God's Covenants With Israel, the Nations and the Church

Table of Covenants of God with Israel, the Church and the Nations

God's Covenant With Abraham Especially as the Father of the Jewish Nation of Israel from Genesis 12

After the flood of Noah by the time of Nimrod and the tower of Babel there was universal idolatry started in a new way and made much worse by Nimrod and his mother Semiramis who started western astrology, the mother goddess and mother child idolatry and perhaps other idolatry and immorality. At that time there was strong idolatry in Sumer, Shinar or Chaldea which covers much of the area of modern Iraq of worship of the moon god. This was the background Abraham at first Abram found himself and out of which God called him to start a new or separate holy or godly people set apart for the God of Heaven and Earth ( the God of the Bible El Shaddai or later Yahweh or Jehovah) to worship Him alone. God called Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees to a promised land where he and his descendants would serve and live by the laws of the God of the Bible. This land is the land of Israel. God promised Abraham if he obeyed his command and the covenant he offered he would bless Abraham and his descendants and would make him a father of many nations the Jews or Israels especially but also other nations such as the Edomites through Esau and the Arabs through Ishmael although the Jews would be given the land of Israel. Also through the Jews would come the scripture and the Messiah or Annointed one and Saviour of the world which was fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ. God also provided a special covenant relationship with the Jews by adopting them as His chosen earthly people and offering Himself and His principles and protection as provisions from Him as their God. The scripture reference in Genesis 12 of God as the covenant God of the Jews through Abraham is as follows:

Scripture Reference from Genesis 12 of the Abrahamic Covenant of God's Promise to Make Abraham a Father of Many Nations and Give Him and His Descendants the Jews the Promised Land of Israel

Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Genesis 12:1-3

Extension of Abrahamic Covenant to Abraham's Son Isaac in Genesis 26

In this chapter God appeared to Isaac and notably told him not to go down to Egypt but to dwell in the land He would tell Isaac of - the land of Israel or Canaan. God then instructed Isaac to dwell in the land and that God would be with him and bless him. God also promised Isaac His covenant with Abraham including that unto Isaac and his seed or descendants he would give all these countries (all the countries of the Canaanites) that he swore in the covenant that God made with Abraham Isaac's father. God also extended the covenant he made with Abraham to his son Isaac that He would multiply his seed (descendants) as the stars of heaven and would give to his seed (descendants) all these countries (the countries of the Canaanites) in the land of Canaan or Israel and that in also Isaac's seed or descendants would all the nations of the earth be blessed. God reminds Isaac that the basis of the covenant originally was that Abraham was faithful to God and to His commandments or instructions. The scripture reference in Genesis 26 of God's extension of His covenant with Abraham to his son Isaac is as follows:

Scripture Reference from Genesis 26 of God's Extension of His Covenant with Abraham for the Land of Canaan or Israel and God's Blessings to His Descendants to His Son Isaac

And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar. And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. Genesis 26:1-5

Isaac Extends the Abrahamic Covenant with God for the People of Israel Concerning the Land of Canaan or Israel With His Son Jacob or Israel from Genesis 28

God impressed on Isaac to instruct his son Jacob later renamed by God Israel to continue to develop a separate people to God by taking a wife from Padan-aram in Mesopotamia and his kinsmen or near relatives instead of from the daughters of the pagan Canaanites. Then Isaac extended the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant to his son Jacob (Israel). These blessings included God giving Jacob fruitfulness so that he would have many children and descendants and be the ancestor of a great people. God also used Isaac to extend the Abrahamic covenant to his son Jacob (Israel) of the title to the land of Canaan or the land of Israel to Jacob and his descendants. Isaac in the will of God then sent his son Jacob (Israel) away to Padan-aram to his uncle Laban in Syria (Mesopotamia or modern day Iraq). The scripture reference in Genesis 28 of God extending his covenant with Abraham and his descendants (seed) through Isaac to his son Jacob (Israel) concerning having many descendants and being the heir of the land of Canaan or land of Israel is as follows:

Scripture Reference from Genesis 28 of God's Extending His Covenant with Abraham for His Giving Him and His Descendants Many Children and a Great Nation and the Land of Canaan or Israel Through Isaac to His Son Jacob (Israel)

And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. Arise, go to Padan-aram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughers of Laban thy mother's brother. And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people; And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham. And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Padan-aram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother. Genesis 28:1-5

Description of Scripture from Genesis 28 of God Confirming His Covenant with Abraham and His Descendants to Give Them the Land of Canaan or Israel and Make Them a Great Nation Through Abraham's Grandson Jacob (Israel)

