First Quarter 2003
Adult Sabbath School Lessons: "The Promise"
Special
Insights #7
Lesson
6: Abraham's Seed
February
1-7, 2003
(Produced
by the Editorial Board of the 1888 Message Study Committee)
The
title and theme for our Sabbath School lesson this week is "Abraham's
Seed." The purpose is identified in the following sentence: "Our
study this week focuses on the identity and role of God's true Israel in
every age, including our own." We will first focus on the role, and
then the identity, of Israel.
There
seems to be a recurring notion in our Sabbath School studies at least up to
and including this week's lesson. The idea is that God's covenant is an
agreement, a compact, or a bargain that must be entered into by God and man.
That
God initiates, promises, and fulfills His covenant is not the issue or the
difference in understanding. There is agreement here. The difference is with
man's response. The concept contained in language such as "those who
tried to keep, the best they could, their end of the covenant,"
and "Israel had to fulfill her end of the bargain; if not, the
promises could be nullified" (comments for Wednesday and Monday) is a
serious point for consideration.
From
a Biblical perspective are the words, or even the concept, expressed in the
above paragraph ever found in connection with God's everlasting covenant?
No. The words that express the concept are the sum and substance of the Old
Covenant.
We
need to be ever mindful that fallen man is dead to the things of God's
covenant (Ephesians 2:1). The dead know nothing and can do nothing. So how
can they possibly do the best they can "in fulfilling their end of the
covenant" or "end of the bargain." The Spirit of God must
quicken or bring to life a person dead in trespasses and sin. The Holy
Spirit convicts of sin and of judgment and of righteousness (John 16:7-11).
As the spiritually dead is awakened to his condition and also to the
goodness of God there is given to him the gift of repentance (Acts 5:31) and
there is created within him a faith rooted in the innermost part of the
heart (Romans 10:17, 9-10). He thanks God for the promise of salvation
contained in the everlasting covenant. With a heart overflowing with love to
God he will do the duties of a believer. He will obey. But his obedience
does not constitute his end of the covenant. He does not fulfill an end of a
bargain.
The
Role of Israel
Jacob
and Mother
Abraham's
grandson, Jacob, was promised the inheritance, and all the spiritual
blessings of God, as was Abraham and Isaac, Jacob's father (Genesis 28:1-4).
Earlier, Jacob and his mother believed God's promise that the birthright of
inheritance would go to Jacob. However, as years passed they felt God needed
some assistance in obtaining it. The term "Jacob" means "to
supplant," "to overreach." The word "deceitful" in
Jeremiah 17:9, and "Jacob" come from the same root word. It is
true that in helping God out Jacob and his mother didn't use works of
righteousness. They used guile and deceit. It is evident that Rebecca and
her son thought that the end justified the means.
Sara,
Abraham, and Hagar
Abraham
was involved in two covenants. He and his wife, Sara, received the
covenantal promise of God by faith alone and was thus counted as righteous
(Genesis 15:6). But after time elapsed with no offspring, they knew that if
something wasn't done relatively soon there could be no possibility of
having a child. Sara came up with the brilliant idea that Abraham and she
"had to fulfill" their "end of the bargain," their
"end of the covenant;" if not, the promise would not be realized.
So, Hagar was enlisted to help produce a child of the flesh. This is, of
course, the Old Covenant. This was an amalgamation between the flesh of man
and the promise of God.
The
everlasting covenant of God is not a bargaining proposal or a procedure.
God's covenant is His promise of grace. A promise is something to be
believed, not negotiated. This is not negotiable! It is not that God does
His part of the bargain, if you do your "end of the covenant."
Certainly God wants to bring us into a state of agreement with Himself. This
is called reconciliation. He has done this already. This was the fulfillment
of the covenant that He entered into with His Son back in the days of
eternity. When Jesus became the Head and Representative of the race, God was
here, in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.
Now He pleads with us, for His sake, to receive this reconciliation. Simply
believe it. Accept it. Don't resist it (see 2 Corinthians 5:19, 20).
The
role, the duty, the function, of spiritual Israel is to believe.
Jacob
learned this valuable lesson in a terrible time of trouble. He learned that
the fulfillment of the promises of God comes by faith and not by fraud.
Jacob was a man of great physical strength and endurance. But it was not
through his might as a wrestler that he gained the victory. Jacob's strength
was in his weakness.
