Season 2, Ep. 2 - The Purpose of Israel
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Big Idea:
Big Idea:
Through Israel, God’s reconciling His family by grace and faith.
Intro:
Intro:
Good morning church…
[I know many of you are joining online because we’re in the middle of a snow storm! Thanks for your faithfulness of being with us as we spend time with the Lord…]
Before we jump in, I want to mention that because of the storm, we’ve decided to reschedule sharing our official building update, as well as our annual Treasurer’s report. We’ll announce what date we’ll plan on doing that soon!
Today, we’re continuing in our sermon series titled, “More to the Old Testament.” It’s part of a greater sermon series through the book of Romans called, “There is more.” And that’s part of our 2025 Vision (what God is calling our church to focus on). This year, we believe God has MORE for our families, church, and community. And one primary way we’re going to discover this MORE is by studying God’s word - specifically the book of Romans.
And currently, we’ve paused at Romans 3 because we believe we need to learn MORE about the Old Testament to get MORE from what Paul writes to the Romans.
And so here we are. Quickly making our way through the Old Testament in hopefully 7 weeks. We’re answering the question, “What’s the purpose to the Old Testament?” Because in Romans 1-2, Paul tells the Jewish Christians in Rome that they needed the gospel just as much as the non-Jewish believers, but he also writes…
So what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? Considerable in every way. First, they were entrusted with the very words of God.
The Old Testament is extremely important. It - along with the New Testament - is part of one unified story written by the people of God and inspired by the Holy Spirit. And the church - the people of God in Christ - would do well to understand it’s purpose, because it’s part of our story.
Last week, we started by going from Adam to Abraham. And we discovered one purpose of the Old Testament was to PREACH THE GOSPEL. The Jewish people had an ADVANTAGE because God gave them the GOSPEL FIRST!
And today, we pick up at Abraham, and will move to Moses, answering a different question… “What’s the purpose of Israel?”
But before we get into that, maybe we need to first ask, “Who is Israel?”
Some might say Israel is a country in the Middle East. And they would be correct.
Others would say Israel refers to the ethnically Jewish people. And they would be correct.
But isn’t it also a religion - Judaism? Isn’t that part of Israel too? Yes, you are correct.
All of these are correct. Israel is a unique mixture of a people group, country, religion and culture all wrapped up in one. That might be confusing, so maybe the best place to start is where we left off last week… with Abraham…
The Lord said to Abram:
Go from your land,
your relatives,
and your father’s house
to the land that I will show you.
I will make you into a great nation,
I will bless you,
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt,
and all the peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.
So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.
So, God chooses Abraham (by grace) to be the father of His special people (btw, like last week, we’re gonna read a lot of Scripture!)…
After these events, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:
Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield;
your reward will be very great.
But Abram said, “Lord God, what can you give me, since I am childless and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” Abram continued, “Look, you have given me no offspring, so a slave born in my house will be my heir.”
Now the word of the Lord came to him: “This one will not be your heir; instead, one who comes from your own body will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “Your offspring will be that numerous.”
Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
God’s promise to Abraham of making into a great nation seemed impossible. Nevertheless, Abraham put his faith in God.
Quick application point: What impossible thing do you need to believe God for? If God has said something to you, follow Abraham’s example - believe God.
After many years, Abraham and Sarah miraculously have their son, Isaac. Fast-forwarding, Isaac then miraculously has two sons…
Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was childless. The Lord was receptive to his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived.
She has twins, Esau and Jacob. But only Jacob chose to walk with God. So, God’s promise to Abraham and Isaac was continued though Jacob. In discussing “Israel,” remember the names: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
This is important, because as we define “who is Israel,” we need to realize that both Abraham and Isaac had other children. But the promise was sovereignly (meaning by God’s perfect wisdom) limited to a specific lineage. The promises of God - the promise of salvation - are not given to Ishmael (Abraham’s other son) nor to Esau (Jacob’s brother). It is specifically Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In fact, it’s to Jacob that we first hear the name Israel…
“Your name will no longer be Jacob,” he said. “It will be Israel because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.”
