[0:01]Natural Israel and spiritual Israel share a unique and divinely established relationship. God is the one who established this relationship to which the world, including especially the nominal Christian world is blind. Much of the Christian world sees only two covenants in the Bible, for example. They see the old law Covenant and they see the new law Covenant. They claim that the Old Law Covenant was between God and Natural Israel through Moses, its mediator. And they further claim that the new Law Covenant is between God and the Christian Church through Jesus, its mediator. So they've completely replaced natural Israel with the Christian Church. In other words, they say, God has simply dismissed natural Israel. They say there's no, there is no connection therefore between natural and spiritual Israel in God's kingdom. But this viewpoint, we believe, is in error. God indeed has established a connection between natural and spiritual Israel and this connection endures forever. This connection never ends. It endures during the Gospel Age, which of course is antitypical of the Jewish Age. This natural Israel, spiritual Israel connection continues through the Millennial or Messianic Age as well as the ages to come. There will always be a special bond between natural and spiritual Israel, as we hope to show in our few remarks today. Let's look at a few examples of this God established natural and spiritual Israel connection.
[2:06]Isaiah chapter 8 verse 14. And he shall be for a sanctuary, but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, for a gen and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The two houses of Israel spoken in this Isaiah text are fleshly nominal fleshly Israel and nominal spiritual Israel. They share a bond even at this nominal level. The nominal fleshly house stumbled over Jesus at the first advent. Why? Because they misunderstood him. Similarly, the nominal spiritual house stumbles over Jesus at his second advent. Why? Because again, they misunderstand him.
[3:00]Just as God rejected nominal fleshly Israel in AD 33, he rejected nominal spiritual Israel in 1878. So we see this bond between the two Israels at the nominal level.
[3:17]Natural Israel's experience experiences picture those of spiritual Israel.
[3:24]Let's consider a second example, where God gives us of the natural Israel, spiritual Israel connection. Deuteronomy 18:15, "The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me, unto him shall you hearken." Now Moses speaking here was not referring to himself. Note, he said one like unto me. Who was Moses referring to? We believe he was referring to Jesus. We read in Acts chapter 7 verse 37, "This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, a prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me, him shall you hear." In his masterful discourse, Stephen shows that Moses pictured Jesus.
[4:31]Moses was a great lawgiver, teacher, leader, judge, and the head of the house of servants.
[4:42]Similarly, Jesus is a great lawgiver, teacher, leader, judge, and the head of the house of sons.
[4:53]In a word, Moses, who was part of natural Israel typified Jesus, who is part of spiritual Israel.
[5:07]Let's consider a third example that God gives us of the natural Israel, spiritual Israel connection. We here refer to Moses' Tabernacle in the wilderness and indeed the whole Jewish system.
[5:27]Especially in the Book of Hebrews, Paul shows in detail that the whole Jewish system is typical.
[5:40]It pictures the Christian dispensation. The Aramaic priesthood maps out the course of the Christian Church, the true church. The Jewish system goes further. It points out the glorious work of the church in the Messianic Age as well as the ages to come. So once again, we see how closely connected natural Israel is to spiritual Israel. Now, there are other ways, many other ways in which the Bible shows this deep connection, this deep nexus between natural and spiritual Israel. However, the balance of our remarks during this hour is going to be confined to just one of those connections, one of those dimensions. And that dimension that we're going to be focusing on is the comprehensive covenant of the Bible. Well, which one is that? We know because there are several covenants in the Bible as we all know. We are speaking of course of the Abrahamic Covenant and its three divisions or features, which are labeled as the Sarah, Hagar, and Katoura features. Our central Iowa brethren have asked that we specifically address this Covenant and its divisions from this perspective, this perspective of this connection between natural and spiritual Israel. As we believe we will see, the Abrahamic Covenant establishes a very close connection between the two Israels. We hope to show that the Abrahamic Covenant establishes this close connection not just for a short time or temporarily. The Abrahamic Covenant will forever establish an inseparable bond between the two true houses of Israel. We place pivotal importance on this one comprehensive Covenant because God does. He makes it a central theme of the Bible. Our God is a God of covenants. He's a God of agreements.
