Uniqueness of the Age of Israel

 

            Just as the Church today has monopolies, so there existed in the Jewish Age eight items of Jewish monopoly, all listed in Romans 9:4-5..

 

            1. :the adoption” — which means they were God’s special nation. They were custodians of divine revelation and responsible for its dissemination. Exodus 4:22; Deuteronomy 7:6; Amos 3:2; Isaiah 66:2.

            2. “the glory” — the personal presence of Jesus Christ. The Shekinah glory which resided in the Holy of Holies was the Lord Jesus Christ. James 2:1.

            3. “covenants” — four unconditional covenants: Abrahamic, Palestinian, Davidic, New.

            4. “the giving of the law” — a conditional covenant, the Mosaic law.

                        a) The Mosaic law was given to the Jews only — Exodus 19:3; Leviticus 26:46; Romans 3:19.

                        b) The Mosaic law was never given to the Gentiles — Deuteronomy 4:8.

                        c) The Mosaic law was never given to the Church — Acts 15:5,24; Romans 6:14; Galatians 2:19; 5:18-23.

            5. “the service” — type of worship conducted under the Mosaic law by the Levitical priesthood. The ritual of the Old Testament was centred about the person of the Lord Jesus Christ and was to teach of their responsibility in disseminating the truth.

            6. “the promises” — three categories of divine promises:

                        a) Messianic promises dealing with the coming of Messiah.

                        b) Temporal promises for human problems — Psalm 37; 55:22; Isaiah 41:10.

                        c) Promises of the future: 2nd advent, Millennial reign, and fulfilment of the four covenants (unconditional).

            7. “the fathers” — regenerate ancestry. Israel was the only nation founded on regeneration.

            8. “of whom concerning the flesh”

                        a) Jesus Christ in His humanity is a Jew — Romans 1:3.

                        b) Jesus Christ is in the direct line of David.

            “Christ came, who is over all, God blessed, forever.”