Cb – God Has Chosen Isra’el 7: 7-11

God Has Chosen Isra’el
7: 7-11

God has chosen Isra’el DIG: Why did God choose Isra’el? Why do you think God reminds them of this? Who are the partners in the B’rit Chadashah? Where do the Gentiles fit into God’s plan? What is replacement theology? What two categories do the LORD’s subject fall into? What does He guarantee?

REFLECT: What is the danger of a hardened heart? In what sense has God chosen you? Why do you think He has done this? Since God has kept His promises to Isra’el, what does that mean regarding His promises to you? If Yeshua returned today, what would He find in you? How can you honor Him today through being faithful to His Word?

Here, Moses pursues one of the deep mysteries of the entire Bible . . . the unexplained, self-motivated love of God for humanity in general, and for Isra’el in particular.

YHVH’s choice of Abraham was an act of sovereign grace. He came from Ur of the Chaldees, where his family worshiped other gods (Joshua 24:2c), and the God of glory appeared to him there (Acts 7:1-3). Abraham and his wife Sarah had no children, but were promised descendents as numerous as the sands of the seashore and the starts in the sky. Later, they had one son Isaac, who had two sons, Esau and Jacob, and from Jacob’s twelve sons came the twelve tribes of Isra’el. When Jacob’s family gathered in Egypt, there were only a couple hundred of people (see the commentary on Genesis, to see link click Km – Jacob’s Genealogy), but by the time they were delivered from Egypt, they had become a great nation. Why did this happen? Because ADONAI loved them and kept the promise that He had made to their ancestors.

But, we must not overlook the body of Messiah. The wall of division has been broken down between Jew and Gentile. Paul teaches us: But now in Messiah Yeshua, you [Gentiles] who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Messiah. For Yeshua is our shalom, the One who made the two into one [body] and broke down the middle wall of separation (Ephesians 2:14). Although the B’rit (Covenant) Chadashah (New) is made with the whole house of Yisra’el and with the whole house of Judah (see the commentary on Jeremiah Eo – The Days are Coming, declares the LORD, When I Will Make a New Covenant with the People of Isra’el), Gentiles can now participate in the blessings of being grafted into the Olive Tree (Romans 11:17). Now, all those who are born again through faith in Yeshua are chosen in Messiah before the foundations of the world (Ephesians 1:4). Like the Jews, the Gentiles are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession (First Peter 2:9a), and are called to be a light to the lost world (Matthew 5:14-16).²²¹ However, Isra’el has a different national destiny (see the commentary on Revelation Fi – The Government of the Messianic Kingdom).

There are Gentiles who teach that because of Isra’el’s sin, she had forfeited all the blessings of her covenant with ADONAI, and they have been transferred to the Christian Church. This is called replacement theology, where the Christian Church has replaced Isra’el in God’s plan. They believe that Jews are no longer God’s chosen people, and God does not have specific future plans for the nation of Isra’el.²²² This is a heretical teaching because it is another gospel (see the commentary on Galatians Ak – The Hebrew Roots Movement: A Different Gospel). YHVH is the Promise Keeper and is faithful to His covenant. ADONAI’s choice of Isra’el is not based her actions, it is based on His faithfulness.

Dear Loving Heavenly Father, How wonderful you are! You are Holy and all loving! Praise You that You never stop loving Your firstborn, the Israelites (Exodus 4:22). Even when You had to discipline them and allowed Assyria to scatter them, and Babylon to take them to Babylonia for a seventy-year exile – it was Your love that was seeking to correct them and to bring them back into a loving relationship with You as their Master. Praise You that the Gentiles never replaced Isra’el in any way; but were grafted in to Israel’s vine (Romans 11:17). One new body was created out of the two. But now in Messiah Yeshua, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah. For He is our shalom, the One who made the two into one and broke down the middle wall of separation. Within His flesh He made powerless the hostility – the law code of mitzvot contained in regulations. He did this in order to create within Himself one new man from the two groups, making shalom, and to reconcile both to God in one body through the cross – by which He put the hostility to death (Ephesians 2:13-16).

It is such a comfort to know that You continue to love Isra’el, even using the last seven years on earth before the Messianic Kingdom to break her pride so she finally calls Yeshua her Lord, and when You return all Isra’el will be saved (Romans 11:26a). Then it will happen – it is a declaration of ADONAI – that in the entire land two-thirds will be cut off and die, but a third will be left in it. This third I will bring through the fire. I will refine them as silver is refined, and will test them as gold is tested. They will call on My Name and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are My people,’ and they will answer, ‘ADONAI is my God.’ (Zechariah 13:8-9). You are an Awesome God whom we love to worship and serve! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

However, just like the teaching in the B’rit Chadashah (Ephesians 2:8-9), there is no room for the Jews to boast because they are the apple of His eye (Zechariah 2:12). The Ruach ha-Kodesh, speaking through Moses, said to them, “It is not because you are more numerous than all the peoples that ADONAI set His love on you and chose you.” The root meaning of the verb set is “to fasten together,” because God is married to Isra’el with an eternal bond. For you are the least of all peoples (7:7). The Land was promised to her only because of God’s love and mercy.

