The one new man in Christ

Should we support Israel?

Doesn't the church replace the nation of Israel?

But Israel rejected Jesus as messiah? 

All of these are valid questions and concerns. What does the Bible really say about how believers in Jesus should relate to Israel? It can be confusing and there's so many different opinions, therefore it is crucial that you test whatever you hear from anyone, with the Word of God. Is it backed by the bible? Do they have scripture to prove it? Not a verse or two taken out of context but is it consistent with all of scripture and God's character?  It is important to test anything you hear against for yourself, see whether it is true, just like the Bereans tested Paul's teaching.

Acts 17:11 NIV

Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

So, why does Israel matter?

I have never tried to get into a political discussion in my teachings. I do not write to take a political stand; I aim purely to study the Word of God with the main focus on getting to know Jesus better. Jesus is the focus! 

The Apostle Paul, a descendant of Abraham of the nation of Israel starts His letter to the Romans by acknowledging Jesus as the fulfilment of the promises God made to Israel through the prophets in the Old Testament.

Romans1:1-4 NKJV

Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. 

Paul specifically says that Jesus is the seed of David (the gospels also include this) and that He is the Son of God. Jesus / Yeshua being the seed of David is very important because God made a covenant with David, promising that someone from his lineage would sit on the throne of the nation of Israel forever. Jesus being raised form the dead means that He will never die again (Rom. 6:9), so He can sit on the throne of David forever. Paul is saying that Jesus is that King. Yeshua is the King Who fulfills the covenant God made with David.

2 Samuel 7:15-16 KJV 

But my mercy shall not depart away from him (Solomon), as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine (David's) house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.

Jeremiah 33:17

“For thus says the Lord: ‘David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel.

The important point is that God made a covenant with Israel that someone from David's lineage would be King over Israel forever. Paul talks about this a bit more later in his letter to the Roman church. This church was in Rome with a lot of gentile believers in Yeshua and a lot of Jewish believers in Yeshua. Jews being people who descend from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who believed in the Old Testament. Gentiles is anyone who belongs to another nation, anyone who does not have Jacob as forefather. So, Paul is writing to Jews and gentiles!

 Romans 9:1-5 ESV

I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.

Paul says that he has great sorrow and unceasing anguish for his nation in the flesh, he even wishes that he could not have salvations so that they will be saved. Because I believe that Paul was writing under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, I believe this is how God feels about Israel. He has great sorrow and wants Israel to believe in Jesus and be saved. 

The promise of the messiah was made to Israel, the glory, the covenants, the law and all the promises that Paul was now preaching to the gentiles were originally made to Israel. The promises that the gentiles are walking in were actually made to the Jews. Paul responds to this sorrow in his heart by praying that Israel would be saved!

Romans 10:1

Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 

The reason gentiles walk in the promises made to Israel is because most Israelites did not believe in Jesus as messiah, but the gentiles believed. Paul explains why this happened but he does not say that God now rejected Israel because Israel rejected him. All the apostles were Israelites, so was Jesus and most of the first believers in Jesus. Jesus actually said his mission was only to "the lost sheep of Israel". The early believers in Jesus were Jewish, though most did, all of Israel did not reject Him in the first place. Saying that God rejected Israel, forsook them and started the church to replace Israel is NOT consistent with God's character

2 Timothy 2:13

if we are faithless, he remains faithful.

God made everlasting covenants with Abraham, Moses and David and the Jewish people. Just because they break the covenants does not mean God does. He is not human like us. Even when we are faithless, He remains faithful to His word. Therefore, all the promises that God made to Israel will come to pass.

Romans 11:13-15

Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?

Paul says the reason he became an apostle to the gentiles is so that he can provoke the Jew to jealousy. Actually, Paul was still trying to get the Jews to be saved by going to the gentiles. How? When the Jews see the gentiles walking in the promises made to them, they will ask us how this happened and then we need to be ready to explain to them how Jesus already fulfilled the promises, then they will be saved.

Paul's reaction was not to leave the Jews so God could sort them out in the tribulation. He was actually still trying to point them to Yeshua through the gentiles, and our lives should do the same! We should live in a way that testify to the Jewish people that Yeshua is Messiah! Not repel them or leave them to be deceived by the antichrist. That is not God's heart!

Please read the next post for the 2nd part of this message: https://gettingready7.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-one-new-man-in-christ-part-2.html

God's promises to Israel: https://gettingready7.blogspot.com/2025/06/gods-promises-to-israel.html

Related:  https://gettingready7.blogspot.com/2025/05/acts-19-11-kjv-and-when-he-had-spoken.html