We find that the children of Israel thought they would be blessed no matter what they did, but they turned from God as a nation to the point that this special blessing was taken from them. Following the Exodus from Egypt, God formally entered into a covenant with the nation of Israel. Israel was to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation and they were to spread light to all people on the face of the earth. The covenant promises made to ancient Israel were conditional to obedience.
"Now therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a special treasure unto Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine." Exodus 19:5
It clear that the promises were subject to "if"...
...that the Lord may continue His word which He spake concerning me, saying, "If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, He said, there shall not fail thee a man on the throne of Israel." 1 Kings 2:4
We find throughout that the promises were conditional to obedience.
"And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God." Deuteronomy 28:2
Israel did, however, not heed this admonition and became more corrupt than the nations around them. So by the time of Christ they rejected even Him, the promised Messiah and they were warned in Matthew 21:33-45...
33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:
34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.
35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.
37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.
38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.
39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.
40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.
You see that the Pharisees 'perceived' or basically saw He was speaking of them, the leaders who had killed many of Gods prophets and now wanted to kill Jesus, the son of God. Note how Jesus states that kingdom of God would be taken from them and given to a nation 'bringing forth the fruits thereof'.
When the Jewish nation rejected the Messiah, the gospel was to go to the Gentiles and all who would believe in the name of Jesus would become the spiritual descendants of Abraham.
"And if ye be Christs, then ye are Abrahams seed, and heirs according to the promise." Galatians 3:29
And we see in Galatians 6:16 "And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.", here Paul speaks of Christians as the "Israel of God" The kingdom of God and the covenant promises associated with it were to be taken from the Jews and passed on to spiritual Israel, those who would permit Christ to transform them, to change their character .
"Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bearing forth the fruits of it. And whoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken; but on whomever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder." Matthew 21:43,44
In Romans 11:17-24, Paul speaks of the olive tree which represents Israel. The branches (Jews) were broken off because of unbelief and the wild olive shoots (Gentiles) were grafted in to share in the nourishment of the tree. The natural branches could be grafted back into the tree if they accepted the conditions. God is no respecter of nations or individuals. All who turn to Him will be accepted as we see in Acts 10:34-35 "34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him."Acts 10:34-35
And we read more..
"For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him." Romans 10:12
"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:26
This new Israel, spiritual Israel, are the inheritor of Gods promises, yes the covenant promises that were made. Those who have accepted Christ have become the chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God. They were chosen to bring God to all the world, and called out to shine the light of truth and prophecy of the end times, so everyone has a choice of the gift of everlasting life.
"Now therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a special treasure unto Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine." Exodus 19:5
It clear that the promises were subject to "if"...
...that the Lord may continue His word which He spake concerning me, saying, "If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, He said, there shall not fail thee a man on the throne of Israel." 1 Kings 2:4
We find throughout that the promises were conditional to obedience.
"And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God." Deuteronomy 28:2
Israel did, however, not heed this admonition and became more corrupt than the nations around them. So by the time of Christ they rejected even Him, the promised Messiah and they were warned in Matthew 21:33-45...
33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:
34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.
35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.
37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.
38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.
39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.
40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.
You see that the Pharisees 'perceived' or basically saw He was speaking of them, the leaders who had killed many of Gods prophets and now wanted to kill Jesus, the son of God. Note how Jesus states that kingdom of God would be taken from them and given to a nation 'bringing forth the fruits thereof'.
When the Jewish nation rejected the Messiah, the gospel was to go to the Gentiles and all who would believe in the name of Jesus would become the spiritual descendants of Abraham.
"And if ye be Christs, then ye are Abrahams seed, and heirs according to the promise." Galatians 3:29
And we see in Galatians 6:16 "And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.", here Paul speaks of Christians as the "Israel of God" The kingdom of God and the covenant promises associated with it were to be taken from the Jews and passed on to spiritual Israel, those who would permit Christ to transform them, to change their character .
"Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bearing forth the fruits of it. And whoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken; but on whomever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder." Matthew 21:43,44
In Romans 11:17-24, Paul speaks of the olive tree which represents Israel. The branches (Jews) were broken off because of unbelief and the wild olive shoots (Gentiles) were grafted in to share in the nourishment of the tree. The natural branches could be grafted back into the tree if they accepted the conditions. God is no respecter of nations or individuals. All who turn to Him will be accepted as we see in Acts 10:34-35 "34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him."Acts 10:34-35
And we read more..
"For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him." Romans 10:12
"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:26
This new Israel, spiritual Israel, are the inheritor of Gods promises, yes the covenant promises that were made. Those who have accepted Christ have become the chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God. They were chosen to bring God to all the world, and called out to shine the light of truth and prophecy of the end times, so everyone has a choice of the gift of everlasting life.
