Hi all,
Last week we looked at loving Israel for its divine purpose while still being able to disagree with some or all of modern Israeli policies. Some can't separate the two, thinking if you are for Israel you are an idiot, ignoring flawed policies, unsaved or worse, lol. Others wonder how a Christian could hate Israel.
I was contacted by a well known Jewish believer in Jesus who has his own TV show, to do 2 interviews. Before the invitation was officially extended he asked me: "Do you believe in replacement theology?"
Replacement theology
Replacement theology is the belief the church has completely replaced Israel as God's chosen people, inheriting the covenant and promises given to Israel. It makes modern Israel irrelevant, just like any other nation. It allows Christians to have a reason to hate Israel, agreeing with those who don't want it to exist, or at least be against it.
I do not believe in replacement theory, though I understand intellectually how those who think the church has fully replaced the nation of Israel can believe it. I'm one who can separate an idea from a person, examine their idea and agree or disagree, and still love them, so I'm not offended by differences of opinion on this or any other doctrine.
If you know me you know context is everything when properly understanding passages in the Bible. So we will start at the beginning of Israel as a nation.
The tribe of Levi wasn't God's first choice as the priest family - all first born children were
In Exodus 13:1-2 God claimed the first born of each family member as a priest to Him. "Sanctify (set aside for my use) to me all the firstborn...they are mine."
This was His first choice and it is important to understand the New Testament. He had 'bought' them by providing the blood sacrifice of the Passover lamb, which saved all the firstborn of Israel from dying in the plague of the first born. So they were now His. It was the blood of the lamb that caused them to become born from (among) the dead. "Sanctify to me all the first born...among the children of Israel...they are mine."
He adds to the firstborn: In Exodus 19:5-6 God said this:
"Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."
I cannot emphasize this enough: The Father's plan was for the whole nation of Israel to be a kingdom of priests, representing the Laws of Moses to the rest of the nations of the earth. So it would have been all the firstborn from all the tribes would have been priests, AND secondarily the rest of the nation in various functions. They were to have been a nation of priests to God, communicating His ways to the nations of the earth. His plan was through Israel all the non-Jewish nations - Gentiles - would approach God.
Israel rejects their priesthood
That was Exodus 19. But in Exodus 20:18-21 the people rejected their call as a nation of priests, saying Moses and his family should talk to God and tell them what He says:
"They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”
What was the Father to do? The nation as a whole rejected their priesthood, though He still had the firstborn. But the Father changed plans to accommodate their unbelief, as seen in Exodus 32:25-29 at the Golden Calf. The Levites alone among all the tribes, rose up in zeal for the Lord and killed 3,000 of the idolaters. In part:
"Moses...stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me.” And all the Levites rallied to him. Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.’” The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. Then Moses had said, Today you have consecrated yourselves to the LORD, for each one has consecrated in his son and in his brother, that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day."
That was the establishment of the tribe of Levi being the priestly tribe. The Lord made it official in Numbers 3:12:
"Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of all the firstborn that open the womb...therefore the Levites shall be mine."
Look at the Lord's progression: First He bought the firstborn by the blood of the Passover Lamb while they were in Egypt. So the firstborn of all the tribes were to be priests to Him. Then He enlarged that in Exodus 19:6 to the whole nation. When they rejected their national priesthood, He still at least had the firstborn He had bought with the blood of the lamb.
But when the Levites (Moses and Aaron's family) distinguished themselves with zeal for holiness and the things of God at the Golden Calf incident, He decided to release the firstborn from priestly duties and release the other 11 tribes as well, settling on the tribe of Levi as the priests. "I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of all the firstborn...therefore the Levites are mine."
BUT wait, there's more!
The Lord's release of the firstborn and the other 11 tribes from their priestly duties didn't mean He didn't have a larger plan still at work. By compromising with Israel due to their unbelief, it allowed Him to work with the Levites to establish the Mosaic Law. But there was still the matter of the fact He had bought the firstborn by the blood of the Passover lamb. They were released from priesthood duties, but the firstborn had still been purchased and belonged to Him through the blood sacrifice of the lamb. Therefore IF a parent wanted to dedicate their firstborn to temple work they could, or they could buy back their firstborn from the Lord.
Numbers 18:15-16 tells us the Lord allowed parents to buy back their firstborn from Him if they did not want them to become a priest in the temple. This is why for instance centuries later, we have Hannah choosing to give up her firstborn son, Samuel, to serve in the temple rather than buying him back (I Samuel 1). It is also why Joseph and Mary are in the temple in Luke 2:22-24 buying back their firstborn son, Jesus, from service in the temple.
Fast forward to the risen and ascended Lord Jesus. He brought the plan full circle, as the final and true Passover Lamb, saving as many who believe in Him from their own 'Egypt', to become a kingdom of priests as He wanted in Exodus 19:6. This why John and Peter wrote:
"And He has made us unto our God a kingdom of priests and we shall reign on the earth." "And has made us kings and priests to God His Father..." "And you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a treasured people that you will show the praises of God who has called you out of darkness into light. Who before were not a people, but now you are the people of God." Revelation 5:10; 1:6 and I Peter 2:9-10
The Father got His way - He now has a kingdom of priests, more than that, royalty as Peter wrote, a royal kingdom of priests who will reign in the earth one day. But the fact we Gentile believers have been included through faith in Jesus as part of the family of priests with believing Israel, does not nullify God's purpose for the modern nation of Israel.
