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The
Gospel Observer
"Go therefore
and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe
all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to
the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20, NASB).
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January 19, 2020
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Contents:
1) An Introduction to Israel (Irvin Himmel)
2) Matthew 4:23-24 (NASB)
3) News & Notes
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-1-
An Introduction to Israel
Irvin Himmel
There is much misunderstanding of what the Scriptures teach about
Israel. This is due largely to two factors: (1) failure to read and
study the Bible carefully; and (2) listening to preachers who
speculate endlessly about prophecy and the role of Israel in the
fulfillment of prophecy. This essay centers on some plain points
that are set forth in the Bible.
The Man Israel
Jacob, a son of Isaac and a grandson of Abraham, was given the name
Israel, and its first appearance in the Bible is in this connection.
It was divinely revealed to Jacob, “Thy name shall be called no more
Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with
men, and hast prevailed” (Gen. 32:28). Later, God again said to
Jacob, “. . . Thy name shall not be called any more
Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel”
(Gen. 35:10).
The name appears to signify “prince who prevails with God” or “he
who strives with God.” Strong gives its meaning as “he will rule as
God”; Gesenius as “warrior of God.” Jacob continued to be identified
by his old name as well as by the name Israel. Some passages use
both names. For example, “And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt
seventeen years: so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and
seven years. And the time drew nigh that Israel must die . . .”
(Gen. 47:28-29). “And one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son
Joseph cometh unto thee: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat
upon the bed” (Gen. 48:2).
The Family of Israel
Jacob had twelve sons, sometimes referred to as “the twelve
patriarchs” (Acts 7:8). These men and their children collectively
were called Israel or the children of Israel. “And Israel dwelt in
the land of Egypt . . . and they had possessions therein, and grew,
and multiplied exceedingly” (Gen. 47:27). “And the children of
Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and
waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them” (Exod.
1:7). The twelve branches of Jacob’s family were known as “the
twelve tribes of Israel” (Gen. 49:28; Exod. 24:4). The names of the
members of Jacob’s family who came into Egypt from Canaan are listed
in Genesis 46. They are said to be the names of the “children of
Israel.”
Many years later, when Moses was sent to deliver the much-enlarged
family of Jacob from Egyptian bondage, God told him to say to
Pharaoh, “Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn .
. . Let my son go” (Exod. 4:22-23).
The Nation of Israel
Jehovah brought the descendants of Jacob out of the land of
Egypt and formed them into a nation. They were promised and given
the land of Canaan as their inheritance. God took “a nation from the
midst of another nation” (Deut. 4:34) and used it to “eat up the
nations” that were his enemies (Num. 24:8). The name Israel became a
synonym for God’s nation. This is the nation that was foreseen when
God promised Abraham, “I will make of thee a great nation” (Gen.
12:2). David said to the Lord on one occasion, “And what one nation
in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel?” (2 Sam. 7:23).
The nation of Israel is sometimes spoken of as the kingdom of
Israel. When the people demanded a king to be like all the nations
around them (1 Sam. 8), God instructed Samuel to anoint Saul to rule
over them. After Saul became stubborn and rebellious, God rejected
him. Samuel said to Saul, ‘The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel
from thee this day . . .” (1 Sam. 15:28). David was the next king.
Following the death of David, “Solomon was king over all Israel” (1
Kings 4:1). At the time of the dedication of the temple, Solomon
remarked, “I am risen up in the room of my father, and sit on the
throne of Israel” (1 Kings 8:20). Solomon was chosen of God “to sit
upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel” (1 Chron.
28:5). “Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years” (2
Chron. 9:30).
Northern Kingdom of Israel
The nation of Israel was divided into two kingdoms following
the death of Solomon. Ten tribes were included in the northern
kingdom, and two tribes made up the southern kingdom. The name
Israel took on a narrower meaning, being the common designation for
the northern kingdom as distinguished from the southern kingdom
(Judah). To illustrate, 1 Kings 15:9 says, “And in the twentieth
year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over Judah.” Ahab was
one of the worst kings to rule in the northern kingdom. Jezebel
asked him, “Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel?” (1 Kings
21:7).
