Covenant & Controversy - Part One: An Introduction
When ancient worldviews and modern realities collide, the topic of land ownership in Israel often becomes a heated debate. Many fail to grasp the unique role of the Jewish people in history, especially in relation to their claim to the land of Israel. This lesson explores the theological and historical significance of this relationship and how misunderstandings have fueled conflicts throughout history.
Stewardship of the Oracles
The roots of the Jewish claim to Israel are deeply embedded in both religious traditions and historical texts. Many people don't appreciate what is the unique calling of the Jews in the world. You'll get some commentary saying God has kind of a unique relationship with Israel, the Jews, but what's the concrete reality? Romans 3 helps shed some light on this:
Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! (Romans 3:1-4, ESV Bible)
In Romans 3, Paul emphasizes their role as "stewards of the oracles of God." In the ESV, when Paul says, “To begin with,” other translations will say “chiefly or first of all.” And the question is, is it first in a number sequence, like a list, or is it first in importance?
There's lots of roles that the Jewish people play in redemptive history, but of first importance is that they are stewards of the oracles of God. And this is how Paul frames Jewish election. The purpose of divine calling on the Jewish people according to the flesh is that they are ordained with stewarding the oracles of God in this age and then administrating those oracles in the age to come. Such as when Paul says in Romans two:
There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. (Romans 2:9-10, ESV Bible)
The role and calling of the Jew in this age is chiefly or firstly, stewarding of the oracles of God, which include not just the scriptures (they are the center of stewarding), but keeping the scriptures is all bound up with the land, the city Jerusalem, Mount Zion, and the temple service.
The Land Promises
The importance of the land is a significant theme throughout the Hebrew Scriptures and is implicitly tied to the identity and covenant relationship of Israel with God. The connection between the people of Israel and the land is deeply rooted in the promises God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, which are recounted throughout Genesis and reiterated in various books of the Old Testament.
The land acts as a container for living out the mandates of these oracles, much like a milk jug contains milk. The land is like the container of Torah observance and keeping.
The importance of the land of Israel all starts with Abraham in Genesis 17:1-14:
When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly." Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, "Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojourning, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God." (Genesis 17:1-8, ESV Bible)
Isaac inherits the same covenant that God had with Abraham through lineage and divine promise. The covenant is further confirmed through the generations that follow, including Isaac's son Jacob (also known as Israel) and the twelve tribes of Israel that descend from him. These covenant promises do not change. Man cannot change what God has instituted.
And the goal is always to keep the oracles as fully as possible. Now, sometimes Jewish apostasy happens (from Sinai, throughout Judges, the times of the kings, etc.) and it leads to divine discipline and exile. As Paul says, “Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Disobedience does not mean that the calling and role of the Jews is lifted. It just means that God is trying to draw the Jewish people back to this unique relationship that centers chiefly around the stewarding of the oracles.
Misunderstanding or Not Knowing the Calling of Israel and Subsequent Consequences
Throughout history, this unique role has been largely misunderstood by the Gentile world, leading to catastrophic results. If Gentiles understood this covenant relationship Israel has with God, they would leave the Jews alone. Just let them do what they're called to do. The impact of Gentile ignorance is very evident. From Pontius Pilate's decision to crucify Jesus, to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE brought by Titus, who later became Emperor of Rome, and the renaming of Jerusalem by Hadrian, each act of aggression was underpinned by a fundamental lack of understanding of the Jewish people's role in the divine order. This pattern of ignorance extends to the Crusaders, who expelled Jews and Muslims from Jerusalem, and even to modern leaders who have shaped the Middle East without a clear grasp of Jewish historical and spiritual significance.
The Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, located on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, were constructed by early Muslim leaders. The Dome of the Rock was completed in 691 AD under the patronage of the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik. Had any of them understood the Jewish calling, they would not have started this project.
While it is historically noted that Muhammad was illiterate, Islam teaches that he received the revelations of the Quran through the angel Gabriel. Are we to believe that the revelation Muhammad received, and came much later in history, somehow replaces God’s word given in the Hebrew Scriptures? If people of Islam knew the calling of the Jewish people, they would not stand in opposition to God’s relationship with the Jewish people. In fact, many Muslims have been disconnected from the “truth” and only now in contemporary times, does the spread of digital technology and global interconnectedness offers a new opportunity for education and understanding. The internet breaks down the barriers of the "closed information bubble" that has persisted for centuries. Today, anyone can access the scriptures and historical records that illuminate the Jewish position and their foundational texts, potentially fostering a greater understanding among different faiths and cultures.