Rather, because of His love for you and His keeping the oath He swore to your fathers, ADONAI brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you (see the commentary on Exodus Bz – Redemption) from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt and bringing them to the present moment on the plains of Mo’ab (7:8). Isra’el needed to remember who she was and why she was chosen as a nation (see the commentary on Exodus De – You Will be For Me a Kingdom of Priests). But knowing that Isra’el might think that they deserved to be great, God would later tell them that it was not because of their righteousness that they would inhibit the Land (9:4-6).

But today the rabbis teach something entirely different. The Talmud declares, “This teaches us that the Holy One, blessed be He, offered the Torah to every nation and every tongue, but none accepted it, until He came to Isra’el who received it (Mas. Avodah Zarah 2b). Another rabbi in the same section said that God “suspended the mountain over Isra’el like a vault, and said to them: If you accept the Torah, it will be well with you, but if not, there you will find your grave.” How in the world did they come up with that story? Surely not from the Scriptures. No wonder there are repeated pleas for Isra’el to go back to her roots which are found in the TaNaKh. The election of Isra’el then, is exactly the same as it is for the believer today: Not by deeds of righteousness which we had done ourselves, but because of His mercy – He saved us through the mikveh of rebirth and renewing of the Ruach ha-Kodesh (Titus 3:5). Just like Isra’el, there is nothing intrinsic in us that makes us savable.²²³

But, because of her status as God’s chosen nation, Isra’el was considered a unique people committed to preserving a distinctiveness among the nations. On that basis, they were not to compromise with the idolatrous and perverted polytheism of the Canaanites.²²⁴ Thus, His subjects fall into two different categories: those who love Him and those who hate Him. The ones who genuinely obey His covenantal demands are the ones who love Him. Actions speak louder than words. God’s love and choice of Isra’el was not abstract; rather it was known through the experience of YHVH maintaining His covenant kindness. Know therefore that ADONAI your God, He is God – the faithful God who keeps covenant kindness (see the commentary on Ruth Af – The Concept of Chesed) for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His mitzvot (7:9).

However, the ones who reject this covenantal relationship and its demand for steadfast loyalty will meet a different fate. For Ha’Shem repays those who hate Him to their face, to annihilate them. He will not be slow to discipline those who hate Him; He will repay those to their faces (7:10). None of these covenantal rebels will escape. YHVH is a zealous God and will not tolerate any challenge to His sovereignty (6:10-15). The focus here is on the personal consequences for those Israelites who hardened their hearts towards ADONAI.²²⁵ The writer to the Hebrews said it another way (see the commentary on Hebrews As – Today, If You Hear His Voice, Do Not Harden Your Hearts)

Therefore, in light of these factors, Isra’el is urged to keep the mitzvot – both the statutes and the ordinances – that I am commanding you today, to do them (7:11). This triad: mitzvot, statues, and ordinances appear in three other passages (5:31, 6:1 and 26:17), and embody everything that God commanded as a unit. This verse is like a pause to catch our breath. It represents a climax, and points to the fact that we have come to the chapter’s one main point.

Haftarah va’Et’chanan: Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) 40:1-26
(see Af – Parashah)

The haftarah begins with ADONAI commanding Isaiah, and all who love Jerusalem, to comfort her (see my commentary on Isaiah Hc – Comfort, Comfort My People Says Your God). How much more during the trauma of bombings and the hopelessness of a life without the Messiah? Pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6), and that the Prince of peace will return and establish His please plan. This haftarah reading always falls on Shabbat Nachamu (the Sabbath of Consolation), after the fast day on the ninth of Av (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Mt – The Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
on Tisha B’Av in 70 AD). God commands the prophets to speak a message of comfort to the heart of Isra’el, even if she is in exile with her Temple destroyed (Isaiah 40:2).²²⁶

B’rit Chadashah suggested readings for Parashah va’Et’chanan:

Messiah spoke words of rebuke to Yerushalayim. These very same words of rebuke, however, become words of comfort when the hearers respond with repentance and faith (see the commentary on Hebrews Cz – God Disciplines His Children). Messiah’s harsh words are motivated by a deep love that is clear in the final verses. Yeshua is pleading with God’s covenantal people to return. He has commissioned us to do the same (Mattityahu 23:31-39).

Also see Mattityahu (Matthew) 4:1-11, 22:33-40; Mark 12:28-34; Luke 4:1-13, 10:25-37; Acts 13:13-43; Romans 3:27-31; First Timothy 2:4-6; Ya’akov (James) 2:14-26; and all the readings for Parashah 17 (see the commentary on Exodus Cx – Now Jethro Heard Everything God Had Done for Moses and for His People Isra’el).