I’ve been studying the Old Testament for a couple of months now. One thing sure the Lord expects to be obeyed. They have not always done so and unfortunately this situation remains today. God would tell them not to intermarry, but they did it anyway. He would tell them not to worship idols, but they did it anyway. He gave them the Ten commandments but in many cases they merely ignored them.
Interestingly this little nation was still “chosen” from among all nations. Why? Because they were designated as a priestly nation that was set apart to teach the world about God. This was complemented by God’s love relationship with Abraham, a good man with whom God made an everlasting covenant. Part of the covenant was God promising to give the Promised land to his offspring. There were 12 tribes, and the land was divided among each tribe. This was no idle promise, it was a lasting covenant setup by God Himself.
Promised Land is a term designating a region of the world that God promised as a heritage to His people, Israel. Promised Land is not the official name of Israel’s boundaries, but it conveys a larger meaning. The Promised Land was an endowment from Earth’s Creator to a specific people group, the children of Israel, in which they established their nation. Israel acquired the Promised Land only through God’s guidance and His miraculous intervention in history and not by humans dividing it among themselves.
The promise of a land for God’s people began in Genesis 12 when God appeared to Abraham and told him that he had been chosen to be the father of many nations. God promised to bless Abraham and lead him into a land that would belong to his offspring as a lasting heritage. God later confirmed this promise to Abraham’s son Isaac and then to Isaac’s son Jacob .
The boundaries of the Promised Land were from the River of Egypt (the Nile) to the Euphrates. By the time Israel was ready to take the land, hundreds of years after Abraham, it was inhabited by pagan nations: Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. When it was time for the Israelites to inherit the Promised Land, God raised up Moses to bring His people out of slavery in Egypt and used Joshua to lead a military conquest of Canaan. Today the Promised Land includes modern-day Israel, including Gaza and the West Bank, and Jordan, as well as parts of Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq.
Christians sometimes refer to heaven and the future restoration of the earth as the Promised Land. God has promised a glorious eternal home for all those who love Him and have trusted in Christ Jesus for salvation. God’s eternal Promised Land is the heritage of all who come to Him through His Son (John 14:6).
So, as we read the news in this day and time we can be assured that God’s interpretation of the Promised land far exceeds any connotation of the restoration set forth by some Muslim terrorists and established by humankind. The true Promised land was established by God himself.
Some have suggested that, because of God’s promises to Israel concerning the Promised Land, Christians should support the modern nation of Israel without reservation. Christians have many reasons to support the people of Israel, but this does not mean Christians must agree with every political decision made by the modern Israeli government. Instead, the focus is on God’s spiritual restoration of Israel and the enduring promise to His chosen people.
As stated, God’s purpose in separating Jews from Gentiles originates from His desire that the Jews would be a blessing to the whole world – Genesis 12:2. They were to teach the Gentiles about Him. Israel was to be a nation of priests, prophets, and missionaries to the world. God’s intent was for Israel to be a distinct people, a nation who pointed others toward God and His promised provision of a Redeemer, Messiah, and Savior. And it is His land to do with as He desires.
Psalm 135:6
Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.
Have a great weekend and go to church this Sunday!