Under God's protection Jacob (Israel) set out to find a wife from his near relatives (kinsmen) in Syria (Mesopotamia) across the desert or wilderness and went to sleep on his way to Haran on the first part of his journey. Jacob then had a dream of a ladder going up to heaven with angels ascending and descending on it which was real but also symbolized God granting him access to and blessing from Himself. God then appeared to Jacob (Israel) in the dream and identified himself as the God of Abraham and Isaac and promised Jacob also that the land of Canaan including that on the way to Canaan God would give also to Jacob (Israel) and his seed or descendants. God also extended the covenant he made with Abraham of fruitfulness to him and his seed and descendants and that they would spread out through the promised land of Canaan or Israel to occupy or possess it with God's blessings. God also extended the blessings he gave Abraham in his covenant with him of the people and nation of Israel being a blessing to the other nations or families of the earth. God also for the immediate time then promised to be with Jacob (Israel) and to bring him back to the promised land of Canaan to become the land of Israel. Jacob (Israel) then awoke from his sleep and dream with a great sense of holiness and reverence for God and His Presence in that place saying God was in that place and he didn't realize it before and that that place was the house of God or gate of heaven. The scripture reference in Genesis 28 of God confirming the covenant he made with Abraham and Isaac of a promised land in Canaan and for Abraham's descendants to become a great nation and to become a blessing to the other families (nations) of the earth through Abraham's grandson Jacob (Israel) is as follows:

Scripture Reference from Genesis 28 of God Confirming His Covenant With Abraham of a Promised Land and to Make a Great Nation that Would be a Blessing to All the People of Earth Through Abraham's Grandson Jacob (Israel) and His Seed (Descendants)

And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. And Jacob awaked out of sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. Genesis 28:10-17

Some conditions of Mosaic Covenant from Exodus 34

Although there were other conditions of the Mosaic or Palestinian Covenant in other scriptures some main ones are in Exodus 34. These conditions still apply as part of the means of God's blessings to the Jews and will also apply in the tribulation and Millennial Kingdom. Some of these conditions include that the Israelites were not to make covenants with the people of the land which means that the Israelites now shouldn't make covenants with the Palestinian Arabs to give concessions for the land of Israel. Although some of the non-Jewish residents of Israel are the Palestinian Arabs and any Canaanites have been either expelled from the land of Israel or absorbed with the Arabs, many of these laws about Israel regarding the inhabitants of the land would apply to the Arabs or at least not to intermarry or make covenants for the land with them. However there might be some ways that scirptures about the strangers would apply to the Arabs in the land of Israel such as that some of them will be allowed to live in the land of Israel even in the Millennial or Messianic Kingdom but that the Jews or Israelites will have sovereignty over the land with worship of the true God the God of Israel. The Israelites were not to marry or give in marriage the inhabitants of the land so the Israelites wouldn't worship their false gods and earn God's disfavour. The Israelites were also when they got into the land to build the tabernacle and later temple and have their males go up three times a year to worship God there which means Israel should as soon as possible now build their temple again in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount and worship God although they should also now trust in the Lord Jesus as their Lord and Messiah. They were also to keep the sabbath day including in the busy times of sowing crops and harvest. The scripture reference from Exodus 34 of these conditions for Israel of God's blessings in the Mosaic covenant are as follows:

Scripture Reference in Exodus 34 of Some Conditions for Israel of God's Blessing Under the Mosaic Covenant

And he (the LORD) said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the LORD: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee. Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee: But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God: Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice; And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods. Thou shalt make thee not molten gods.

The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the month Abib: for in the month of Abib thou camest out from Egypt. ... Six days shalt thou work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest. And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end. Thrice in the year shall all your men appear before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel. For I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders: neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the LORD thy God thrice in the year. ... And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel. Exodus 34:10-27

The New Covenant or New Testament in Terms of Circumcision for Both Gentile and Jewish Christians from Romans 2

