God Doesn't Keep Jews in a Pickle Jar
God Doesn't Keep Jews in a Pickle Jar
David Brickner
This is part three of a four-part discussion between Bethlehem Baptist Church pastor John Piper and Jews for Jesus executive director David Brickner on the relationship and attitudes American Christians should have toward Israel. See Brickner's initial letter and Piper's first response.
Dear John,
Thank you for your insightful comments on a number of the issues brought up in my first letter to you, many with which I happily agree. We both uphold the need and priority of Jewish evangelism as integral to world mission. We both affirm the ongoing election of Israel (the Jewish people) and God's faithfulness to his covenant people and his promises. We both look forward to the second coming of Jesus and his glorious restoration of all things, including his people Israel. I do want to take issue with two of your comments before voicing my main concern.
To your assertion that the Abrahamic covenant is conditional, I will simply quote my friend and teacher Walter C. Kaiser Jr.: "Promise and blessing still precede the command to obey and to keep the commands of God. Obedience is no more a condition for Abraham than it is for the church living under the command 'If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love' (Jn. 15:10) or 'If you love me, you will obey what I command' (Jn. 14:15)."
Second, I read the context of 1 Corinthians 3 as primarily referring to boasting about different human leaders. It does an injustice to the text to take Paul's hyperbole to then relate to Israel's covenant promise concerning the Land. This results in minimizing the particularity of Israel's election in the midst of the universality of the nations' eschatological ingathering. You are taking away with one hand what you give with the other—when Israel gets all, she actually gets nothing. (Regardless of whether she may, as you point out, end up in the land that was promised.)
However, these disagreements are secondary to my concern over an ongoing problem in the church today. Christians often have a great depth of theological understanding regarding Israel in the past. Many also have a keen interest and firm convictions regarding Israel in the future. Yet when it comes to present-day Israel it seems biblical thinking often takes a back seat to political expedience on both sides of the current conflict.
Christians today desperately need an informed theology concerning present-day Israel. I don't see where your recent response addressed my point concerning the remnant today and the implications of the growing number of Israeli believers in Jesus. Although I know you didn't intend this, your quote from Ryle that "they are reserved and preserved" makes it sound like we are in a pickle jar kept on a shelf somewhere! No. The apostle Paul insisted, "God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew." "Not rejected" does not mean he has shunted them off to the side for use at a later time. Israel today is marvelous evidence of God's continuing covenant faithfulness, his amazing sovereignty over world affairs, and the great power of his mercy despite human disobedience. The remnant in existence today is also "chosen by grace."
The birth of the modern state of Israel did not occur in a vacuum but sprang from the ashes of the Holocaust, where one third of the Jewish people were systematically annihilated simply because they were Jews. Evangelicals need to think more deeply about the implications of the Holocaust and its connection to Israel today. I believe Israel is in possession of the Land today by divine mercy, a mercy flowing out of the horrors of the Holocaust and to the ultimate defeat of all other efforts at Jewish genocide past and present. This can only be the hand of God in history despite Israel's current unbelief. Present day anti-Semitism is proof that Israel remains at the nexus of the cosmic conflict between God, who keeps his promises, and Satan, who wants to make God a liar. We shouldn't allow history to interpret the Bible, but we must allow the Bible to speak to recent and current history, not just ancient history and the future.
The 'Handicap Icon' Gets New Life
Sidelining the Stigma of Mental Illness
Not part of the community? Subscribe now, or register for a free account.
RSS
Twitter
Facebook
Newsletters
Google
Join the Conversation
Displaying 1–5 of 22 comments
See all comments
Rob Dalrymple
Thank you for this discussion. I was, however, disappointed in that the opening editorial comment suggested that the four-part dialogue was going to address three questions: “Do Jews have a divine right to the Promised Land? Are American pastors dismissive of Arab Christians in Israel? Should Christians treat the Israeli-Palestinian dispute differently than other conflicts?” The problem is that it does not appear that the second question was addressed at all and the third question received only a passing remark or two. Instead, the dialogue seemed to focus primarily on the first question of Israel’s right to the land. Secondly, why did the dialogue never address the Arab Christians in Palestine? As Christians we are called to care for our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world. Yet, most Christians in the west have no idea that there are Christians in Palestine. And there was nothing in these four articles that served to give a voice to the Church in Palestine.
Raffaele Cicchese
@Philip Hudson, a simple definition of your comments would be: religious antisemitism with a Christianity flavor.
Philip Hudson
When Israel rejected our Lord the mantle was taken from Israel and given to the Church. Jesus warned the people who claimed to be Israel and to have Abraham as their father that the were not spiritual children of Abraham and that God could make children of Abraham out of a bunch of stones. The modern state of Israel is not the Israel of God and has no place in God's economy. Most Israelis do not even believe in God, much less are they Christians. This false teaching about physical Israel has caused great damage to the cause of Christ and to the safety of the World. I believe in converting Jews because they are people God loves and wants to have in his kingdom. I love them also. But there is no name under Heaven whereby you must be saved except Jesus. The Jew comes to Jesus the same way all people come to Jesus, by confessing Him as Lord and Savior and following him. Christian Jews should join Christian churches along with the rest of the Christians.
Raffaele Cicchese
@Dennis Warren, I honestly think something important is missing on this point. My invitation to all those interested on this issue is to read the book: "Israeology: The Missing Link in Systematic Theology" wrote by A. Fruchtenbaum.
Dennis Warren
Israel lived in the promised land while Jesus lived there (in the flesh) - however I suspect most didn't consider they were exercising their "divine right". I get the impression when reading the gospels that Jesus was concerned more with the Kingdom of God on earth ("Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven" Mk 6:10) verses teaching in relation to land rights God promised to Abraham and his descendants (I'm certainly willing to accept correction however if I have missed something important). ... Yes, @Raffaele Cicchese - I see your point. Another thing that comes to my mind though is that until the Messiah does in fact come back in physical form - the example he has left for us so far - for instance relating to those who sought to remove Him physically by death from the land of His "divine right" -- was healing the ear of Malchus (Lu 22:51), and saying "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Lu 23:34)