01.04. God's Promises To Israel
4. God’s Promises to Israel IAbrahamic Covenant
The Abrahamic covenant is the basis for three additional covenants:
The Palestinian (Land Covenant)
The Davidic Covenant
The New Covenant
(See previous week for a discussion of the relationship between these covenants.) IIHow Believers Participate
A. By faith, believers are the children of Abraham (Romans 4:5-16; Galatians 3:6-9, Galatians 3:29) and participate in the New Covenant.
III Israel’s Current Status
A. Physical Israel does not currently participate in the promised blessings of the New Covenant. Jews who do not know Jesus are lost (Romans 9:3; Romans 10:1).
1. Romans 9:1-8
Paul’s point is that just as not all of Abraham’s descendants belonged to the physical people of God-or national Israel-not all of those who are true children of Abraham through Isaac are the true spiritual people of God and enjoy the promises made to Abraham’s spiritual children (4:6, 11; cf. 11:3, 4). John F. MacArthur, Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible, (Dallas: Word Publishing) 1997.
B.But promises still pertain to Paul’s ‘countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites’ (Romans 9:3-4) C.God has not cast them off and has promised to regenerate Israel. (Romans 11:1-28) IVUnfulfilled Promises to Israel
A. The promises relate to the New Covenant (spiritual regeneration), the Land Covenant (occupation of the promised land) and the Davidic Covenant (reign of Messiah on earth from Jerusalem).
B.Regathering to the land and spiritual regeneration (Isaiah 11:11-12; Isaiah 49:1-26; Jeremiah 16:14-15; Jeremiah 23:1-7; Ezekiel 36:22-28; Ezekiel 37:1-14; Ezekiel 37:21-25; Jeremiah 23:3-8; Romans 11:25-26) C.Christ to rule from David’s throne.
1. The promises and expectations. (Psalms 132:11-12; Isaiah 9:6; Isaiah 23:5-6; Ezekiel 37:21-25; Jeremiah 30:9; Zechariah 14:9; Luke 1:32-33; Acts 1:6; 2 Timothy 4:1)
2.David’s throne is distinct from God’s (Matthew 25:31; Revelation 3:21)
"Several factors indicate that David’s throne is separate and distinct from God’s throne in heaven. a)“First, several descendants of David have sat on his throne, but only one of his descendants ever sits on the right hand of God’s throne in heaven. That descendant is Jesus Christ (Psalms 110:1; Hebrews 8:1; Hebrews 12:2). b)“Second, David’s throne was not established before his lifetime (2 Samuel 7:16-17). By contrast, since God has always ruled over His creation, His throne in heaven was established long before David’s throne (Psalms 93:1-2). c)“Third, since God’s throne in heaven was established long before David’s throne and since God’s throne was established forever (Lamentations 5:19), then it was not necessary for God to promise to establish David’s throne forever (2 Samuel 7:16) if they are the same throne. d)“Fourth, David’s throne was on the earth, not in heaven. David and his descendants who sat on his throne exercised an earthly, ruling authority. They never exercised ruling authority in or from heaven. By contrast, as noted earlier, the Bible indicates that God’s throne is in heaven. e)“Fifth, the Bible’s consistent description of David’s throne indicates that it belongs to David. When God talked to David about his throne, God referred to it as ’thy throne’ (2 Samuel 7:16; Psalms 89:4; Psalms 132:12). When God mentioned David’s throne to others, He referred to it as ’his throne’ (Psalms 89:29; Jeremiah 33:21), ’David’s throne’ (Jeremiah 13:13), and ’the throne of David’ (Jeremiah 17:25; Jeremiah 22:2; Jeremiah 22:4; Jeremiah 22:30). By contrast, the Scriptures’ consistent description of the throne in heaven indicates that it belongs to God the Father." f)"The impossibility of David’s throne and the Father’s throne being identical is readily demonstrated by raising the simple question of whether David could sit on the Father’s throne. The answer is obvious. David’s throne pertained to the earth, to the land of Israel and to the people of Israel. It never contemplated any universality, and it never was anything more than an earthly throne."
Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, Israel My Glory, January/February 2001, p. 30.
3. Occupation of the throne is conditioned on obedience (Psalms 132:11-12; Jeremiah 22:30; Jeremiah 23:5-6), but unconditional in duration (2 Samuel 7:14-15; Psalms 89:34). Walvoord, John F. Jesus Christ Our Lord, p. 225.
D.Rule from a restored Jerusalem (Psalms 110:2; Isaiah 2:1-4; Isaiah 24:23; Isaiah 49:14-16; Isaiah 62:1-12; Jeremiah 3:17; Zechariah 14:16) E.Believers to rule with Christ (Matthew 19:28; Revelation 3:20; Revelation 20:4)