The Bible, Israel, and Antisemitism: Part 4: One Olive Tree
The leaders of Israel rejected Jesus and crucified Him, and Jesus warned them that they would lose their place (and be replaced!) for doing so (Matthew 21.43). Does that mean God is finished with the nation of Israel and there is no future for her in the land as a nation? Paul responds to that very question in Romans 11.
I ask, then, has God rejected His people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. (Romans 11.1)
He then appeals to the story of Elijah who stood strong in his faith in the true God while much of Israel left the faith and followed idols. The nation as a whole went bad, but some Israelites – Paul calls them “the remnant” or “the elect” – stayed faithful. Those faithful ones, Paul is going to say, are the true Israel.
So the nation rejected Jesus, “But did they stumble that they might fall?” Paul asks. “By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous” (Romans 11.11).
Israel rejected Christ, but that rejection opened the door for the gospel to be heard (and gladly received!) by Gentiles the world over – some of whom Paul is writing this very epistle!
Paul provides a simple illustration to explain this: an olive tree. The apostle observes that the roots of a tree feed its branches (Romans 11.16-17). God’s people, “Israel”, Paul says, is like that olive tree.
Branches nourished by the root – those that believe the promises in Christ – are a part of God’s people.
Natural branches “broken off” because of unbelief – Jews that reject God’s promises in Jesus – are no longer a part of that tree (Romans 11.17,20).
Wild olive branches “grafted in” to that same tree – Gentiles who believe in Jesus – are connected to and nourished by its roots and are therefore a part of that tree as well (Romans 11.17-19).
So what is the holy root that feeds believers in both the Old and New Testaments? Paul in his writings (including Romans) points to the promises made to Abraham as the roots of Israel’s history, and those who have a faith like Abraham’s in God’s promises are participate in the blessings of those promises.
The issue has never been the nation of Israel as a political body.
The issue has never been ethnicity – whether one was born a Jew or made one by man.
The issue has always been whether one had faith (like Abraham’s) in the promises of God.
Some people believe that there is not one but TWO olives trees (i.e. two peoples of God): Israel AND the church. But Paul says there is only ONE olive tree, ONE people of God, “the true Israel”, and all Christians, both Jew and Gentile, those who have the faith of Abraham, are a part of it.
The church is the ONE people of God and the continuation of God’s ONE promise program, inherited by faith in Jesus – “the true Israel” if you will.
So God is not finished with Israel – but Israel, from God’s perspective, was never MERELY the political entity. It has always been a spiritual entity.
If that is true, what are we to believe about a state of Israel rising again and existing in the land of Palestine? More on that in the next blog…
I ask, then, has God rejected His people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. (Romans 11.1)
He then appeals to the story of Elijah who stood strong in his faith in the true God while much of Israel left the faith and followed idols. The nation as a whole went bad, but some Israelites – Paul calls them “the remnant” or “the elect” – stayed faithful. Those faithful ones, Paul is going to say, are the true Israel.
So the nation rejected Jesus, “But did they stumble that they might fall?” Paul asks. “By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous” (Romans 11.11).
Israel rejected Christ, but that rejection opened the door for the gospel to be heard (and gladly received!) by Gentiles the world over – some of whom Paul is writing this very epistle!
Paul provides a simple illustration to explain this: an olive tree. The apostle observes that the roots of a tree feed its branches (Romans 11.16-17). God’s people, “Israel”, Paul says, is like that olive tree.
Branches nourished by the root – those that believe the promises in Christ – are a part of God’s people.
Natural branches “broken off” because of unbelief – Jews that reject God’s promises in Jesus – are no longer a part of that tree (Romans 11.17,20).
Wild olive branches “grafted in” to that same tree – Gentiles who believe in Jesus – are connected to and nourished by its roots and are therefore a part of that tree as well (Romans 11.17-19).
So what is the holy root that feeds believers in both the Old and New Testaments? Paul in his writings (including Romans) points to the promises made to Abraham as the roots of Israel’s history, and those who have a faith like Abraham’s in God’s promises are participate in the blessings of those promises.
The issue has never been the nation of Israel as a political body.
The issue has never been ethnicity – whether one was born a Jew or made one by man.
The issue has always been whether one had faith (like Abraham’s) in the promises of God.
Some people believe that there is not one but TWO olives trees (i.e. two peoples of God): Israel AND the church. But Paul says there is only ONE olive tree, ONE people of God, “the true Israel”, and all Christians, both Jew and Gentile, those who have the faith of Abraham, are a part of it.
The church is the ONE people of God and the continuation of God’s ONE promise program, inherited by faith in Jesus – “the true Israel” if you will.
So God is not finished with Israel – but Israel, from God’s perspective, was never MERELY the political entity. It has always been a spiritual entity.
If that is true, what are we to believe about a state of Israel rising again and existing in the land of Palestine? More on that in the next blog…