Israel: Origin of the Jewish Race

1. Three words for the Jewish race: Hebrew, Jew, Israel.

2. There are three concepts (types of Jews):

a) Racial: Anyone with the genes of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.

b) Regenerate: Remnant according to faith in Jesus Christ.

c) Religious: Non-regenerate.

3. All nations are founded on physical birth except the nation Israel which was founded on the new birth (regeneration).

4. For the first the generations the basis for the nation Israel was regeneration — a nation founded on the new birth.

5. Abraham was a Chaldean (natural birth). In regeneration he became a Jew. He “crossed the river,” became a Hebrew (first missionary).

6. Abraham was saved in Ur of the Chaldees as a Gentile. +R was imputed and Abraham was justified. In the book of James, 2:21, Abraham was justified (vindicated in the eyes of the unbeliever, phase 2) when he offered Isaac.

7. God said, “I will make of thee a great nation” — Israel. Genesis 12:2; Deuteronomy 7:6.

8. In the land (Canaan) Abraham was circumcised, which was the sign that he was now a Jew.

9. Abraham was the pattern for salvation in the Old Testament for both Gentile and Jew, as he was both a saved Gentile and a saved Jew.

10. Abraham had two sons: Ishmael and Isaac.

11. Ishmael (from which comes the Arabic race) was not born-again and remained a Gentile. Isaac was born-again and became a Jew.

12. Isaac had two sons: Esau and Jacob. Esau was not born-again and remained a Gentile. Jacob was born-again and became a Jew.

13. All Jacob’s sons were racially Jews (new nation: Israel). They were believers.

14. All people born from then on through the Old Testament and beyond were racial Jews, but not necessarily regenerate. The Jewish race from the Tribes of Israel on is based on genes, not on regeneration as in the first three generations. This is why the phrase, “God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” is often used. Others have the genes of Abraham, but not the genes of Isaac and Jacob. Example: Arabs.

15. The Jews are a race which does not lose identification, part of their discipline. German Jew, American Jew, etc.