Israel

God’s Promises Affecting the Middle East Today

The major players: Arabs, Jews, Babylonians, Assyrians, Persians, Canaanites, and Syrians.

Several nations were disbanded and dispersed by God: Edom (Joel 3:19), Moab and Ammon (Zephaniah 2:9).  The Canaanites, however, were not driven out by Israel, so God left them there (Judges 2:3).  The Palestinians are the descendants of those deported to northern Israel by the Assyrians (2 Kings 17:24-41) mixed with Canaanites, Moabites, Edomites, and Ammonites.  They were still there in Jesus day (John 4).

Ishmael (Genesis 16:10-12 and 25:12-18), the father of all Arabs.

Some cities became ghost towns because of changes in trade routes or climate.  But destruction of a city in war usually does not end its habitation.  If the location was a good one before the war, it will be resettled for the same reasons.  God has changed that three times.

Tyre (Ezekiel 26:14 and 21)

Babylon (Jeremiah 50:13 and 39, Isaiah 13:20)

Ninevah (Zephaniah 2:13)

Is today’s nation of Israel under any godly directive?

  1. The chosen people have a history of promises.
    • Chosen because of the promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Deuteronomy 7:6-12 and 4:37-38).
    • But the promises were conditional (Exodus 19:3-8)
    • Israel broke the covenant (Jeremiah 6:16-19 and 11:10)
    • But the promise to David remained (Jeremiah 33:14-22)
      • But not on earth (Jeremiah 22:24-30).
      • That promise was apart from the Law (2 Samuel 7:16, Galatians 3:15-18).
      • The Messiah would occupy David’s throne forever (Acts 2:30-36)
      • Jesus is called the head of the kingdom (Colossians 1:13, 1 Thessalonians 2:12, Hebrews 12:28, 2 Peter 1:11)
  2. The present day chosen people are described in the New Testament.
    • Not of this world (John 18:36)
    • A heavenly kingdom (Daniel 7:13-14)3
    • They are not all Israel who are descendants of Israel (Romans 9:1-8)
    • The Law is ended (Galatians 3:24-25, Romans 7:6, Hebrews 7:12-22, 8:6-13, 9:15, 10:9)
    • The olive tree (Romans 11:5 and 11-15)
  3. The present day nation of Israel bears little resemblance to Biblical Israel
    • Not under the Law of Moses
    • No descendent of David
    • No Levitical priesthood
  4. The Promised Land may still be on the table, since it was to belong to the descendents of Abraham forever.
    • Israel could be useful as those who keep the evidence of God’s history fresh.
    • The symbolisms still work, even though Jesus has already come.
    • If Israel should still exist, it would be populated by Jewish Christians.