“And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” -Galatians 3:29
Romans 9:6-8, Galatians 6:16, and Galatians 3:29 are a few of the verses that point to God’s people as “Spiritual Israel” whether they have Jewish ancestry or not. Because of these types of verses I believe we as Christians living under the New Covenant* can confidently claim God’s promises to Israel, and take comfort in them in these trying times knowing that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever“, and that “God is not a man that He should lie; neither the son of man that He should repent; hath He said, and shall He not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall He not make it good?” -Numbers 23:19
“But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.
Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.” -Isaiah 43:1-7
I encourage you to get into your Bible and read this week, not just a verse here and there but entire chapters that give context and are the foundations for many of the verses we quote. Remember, the spirit gives life, but the letter kills
The King James Version is my favorite for studying to understand, but you may need a dictionary or concordance to help figure out those words that are not in common use anymore (the Blue Letter Bible App includes Strong’s Concordance and is a resource I frequently use). 😊 “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.” -1 John 3:1
-Kirsten
PS: Do you know someone who would be blessed by this message? Please feel free to share the link so they can be encouraged too!
*Being under the New Covenant does not mean that we throw out the law, but rather that, by faith we walk as Jesus walked–in the spirit, which gives life. If you want a fuller understanding of what that means, take a look at Matthew 5, keeping verses 16-19 in mind, then see how Jesus explains how to live out (ie. walk as He walked) commandments such as “thou shalt not kill”, and “thou shalt not commit adultery” in verses 21-32. Spiritual Israel is then the embodiment of the Law of Liberty, that brings life–the actualization of the 10 commandments by the power of God.