Eternal Purpose Resource 4

God’s Vineyard · Isra’el · the Jews

The biblical identity, calling and history of the original Covenant Community, the People of God known as Isra’el, latterly the Jews and the biblical, vocational connection between this national people and their spiritual progeny: the Messianic Covenant Community (as explored in Resource 1). A profound metaphor circumscribes this connection: God’s ‘vineyard’ and his cultivation of it, including the extraordinary incorporation of Gentiles, through ingrafting; the unprecedented schism and tragedy that ensues; culminating in a consideration of the potential of Isra’el’s ‘fullness’.

Contents

The Messianic Community has a special vocation towards the Jewish people. Fulfilling this calling requires appropriately understanding the identity and history of the Jewish people; who they are and how they came to be.

Topics

1. Who is Isra'el?

2. Isra'el's uniqueness

3. Isra'el's history in the land

4. Isra'el's history in exile

Isra'el stumbles repeatedly by disobeying God and failing to listen to his prophets. Finally, the leaders of Isra'el stumble over the cornerstone, God's beloved Son, Yeshua the Messiah. Through Isra'el's stumbling, Gentiles are incorporated into the covenant community.

Topics

1. Israel cultivation

2. Israel and the Messiah

3. Israel and the Gentiles

4. One household

The incorporation of Gentiles into the covenant community is intended to provoke Isra'el to jealousy. Instead, a deep chasm opens between Christianity and Judaism, evoking a terrible history of anti-Semitism.

Topics

1. God's intention

2. Anti-Semitism

3. The Shoah

Biblical prophets and the messianic apostles predict a dramatic restoration of Isra'el. Form, manner and timing of restoration remains a mystery — and often a source of controversy.

Topics

1. In the wake of the Shoah

2. Modern Nation State

3. Vocational restoration

Further Resources