What The Bible Says About Israel

What The Bible Says About Israel

Biblical Israel: God’s People, God’s Purpose

When most people hear the word “Israel,” they think of a modern nation in the Middle East. But Biblical Israel is not simply a country—it is a covenant people formed by God, for God. The Scriptures present Israel not as a mere geopolitical entity, but as a theological reality that unfolds across redemptive history.

The Birth of Israel

The story of Israel begins with a promise, not a passport. God called Abram out of Ur and declared, “I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others” (Genesis 12:2). Abram becomes Abraham, the father of Isaac and then Jacob. It is Jacob whose name is changed by God to Israel after wrestling with Him (Genesis 32:28), and it is from Jacob’s twelve sons that the twelve tribes of Israel are born.

Israel is born not out of conquest or political movement, but from a divine promise. From the outset, their identity was always rooted in covenant—a people chosen to reflect the holiness and justice of God to the nations (Exodus 19:5–6).

Israel’s Purpose

The Israelites were to be a kingdom of priests—a holy people set apart to model life under God's rule. The Law, the temple, and the sacrificial system were given as shadows and types (Hebrews 10:1) pointing forward to something greater.

The land promise was part of the covenant, but it was conditional upon obedience (Deuteronomy 28). Israel’s time in the land was tied to faithfulness, and exile came as judgment for idolatry. Even while Israel was in the land, their kings and prophets pointed to a future and better fulfillment—a Messiah, a new covenant, and a kingdom not of this world.

Israel and the Messiah

The prophets repeatedly warned Israel of judgment but also spoke of hope. Isaiah speaks of a suffering servant who would bear the sins of many (Isaiah 53). Jeremiah foretells a new covenant written not on stone but on hearts (Jeremiah 31:31–34). These prophecies find their fulfillment not in the rebirth of a nation-state but in Jesus Christ—the true Israelite who fulfills the law, embodies the covenant, and establishes a new people.

Matthew’s Gospel deliberately presents Jesus as the new Moses, calling out of Egypt (Matthew 2:15), passing through the waters (baptism), spending 40 days in the wilderness, and ascending the mount to give His law. In Him, the true Israel is realized—not a nation of ethnic lineage but a people of faith.

The Expansion of Israel’s Identity

Romans 9:6 says it plainly: “Not all who are born into the nation of Israel are truly members of God’s people.” Paul continues in Galatians 3:7, “The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.” Ethnic Israel remains significant, but it is faith, not genealogy, that defines God's people in the New Covenant.

Peter echoes this when he writes to Gentile believers, calling them “a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession” (1 Peter 2:9). These titles were once applied to Israel in Exodus 19, but now they are applied to the Church—Jews and Gentiles united in Christ.

What About Modern Israel?

The establishment of the modern state of Israel in 1948 is a monumental event in world history, and it rightly draws attention. But it must be distinguished from Biblical Israel, which is a covenant people, not a political one.

While Christians should care about all people—including Jews—we must avoid equating political Zionism with redemptive prophecy. The Bible does not command Christians to give uncritical support to any modern government. Rather, it commands us to proclaim Christ to all nations, including Israel, with whom God still has a sovereign plan—but that plan is fulfilled in the Gospel (Romans 11:23–27).

Conclusion: Who Is Israel?

Israel was never just about land, bloodline, or politics. It was always about covenant, faith, and God’s redemptive plan. Jesus is the true Israelite who embodies everything the nation failed to be. And now, those who are in Him—whether Jew or Gentile—are grafted into the one olive tree (Romans 11:17).

As Paul says in Galatians 6:16, the Church is “the Israel of God”. Not by replacing, but by fulfilling the promises God made—just as Jesus Himself said: “I did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17).