Covenants of God - Who is a Jew?

The Covenants of God (Who really is a Jew?)

It is the purpose of the Word of God to provide not only instruction to the man and woman of God, but also to be a source of joy, peace, and comfort to God's people, the Church. When we have an understanding of the covenants of God, which display the unfolding of His plan of redemption and salvation for all of mankind, then we can truly experience the joy and comfort and gain a full appreciation for the promises we have received.

Covenants are solemn agreements that bind the involved parties to each other in permanent defined relationships. The covenant involves specific promises, claims, and obligations on both sides of the agreement. When God makes a covenant with His creation it is He alone who establishes the terms. Much as God's covenant with Noah and all life on the earth as recorded in Genesis chapter 9. The token of God's covenant was "God's bow set in the clouds" (the rainbow as we call it today). God's covenant was that the entire earth would never again be destroyed by a great flood.
"Genesis 9: 9 And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; 10 And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. 11 And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. 12 And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. 14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: 15 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. 17 And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth."

Earlier, God had made a covenant with Adam and Eve, a covenant of works, recorded in Genesis.
"Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."

God had given man dominion (complete power) over every living thing on the earth and instructed Adam and Eve to replenish (fill something that had previously been emptied) the earth and to subdue (hold within limits and control) the earth. The conditionality of this covenant was that man was to work to take care of the garden of Eden, with the restriction of not eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. In His covenant with man, God placed a stipulation that in taking and eating of the forbidden tree would result in death.
"Genesis 2: 15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."

God did not destroy them and they continued to live, what died was that part of man that was "in the image of God", spirit. Jesus revealed this during his ministry on earth when he said, "John 4: 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."

Since God is a Spirit, the part of man that died was" in the image of God," spirit. This loss resulted in the inability of man to serve God in the manner he was created to serve. It also meant the loss of man's ability to communicate on a conversational level with God (up until then God had conversed with Adam and Eve in the garden). Thereafter, God only communicated with man through His messengers the angels and men of God who had God's Spirit upon them (the prophets).

The covenant which was brought into realization with Abraham, was prophesied to the Devil (the serpent) and Eve by God after she had given in to the temptation of the Devil (the serpent). God told the Devil, "Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." The woman retained her love for God and her seed (representing the believers who love and worship God) would be at a state of conflict with the seed of the Devil (representing the unbelievers, the reprobate, those who love self and serve the Devil). This division of mankind into two opposing communities was quickly witnessed in the act of Cain slaying Abel. This prophecy reaches ultimate fulfillment in the victory of "the Second Adam" ("1 Corinthians 15: 45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.") and the believers united with him to overcome the forces of sin, death, and the Devil. The indicated "you shall bruise his heel" indicated the suffering of Jesus on the cross. The statement in the prophecy that he (Jesus Christ) would bruise the Devil's head, was indication of the victory Jesus won at the cross in obtaining atonement for sin for man and the ultimate consummation of victory in his second coming.
This covenant which was to be accomplished in due time, had been pending since Adam and Eve were driven out the garden of Eden. God made choice of Abram, and singled him out from among his fellow-idolaters, that He might reserve a people for Himself, among whom His true worship might be maintained till the coming of Christ. From this point on Abram and his seed are almost the only subject of the history in the Bible. The command God gave to Abraham is much the same with the gospel message. Natural affection must give way to divine grace, sin and all the occasions of it must be abandoned; particularly bad company (the reason why God had Abraham leave his friends and family). These following are the great promises God made to Abraham and not only to Abraham but to all of us in the present.

"Genesis 12: 1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."
First, God told Abram He would make of him a great nation. When God had Abram leave his own people, He promised to make him the head of another people. Second, God said, I will bless thee. This blessing not only applied to Abram, but to the obedient believers descended from him who inherit the blessing of God. Third, God said, I will make thy name great. Fourth, God told Abram that "Thou shalt be a blessing." The presence of obedient men of God are the blessings of their country. Fifth, "I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee." God will take care that no one is a losers for doing any service for his people. In retrospect, anyone who does evil or harm to God's people will be cursed (this promise to God's chosen people still applies to this day). Sixth, "In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed." Jesus Christ is the great blessing of the world, the greatest that the world would ever possess. All the true blessedness in the world now, or ever will have, is due to Abraham and his posterity. Through Abraham's descendants we have the Bible, a Saviour, and a Gospel. They are the vine on which the Gentile Christian Church is grafted.

The promised Seed was Jesus Christ. The future adopted sons of God, the members of the body of Christ (the Church), and all who are of faith are blessed through faithful Abram, being partakers of the same covenant blessings. As a token of this covenant, God changed his name from Abram (literally, "a high father"), to Abraham ("the father of a multitude"). All that the Christian world enjoys, it is indebted to Abraham and his Seed. God established the family line from which the savior of the whole world would be descended. Twice God reveals His plan for Abraham by restating the promise and thus establishing the revelation as an unchangeable truth for all generations.
"Genesis 17: 1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. 2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. 3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, 4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. 5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. 6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee."

Next God gives all of the land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants as a permanent possession for all time and declared that He would be their God for all time as well. Then as an outward show of the everlasting covenant, God instituted circumcision as a sign in their flesh of this everlasting covenant.
"Genesis 17: 8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. 9 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. 11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. 12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. 13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant."

Abraham was called by God to go to the land that He would give him and promised to bless all the families of the earth through him. Abraham acted upon God's call because he believed God's promise to him. It was this faith that was credited to him for righteousness ("Romans 4:20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.").