Next week what became of the firstborn, what will eventually happen to Israel, and more. Until then, blessings,
John Fenn
cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]
Last week we looked at loving Israel for its divine purpose while still being able to disagree with some or all of modern Israeli policies. Some can't separate the two, thinking if you are for Israel you are an idiot, ignoring flawed policies, unsaved or worse, lol. Others wonder how a Christian could hate Israel.
I was contacted by a well known Jewish believer in Jesus who has his own TV show, to do 2 interviews. Before the invitation was officially extended he asked me: "Do you believe in replacement theology?"
Replacement theology
Replacement theology is the belief the church has completely replaced Israel as God's chosen people, inheriting the covenant and promises given to Israel. It makes modern Israel irrelevant, just like any other nation. It allows Christians to have a reason to hate Israel, agreeing with those who don't want it to exist, or at least be against it.
I do not believe in replacement theory, though I understand intellectually how those who think the church has fully replaced the nation of Israel can believe it. I'm one who can separate an idea from a person, examine their idea and agree or disagree, and still love them, so I'm not offended by differences of opinion on this or any other doctrine.
If you know me you know context is everything when properly understanding passages in the Bible. So we will start at the beginning of Israel as a nation.
The tribe of Levi wasn't God's first choice as the priest family - all first born children were
In Exodus 13:1-2 God claimed the first born of each family member as a priest to Him. "Sanctify (set aside for my use) to me all the firstborn...they are mine."
This was His first choice and it is important to understand the New Testament. He had 'bought' them by providing the blood sacrifice of the Passover lamb, which saved all the firstborn of Israel from dying in the plague of the first born. So they were now His. It was the blood of the lamb that caused them to become born from (among) the dead. "Sanctify to me all the first born...among the children of Israel...they are mine."
He adds to the firstborn: In Exodus 19:5-6 God said this:
"Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."
I cannot emphasize this enough: The Father's plan was for the whole nation of Israel to be a kingdom of priests, representing the Laws of Moses to the rest of the nations of the earth. So it would have been all the firstborn from all the tribes would have been priests, AND secondarily the rest of the nation in various functions. They were to have been a nation of priests to God, communicating His ways to the nations of the earth. His plan was through Israel all the non-Jewish nations - Gentiles - would approach God.
Israel rejects their priesthood
That was Exodus 19. But in Exodus 20:18-21 the people rejected their call as a nation of priests, saying Moses and his family should talk to God and tell them what He says:
"They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”
What was the Father to do? The nation as a whole rejected their priesthood, though He still had the firstborn. But the Father changed plans to accommodate their unbelief, as seen in Exodus 32:25-29 at the Golden Calf. The Levites alone among all the tribes, rose up in zeal for the Lord and killed 3,000 of the idolaters. In part:
"Moses...stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me.” And all the Levites rallied to him. Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.’” The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. Then Moses had said, Today you have consecrated yourselves to the LORD, for each one has consecrated in his son and in his brother, that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day."
That was the establishment of the tribe of Levi being the priestly tribe. The Lord made it official in Numbers 3:12:
"Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of all the firstborn that open the womb...therefore the Levites shall be mine."
Look at the Lord's progression: First He bought the firstborn by the blood of the Passover Lamb while they were in Egypt. So the firstborn of all the tribes were to be priests to Him. Then He enlarged that in Exodus 19:6 to the whole nation. When they rejected their national priesthood, He still at least had the firstborn He had bought with the blood of the lamb.
But when the Levites (Moses and Aaron's family) distinguished themselves with zeal for holiness and the things of God at the Golden Calf incident, He decided to release the firstborn from priestly duties and release the other 11 tribes as well, settling on the tribe of Levi as the priests. "I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of all the firstborn...therefore the Levites are mine."
BUT wait, there's more!
The Lord's release of the firstborn and the other 11 tribes from their priestly duties didn't mean He didn't have a larger plan still at work. By compromising with Israel due to their unbelief, it allowed Him to work with the Levites to establish the Mosaic Law. But there was still the matter of the fact He had bought the firstborn by the blood of the Passover lamb. They were released from priesthood duties, but the firstborn had still been purchased and belonged to Him through the blood sacrifice of the lamb. Therefore IF a parent wanted to dedicate their firstborn to temple work they could, or they could buy back their firstborn from the Lord.
Numbers 18:15-16 tells us the Lord allowed parents to buy back their firstborn from Him if they did not want them to become a priest in the temple. This is why for instance centuries later, we have Hannah choosing to give up her firstborn son, Samuel, to serve in the temple rather than buying him back (I Samuel 1). It is also why Joseph and Mary are in the temple in Luke 2:22-24 buying back their firstborn son, Jesus, from service in the temple.
Fast forward to the risen and ascended Lord Jesus. He brought the plan full circle, as the final and true Passover Lamb, saving as many who believe in Him from their own 'Egypt', to become a kingdom of priests as He wanted in Exodus 19:6. This why John and Peter wrote:
"And He has made us unto our God a kingdom of priests and we shall reign on the earth." "And has made us kings and priests to God His Father..." "And you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a treasured people that you will show the praises of God who has called you out of darkness into light. Who before were not a people, but now you are the people of God." Revelation 5:10; 1:6 and I Peter 2:9-10
The Father got His way - He now has a kingdom of priests, more than that, royalty as Peter wrote, a royal kingdom of priests who will reign in the earth one day. But the fact we Gentile believers have been included through faith in Jesus as part of the family of priests with believing Israel, does not nullify God's purpose for the modern nation of Israel.
Next week what became of the firstborn, what will eventually happen to Israel, and more. Until then, blessings,
John Fenn
cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]
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