Who is Israel?
Israel are God’s chosen people (by grace) through the lineage and promises give directly and specifically to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. These promises included land but also religion. However, we don’t get to the latter until Moses. And to get to Moses, we first have to talk about Jacob’s 12 sons…
Btw, this story is a mess. And personally, it’s why I trust the Old Testament. If you were to make up a religion, human logic says make the story nice and clean. But if you read the Old Testament - like the story of Jacob’s family - it’s anything but that. It’s more like a bad Jerry Springer (remember him) episode.
You can read it for yourself for homework, but for now… Jacob has 12 sons. The 11th son is named Joseph. Jacob loved Joseph the most, which made his brothers jealous. So, they sold him into slavery. [Nice]
But the thing about Joseph was he faithfully walked with God. And we’re going to flyby his life today, but in Season 4 of “There is more,” we’ll spend a whole episode on him, so if you like his story (or curious about him), there is more!
Anyways, by God’s favor and Joseph’s faithfulness, God makes him the 2nd most powerful person in Egypt (which - at the time - was the world’s most powerful empire). Joseph supernaturally saves the world from a global famine, including his family back in Canaan, when God gives him the ability to interpret dreams. And then, Joseph brings his family to Egypt where they are transformed from a large family to a nation - just as God promised.
But then…
Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation eventually died. But the Israelites were fruitful, increased rapidly, multiplied, and became extremely numerous so that the land was filled with them.
A new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt.
And this king forced the Israelites into slavery. This only increased the nation’s population.
Spiritual lesson…
No weapon formed against you will succeed,
and you will refute any accusation
raised against you in court.
This is the heritage of the Lord’s servants,
and their vindication is from me.”
This is the Lord’s declaration.
This is the promise - the heritage of God’s people - that even when we suffer, we (and God Kingdom) flourish!
My friends, we love comfort. And one day, when God makes all things right, we will have eternal comfort. But until then, we live in a broken world. And there’s a spiritual battle raging. Darkness attacks light. Yet, the promise to God’s people is…
God is with us.
God fights for us.
And we actually prosper through oppression and pressure… it refines us like gold; and creates diamonds. God’s people multiply in persecution, not prosperity.
That’s what happened in Egypt. And Israel’s multiplication was so great, that Pharoah decides to kill all the sons to try and stop it. But, again, it didn’t work. And in this time is when we’re introduced to Moses. Who not only survived Pharaoh’s genocide, but actually grows up in Pharaoh’s house. God saves and blesses Moses. Because God had a special purpose for him - he called Moses to deliver Israel from Egypt.
We first see this calling when Moses saves an Jewish slave from a harsh Egyptian task master. Moses kills the Egyptian, but then must hide in the wilderness for 40 years. But then…
Meanwhile, Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire within a bush. As Moses looked, he saw that the bush was on fire but was not consumed. So Moses thought, “I must go over and look at this remarkable sight. Why isn’t the bush burning up?”
When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from the bush, “Moses, Moses!”
“Here I am,” he answered.
“Do not come closer,” he said. “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Then he continued, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God.
Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people in Egypt, and have heard them crying out because of their oppressors. I know about their sufferings, and I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them from that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the territory of the Canaanites, Hethites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. So because the Israelites’ cry for help has come to me, and I have also seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them, therefore, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh so that you may lead my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”
So Moses (hesitantly) obeys…
Later, Moses and Aaron went in and said to Pharaoh, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival for me in the wilderness.”
Pharaoh’s hard heart refuses, so God pours out 10 plagues upon the land, which causes Pharaoh to finally surrender…
Remember, we’re flying at 10,000 feet, so we’re moving fast. This is an amazing story. It’s part of your story, church. So you should read it! Additionally, there are two really good movies that pretty accurately tell the story of Israel’s time in Egypt…
Joseph: King of Dreams.
The Prince of Egypt.
Don’t let the cartoons fool you. These are good! If you don’t want to read, at least watch these. Watch them with your entire family!