[8:07]And especially this agreement or Covenant, why? Because this Covenant represents life. It embodies life. No one. No one who ever was or ever will be part of the human human family gets eternal life on any plane, except to be within the terms of this Covenant. Jesus gained the right of eternal human life by fulfilling the terms of the Hagar or the law feature. Jesus, the church, great company, and all get their right of eternal spiritual life under the Sarah feature. Israel and all Gentiles who become naturalized Israelites will get their right to eternal human life under the Katoura feature. So the Abrahamic Covenant is the one unifying Covenant, whereby Abraham's natural and spiritual seed, his whole family get life, whether on the natural plane, the earthly plane, or on the spiritual plane. And this one unifying factor creates a perpetual connection between natural and spiritual Israel. Now, before we examine each of these four covenants, the Abrahamic as well as the old law, the Sarah feature, and the new law. Let's look at some basic covenant concepts. What is a covenant in the Bible? Well, an oversimplified definition is a Covenant is simply a binding agreement, a binding agreement. In the Bible as well as among humanity today, there are many kinds or classifications of agreements. Agreements can be express or implied, third party, executory, unilateral, bilateral, hybrid, general, sub agreements, and many others. However, our focus today is narrow. We will identify whether each of these four covenants is unilateral or bilateral. This distinction will enable us to understand how each Covenant relates, yet differs from the others. So, first point, what is a unilateral agreement and what is a bilateral agreement? What's the difference and why does it matter that we understand that there is a distinct difference between unilateral and bilateral agreements in the Bible? Let's first take up the unilateral. You all know what you I, the prefix, you and I means. It means only one. We know that a unicorn is an animal that has only one horn. A unicycle is a cycle that has only one wheel. In a unilateral agreement, only one party to that agreement binds themselves. Only one party obligates themselves. However, God's unilateral agreements do not mean that God is making agreements with himself. That's not the point of unilateral. Unilateral agreements always involve God as well as others. Every Covenant involves two or more. So the uni prefix, UNI in unilateral, means only one party to that agreement is obligating himself, in the case of God's unilateral covenants or agreements. It is God who is the only one undertaking the obligation. The other parties are simply recipients. They are what we might call beneficiaries of God's self-imposed obligation. God's unilateral agreements involve him carrying out his objectives for the benefit of others. Let's take one quick example that we're all familiar with. God's covenant with Noah to never again permit a global flood is indeed a unilateral Covenant. When we examine the terms of this Covenant, we see that God and only God obligated himself to never again permit global destruction by flood. Noah and his sons were obviously involved in this Covenant, but their involvement was merely as recipients, merely as beneficiaries, along with the rest of the human family, impliedly. Noah and his sons, as we look at the terms of this Covenant, did not obligate themselves to do anything. God did not ask them to do anything. The fact that God and God only is the one who obligated himself is the key identifier to a unilateral agreement or covenant.
[13:51]Now, let's now consider by contrast a bilateral Covenant or agreement. Now you all know what by, the prefix B means. It means two. A bilateral agreement exists where each party to the agreement obligates themselves to the others. A bilateral agreement requires a mutual exchange of promises by the parties and that mutual exchange of promises can either be expressed in words or it can be implied from context. The parties mutually agree on the benefits for compliance with the agreement, and they also mutually agree on the penalties for breach or for violation of the Covenant. Let's consider as an example, one of God's bilateral covenants found in Hosea chapter 6. Hosea chapter 6 verse 7 from the Revised Version reads in part, but they, like Adam, have transgressed the Covenant. The they here is referring to the Israelites, the natural Israelites who breached the Old Law Covenant with God. The Old Law Covenant, of course, was long after Adam had died. So we draw an inference from this reference to Adam in this text. God and Adam were in a covenant relationship. And we believe that this Covenant was bilateral. Genesis suggests the terms of this agreement. God agreed to give Adam life and also dominion over the lower forms of life and the earth itself. But God did not unilaterally bind himself to give Adam these blessings, regardless of what Adam did or failed to do. But rather God's offered Adam depended on Adam's reciprocal commitment to do the will of God, to be obedient. God created Adam in his own mental and moral image with the full capability to be 100% obedient. But as we all know, God told Adam not to eat of a certain tree in the garden, and if he disobeyed, he would lose all the proffered benefits that God offered. So God and Adam made a bilateral agreement. They both agreed. They both agreed, obey and live, disobey and die. Now, why does God use both kinds of Covenants or agreements? Unilateral as well as bilateral. Let's first consider why he employs unilateral covenants or agreements. What's the reason that in some instances he obligates only himself to undertake a certain course? Well, as we all know, and love and appreciate, God has a plan. We call it the Divine Plan of the Ages. God wants us to be assured of something relative to his plan. God wants you and me to know. He wants you and me to be 100% assured that his plan is unstoppable by any others. God's unilateral covenants cannot be breached by any others. They cannot be thwarted or frustrated by others. God will accomplish his self-imposed objectives, regardless of what anyone else does or fails to do. This point is beautifully illustrated in Isaiah 55:11. So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void. But it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Now, if we reflect back for just a moment to the Covenant with Noah, which we had suggested is unilateral. We see this unstoppable feature. There is absolutely nothing that Noah, or Satan or anyone else can do to thwart that protective Covenant. Let's now consider bilateral agreements. Why does God enter into bilateral agreements with man, especially with imperfect man, which have the possibility of failure on man's part?
[19:05]Well, we just saw an example of the Adamic Covenant. Adam failed his part of his Covenant and he lost God's proffered blessings. Moses gives us a clear answer to this question of why God uses bilateral covenants with man. Deuteronomy 30 verse 19. I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you, before thee, life and death, the blessing and the curse. Therefore, choose life that thou mayst live, thou and thy seed. From this text, we see that through Moses, God gives us his two-word answer to the question of why engage in bilateral agreements. The two-word answer is choose life. Life is a choice. God has a free will. He has the liberty of making choices. He endowed man with the same quality. Ironically, God cannot give any individual the fullness of his blessing, the fullness of life, if they choose not to accept it. So we distinguish what God can and does unilaterally, from what he can or cannot do bilaterally.
