Shalom Dear Friends,
Disappointed and Dismayed: Part 2
Last month, I began a series of articles commenting on a dialogue-by-letter that has taken place between the well known author and Pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, John Piper, and David Brickner, the Executive Director of Jews for Jesus. The discussion centered around a four-part exchange of views on the subject “Do Jews Have a Divine Right to Israel’s Land.” You can read the exchange of letters at the Christianity Today website: www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/juneweb-only/john-piper-david-brickner-israel.html.
Unfortunately, I came away from the discussion disappointed and dismayed. Why? I was surprised that both men displayed a real weakness in regard to Israel as it exists today. I recommended resources, explained Brickner’s and Piper’s understanding, and concluded with my definition of the concept of “Divine Right.”
The next question should be, “has God sovereignly given the Land of Israel to the Jewish people?” The answer to that question is a resounding “Yes,” and it is repeated multiple times in the Scriptures.
First of all, the title deed to the Land is eternal in nature. It is in force today because it is part of the eternal Abrahamic Covenant. The eternal nature of the Abrahamic Covenant, and consequently the title deed to the Land, is recorded in Genesis 17:8 (see also Gen. 17:19, 13:15, 48:4, 2:7, Psalm:9‑11).
“I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”
Second, the Abrahamic Covenant (and, subsequently, the title deed to the Land) is unconditional. The unconditional nature of the title deed is recorded in Genesis 15, the covenant signing ceremony. In Ancient Near Eastern culture, the covenant is signed and sealed when the parties walk between the pieces of a sacrifice. In Genesis 15, only one party, God Himself (in the form of the blazing torch and smoking firepot) passes between the sacrifices. Abraham is nearby experiencing a “deep sleep.” Although God is the only One who signed and sealed the covenant, Genesis 15:18 records:
“On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, ‘To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates:…’”
The importance of this action lies in the fact that God alone is obligated to fulfill the covenant. What Abraham or his descendants do, or do not do, will not break or invalidate the Abrahamic Covenant. They will suffer discipline for disobedience, but they cannot break the covenant. The title deed to the Land is guaranteed by divine decree whether they are obedient or disobedient.
This factor does not excuse disobedience. The Jewish people do not get a free pass. Although the title deed to the Land is eternal and unconditional, discipline accompanies disobedience. The most severe discipline the Jewish people experience for disobedience is dispersion out of the Land. Enjoyment of the Land is predicated on obedience, but the title deed is still their possession.
Historically, this is borne out in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. When we return to the Land of Israel from the 70 year Babylonian exile, there is a measure of disobedience within the nation. God did not bring us back because we were all righteous. The post exilic prophets, Zechariah, Malachi, and Haggai, as well as the priest Ezra and the Governor Nehemiah, were forced to deal with our failings. We were not perfect, but God brought us back to our Land anyway.
To get back to Pastor Piper’s comments, the same is true today. God’s sovereign hand has returned us to our Land in spite of our rejection of the Messiahship of Jesus. The Land of Israel belongs to the Jewish people by right of divine fiat. When God decrees, “Return,” it happens. Does Pastor Piper think the return of the Jewish people to our Land is an accident, unrelated to God’s will and God’s sovereignty? We did not sneak in behind God’s back while God was distracted with another matter.
The Abrahamic Covenant has not been broken, although the Mosaic Covenant was. Pastor Piper has not kept the Abrahamic and Mosaic Covenants properly separated. It seems He has merged them together in his thinking, which has created his confusion. However, the relationship between the Abrahamic and Mosaic Covenants is the subject for another discussion. For now, let me summarize the relationship in this manner: the Abrahamic Covenant cannot be broken by Israel because the covenant is unconditional and dependent on God alone. The Mosaic Covenant can be and was broken by Israel, because it was conditional on both parties. However, the title deed to the Land comes from the Abrahamic Covenant, not from the Mosaic Covenant. Therefore, the title deed is secure even when Israel is being disciplined for unrighteous behavior. Again, Israel’s divine right to the land rests on God’s unconditional and eternal Abrahamic Covenant, not on the approval of the surrounding nations; nor is it based on the Mosaic Covenant, which is temporary and conditional.
This brings me to the second weakness in Pastor Piper’s position. He does not understand the prophetic prediction of two worldwide re gatherings predicted by Isaiah 11:11-12. He does not demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the Prophets.
Isaiah 11:11-12 predicts two worldwide returns to the Land by the Jewish people.:
“Then it will happen on that day that the Lord Will again recover the second time with His hand The remnant of His people, who will remain, From Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, And from the islands of the sea. And He will lift up a standard for the nations And assemble the banished ones of Israel, And will gather the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth.”
The context of Isaiah 11:11-12 forces us to understand the prophecy to relate to the second worldwide re-gathering. The language supports that position, and the events of the context have not occurred in Israel’s history. We must place these events in the future. If Isaiah 11 refers to the second worldwide re-gathering, then when did the first worldwide re-gathering occur? The answer to that question will be found in Part 3 next month.
German book translation completed!
Georg, our German translator, has completed the translation of our book, “Messiah and the Tabernacle” into German. He is currently translating “Biblical Perspectives on the Middle East.” Now we are in need of $2,000 to publish the books for distribution in Germany. Your participation in this important discipleship project is welcome.
Thanks for being part of our ministry team.