God's next covenant with the seed of Abraham was His covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai. In the ancient Near East, there was a type treaty called a suzerainty treaty. This type of covenant was set forth authoritatively as obligatory by a powerful king on a vassal king and a servant people. God's covenant with Israel fell into the category of this type of covenant. The covenant of the law required obedience to God's laws with blessings for obedience and for disobedience, the threat of God's curse (discontinuance of blessings and disastrous results). God gave to the children of Israel (people He had already chosen, He had claimed) the commandments of the law, written on stone and delivered to them by Moses. As illustrated time after time in the Old Testament, the children of Israel were not able to maintain and keep God's covenant with them which showed the need for a New Covenant. The graciousness of God toward His chosen people was indicated to them by His promise of the New Covenant needed that would bestow the power and ability to obey it. God revealed this New Covenant to Jeremiah.
"Jeremiah 31: 31 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: 32 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: 33 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; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."
God's covenant with Israel was the preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ, the Promised Seed, His son.

As promised by God, when the promised seed, Jesus was born, his ministry was specifically to Israel. His ministry was to the lost sheep of Israel to redeem them from the curse of the law. Israel had to first be offered the Gospel and the chance to believe and receive salvation. In his conversation the Canaanite woman seeking healing for her daughter who was possessed by a demon, Jesus plainly stated his ministry was to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
"Matthew 15: 22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. 28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour."
Jesus Christ obeyed the law perfectly as the second Adam, the second representative head of the entire human race, he became inheritor of all the covenant blessings of peace and fellowship with God (along with all united with him through faith). The fulfillment of the old covenant in Christ Jesus made way for faith to be made available to the Gentiles and for them to be accepted into the chosen people of God. The covenant God made with Israel was redefined in Christ Jesus to include the gentiles who believed into His chosen people. That the Gentiles also would be counted as the "seed of Abraham." Paul in his letter to the Galatians made note in particular of this resulting promise.
"Galatians 3: 6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. 7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. 10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. 12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. 13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."

The Jews (Israel) and the Gentile believers who are united by faith in Christ, became Abraham's seed in Christ. The definition of who was a Jew (Israelite) was redefined to include the Gentiles. As a result, no one outside of Christ can be in a saving covenant relationship with God.
"Romans 4: 9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: 12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. 13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: 15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. 16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, 17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were."
After the resurrection of Jesus Christ and his ascension into heaven, the new covenant was made available to the Gentile nations. Now with the new birth came opportunity for all men to become inheritors of the covenant relationship that God had made with Abraham and Israel. God had hinted this to Abraham when He told him in making the covenant with him that "in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." The covenant with Abraham extended far beyond Abraham and his descendants to include all people in the world. This was the hidden wisdom of God mentioned by Paul in the first letter to the Corinthian church. By inspiration from God he said... "1 Corinthians 2: 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."

This was the plan that God had kept secret from the time of the fall of man in the garden of Eden because had the Devil known the far reaching plan of salvation he would not have instigated the death of Jesus Christ. The culmination of this plan was to make it available to All People to become part of God's chosen people.

Under the New Covenant, the definition of a Jew (Israelite) changes in a way that some, who still would like to persecute the Jews, might want to ignore.
"Romans 2: 25 For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. 26 Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? 27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? 28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God."
Paul state in Romans that the mark of a Jew was an inward circumcision of heart and in spirit (the new birth), and not of the law. All believers were now Jews, God's chosen people. There is no difference in the eyes of God between a Jew or Gentile who believes and is saved. No matter what your origin, whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
"Romans 10: 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Another promise that was part of this new covenant was that the church, the body of Christ, would not be subjected to the wrath and tribulation to come upon the world. We would be removed when Christ returned to gather together his body the Church and not only we who are alive at that time, but those who had fallen asleep in Christ as well. It is the message of comfort from God to the Church on the end times.
"1 Thessalonians 4: 13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

The goal of God's covenantal dealings with His people is the gathering and sanctifying of the covenant people. The new definition of these covenantal people is stated in the book of Revelation.
"Revelation 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;". This covenantal people were comprised out of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues (languages) who will one day live in the New Jerusalem, the third heaven and earth.
"Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."
At this time God's covenant relationship with His people will have obtained its fullest expression.
"Revelation 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son."

Under the dispensation of the law, no one could maintain perfect adherence to the law, yet it served the purpose of bringing us unto Christ so that we could be justified by faith. Now that we are in the dispensation of grace through Christ Jesus, we who believe have become the children of God through our faith in Christ Jesus. No longer is there a separation between Jew and Gentile. Our faith in Christ Jesus has made us all one in Christ Jesus and since we are Christ's, we are Abraham's seed and heirs of God according to the promises. The promise to us is that we are already risen with Christ and our life is hid with Christ in God and that when Christ appears we will also appear with him in glory. Christ is now the mediator of the New Covenant. Our salvation is covenant salvation. God's mercies to us under this New Covenant are the new birth, justification, sanctification, redemption, righteousness, and adoption as children of God (equal heirs with Christ). As a true show of gratitude to God for His covenant grace toward us we are encouraged, by the scriptures to the Church, to keep God's commandments and walk as He wants us to walk.
"Colossians 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. 5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: 7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. 8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: 11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all."

To understand the Covenant relationships that God had set in place from the garden of Eden to this day in The Covenant of Grace, enables us to appreciate all the wonders of God's redeeming love. All that is necessary on your part to become one of God's chosen people is to do what is outlined in the following few verses:
"Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."

Believe and continue to grow in God's grace and love and goodness and you will be there with Christ when he returns to totally defeat our adversary. Believe and be an over comer who will inherit all things as a son of God.

"Psalms 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee."