Israel - Microcosm of the Nations (Continued)

This is a continuation of the previous blog bearing this title - obviously. The previous blog stopped with the observation that the nations, after the Flood in Noah's era of history and subsequently after the tower of Babel, had again rejected the true and living God. The nations had devolved into a system of polytheistic worship. Approximately in 2100 B.C. God called a man living in Ur of the Chaldees to trust Him and go to a land that he would show him. He promised this man that He would make of him a great nation. This nation would become the vehicle through whom all nations would be blessed.

God chose and called Abraham to be the progenitor of this new nation. God progressively developed this nation through Abraham, his son Issac, Issac's son Jacob and then through the twelve sons of Jacob. Jacob was ultimately given the name for this nation. As Jacob was returning to the land promised to Abraham, then to Issac and at that point in time to him - Jacob - God gave to him a new name - Israel. The nation of Israel was and is that nation through whom God intends to bless all the nations.

However, over the 14 centuries in which Israel conquered the land and lived in it they for the most part did not worship the God Who had brought them into the land. Ultimately when God took on humanity in the person of Jesus Christ of Nazareth the Jewish people, for the most part, rejected Him culminating with His death.

Just as the nations rejected the true and living God, Israel rejected the true and living God. God, in His infinite mercy and grace, was not deterred. Through the resurrected Jesus Christ He is calling out a people from every tribe, tongue and nation. This people is assembled together in what God refers to as His body, His ekklesia - assembly or church - and it is through the Church, this body of believers that He continues to make Himself known to the nations and is calling the nations back to Himself.

There is more to this plan and purpose of God that is yet to be unfolded after He completes His purposes for the church among the nations. That will be fleshed out in my next post. - To be continued.