God's Definitions - Part I: The House of Israel

It is sometimes difficult for people to look at things from God’s perspective.  We have to imagine ourselves looking down from His point of view to see ourselves as He does.  We also have to realign our ideas so that they accord with His definitions.

The only way to know what He has said, and what He means is to study His word which He has given unto us through the work of the Holy Spirit, and is preserved for us in the Bible.  It would be nice for some of us if the Bible was constructed as a technical manual with component pieces clearly identified, definitions at the front, and operating instructions at the back. 

But, even though the Bible is not laid out as a technical manual, it has all of the elements in it.  The trouble is not with how God wrote the Bible; it is with the limitations of mankind’s reasoning.  We just don’t comprehend all of the nuances in God’s word.  Instead of rushing through His word, we need to slow down a little, and think about it.

For instance, when God said that he was a husband unto them (Israel) in Jer. 31:32, then we should examine the implications of that statement.  Instead of continuing to read on, and gloss over the surface, we should stop and consider the fullness of God’s statement and what it really entails.

If God represented the husband part of the covenant relationship, then Israel represented the position of the wife in that relationship.  God was the caretaker, the provider; Israel was the woman, the housekeeper, and the mother of His children, and part of the example for their children.  Maybe we should ask who represented the children of that covenant marriage?

So what does God mean when He says “The House of Israel”?

The first thing we generally understand is the reference to Jacob, Abraham’s grandson whom God renamed Israel, and thereafter, all of their fleshly descendants.   We think of the house of Israel as the fleshly children of Israel, the tribes of Israel.

But, there are some other scriptures we need to include in our consideration of “the house of Israel”.

Mat. 3:9, “And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.”

Luke 3:8, “Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.”

John was telling the Pharisees and Sadducees, the sects of the Judeans (Jews), that their fleshly lineage to Abraham, their genealogy was not the deciding factor in whether they were worthy.  Then something else was needed to be considered worthy.

Matt. 3:8, “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:”

If you are going to be worthy of the inheritance, to be considered as children of God, of the house of Israel, then you have to be obedient and faithful. 

Rom. 4:8-13, “⁸Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

⁹ Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.

¹⁰ How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

¹¹ And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

¹² And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

¹³ For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.“

It is the faithful that are the House of Israel.  The circumcised Jews thought they were so special that all the rest of mankind was cursed, and not to be considered equal to them.  The message that John and Christ brought in the fullness of time during the first century A.D. was that the faithful, those who followed after our heavenly Father were of the House of Israel.

Rom. 4:16-18, “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,  ¹⁷ (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.  ¹⁸ Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.“

This idea, that all of mankind, that all nations of the world were invited, were called to come back to God, was inconceivable to the many of the Jews.  They misunderstood the covenant relationship with God from the very beginning of that covenant given in the exodus wilderness. 

They were to be a kingdom of priests, a holy nation (Ex. 19:6), an example unto all of the other nations on earth of how to be acceptable to God.  They were to be holy, a wife honoring one husband, and a mother to the other nations on earth.

Instead, the Israelites became proud, snapped their suspenders, believing they were the only people on earth whom God loved.  Jesus made a point of telling those in Nazareth that there were others outside of Israel who had received God’ blessings when none in Israel had. (Luke 4: 25-27)

It was for the promise God made to Abraham, for Abraham’s sake that God used the children of Abraham, through Isaac and Jacob to bless all nations of the earth. (Gen. 26:24; 28:4; Ex. 32:13; Is. 41:8; Acts 3:25)

It was never for the sake of the children of Israel, but for the sake of Abraham!  Abraham’s faith was reckoned unto him for righteousness!  (Gen. 15:6)

Rom 9:7-8, “ Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.  ⁸ That is, 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. 9:25-26, “As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.  ²⁶ And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.“

Rom. 9:30-32, “ What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.  ³¹ But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.  ³² Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;”

The call of the gospel of Christ is open to everyone of every nation and tribe on earth.  Everyone who believes and is baptized into Christ, puts on Christ, and becomes of the seed of Abraham. 

Gal. 3:8-9, “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.  ⁹ So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.“

Gal 3:16, “ Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.“

Christ is the seed of the promise made to Abraham.  It is through Christ that we can become children of Abraham, by faith!

Gal. 3:26-29, “ For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.  ²⁷ For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.“ ²⁸There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.  ²⁹ And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

So, the house of Israel were always those of the faithful of God, those who followed after the spirit of God, and are sons / children of God.  (Roms. 8:14)

Therefore, when God said that he would make a new covenant with the house of Israel (Jer. 31:31, 33), who was He speaking of?

Under the old covenant the house of Israel were the physical children of Jacob, all those that could trace their genealogy back to their physical ancestor, Abraham.  When we are reading the Old Testament, we know that the references to the house of Israel were speaking of the tribes of Israel, the descendants of Jacob.

But, under the new covenant, the house of Israel are all those that have been baptized into Christ, the line of the faithful!  So the new covenant that He made with the house of Israel, is with all those that are in Christ!

All of those misguided people in the state of Israel which was created through guile and deceit in 1948 who claim to be Jews, have rejected Christ as the Messiah, and are anti-Christ by their own admission.  They hate Christ, and are therefore none of God’s people, and are not of the house of Israel.  No one should be agreeing to support that state of Israel for God’s sake, nor for Christ’s sake.  They are none of Christ’s.   Anyone supporting an anti-Christ is denying Christ, and standing against Christ!

Today, the house of Israel are spread throughout all nations of the world where ever they are, whomever have been baptized into Christ.  Just as God promised Abraham that his seed should be multiplied as the stars of heaven, so they are! (Gen. 22:17; 26:4; Ex. 32:13)

Source: KJV.  All bold emphasis is mine.  All posts are also at https://shreddingtheveil.org