Modern Implications and Geopolitical Dynamics
When examining the complex intersections of diverse worldviews with the Jewish claim to the land of Israel and the ongoing validity of the calling of the Jewish people, a multitude of perspectives and historical layers must be considered. This issue becomes particularly charged when theological dimensions, such as those derived from Hebrew Scriptures and the covenants between God and the Jewish people, are introduced into discussions about contemporary political realities like Zionism, the modern Aliyah movement, and the formation of the state of Israel.
From a theological perspective, many Jews and Christian Zionists see the biblical covenants—such as God’s promise to Abraham about the land, the covenant with Isaac and Jacob, and the later prophetic reaffirmations—as divine mandates that validate the modern Jewish claim to this land. This viewpoint holds that the land of Israel is intrinsically tied to Jewish identity and destiny as outlined in biblical texts, and this connection is not just historical or cultural, but fundamentally spiritual.
Conversely, this interpretation and its resulting actions are viewed through a critical lens by other groups, including some theological scholars, different Christian denominations, Muslims, and secular perspectives. These groups may interpret the same scriptures differently, question the modern applicability of ancient promises, or focus on the ethical implications of modern political actions and policies. For Palestinians and many in the Muslim world, the land has its own religious significance tied to Islamic history and tradition, which often leads to a conflicting claim supported by their own religious and historical narratives.
The reality of establishing a modern state based on these theological perspectives has led to significant conflict, as these ancient promises are enacted in a complex, modern geopolitical landscape that involves a multitude of people groups with their own distinct histories and claims to the land. The formation of the state of Israel, while seen as a fulfillment of prophetic destiny by some, is perceived as a geopolitical imposition and a source of displacement and suffering by others, particularly the Palestinian Arabs who lived and continue to live in the region.
For many people, addressing these issues requires more than theological affirmation; it necessitates a deep engagement with ethical considerations, historical consciousness, and a commitment to dialogue and justice that respects the rights and dignities of all involved.
We often don't recognize the parallels between past antisemitism and today's hatred. The dangerous rhetoric of the past is mirrored in modern conspiracy theories about Jews. If we can't see the link between past and present, we risk repeating the darkest chapters of history.
Understanding history is crucial. We must learn from it to prevent repeating the mistakes of the past. World War II and the Holocaust were not just historical events; they were warnings of what can happen when hatred runs unchecked.
What Does the Bible say about Israel and the Nations?
The Bible contains numerous prophecies and warnings about the consequences for Israel if they fail to uphold their covenant with God. The Torah tells us that when the Sinai covenant is breached, God will still redeem His people and keep His covenant with them based on the covenant He made with Abraham.
Deuteronomy 28 lists blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience to the Sinai covenant. At the end of Deuteronomy 29, it mentions how curses will come upon them when they disobey. They will be uprooted from the land and will experience fury and wrath. These include predictions of exile, persecution, and nations rising against them. These scriptures reflect the conditional nature of God's covenant with Israel, where blessings are promised for obedience and curses for disobedience. The prophecies are meant to warn Israel about the importance of faithfulness to their covenant with God. These themes are recurrent throughout the prophetic books, reflecting the historical tensions and realities that Israel faced:
“And the LORD will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you shall serve other gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known. And among these nations you shall find no respite, and there shall be no resting place for the sole of your foot, but the LORD will give you there a trembling heart and failing eyes and a languishing soul. Your life shall hang in doubt before you. Night and day you shall be in dread and have no assurance of your life. (Deuteronomy 28:64-66, ESV Bible)
And I will scatter you among the nations, and I will unsheathe the sword after you, and your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste. “Then the land shall enjoy its Sabbaths as long as it lies desolate, while you are in your enemies’ land; then the land shall rest, and enjoy its Sabbaths. As long as it lies desolate it shall have rest, the rest that it did not have on your Sabbaths when you were dwelling in it. And as for those of you who are left, I will send faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies. The sound of a driven leaf shall put them to flight, and they shall flee as one flees from the sword, and they shall fall when none pursues. They shall stumble over one another, as if to escape a sword, though none pursues. And you shall have no power to stand before your enemies. And you shall perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up. (Leviticus 26:33-38, ESV Bible)
I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries. In accordance with their ways and their deeds I judged them. (Ezekiel 36:19, ESV Bible)
I will pursue them with sword, famine, and pestilence, and will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, a terror, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them, (Jeremiah 29:18, ESV Bible)
“Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. The siege of Jerusalem will also be against Judah. On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it. (Zechariah 12:2-3, ESV Bible)
If they return to God and obey his voice, God will restore their fortunes. We see these blessings and curses play out throughout the Old Testament. Israel does not uphold their covenant obligations, and they are subsequently exiled. During their exile, they return to God, and God pulls them from their exile. What do they do when they realize their mistakes and return to God? They go back to the covenant obligations, the Torah.
