Wkly Bible Study for Dial-Up/Broadband, Oct 21, 2013

The dispensation of Israel. Part 2.
God has not rejected His people nor His promises,
the Five Divine Covenants.

PLEASE READ FIRST

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Prepare yourself for learning the Word of God!

Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is; you have believed [trusted] in Him for His promised gift of eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to learn God's Word so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge (confess) your sins privately to God (i.e.; with your thoughts directed only to God the Father).

1 John 1:9 says: "If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (known sins) and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [unknown or forgotten sins]." NKJV (New King James Version) [italics added]

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is to have faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life:

John 6:47 says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." NKJV [italics added]

Notice again what Jesus said in John 6:47: "…he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." It doesn't say, "will have"; it says, "has." Therefore, the very moment you believe in Jesus Christ for His promise of everlasting life, you have it (it's really just that simple; nothing more and nothing less), and it can never be taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift (Ephesians 2:8c) of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-18 says: "¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. ¹⁸ He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God's Word. If there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Study to show yourself approved to God!

Grace Bible Church
Robert R. McLaughlin Bible Ministries

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STUDY TITLE:

The dispensation of Israel. Part 2.
God has not rejected His people nor His promises,
the Five Divine Covenants.


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Terms & Abbreviations used:

PPOG = Predesigned Plan of God
Human Good = Evil + Good Deeds while not in fellowship with God
OSN = Old Sin Nature
TLJC = The Lord Jesus Christ
SSE = Spiritual Self Esteem
PVTD = Positive Volition Towards Doctrine
+H - The Happiness of God
NVTD = Negative Volition Towards Doctrine
Doctrine = Bible Truth

To look up other “terms”, go to:

Alphabetical Listing

BEGIN BIBLE STUDY
Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotes and references
are from the NASB – New American Standard Bible

The nation of Israel would be defined by five divine covenants. The first two covenants, sworn during the age of the patriarchs, prepared the way for founding the nation. God made the remaining three after the Jewish race had become the Jewish nation.

1. The Abrahamic Covenant (GEN 12:1-3; GEN 13:6; GEN 22:15-18; GEN 26:4; GEN 28:14; GEN 35:11; EXO 6:2-8). The Abrahamic covenant included: The promise of a national land. The promise of both national and universal redemption. The promise that a great nation should come from him. That Abraham's name shall be great. That he should be a blessing so great that in him shall all families of the earth be blessed. To him personally, and to his seed (not the church, but the Jews) should be given Palestine forever to inherit (GEN 13:14-17). The multitude of his seed should be as the dust of the earth. Whosever blessed him should be blessed and whosever cursed him should be cursed. He should be the father of many nations. Kings shall proceed from him.

The covenant shall be perpetual and everlasting. The land of Canaan shall be "an everlasting possession."

2. The Palestinian Covenant, (GEN 13:15; GEN 15:18-21; GEN 26:3-5; GEN 28:13-15; GEN 35:12; EXO 6:4; EXO 6:8; NUM 34:1-12; DEU 30:1-9). This Palestinian covenant amplifies the land features of the Abrahamic covenant. There are seven main features in the covenant:

a. The nation will be plucked off the land for its unfaithfulness (DEU 30:1-3).

b. There will be a future repentance of Israel (DEU 30:1-3).

c. Their Messiah will return (DEU 30:3-6).

d. Israel will be restored to the land (DEU 30:5).

e. Israel will be converted as a nation (DEU 30:4-8).

f. Israel's enemies will be judged (DEU 30:7).

g. The nation will then receive her full blessing (DEU 30:9).

3. The Mosaic Law (Gen-Deu). The Mosaic law would be divided into three parts:

a. Codex I: The Freedom Code (the Decalogue, or Ten Commandments), for believers and unbelievers. This is the freedom code. These commandments form the basis for the heritage of Israel's freedom. The Ten Commandments define human freedom in terms of morality, privacy, property, life, and authority in general.

b. Codex II: The Spiritual Code (including a complete shadow presentation of Christ and His saving work [Christology and Soteriology], for believers only. The ordinances are the spiritual heritage of Israel. They are the theological code designed to present Jesus Christ as the only Savior.

c. Codex III: The Establishment Code (civil statutes for Israel). This includes the entire political and functional heritage of the nation Israel. Every principle related to the function of a client nation to God includes an elaboration of freedom and authority, privacy, rights, property, privileges, marriage and divorce, military policy, taxation ((tithing), diet, health, sanitation, quarantine, criminal law, trial, punishment, laws of evidence, and capital punishment (EXO 21:1 - 23:9).

Tithing was the system of taxation and was levied on both believers and unbelievers. There was a separate system of offerings for believers only. The offerings of believers were not assigned any percentage. The book of Malachi describes income tax evasion. "Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, 'How have we robbed Thee?' "In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation {of you}! Bring the whole tithe [Income tax] into the storehouse, [the treasury] so that there may be food in My house [blessing for the client nation], and test Me now in this," says the Lord of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows" (MAL 3:8-10).

