True to a Great Heritage

Deuteronomy 4:1, 32-40

GOLDEN TEXT: “He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered?”—Psalm 111:4

GOD is always true to his covenant promises even though the people to whom they are made may fail to appreciate them and come short of the conditions upon which they are made. To and through Abraham God revealed his purpose to develop a “seed” that would be instrumental in blessing “all the families of the earth.” He entered into a covenant with Abraham in which he promised that this foreordained “seed” would be made up of his descendants. There has never been any question concerning the development of this seed; but whether or not the natural descendants of Abraham would be that seed depended upon faithfulness to their part of the covenant.

Subsequent unfoldings of the divine plan indicate that Israel after the flesh did lose the chief prize of the Abrahamic covenant—all except a small remnant who have accepted Christ—and that the opportunity of gaining this prize went to the Gentiles. “Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for,” declares the apostle. (Rom. 11:7) This chief portion of the Abrahamic covenant is spiritual, and those who inherit it do so through faith and consecration. Paul explained it, saying, “As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”—Gal. 3:27,28

But natural Israel did not altogether forfeit the right to be God’s chosen people. They are still beloved for their father’s sake, the apostle tells us. (Rom. 11:28) And this, Moses explains, was the reason God did so much for the Israelites back in those early days of their national existence. “Because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought thee out in his sight with his mighty power out of Egypt,” is the way Moses states the matter.—Deut. 4:37

In addition to the promise relative to the “seed” which was to bless all nations, God promised Abraham and his descendants the land of Canaan. This promise still stands, its ultimate fulfillment will see Abraham and his natural seed possessing and using Canaan for their own blessings and to the glory of God. This Promised Land was one of the main objectives in connection with Moses’ leadership of Israel. They left Egypt with the purpose of finding and inheriting that land. Even then the unfaithfulness of the people prevented most of those who were of mature age when they left Egypt from entering the Promised Land.

But God made good his promise to the nation even though thousands of individuals, because of unfaithfulness, failed to enter into their inheritance. Because God loved their fathers, Moses further explains, he proposed to drive out the nations then dwelling in Canaan in order that he might give Israel “their land for an inheritance.” (Verse 38) Moses explained to them that if they were faithful to the Lord they would dwell long in the land, for God had promised he would give it to them for ever.—Verse 40; Gen. 13:15; 17:8; 48:4

But we know that the Israelites did not wholly obey the Lord, hence they did not remain in the land “forever.” Moses foretold that this would be the case, and at the same time uttered a very reassuring prophecy to the effect that in the “latter days” they would again be brought back to the Land of Promise. Moses said:

“I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed. And the Lord shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the Lord shall lead you. … But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice.”—Deut. 4:26-30

We are now living in the “latter days” mentioned by Moses. The history of Israel records the “tribulation” which has come upon this people, and we are witnessing it first-hand today. At the same time, there is every reason to believe that God is shaping their affairs and the circumstances concerning the promised Land, in preparation for a blessed homecoming.

The outlook of Israel right now is dark, as dark as it was when they were wandering in the wilderness. Now, even as then, millions of them are uprooted from the countries in which they were domiciled; and still they are not permitted to enter the Promised Land. But God’s hand is over them, and soon the greater than Moses will stand up and fight for them as God did in the days of old. But before that, they will undoubtedly cry unto him more earnestly than they are doing now.

QUESTIONS:

Does God ever fail to fulfill his promises?

What is the chief blessing offered in the Abrahamic promise?

Is the nation of Israel still God’s chosen people?

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