Introduction
The Hebrew name Yisrael (H3478) means "to strive for/with God" or "God strives." It first appears thirty-two chapters into Genesis when Jacob son of Isaac wrestled with God's messenger and overpowered him. However, Jacob received a permanent injury to his hip. "The man asked him, 'What is your name?' 'Jacob,' he answered. Then the man said, 'Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome'" (32:27-28). Moses further explained, "Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob's hip was touched near the tendon" (Gen. 32:32). The story of how God renamed Jacob "Israel" was repeated at Genesis 35:
After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him. God said to him, "Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel." So he named him Israel. And God said to him, "I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants. The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you" (vv. 9-12).
Israel in the Old Testament
So, why is this narrative so important? Because it tells how God elected the Hebrews to become the nation of Israel—a nation that strives for God. He rescued them from Egyptian slavery to sojourn into the territory of Canaan, where the Hebrews would live at the crossroads of Asia, Europe, and Africa. God wanted the ancient Israelites to be on the world stage, just like the modern-day Israelis. From the land of Israel, the Hebrews would be a "light for the Gentiles" (see Isa. 49:6). This was the reason God chose Jacob to be "Israel," whose twelve sons would go on to lead as the twelve tribes of Israel, the nation of God's elect (see Gen. 49:28). Nevertheless, Israel is not just the name of some ancient country or the embattled State of Israel today. No, it is more: It is the name of God's chosen people throughout the world, first to the Jew and then to us Gentiles (see Rom. 1:16). Most of all, the very identity of Israel is Jesus, who epitomizes the human striving for and with God.
In the Old Testament, the term Israel has multiple layers of meaning, encompassing both a geographical and a theological concept. Here are some key aspects of its meaning:
Geographical: Israel initially referred to the land promised by God to Abraham and his descendants. This land, often described as flowing with milk and honey, encompassed roughly the region known today as the Levant.
Ethnic & Tribal: Israel also referred to the descendants of Jacob, who was later renamed Israel after his wrestling match with God (see Gen. 32:28). Jacob had twelve sons, who became the eponymous ancestors of the twelve tribes of Israel. These tribes formed the basis of Israelite society and identity.
Political & National: Over time, Israel evolved into a political entity, with its peak during the reigns of kings like David and Solomon. During this period, Israel was a unified kingdom, although it later split into the northern kingdom of Israel (comprising ten tribes) and the southern kingdom of Judah (comprising two tribes).
Covenantal: Israel is deeply tied to the covenant relationship between God and the people. According to the Old Testament narratives, God entered a covenant with Abraham, promising to bless him and his descendants and make them a great nation. God reaffirmed this covenant with Isaac and Jacob. Throughout the Old Testament, the concept of Israel as God's chosen people is central to understanding the relationship between God and humanity.
Spiritual & Symbolic: Israel carries spiritual and symbolic significance beyond its physical and historical dimensions. It represents God's faithfulness to his promises, sovereignty over the land and people, and a redemptive plan for humanity. In prophetic literature, Israel often symbolizes God's people, encompassing Jews and spiritual descendants who follow God faithfully.
Understanding the meaning of Israel in the Old Testament requires considering all these dimensions—geographical, ethnic, political, covenantal, and spiritual—to grasp its rich significance within the biblical narrative.
Israel in the New Testament
In his letter to the Romans, Paul of Tarsus very much identified with his Jewish heritage:
I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit—I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen. It is not as though God's word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned" [Gen. 21:12]. In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring (9:1-8).
Paul also wrote explicitly about the Jews' current standing with God. Notice how Paul, the standard of New Testament biblical theology, used the name Israel in the present tense about the Jews:
I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. . . . I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved. . . . As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable (Rom. 11:1-2, 25-26, 28-29).
Though replacement theology, also known as supersessionism, has been the normative doctrine in modern Christendom, it violates the internal message of the New Testament. Replacement theologians and supersessionists believe the church replaced or superseded the Jewish people as God's chosen people, Israel. However, Paul testified that Christian Gentiles are ingrafted branches into Israel's family tree (see Rom. 11:16-24). Their olive tree was never cut down or replaced by another one. The tree of Israel still stands today, populated by faithful Jews and Gentiles who believe in their Messiah.
Conclusion
Two questions arise when Christians discuss God's election of Israel: 1) Why would God choose one nation over another? 2) Why did God choose the Hebrews, especially when they were unfaithful and denied Jesus as their Messiah? If we recall the prophet Hosea, God never divorced Israel as his chosen. Instead, he looked forward to a time when the Israelites would think about the consequences of their actions, repent, and then reconcile with him (see Hos. 2). The prophet Isaiah wrote:
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn (61:1-2).
Jesus himself read this passage in his hometown Nazareth synagogue, which angered his fellow Jews to the point of killing him (see Luke 4:16-30). Why were these Israelites so offended when they were supposed to await God's favor? Because they knew Jesus was claiming to be the one and same Messiah and the very identity of Israel himself. We know Jesus as the King of kings and the Lord of lords, but he is also the Israelite of all Israelites and the Person of all persons. When God elected Israel to be his chosen nation, he made a sovereign choice, knowing that sin enslaves our own free will (see Rom. 8:7-8). However, God also intended for Israel to show the world how to strive for him. When he saw the Israelites fail repeatedly, he resolved to save the world through Jesus' atonement and resurrection.
Prayer
Blessed are you, LORD our God, King of the universe; for you manifested your love by sending your only-begotten Son into the world, that all might live through him: Pour out your Spirit on your church, that we may fulfill his command to preach the gospel to all people. Send forth laborers into your harvest; defend them in all dangers and temptations; and hasten the time when the fullness of the Gentiles shall be gathered in, and Israel shall be saved; through Jesus the Messiah, our Lord. Amen.
Bibliography
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