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What Happened to God's
Promises? The Promises transferred to the Church. Thus far we have
shown the reciprocal nature of God's covenant with Israel, that
is, the conditions which had to be fulfilled by each party. We
have noted that God kept His Word as He always does, but that
Israel broke her vows. Having done so, the promises to Israel as
a nation were nullified and no longer in effect. Notwithstanding
this fact, God still had mercy and achieved His purpose in a
different manner. This truth is made clear in Ezek. 16:60, 61.
"Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the
days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting
Covenant…and I will give…unto thee for daughters, but not by
thy covenant. And I will establish My covenant with thee and
thou shalt know that I am the Lord." You will notice that
God makes it clear that His original covenant with Israel is not
binding and that all His dealings with them are on the basis of
an "everlasting covenant."
The New and Everlasting covenant. This is further
corroborated by Jer. 31:31-34, "Behold the days come, saith
the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of
Israel and with the house of Judah: NOT according to the
covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took
them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which
my covenant they brake although I was an husband unto them,
saith the Lord; but this shall be the covenant that I will make
with the house of Israel. After those days saith the Lord, I
will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their
hearts;…for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember
their sin nor more." Again, indisputable evidence is
furnished that God kept His Word and Israel broke her vows. This
is likened to the breaking of a marriage vow in which God
himself is the husband. God, therefore, instituted a new and
everlasting covenant. Let us see what it was and to whom it
applied.
Turning to Matt. 26:28 we read, "For this is MY blood of
the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of
sins." This plain statement by Christ shows that He
instituted the New Covenant Himself when He shed His blood for
us. Now turning to Heb. 13:20 we read, "Now the God of
peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that
great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the
everlasting Covenant." We discover here that the covenant,
which Jesus inaugurated is the one foretold by Ezekiel and
Jeremiah. In Heb. 8:8-13 the prophecy of Jer. 31:31-34 is quoted
in full and is applied explicitly to the believers of the gospel
era. The first covenant, which was broken and therefore
nullified was entirely done away with when Jesus died, thereby
establishing the New Covenant. And since this everlasting
covenant is the only one in force, it follows that it is the
only one to which God's promises apply.
So far as the fleshly Israel is concerned, God fulfilled all
that He promised to them. Since they broke the covenant, there
remains nothing for Israel after the flesh, except the curse, as
long as they remain under the law. God in His mercy has
abrogated their covenant and has established a new and better
one upon better promises. Heb. 8:6. This new covenant includes a
believing remnant of the first Israel, together with all other
people who put their faith in Christ. "Israel (fleshly)
hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election
(remnant) hath obtained it and the rest were blinded." Rom.
11:7. This "election" as Paul calls them is the
remnant of Israel who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ through
the ministry of the Apostles. Together with all the believing
Gentiles these saved Israelites comprise the Israel of God. Gal.
6:15, 16. God's Israel is composed of saved people; a people who
are His by faith rather than by the flesh. It is to them that
all the promises of God apply. Comp. Rom. 9:27 and 11:5-7.
The proof that the believers are heirs to all God's promises
both present and future is very convincing. Rom. 4:16 states
that the promise is to those who are of the "faith of
Abraham" who is father of us all. In Gal. 3:16 it says,
"Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He
saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy
seed, which is Christ." And again in 2 Cor. 1:20 we read,
"For all the promises of God in him are yea and in him,
Amen, unto the glory of God by us." Now referring to Gal.
3:29, "And if ye be Christ's then are ye Abraham's seed,
and heirs according to the promise." These plain Scriptures
show that Christians inherit all the promises of God. It
declares that we are the true children of Abraham by promise and
therefore we are the true Israel of God. Christ Himself is the
great Promiser and in Him all the blessings of Abraham and Moses
and the Prophets are fulfilled. When we are in Christ we become
heirs to all the promises. Furthermore, this believing Israel,
which is under the new and everlasting covenant, is the only
people God now recognizes as His own and to whom He is obliged.
They are His chosen People as Jesus said, "Ye have not
chosen me but I have chosen you." John 15:16. And as Peter
said, "Ye are a chosen generation," 1 Per. 2:9. This
fact will be made more clear as we continue this study with its
accumulating evidence.
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