These covenant terms are already in place, as outlined in Deuteronomy 28-32 and Leviticus 26. And the fact that he's still walking out these terms of the covenant indicates that God is still in covenant with that people.
Then you have commentary in Second Maccabees chapter six, where they talk about how to view God's dealings with the nation of Israel. The author of Second Maccabee says:
Now I urge those who read this book not to be depressed by such calamities, but to recognize that these punishments were designed not to destroy but to discipline our people. In fact, it is a sign of great kindness not to let the impious alone for long, but to punish them immediately. For in the case of the other nations the Lord waits patiently to punish them until they have reached the full measure of their sins; but he does not deal in this way with us, in order that he may not take vengeance on us afterward when our sins have reached their height. Therefore he never withdraws his mercy from us. Although he disciplines us with calamities, he does not forsake his own people. (2 Maccabees 6:12-16, NRSV Bible with the Apocrypha)
With the Jews, He doesn't let their sin get full. He doesn't let it get to that point. He judges the Jews quickly because He's not willing to let them be wholly blotted out as a nation.
A Story From the Holocaust
In 1944, a young Jewish boy was executed at Auschwitz, a stark reminder of humanity's capacity for cruelty. This boy's death prompted profound questions about God's presence in times of suffering. These are tough questions, but they're essential for understanding the past and shaping a more humane future.
A prepubescent Jewish boy was executed on the gallows in the Auschwitz complex. He was too young to die without eliciting sympathy from jaded prisoners and too small to die quickly. He hung there, suspended between life and death, for about half an hour.
A man in the crowd muttered, "Where is merciful God? Where is He?"
Another young man stood in the crowd, facing the same boy. This man, raised with the same prayers, the same Torah, and the same Sabbath, had been deported on the same trains to the same camp and had lost his family to the same flames. He heard the question as the noose was being placed around the little boy's neck.
And again, as they walked past the boy, who was still writhing in the air, he thought, "For God's sake, where is God?" He found an answer within himself.
This thought was foreign to him, a 15-year-old Jewish boy who had spent his childhood and adolescence in the synagogue, reading the law, studying the Torah, praying, and weeping over the destruction of the Temple.
As he stared at the dying boy swinging from the noose, he pondered, "Where is God? This is where—hanging from these gallows."
These are profound and challenging questions. Where was God? Israel is His chosen people. But chosen for what?
For Auschwitz?
Where were their friends? Where was the international community when it treated and exiled Israel with scorn, dismissing her as she sought refuge from Nazi rage?
Where was the church?
The church has a mandate, as outlined in Romans 11, to lead the Jew to covenantal fidelity through faith in their slaughtered Messiah. But we failed dismally.
Christians can empathize deeply and with love with this young man, this survivor. We affirm that God was not hanging from the gallows at Auschwitz.
He hung on crossbeams at Golgotha, as a testament to His enduring fidelity to the everlasting covenant with Israel.
This young man recounted another conversation he had with a fellow prisoner after recovering in the hospital from his surgery. As the Soviets approached the camp, they could see the red fire of cannon blasts in the distance, and hope began to swell in their hearts that perhaps they could survive the war, the systematic assault on their race, and possibly even escape Auschwitz alive.
But the man in the cot beside him said, "Don't be deluded. Hitler has made it clear that he will annihilate all the Jews before the clock strikes twelve." The writer exploded in response.
"What do you care what he said? Would you want us to consider him a prophet?"
His neighbor stared back at him with cold eyes and a tired voice, "I have more faith in Hitler than in anyone else. He alone has kept his promises, all his promises to the Jewish people."
Conclusion
Empathy and understanding are vital. We need to affirm the Jewish people's covenant with God, not through the tragedy of the Holocaust but through faith and recognition of their enduring history and contributions.
As we face modern challenges, remember that the narratives of the past can inform our responses to the present and future. Let's ensure we learn from history to create a better, more inclusive world.
As Christians, we will all have to develop our worldview of Israel and the significance of their existence, their scriptures, and the land to which God has promised them. While deciding what to do with Israel is a hard reality to grasp for non-believers, for believers, we benefit from knowledge that the rest of the world does not have. Your worldview will shape your understanding and how you interpret truth. I choose to take God’s word at face value and assume God’s character is not in question, and that the text is true. What will you decide?