Recently, I’ve studied much regarding God’s call upon Israel, and how the covenants (especially the Abrahamic Covenant) apply to us as believers.  Thus, I want to follow up two previous posts (here and here) and share some additional thoughts with you over the next few days.

Have you ever considered what makes Israel special?  That could be an entire study unto itself, but perhaps the most significant call is that of God calling Israel to be the vehicle through which He redeems the world.  (Keep in mind that God does not love the Jewish people more, He simply chose them for a very specific role in world history.  They are special, and are “chosen,” in that sense.)

If you have followed Looking for the Blessed Hope any length of time, you are almost assuredly familiar with the first three verses of Genesis 12, in which God makes His initial promises to Abraham.  However, at times the last phrase of verse 3 is overlooked, so take a close look at the entire verse and pay special attention to the last phrase:

And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.

The first role of the Jewish people is to bless all the families of the earth!  (Again, I refer to the two previous posts linked above.)  What blessings are those to be?  How about salvation!   Indeed, in Romans 9:1-5, Paul tells us that salvation is of the Jews!  Yet, we just celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and Savior!  That is a blessing of God, given through His specially chosen people, Israel!  God’s Word is also one of those blessings!  Romans 3:2 tells us the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.

You see, virtually all of what we hold dear as Christians was Jewish to begin with!  God’s call to the Jewish people was a birthing call.  A call to give birth to His blessings so that all the families of the world might partake!

Interestingly, the apostle John, then an old man, was given a prophetic vision by God, and was told to write it down.  We know that vision as the book of Revelation, and Revelation 12:1-2 says:

A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.

That woman is Israel, and she is giving birth to a male child:

And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne.
~Revelation 12:5

This is the prophetic birthing call that, just as the Messiah (Jesus) was born out of Israel, so Israel will “re-birth” the male child (Jesus) when He returns to earth to rule all nations.  Indeed, Israel exists for the Messiah, and indeed, In you (Israel) all the families of the earth will be blessed.  (Genesis 12:3)

Finally, some would say the woman in Revelation 12 is the church.  Impossible!  The church did not bring Jesus into the world.  Israel brought Jesus into the world, and Jesus (a Jew!) brought the church into the world!

Praise God for His birthing call upon Israel, and for the Abrahamic Covenant that assures us that all families of the earth will be blessed because of God’s special call upon His chosen people!