The concept of the Church of Israel in covenant with God is a foundational theme in the Bible, illustrating the unique relationship between God and His chosen people, Israel. This covenant relationship is central to understanding the narrative of the Old Testament and its fulfillment in the New Testament.

The Abrahamic Covenant

The origins of Israel's covenant with God can be traced back to the Abrahamic Covenant. In Genesis 12:1-3, God calls Abram (later Abraham) and promises to make him a great nation, bless him, and make his name great. This covenant is further elaborated in Genesis 15 and 17, where God promises Abraham numerous descendants and the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession. The sign of this covenant is circumcision, as stated in Genesis 17:10-11: "This is My covenant with you and your descendants after you, which you are to keep: Every male among you must be circumcised."

The Mosaic Covenant

The Mosaic Covenant, given at Mount Sinai, is another critical aspect of Israel's covenant relationship with God. In Exodus 19:5-6, God declares, "Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine. And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." This covenant includes the giving of the Law, encapsulated in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17), and establishes Israel as a nation set apart for God's purposes.

The Davidic Covenant

The Davidic Covenant further develops the theme of Israel's covenant with God. In 2 Samuel 7:12-16, God promises David that his throne will be established forever, and his offspring will build a house for God's name. This covenant underscores the messianic hope that a descendant of David will reign eternally, a promise Christians believe is fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

The New Covenant

The prophets foretold a New Covenant that would surpass the previous covenants. Jeremiah 31:31-34 speaks of a time when God will write His law on the hearts of His people and forgive their iniquities. This New Covenant is inaugurated by Jesus Christ, as described in the New Testament. In Luke 22:20, during the Last Supper, Jesus states, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you."

The Church as the New Israel

In the New Testament, the Church is often seen as the continuation and fulfillment of Israel's covenant relationship with God. The Apostle Paul, in Romans 11, discusses the inclusion of Gentiles into this covenant relationship, using the metaphor of an olive tree. He explains that Gentiles, like wild olive branches, have been grafted into the cultivated olive tree of Israel, sharing in the rich root of the patriarchs.

Covenant Faithfulness and Responsibility

Throughout the Bible, the covenant relationship between God and Israel emphasizes faithfulness and obedience. Deuteronomy 7:9 reminds Israel, "Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His covenant of loving devotion for a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments." This call to covenant faithfulness is echoed in the New Testament, where believers are urged to live in a manner worthy of their calling (Ephesians 4:1).

The Church of Israel in covenant with God is a profound biblical theme that underscores God's faithfulness, the call to holiness, and the unfolding of His redemptive plan through history.Deuteronomy 4:13,23
And he declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them on two tables of stone.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Acts 3:25
You are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, And in your seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

God's Purpose for his Church
... are the promises recorded in the Scriptures regarding the church. ... and that they,
even the house of Israel, are My ... thee, and give thee for a covenant of the ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 1 gods purpose for.htm

A Summary of Israel's Faithlessness and God's Patience
... fulfilment of their conditions, and how a covenant which He ... the post-Apostolic age
of the Church, of Germany ... home, and we must see that Israel's experience was ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/a summary of israels faithlessness.htm

Psalm 105. Abridged. God's Conduct of Israel, and the Plagues of ...
... 2 His covenant, which he kept in mind For numerous ages past, To numerous ... Then let
the world forbear its rage, Nor put the church in fear: Israel must live ...
/.../watts/the psalms of david/psalm 105 abridged gods conduct.htm

The Church Before and after Christ.
... In the personalities of the Old Covenant it reveals ... finally, the service of shadows
in Israel's political, social ... had, and still has, for the Christian Church. ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xi the church before and.htm

Covenanting Performed in Former Ages with Approbation from Above.
... The Covenant made with Israel, like the others made thereafter with the Church
of God, was a renovation of that established with Abraham. ...
/.../the ordinance of covenanting/chapter xii covenanting performed in.htm

The Covenant of an Everlasting Priesthood
... and made an atonement for the children of Israel" (Numbers 25 ... to money and rich men
in the church, of the ... the people still profess to be in covenant with God. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/murray/the two covenants/chapter xv the covenant of.htm

A Covenant God
... individual men, and with the people of Israel, had just ... chosen cure for it"is the
Covenant into which ... health and growth and strength of the Church, has been ...
//christianbookshelf.org/murray/the two covenants/chapter i a covenant god.htm

The Book of the Covenant
... is seen to be as fruitless as was Israel's at Sinai ... It is inconceivable what loss
the Church of our day is ... to which it admits thee with the God of the Covenant. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/murray/the two covenants/chapter xii the book of.htm

The Vanguard and Rereward of the Church
... guard: "Jehovah will go before you." The church is also ... her hinder part, "and the
God of Israel shall be ... Jehovah is in the van, and the covenant God of Israel ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/the vanguard and rereward of.htm

"The House of Israel"
... to do for the world through Israel, the chosen ... He will finally accomplish through
His church on earth ... other husbandmen," even to His covenant-keeping people ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 59 the house of.htm

Questions about the Church (All) | GotQuestions.org

What was the first / original church? Is the original / first church the true church? | GotQuestions.org

Is there supposed to be only one church? | GotQuestions.org

Church: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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