declared “This cup is the new covenant in my blood which is poured out for you” (Luke 22:20).
But we understand from the book of Hebrews that the Old Covenant was washed away in finality in AD 70 when the temple was destroyed―and along with it the animal sacrifices for sin ended forever and the priesthood ended forever:
“In speaking of a new covenant, He makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.” (Hebrews 8:13)
Why did God take the blessings of the kingdom away from the Jews? ANSWER:
1. They were exceeding sinful (Matthew 12:38-39; 16:4; 23:13-38; Luke 9:41).
2. They persecuted and killed Jesus’ followers (Matthew 21:34-36; 22:5-6; 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16; Revelation 18:20-24). Indeed, the first century Jews would suffer the penalty for all the righteous blood ever shed (Matthew 23:35-36).
3. They refused to accept Jesus as Messiah (Matthew 23:37).
4.They participated with Rome in Jesus’ crucifixion (Matthew 21:37-39; 27:24-26; John 19:15.)
The truly everlasting covenant would be the New Covenant in Christ (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 37:26-27; Hebrews 12:28; 13:20).
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This article seems in line with traditional Catholic teaching. Offhand, I can’t find any errors in it.
It was a covenant.
I think, if the interpretation of God’s dealing with Abraham when Abraham fell asleep is correct is that God took both sides of the covenant unto himself.
The OP is incorrect.
"For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." - Romans 11:29
The remnant of the nation that will receive the promises vs other individuals in that nation who do not receive the promises.
The promises are not invalidated because of those who do not receive them.
As one Jew who came to Christ relates about his mom, before she became a believer but after she had started reading the Scriptures for herself, she came to him in tears (IIRC how he related the story) having learned how the people had been warned in advance time after time.
Indeed, before there had been one exile we find a return from a SECOND being mentioned in Isaiah 11:10-12 and Israel the modern nation is now fulfilling to prophesy of the valley of dry bones even though they are collectively still at the stage where the bodies have flesh but not yet life.
Yet there is always a remnant.
As it says, the Gospel was given first to the Jew and then to the Greek (a type for all gentiles).
So the promises ARE forever.
Isaiah 55:11
11:So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Genesis 15:18-21
18 In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,
20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,
21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
Only if “forever” means forever ...
English.
Read the words, what do they say, what's the problem ?
God did not take away from Israel - everything was fulfilled (completed) in Messiah (Jesus). When Jesus stood alone as He was arrested He was the last remnant of Israel - everyone had abandoned Him. Once He rose from the dead He drew the true Israel (believers) around Himself (there was no influx of Gentiles for at least the first 16-18 years - and when they came they would be “grafted into” the true vine of Israel). Thus, what we now call the church is the true Israel, fulfilling all of God’s promises for Israel.
About the only thing in line with Catholic teaching.
Passage
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Hebrew/Greek
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Romans 11
King James Version
11 I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying,
3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
9 And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:
10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.
11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.
20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.
24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
25 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 fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father’s sakes.
29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
“God took the blessings of the covenant away from the Jews as we see in such passages as....”
My problem with this interpretation is that it can only be true if “the Jews” means “some Jews” or even “many Jews.” Certainly high officialdom of the day has a problem, but there is Joseph of Arimathea, even among those. Though it was a time when many Jews came to Jerusalem, surely not every Jew, even in Israel, came to the city to participate with the mobs.
I could go on, but how do you offset the one inconsistency against the other?
As for myself, I will share my faith with any believing Jew and tell them I believe the Messiah has come, but in the end, their salvation is between them and God. I don’t really see the need for me to conclude one way or the other about the permanency of God’s covenant with them.
On Judgement Day, if I see believing Jews rising up with Christian saints to meet the Lord descending in clouds of glory, am I supposed to tell them —and God— that’s wrong?
I’m an old military guy. It doesn’t bother me that some things are above my pay grade. Others see things differently.
All of Romans 9, 10 and 11 militates powerfully against this. Replacement Theology is from The Pit of Hell and will be ultimately damned.
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It is not replacement but rather inclusion in a new covenant world.
Amen to that!
It is theft of promises made unconditionally to Abraham.
God will fulfill the entirety of His Word.
Of course. The Apostles, their families, and many early disciples of Christ, were that Jewish remnant.
As for today's Jews, they are on the same footing as today's Gentile nonbelievers. All are free to accept Christ. The door is open to everyone. The choice is yours.
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