One of the aspects of God's covenants with the Jewish or Israelite people in the Old Testament was physical circumcision that stated with God's covenant with their father Abraham and his son Isaac. This was an indication of the dedication of the Jewish male to the true God the God of the Bible. It was later incorporated into part of the Law of Moses in God's covenant with the Jews through Moses. In this passage in Romans 2 God through the apostle Paul states that the circumcision of the Jews only was an indication of their covenant relationship with God if they were in their lives faithful to keep or were consistent in seeking to keep the Law of Moses in their life. If this was not the case then circumsion lost its meaning as a token of their obedience to God and His law and the essence or heart aspect of their covenant relationship with God. Paul then mentions the uncircumsion by which he means people of the Gentiles or non-Jewish or non-Israelite nations who were not under the Mosaic Covenant or that aspect of the Abrahamic Covenant keep the righteousness of the law including a heart willingness to obey God in the essence of God's law and live a righteous live that starts in the New Covenant with trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ and getting God's new nature in Christ and His Holy Spirit in our heart that enables Christians to live the essence of the Law in faithfulness to God as in Romans 10:3-4. Paul then mentions when Gentiles trust in the Lord Jesus and get God's Holy Spirit in our hearts and the new nature in Christ that enables internally or heart based enablement to keep the righteousness of God that they can be considered circumcised in the heart and children of God through the New Covenant. God through the apostle Paul then mentions to the Jews that had not trusted in Jesus or Y'Shua and come into relationship spiritually with God through the New Covenant that the inner obedience of Gentile Christians rebukes the Jews that were not believers in Jesus or Y'Shua as their Lord and Messiah and concerning these Jews who were also not faithful to the letter of the Law of Moses as mentioned in the Hebrew or Old Testament scriptures.

I think most of the above most Christians could agree on. However it is the last verses of this chapter that is a point of sharp disagreement that has major implications including the relation of the Church and Israel and are often used and heavily contested verses. Although some people would deny it, just noting the change in language in verse 28 it is clear that Paul is shifting from focusing on Gentile Christians to Jewish Christians by first saying what a true Jew or a Jew under the New Covenant or New Testament is not. This is that a New Covenant Jew and one who has eternal life and is on their way to heaven and has a relationship with God is not a Jew or descendant of Judah or Israel (Jacob) who only is physically circumcised but a true Jew or Israelite is one who is also circumcised inwardly through placing their heart faith in Jesus or Y'Shua as their personal Lord and Messiah and becoming indwelt by God's Holy Spirit and getting the new nature in Christ or Messiah that enables them as part of the Jewish part of the Church to also keep the spirit of the righteousness of the Law by the empowering of the indwelling Holy Spirit in their heart or spirit. This inward and more essential obedience to God's righteousness on the part or Jewish or Israelite Christians as with Gentile true Christians is to the praise of God and not just to the praise of man by pleasing man with keeping physical or outward commandents of the law of Moses.

However the laws of the Law of Moses in the Torah or Pentateuch were given by God but God has something better for the means to fulfill His righteousness for His saved and eternal people of this present Church Age from both the Gentile and Jewish parts of the Church. The teaching from the erroneous interpretation of this and some similiar new testament passages that the true Jew or Israel of God in Galatians 6 are all true or born again Christians both Gentile and Jew and not just born again believers of ethnic Jewish or Israelite background is known as replacement theology and is often associated with anti-semitism currently or in much of Church history and Christians of Gentile background should hold to the interpretation in better context of this passage of Romans 2 and Galatians 6 of the true Jew or Israel of God as referring to Jewish believers in Jesus only and not all believers in Jesus and not used to justify the idea that the Church or Christians under the New Covenant or New Testament have permanently replaced the Jews or Israel and their covenant relationship with God as the covenants God made with Israel through Abraham in Genesis 12, 26, 28 and with David in 2 Samuel 7 and Psalm 89 etc. are unconditional covenants and are or were no more dependent on the average Israelite's obedience to God to keep in force than the New Covenant is for Christians as God's covenant with Israel through Abraham was based on the faithfulness of Abraham the Israelites' or Jews' first ancestor and of the faithfulness of David Israel's first faithful king to God as the New Covenant is based on the faithfulness of God's Son and the Saviour of the world and the Messiah of Israel Jesus of Nazareth in the New Testament or New Covenant. The scripture reference from Romans 2 about circumcision and that heart circumcision through trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ or Y'Shua HaMashiach by both Jews and Gentiles is more important in spiritual and eternal terms to God than physical circumcision of ethnic Jews especially if they didn't keep the Law of Moses very will otherwise is as follows:

Scripture Reference from Romans 2 That Circumsion of the Heart by Trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ and Becoming Christians or Messianic and Indwelt by His Holy Spirit Under the New Covenant is More Important for Both Jews and Gentiles than for Jews or Israelites having Physical Circumcision Under the Law of Moses

For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumsion. Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumsion be counted for circumcision? And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. Romans 2:25-29

For more information, comments, questions or advice contact Doug at dougforheavens33@gmail.com Contact Spirit and Truth Ministries