The prophet Amos wrote about the “transgressions of Judah” and the
“transgressions of Israel” (Amos 2:4, 6). Jeremiah charged that
“backsliding Israel” played the harlot, and her “treacherous sister
Judah” did likewise (Jer. 3:6-11). During the period when the name
Israel was applied in a more restricted sense, it sometimes referred
to people of either the northern kingdom or the southern kingdom
(Ezek. 13:4; Lam. 2:1-3).
Restored Israel
When a remnant of the Jews returned from exile to their
homeland in the days of Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, they had no
king. Although commonly known as Jews, the name Israel was still
used to designate the people collectively. The people who rebuilt
the temple in Jerusalem and kept the Passover are described as “the
children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity” (Ezra
6:21). When Ezra prayed and made confession on behalf of the people,
there assembled unto him “out of Israel” a very great congregation
(Ezra 10:1). Nehemiah 12:47 tells of some things done by “all
Israel” in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah.
In the restoration period of their history, their land was popularly
called Judah or Judea, and the people were known as Jews;
nevertheless, they were still children or descendants of Israel. At
the time of the birth of Jesus, Palestine still was called “the land
of Israel” (Matt. 2:20-21).
Spiritual Israel
The New Testament applies the name Israel to the heirs of the
spiritual promise made to Abraham and fulfilled in Christ. Paul
reasoned, “For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all
children. . . . They which are the children of the flesh, these are
not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted
for the seed” (Rom. 9:6-8). The children of the flesh are the
physical descendants of Abraham; the children of the promise are the
people who believe and obey Christ. Fleshly Israel, for the most
part, rejected the promised Messiah. The true children of God are
Abraham’s spiritual offspring.
Blood descent means nothing today, “For he is not a Jew, which is
one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the
flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is
that of the heart” (Rom. 2:28-29). The promise to Abraham reaches to
Christ and spiritual heirs. “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye
Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Gal. 3:29). The
faithful in Christ are the true Israel of God (Gal. 6:16).
Some of the restoration prophecies of the Old Testament look beyond
the return of a remnant to their homeland. They point to a more
complete spiritual restoration through Christ and the gospel.
Examples of such are found in Amos 9:11-15; Zech. 9:9-17; and Jer.
31:27-34. To skip over the historical fulfillment of the prophecies
relating to the restoration of physical Israel in the days of
Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, and to ignore the ultimate and more
complete fulfillment of prophecies pertaining to the restoration of
a spiritual remnant through the gospel of Christ, projecting all
such prophecies to an imagined future grand, glamorous, and glorious
kingdom of Israel on earth, ruled by Christ from David’s throne in
Jerusalem, is a gross error. It is wrong to treat fulfilled
prophecies as if unfulfilled. Care must be exercised to distinguish
between physical Israel and spiritual Israel.
— Via Truth Magazine Vol. XLV: 8 p6 April 19,
2001
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Matthew 4:23-24
“Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their
synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing
every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.
The news about Him spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to
Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and
pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them”
(Matthew 4:23-24, NASB).
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-3-
News & Notes
Folks to be praying for:
Pat Joyner is now back home, following her surgery procedure
and then about 10 days at the rehab hospital for physical therapy.
On May 27, 2018, Rick Cuthbertson had surgery to remove
cancer from his liver. It is now back again. He has also
been continuing to receive chemo treatments for lung cancer.
Let us also continue to pray for the following: John Bladen,
Kelly Stoneheart, Ann Vandevander, the Medlock family, Jim Lively,
Melotine Davis, Jan Bartlett, Baxter Cribbs, Doyle and Joyce
Davis, Brook & Kaydance Richardson, Rex & Frankie Hadley,
and Kerry Williams.
WordPress version of this week's bulletin:
https://thegospelobserver.wordpress.com/2020/01/19/the-gospel-observer-january-19-2020/
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal
Salvation
1) Hear the
gospel, for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John
20:30-31).
2) Believe in
the deity of Christ (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent of
sins (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).
4) Confess faith in
Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized in
water for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38;
22:16; Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:26-27; 1 Pet. 3:21).
6) Continue in the faith, living
for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Heb.
10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
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Tebeau Street
CHURCH OF CHRIST
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA 31501
Sunday services: 9:00
a.m. (Bible class); 10 a.m. & 5 p.m. (worship)
Wednesday: 7
p.m. (Bible class)
evangelist/editor: Tom
Edwards (912) 281-9917
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
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