- The Hope of Israel - The True Christian Hope (No. 11)
The word "Israel" is an anglicised form of the Hebrew word Ysrai-el, which means "a prince with God". Jacob, the son of lsaac and grandson of Abraham, was a man whose faith and obedience pleased God. The name Jacob means "supplanter", and he did indeed supplant his brother, Esau, because he valued the promises made to his father and grandfather; whilst Esau was a worldly man, not interested in spiritual things. As a result, though Esau was the elder (and would normally have inherited the hope contained in the promises God made to Abraham), these promises were renewed to Jacob, and later God changed his name to Israel.
The promises are very important if we wish to understand God's purpose with mankind as revealed in the Bible. We find them first mentioned in Genesis 12 and briefly they comprise the following:-
1. That God would make of Abraham a great nation and would bless him and make his name great.
2. That God would give to Abraham AND TO HIS SEED, all the land of Canaan (Israel) for an EVERLASTING possession.
3. That in him, and in his SEED, all nations of the earth would be blessed (Genesis: 12:1-3; 13:14-17; 22: I6-l9).
These are the promises that were renewed to Isaac and Jacob AND THEY CONSTITUTE THE "HOPE OF ISRAEL".
THE PROMISES EXPLAINED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
There are three passages in the Acts of the Apostles which help us to fit these promises into their correct and most important place in God's purpose. In the first, Paul is speaking to the Jews at Rome who were interested to discover why he had been accused of heresy by his compatriots in Jerusalem. The pith of his words is found in Acts 28:20.
"For the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain"
It was his belief in this hope that had caused his imprisonment. If we now go to the 26th chapter, we find Paul defending himself, and his hope, before king Agrippa.
"And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers: unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews" (verses 6-7)
If we look now at the 24th chapter, Paul is again speaking in defence of his hope, saying to Felix, the governor:
"But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: (ie, the Old Testament) and have hope towards God....that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust" (verses 14-15)
A SUMMARY SO FAR
Paul believed all things written in the Old Testament and had a HOPE that, at some time in the future, God would resurrect the dead. This had been Jacob's hope and the hope of all the true children of Israel. Lastly, Paul's hope was based on the promises God had made to the fathers of the Jewish race, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel). We know what those promises were for they are referred to above. We also know that none of the "fathers" inherited the land of Palestine which God had promised them: indeed Stephen, speaking to the Jews after the resurrection of Jesus said this:
"And he (God) gave him (Abraham) none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his SEED after him, when as yet he had no child" (Acts 7:5)
GOD'S PROMISES ARE SURE
God promises do not fail. Abraham and his seed will yet inherit the land of Israel and this is "the hope of Israel". It involves the resurrection from the dead of Abraham, Isaac and Israel to inherit the land "for an EVERLASTING POSSESSION" as God said. This is why Paul, in Acts 24, associated the resurrection with the hope of the promises.
THE SEED OF ABRAHAM
But who is this seed promised by God to Abraham? In Galatians 3, Paul says it is Christ. The New Testament begins with these words,
"The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son (seed) of David, the son (seed) of Abraham" (Matthew 1:1)
In Galatians 3, Paul says,
"Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He (God) saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ" (verse 16). Paul continued, speaking to the believers,
"Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptised into Christ have put on Christ... And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (verses 26-29)
THESE PROMISES CAN BE OURS ALSO
The hope of the Christian is to be associated with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of God (Luke 13:28). They have not yet received fulfilment of the promises because God is providing "some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect" (Hebrews 11:39-40). The promises involve the resurrection of all faithful believers in them to everlasting life and an inheritance in the kingdom of God established in the land promised to Abraham. To become related to these promises we need to be baptised into Christ, and so become a part of Abraham's seed.
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The promises are very important if we wish to understand God's purpose with mankind as revealed in the Bible. We find them first mentioned in Genesis 12 and briefly they comprise the following:-
1. That God would make of Abraham a great nation and would bless him and make his name great.
2. That God would give to Abraham AND TO HIS SEED, all the land of Canaan (Israel) for an EVERLASTING possession.
3. That in him, and in his SEED, all nations of the earth would be blessed (Genesis: 12:1-3; 13:14-17; 22: I6-l9).
These are the promises that were renewed to Isaac and Jacob AND THEY CONSTITUTE THE "HOPE OF ISRAEL".
THE PROMISES EXPLAINED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
There are three passages in the Acts of the Apostles which help us to fit these promises into their correct and most important place in God's purpose. In the first, Paul is speaking to the Jews at Rome who were interested to discover why he had been accused of heresy by his compatriots in Jerusalem. The pith of his words is found in Acts 28:20.
"For the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain"
It was his belief in this hope that had caused his imprisonment. If we now go to the 26th chapter, we find Paul defending himself, and his hope, before king Agrippa.
"And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers: unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews" (verses 6-7)
If we look now at the 24th chapter, Paul is again speaking in defence of his hope, saying to Felix, the governor:
"But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: (ie, the Old Testament) and have hope towards God....that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust" (verses 14-15)
A SUMMARY SO FAR
Paul believed all things written in the Old Testament and had a HOPE that, at some time in the future, God would resurrect the dead. This had been Jacob's hope and the hope of all the true children of Israel. Lastly, Paul's hope was based on the promises God had made to the fathers of the Jewish race, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel). We know what those promises were for they are referred to above. We also know that none of the "fathers" inherited the land of Palestine which God had promised them: indeed Stephen, speaking to the Jews after the resurrection of Jesus said this:
"And he (God) gave him (Abraham) none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his SEED after him, when as yet he had no child" (Acts 7:5)
GOD'S PROMISES ARE SURE
God promises do not fail. Abraham and his seed will yet inherit the land of Israel and this is "the hope of Israel". It involves the resurrection from the dead of Abraham, Isaac and Israel to inherit the land "for an EVERLASTING POSSESSION" as God said. This is why Paul, in Acts 24, associated the resurrection with the hope of the promises.
THE SEED OF ABRAHAM
But who is this seed promised by God to Abraham? In Galatians 3, Paul says it is Christ. The New Testament begins with these words,
"The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son (seed) of David, the son (seed) of Abraham" (Matthew 1:1)
In Galatians 3, Paul says,
"Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He (God) saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ" (verse 16). Paul continued, speaking to the believers,
"Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptised into Christ have put on Christ... And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (verses 26-29)
THESE PROMISES CAN BE OURS ALSO
The hope of the Christian is to be associated with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of God (Luke 13:28). They have not yet received fulfilment of the promises because God is providing "some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect" (Hebrews 11:39-40). The promises involve the resurrection of all faithful believers in them to everlasting life and an inheritance in the kingdom of God established in the land promised to Abraham. To become related to these promises we need to be baptised into Christ, and so become a part of Abraham's seed.
< Back