Anyways, Pharaoh says…
He summoned Moses and Aaron during the night and said, “Get out immediately from among my people, both you and the Israelites, and go, worship the Lord as you have said.
Israel begins to exit (hence Exodus)… And while I’d love to go onto tell the miraculous story of the Red Sea, I’m actually gonna start to land the plane here in chapter 13, because in it, I believe we find the answers to Israel’s purposes… (maybe I’ll fit the Red Sea into next week’s recap)…
Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day when you came out of Egypt, out of the place of slavery, for the Lord brought you out of here by the strength of his hand. Nothing leavened may be eaten.
Like their forefather Abraham, Israel didn’t deserve to be saved. God did it because He loved them and chose to save them by grace. And one of the purposes of Israel is to show that…
God desires a family.
God desires a family.
God doesn’t need a family. God desired one because He is love and family is where love happens. Adam ran from God’s family. Israel shows when God ran towards His family. Israel shows us that God desires a family and will do whatever it takes to save the relationship, even when they don’t deserve it.
When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them along the road to the land of the Philistines, even though it was nearby; for God said, “The people will change their minds and return to Egypt if they face war.” So he led the people around toward the Red Sea along the road of the wilderness. And the Israelites left the land of Egypt in battle formation.
Another purpose of Israel is to show…
God has a plan and pace for His family.
God has a plan and pace for His family.
The Old Testament is the story of God’s progressive revelation, reconciliation, and restoration of His family.
Sin is serious. It REALLY broke our relationship with God. And even after God saves us, it takes His power coupled with HIs perfect timing to fix that relationship - mostly because we need to time to be shaped into His sons and daughters.
Did you know that God’s not concerned with the easiest or shortest path for our lives? He’s concerned with the right path - the path that makes us into His people.
…Our final purpose for Israel includes the Israelites heading towards the Red Sea, with the full Egyptian army barreling down upon them. As God guides them along His chosen (longer) path, He says…
Pharaoh will say of the Israelites: They are wandering around the land in confusion; the wilderness has boxed them in.
But this is by God’s design… yet…
I will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he will pursue them. Then I will receive glory by means of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites did this.
God’s plan for Israel wasn’t simply to save them. It was so that others would see God’s glory! Why?
It’s jumping ahead a few hundred years in Israel’s story, but the prophet Isaiah says this…
Listen to me, O coastlands,
and give attention, you peoples from afar.
The Lord called me from the womb,
from the body of my mother he named my name.
He made my mouth like a sharp sword;
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow;
in his quiver he hid me away.
And he said to me, “You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”
But I said, “I have labored in vain;
I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
yet surely my right is with the Lord,
and my recompense with my God.”
And now the Lord says,
he who formed me from the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him;
and that Israel might be gathered to him—
for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord,
and my God has become my strength—
he says:
“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to bring back the preserved of Israel;
I will make you as a light for the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
Ultimately, this prophetically points to Jesus (THE Servant of God), but it also reveals…
God’s purpose for Israel includes inviting the world back into His family.
God’s purpose for Israel includes inviting the world back into His family.
God’s intention was as the nations saw the God of Israel, and how He loved and saved His chosen people, Israel would have an opportunity to preach the gospel - to say to the observing nations, “Our God can be your God too!”
We get a small fulfillment of this a few chapters later…
Moses’s father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about everything that God had done for Moses and for God’s people Israel when the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt.
Here’s an outsider who heard about the God of Israel. He’s invited into the camp because of His relationship with one of God’s people - Moses. And Moses shares about all the Lord has done. And look at Jethro’s response…
“Blessed be the Lord,” Jethro exclaimed, “who rescued you from the power of Egypt and from the power of Pharaoh. He has rescued the people from under the power of Egypt! Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because he did wonders when the Egyptians acted arrogantly against Israel.”
Then Jethro, Moses’s father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’s father-in-law in God’s presence.
Israel is a light to Midian (another nation). Jethro the Midianite is invited into God’s family. And Jethro worships.
