A study on Abraham and his true descendants.
Are You Part of God’s Nation, Spiritual Israel?
We often forget that God, from the very beginning, established Israel to be a spiritual nation not a physical lineage; but a spiritual lineage – being the children of God.
God promised Abraham a son, not by the will of the flesh but by God’s own will and Spirit. God performed a miracle to give us an example of what it means to be “born again”. We are not physically born into God’s kingdom, no one is or ever has been.
Here is our example explained by the apostle Paul in Galatians.
Galatians 4:22-23
“For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the FLESH; but he of the freewoman was by promise.”
Galatians 4:29
” …. born after the FLESH …”
… born after the Spirit …”
Why does God say that one child was “born after the flesh” but that the other child was “by promise”?
God could have said “by Spirit” or like He did further down at verse 4:29 “born after the Spirit”; but why did He choose to say, “by promise”? What does that mean?
“Promise” is a covenant word and term. We have various parts of God’s covenant:
1. The One Who made the covenant,
2. who the covenant was made with,
3. the requirements and conditions of the covenant,
4. the promised outcome of the covenant, a. the blessings, b. the curses
The LORD is purposefully connecting in our minds the fact that to be part of His household, the spiritual nation of Israel, it only comes through His Everlasting Covenant. We aren’t physically born into God’s kingdom and we could never earn our way in either.
We inherit all the promises of God’s holy covenant which includes eternal salvation. We become His children through His covenant made with Abraham because that is the way He set it up (established) from the beginning.
God is also connecting in our minds the fact that His spiritual lineage must “be born again”. Our inheritance of salvation doesn’t come from being the physical children of Abraham but through being spiritual children through Jesus Christ.
Galatians 4:28
“Now we, brethren, as Isaac was,
are the children of promise.”
Why? Because we are “the heirs of promise” through Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 6:17
“Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto THE HEIRS of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath”
Galatians 3:29
“And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, AND HEIRS according to the promise.”
These are God’s blessings to Abraham the father of all the children of spiritual Israel:
Genesis 17:1-7
“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. And I will make My covenant between Me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for Me, behold, My covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. 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. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. 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.”
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(In Old English “thou” and “thee” means “you” and “thy” means “your”.)
Translation:
“And when Abram was 99 years old, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before Me, and be perfect.
And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly.
And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for Me, look, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.
Neither shall your name any more be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made you.
And I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come out of you.
And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your seed after you in their generations for an Everlasting Covenant, to be a God unto you, and to your seed after you.
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The blood of Jesus Christ is called “the blood of the Everlasting Covenant”.
Hebrews 13:20-21
“Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the Everlasting Covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
Jesus Christ is called “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”; and although we know Jesus wasn’t crucified at the beginning of creation, we know this means that the blood of the Everlasting Covenant stretched all the way back to the very first sin which was forgiven; that was the transgression of Adam and Eve eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Revelation 13:8
“And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
Back to the promise God made to Abraham and how God intended to make it happen:
Genesis 28:14
“And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”
Genesis 28:14 just said, “in thee” which means in Abraham; “and in thy seed” which means Jesus Christ. We have the connection as to how God intended to make Abraham the father of many people (nations) yet at the same time make of him one spiritual nation “a great nation” God called Israel, the household of God.
Galatians 3:16
“Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.”
Genesis 12:2-3
“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: 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.”
God took all the people of the Earth (all the sons of Adam – mankind); and He appointed a spiritual lineage through Abraham, the 12 tribes of Israel, for ALL of His children to inherit the promises of His Everlasting Covenant. Take a look below:
Deuteronomy 32:8
“When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of Adam,
He set the bounds of the people
according to the number
of the children of Israel.”
Jesus is telling us how by His sacrifice He was able to perform the promises made to Abraham by bringing into His spiritual household all those who would believe in Him through His covenant.
John 10:16
“And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be ONE FOLD, and one shepherd.”
Galatians 3:26-29
“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, AND HEIRS according to the promise.”
Also, the apostle Paul was teaching the new Gentile converts about how they were now grafted into the spiritual nation of Israel by becoming the children of Abraham. Because of that, they also became the heirs of Abraham, inheriting the promises of God’s Everlasting Covenant. Isn’t it beautiful how the LORD is still fulfilling His promise to Abraham, that all the families of the earth would be blessed through him and of God creating one spiritual nation called Israel?
Romans 11:17-24
“And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed IN AMONG THEM, and WITH THEM partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest He also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, IF thou CONTINUE in His goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?”
Jesus Christ our Messiah is that root.
Isaiah 11:10
“And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and His rest shall be glorious.”
Romans 15:12
“And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and He that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in Him shall the Gentiles trust.”
The scripture below was our spiritual position before we were saved through our faith in Jesus Christ and also our new status after that of being joint heirs, fellow citizens of Israel, the household of God. There’s only one household and only one fold now. Praise God!
Ephesians 2:11-13
“Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ,
BEING ALIENS
from the commonwealth of Israel,
AND STRANGERS
from the covenants of promise,
having NO HOPE,
and WITHOUT God in the world:
But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.”
Ephesians 2:19
“Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God”
The Holy Spirit is a promised blessing of the Everlasting Covenant.
Ephesians 1:13
“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in Whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of PROMISE”
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This is a good scripture to end with and I hope this study has been a blessing to you. May God bless you and keep you.
Much love in Christ brothers and sisters,
Suzie
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Romans 8:12-17
“Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die:
but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then HEIRS; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.”