Jesus Saves!

Israel History

The Fathers

God chose Abraham Isaac and Jacob as the fathers of Israel. He made a promise to bless all nations through Israel in his promise to Abraham “Genesis 12:2-3

Genesis 12:2–3 (NASB95)

And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

The world had become very wicked. So God decided to create His own nation that would be a lighthouse to the world of what a right relationship with the world looked like. Unfortunately, the nation of Israel turned their backs on God and He allowed them to be captured and enslaved by the Egyptians for four hundred years.

Moses

The oppression of the Egyptians became so severe that the nation of Israel called out to God in an effort to turn back to Him. God raised up a leader named Moses who would lead them out of captivity and demonstrate the power of God to the whole world.

When God delivered them from Egyptian bondage, God was going to establish the nation with His law. Unfortunately the nation of Israel got impatient with Moses and worshipped a false god. God placed judgement on them and that generation could not enter the promise land. Instead they all died in the dessert. Acts 13:17-18

Acts 13:17–18 (NASB95)

“The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out from it. “For a period of about forty years He put up with them in the wilderness.

God Delivers Israel to Promise Land

Deuteronomy 7:1–2 (NASB95)

“When the Lord your God brings you into the land where you are entering to possess it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and stronger than you, and when the Lord your God delivers them before you and you defeat them, then you shall utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them and show no favor to them.

God conquers the seven nations that were more powerful than them and distributed the land to the nation of Israel. Acts 13:19

Acts 13:19 NASB95

“When He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land as an inheritance—all of which took about four hundred and fifty years.

Unfortunately, the nation of Israel did exactly what God told them not to do. They married the people that they were suppose to destroy and accepted their foreign gods. God brought judgement on Israel. So the people cried out and God raised up judges.

Judges

Acts 13:20 NASB95

“After these things He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.

Because their was no leadership in Israel God raised up 12 different judges to lead Israel out of the cycle of sin. The cycle of sin goes like this. God pours favor on Israel. Israel gets complacent and forgets God. They turn to other gods and fall morally and spiritually. God pours out judgement on Isreal for their sin. The judgment is too great so they call out to God for forgiveness. God raises up a leader to deliver them from their judgement. The cycle continues 12 times. However each time the cycle goes through they get a little further away from God.

I think we can all identify with this cycle of sin because it is present in our own lives. However God is faithful to forgive because we serve a patient God.

The Prophet Samuel

When the people of Israel got so far away from God, He raised up a prophet to be the mouthpiece of God to the people of Israel. Once again the nation of Israel turned their back on God and demanded an earthly King. Samuel was told by God to give them Saul. Acts 13:21

Acts 13:21 NASB95

“Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.

This was not what God desired, but gave them what they wanted. 1 Sam. 8:4-22

1 Samuel 8:4–22 NASB95

Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah; and they said to him, “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.” But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. The Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. “Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day—in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also. “Now then, listen to their voice; however, you shall solemnly warn them and tell them of the procedure of the king who will reign over them.” So Samuel spoke all the words of the Lord to the people who had asked of him a king. He said, “This will be the procedure of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and place them for himself in his chariots and among his horsemen and they will run before his chariots. “He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and of fifties, and some to do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. “He will also take your daughters for perfumers and cooks and bakers. “He will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves and give them to his servants. “He will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards and give to his officers and to his servants. “He will also take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys and use them for his work. “He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants. “Then you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.” Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, “No, but there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” Now after Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the Lord’s hearing. The Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice and appoint them a king.” So Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Go every man to his city.”

God gave them what they wanted, but also told them that it would not be good for them. However the nation of Israel did not listen to God and chose Saul for their king.

God does this in our life as well. When we want things more than God, often times he will allow us to have them. However we must understand that we must face the consequences of our choice. And like the nation of Israel the consequences cannot be undone.

After Saul, God raised up a king after His own heart.

King David

Acts 13:22 NASB95

“After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will.’

King David was a Godly man that feared the Lord. God used David to establish Israel as the most powerful nation in the world. He also blessed David by promising him that the Messiah would be born from His lineage. Acts 13:23

Acts 13:23 NASB95

“From the descendants of this man, according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus,

After David died, Israel had a bunch of wicked kings that drove the nation away from God.

God pronounced judgment on Israel through the major and minor prophets, but also the promise of a Savior. The last prophet was Malachi. After Malachi, God was silent for 400 years. Then Jesus was born.

Jesus

After 400 years of silence God brought forth His Son to save the world. Acts 13:23-24

Acts 13:23–24 (NASB95)

“From the descendants of this man, according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, after John had proclaimed before His coming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

Jesus was virgin born, lived a perfect life without sin, did may miracles, taught with great authority, died on a cross for our sin, was resurrected on the third day, and is now King of kings and Lord of Lords.

All aspects of the nation of Israel is representative of our lives. God loves us but because of our sin we do not love Him. God allows us to be in the bondage of sin and face the consequences of that sin. Our sin is the king we want instead of God. We will find ourselves in bondage to our sin. John 8:34

John 8:34 NASB95

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.

God comes to us in our sin and reveals His Son Jesus as our Savior. We can choose to follow Him through repentance and faith or reject Him.

Gospel Decision

Acts 13:38–41 NASB95

“Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses. “Therefore take heed, so that the thing spoken of in the Prophets may not come upon you: ‘Behold, you scoffers, and marvel, and perish; For I am accomplishing a work in your days, A work which you will never believe, though someone should describe it to you.’ ”

I am here today to proclaim to you that Jesus Christ is God’s Son. Only in Him will you find forgiveness for your sins and salvation for your soul. You cannot earn it by your good works. You cannot be deserving of it because of your strong morality. You must simply receive the gift of God through repentance of your sin and faith in the sufficiency of the sacrifice of God’s Son for your salvation!