…Unfortunately, Israel did not continue fulfilling this purpose. At least not directly. It was not until Jesus - who is God, but also humanely from the family of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (and if we want to get really technical… from Judah, one of Jacob’s twelve sons) - it is through Jesus that this purpose of Israel is fulfilled. Jesus invites the world back to God’s family by the cross and resurrection.
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world!” (Jn 8:12).
…So, what’s the purpose of Israel? From Abraham to Moses, we see:
God desires a family.
God has a plan and pace for His family.
God’s purpose for His family is to grow His family by inviting everyone into it.
So, why does this matter to us?
Response:
Response:
As we close [and the worship team comes up], remember, Israel’s story is part of our story. Because we too are God’s chosen people. Look at what the apostle Peter (a Jewish man) wrote… speaking to the church….
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
He says the same thing to the church that God said to Israel…
Now if you will carefully listen to me and keep my covenant, you will be my own possession out of all the peoples, although the whole earth is mine, and you will be my kingdom of priests and my holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to say to the Israelites.”
Am I saying that the church replaced Israel. No, I don’t believe it has. But I love what one Bible teacher writes…
There Paul argues that the revelation of divine grace through Jesus Christ had not resulted in God’s abandonment of Israel, but rather in an enlargement of Israel to include those who had been grafted onto the olive tree.
In other words, we didn’t not replace Israel as God’s chosen people or family, but rather, we are a fulfillment of God’s greater purpose for Israel… to invite the entire world into His family.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Therefore, how should we respond to God’s word today…
1) God desires a family.
1) God desires a family.
That’s a purpose we see in Israel. But it’s part of the church’s purpose too! I love how Pastor Josh says it. The gospel can be summed up in one question: Are you in God’s family or not?
God wants you in His family. He loves you. That’s why He sent Jesus to save you. Do you want to be part of His family?If so, all you need to do is repent and put your faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. Today is a good day to do that!
2) God has a plan and pace for His family.
2) God has a plan and pace for His family.
There’s a pace to the Holy Spirit. Sanctification is a theological word that describes God progressively making you more like Jesus by His power and perfect timing.
Do you follow Jesus? Is your life still a mess? I have good news for you. God’s not done with you yet. Trust His pace.
So, how do we know what pace to run at?
It’s been a while since I’ve given a running illustration. Probably because I haven’t been running a lot lately. But a couple of years ago, I finally hit my goal of running a half marathon (13.1 miles) in under 2 hours.
Some people can do that easily. I need to pace myself or I won’t make it. And many times, there are pacers holding signs for runners to follow. They are running at certain paces to help you accomplish your time goal.
We see something like that in Israel’s story too…
And they moved on from Succoth and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.
And how do you know God’s pace? Do what the Israelites do… when He moves your move (some of you heard the Ludacris song - sinners!). Follow God at the pace of the Holy Spirit (who leads us like a pillar of cloud or fire). But what if we can’t see those things? Honestly, I’ve never been led that way after following Jesus by 20 years.
Here’s how God leads His people today:
Through prayer.
Through His Word.
Through community/relationship with His people.
All of those things act as pacers that keep you in step with the plans and pace God has for you.
Finally…
3) God’s people invite others into His family…
3) God’s people invite others into His family…
Christianity is not a private faith. It’s public. Like Israel, Jesus said to the church…
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Who are you telling about Jesus? Are you talking about what God is doing in your life? Do you invite people into God’s family (house/church) so they can come into the family too?
Because that’s part of your purpose! God’s plan for your life includes you building relationships that lead other people into relationship with the God who loves them. So, who will you invite into God’s family this week?
Write their name down. Pray, Then, invite.
Let’s pray…
Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you for the Old Testament! We thank you for how it brings clarity to our story. We pray that - as your people - we would live out our purposes that are very similar to Israel’s purposes. Helps us to reveal your heart. Help us humbly walk at your pace. And help us to grow your family by sharing Jesus. And we pray these things in His name, amen.