Tithing is not spiritual giving in the Old Testament. Tithing was a 10% income tax under the laws of establishment described in the Mosaic Law for the citizens of Israel only. Believers and unbelievers alike were to be charged the same amount of tax. As a tax it was not spiritual giving. There was also a 10% tithe for all Jewish citizens, both believers and unbelievers, for the maintenance of the Levites for their presentation of doctrine (NUM 18:21; NUM 18:24). This is not pertinent today. There was also a 10% tithe for all Jewish citizens, both believers and unbelievers, to support the cost of the Lord's sacrifices (DEU 14:22-24). This is also not pertinent today. Every third year Israel required the payment of a charity tithe of 10% for those who legitimately needed help (DEU 14:28-29). This was a 10% income tax paid by all the people, this was charity not socialism. Spiritual giving in the Old Testament is presented under the word "offerings in MAL 3;8 and given by believers only. The offerings of believers were not assigned any percentage (PRO 3:9-10; PRO 11:25-26).

4. The Davidic Covenant (2SA 7:8-17; PSA 89:20-37). The provisions of the Davidic covenant include the following:

a. David is to have a child, yet to be born, who shall succeed him and establish his kingdom.

b. This son (Solomon) shall build the temple instead of David.

c. The throne of his kingdom shall be established forever.

d. The throne will not be taken away from him (Solomon) even though his sins justify chastisement.

e. David's house, throne, and kingdom shall be established forever through David's son and David's Lord and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

5. The New Covenant to Israel (JER 31:31-34; HEB 8:8-12; HEB 10:15-17). The New Covenant guarantees Israel a converted heart as the foundation of all her blessings.

"Behold, days are coming," declares the Lord, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the Lord. "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the Lord, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the Lord, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." Thus says the Lord, "Who gives the sun for light by day And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The Lord of hosts is His name: If this fixed order departs from before Me," declares the Lord, "Then the offspring of Israel also will cease from being a nation before Me forever." Thus says the Lord, "If the heavens above can be measured And the foundations of the earth searched out below, Then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel For all that they have done," declares the Lord. (JER 31:31-37).

Has the sun, the moon, the stars, the sea, departed from the universe or from the Lord? Of course not, then the offspring of Israel has not ceased from being a nation before God FOREVER. Can the heavens above be measured, or the depths and of the earth searched out below? Then God has not cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done!

Even the apostle says, I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? (ROM 11:1-2)

For finding fault with them, He says, "Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, When I will effect a new covenant With the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; Not like the covenant which I made with their fathers On the day when I took them by the hand To lead them out of the land of Egypt; For they did not continue in My covenant, And I did not care for them, says the Lord. "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their minds, And I will write them on their hearts. And I will be their God, And they shall be My people. And they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen, And everyone his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' For all will know Me, From the least to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And I will remember their sins no more." When He said, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear. (HEB 8:8-13)

When the covenants are studied we find seven great features that need to be understood concerning the Jews and the nation of Israel.

- A Nation forever.

- A Land forever.

- A King forever.
- A Throne forever.

- A Kingdom forever.

- A New Covenant.

- Abiding blessings.

There are also provisions for Israel in the New Covenant that will be fulfilled in the Millennium. The provisions of this covenant are as follows:

a. It is an unconditional grace covenant resting on the "I wills" of God. Note that five times, the number for grace, the Phrase "I will" is used in JER 31:31-34.

b. The New Covenant is also an everlasting covenant or is eternal. This is closely related to the fact that it is unconditional and made in grace (ISA 61:8; EZE 37:26; JER 31:34-37).

c. The New Covenant also promises the impartation of a renewed mind and heart, which may be called regeneration (JER 31:33; ISA 59:21).

“And as for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring's offspring,” says the Lord, “from now and forever.” (ISA 59:21)


d. The New Covenant provides for restoration to the favor and blessing of God (HOS 2:19-20; ISA 61:9).

e. Forgiveness of sin is also included in the New Covenant with Israel (JER 31:32).

f. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is also included in the New Covenant - (not permanent indwelling, like the Church-age believer, but the indwelling of God the Holy Spirit to teach the Jewish believers (JER 31:33-34; EZE 34:25-27).

g. There will be materialistic blessings for Israel in the land according to the provisions of the New Covenant (JER 32:41; ISA 61:8; EZE 34:25-27).

h. The sanctuary will be rebuilt in Jerusalem (EZE 37:26-27).

i. War shall cease and peace shall reign (HOS 2:18).

j. The blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation of all the blessings of the New Covenant.

The following points are to be observed:

- Israel is to be re-gathered.

- Israel is to be one nation ruled by one king.

- Israel is no longer to be idolatrous but to be cleansed and forgiven.

- Israel is to dwell forever in the land after the re-gathering.

- The covenant of peace is to be "everlasting."

- God's tabernacle is to be with them, i.e. He will be present with them in a visible way.

- Israel is to be known among the Gentiles as a nation blessed of God.

This covenant then has to do with the regeneration, forgiveness and justification of Israel. Also there will be the outpouring of the Holy Spirit with His subsequent ministries, and Israel's re-gathering and restoration to the place of blessing. This covenant is a literal and unconditional covenant, it is called "eternal" (ISA 24:5; ISA 61:8; JER 31:36; JER 31:40; JER 32:40; JER 50:5).

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life:
Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.