The
angel said, "Let me go" (Genesis 32:26). Here is evidence that
Jacob had stopped fighting and was clinging. His strength was now by faith
in God. He was resting in God. No longer a supplanter, but rather as a
prince of God, he fought the good fight of faith and won. The journey from a
Jacobite to an Israelite is an illustration of righteousness by faith. When
Jacob stopped fighting God he became an Israelite. There is more than one
way to fight God. We can fight God by resisting Him. We fight God, also,
when we refuse to believe His covenant. An "Israelite" is one who
is crippled and helpless in his own strength, and overcomes the world by
faith (1 John 5:4, 5).
Abraham,
Sara, Rebecca, and Jacob gave bad example to their physical descendants,
Israel. But they recovered from their unbelief and became outstanding
examples of righteousness by faith. Why did the nation of Israel (and we
Christians) not follow their examples of faith? Why do we follow their
examples of the flesh?
The
Old Covenant experience of Abraham and Sara was repeated at Sinai in the
motivation exhibited in the people's response as they promised "All
that the Lord has said we will do" (Exodus 19:8). They thought God's
everlasting covenant was do-able on their part. Thus they felt they needed
to make a compact with God and to hold up "their end of the
bargain."
So
much for the role of Israel. Let's move on to the identity of Israel.
The
term "Israel" has been used for centuries to designate a nation of
people as the physical descendants of Abraham. However, not all of Abraham's
descendants were to be considered Israel. Physical descent does not
constitute a true Israelite. An Israelite is a child of promise (Romans 9:8;
Galatians 4:28). Israel is the seed of Abraham because of God's promise to
Abraham.
Consider,
for a moment, Christianity and Christians today. The term
"Christian" is used to designate anyone who makes a profession of
belonging to Christianity. In spite of the profession, however, this does
not constitute one a Christian. So with Israel. The Bible testifies:
"Not all Israel is Israel" Romans 9:6). Those who share a common
racial ancestry are not necessarily the "seed of Abraham."
True
"Israel" came into existence as a gift of God's grace. God changed
Jacob (the "supplanter") from deceit to Israel ("overcoming
prince"). After God changed Jacob's character He gave him the new name
of Israel to reflect the change. Israel is made up of those who have been
changed by God's grace, and who continues in grace "from faith to
faith."
The
nation of Israel was a type, a symbol, a figure, a shadow of Christ. He is
the substance, the true Israel. Jesus, the great prince of God is the first
Israel, not in point of time, but in pre-eminence. And so, anyone who is
Christ's is a true Israelite.
The
everlasting covenant promise to Abraham and to His offspring always centers
in Jesus. The promise was to, and through, the Messiah. He is the Seed of
Abraham. He is the "Israel" of God. Both words "Seed"
and "Israel" are collective or corporate terms. Messiah's people
and Himself are one, as the Head and the body or church.
By
comparing Matthew 2:15 with Hosea 11:1 we note that Jesus is Israel. God's
son, Israel (the nation), was taken from Egypt, yet proved faithless in
subsequent history. The only begotten of the Father, the Son, Jesus, was
taken from Egypt, grew into perfect manhood, and accomplished the work which
the Father had purposed.
Isaiah
49:3 also calls Him "Israel." This chapter reveals a conversation
between the Father and the Son that occurred back in the days of eternity.
This conversation is about the everlasting covenant between Them. The Father
told the Son: "I will preserve You and give you for a covenant to the
people" (verse 8). Jesus believed God's promise. This is the faith of
Jesus.
What
covenant promises did the Lord make to the nation of Israel? The same that
He made to Noah, to Abraham, and to Jacob. In every case the condition of
receiving the promises was to believe what God said. Because the nation of
Israel refused to believe they never entered God's rest (Hebrews 3:18-4:3).
God
promised Abraham that through His Seed all His covenant promises must come.
And all His promises were to His Seed, the Son of Man (Galatians 3:16). So
the covenant, decreed in the days of eternity, was promised to Abraham and
to his Seed, his Heir, his Offspring, the true Israel. God referred to not
several individuals, but to One, who can be none other than Jesus, the
Messiah and Mediator of the everlasting covenant. It follows that if you and
I are in Him, then we are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise
(Galatians 3:29).
In
conclusion and summary we learn that Israel is identified as Jesus and all
who believe God's promise from the heart. The role, or duty, or function of
Israel is to receive and to keep the faith of Jesus (Revelation 14:12).
Believing God's everlasting covenant of love and grace will always be
manifested in obedience to all of God's commandments. This is righteousness
(i.e., obedience) by faith. This is the precious message God promised to,
and commanded to be given to, the world (see Testimonies to Ministers,
pp. 91, 92).
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