The Old Testament, with all of its history, prophecies and promises, was written to the Jews. They are the chosen people, the nation that God set aside as His special ambassadors. But Christians now apply those things to themselves. Why do they do that? Is it correct or fair?
God’s Character Never Changes
The Old Testament scriptures are not really about the Jews; they are about God. All of God’s dealings with Israel were revealing Himself, teaching the world who He is and what He is like. For instance, the Ten Commandments were given as a part of God’s covenant with Israel at Mt. Sinai. Does anybody think that they apply only to Jews? Of course not. God is holy and deserves exclusive worship by everyone. His moral standards are the same for everyone, also: murder, theft, lying, and adultery are never acceptable.
The same universal consistency is true of God’s character. When He told Joshua “I will not fail you or forsake you.” (Joshua 1:5), we can be sure that He won’t fail or forsake anyone who depends on Him. When He says “I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice” (Hosea 6:6) or “What does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8), we know what He wants of all people. Isaiah’s words below describe how God treats anyone who turns to Him.
Seek the LORD while He may be found;
Isaiah 55:6-7
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
And let him return to the LORD,
And He will have compassion on him,
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
God chose Israel as the place to display His character most prominently. They are also the nation and culture into which Jesus was born to bring salvation to the world. They hold a special place in God’s heart and plans. But His heart and plans are much bigger than just that one nation.
Grafted
Paul — himself a devout Jewish leader who came to Christ — was the apostle who clarified this point, in several of his letters to the early churches. One prominent example is Romans 2:25-29. The focal verses are:
For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision [the physical designation identifying all male Jews] that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.
Romans 2:28-29
Other passages include:
- Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is the keeping of the commandments of God. (1 Corinthians 7:19)
- For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love. (Galatians 5:6)
- For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. (Galatians 6:15)
- …you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ (Colossians 2:8-14)
- There is neither Jew nor Greek, There is neither slave nor free man, There is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise. (Galatians 3:28-29)
The Jews were chosen to prepare the way for the Messiah, God’s promised rescuer who would repair the damage done by sin (Genesis 3:15). When Jesus arrived, those who believed in Him were given the privilege of being counted among “His people” (John 1:12). Paul spends a chapter in his letter to the Gentile Christians of the church at Rome describing this process of “grafting” them, non-Jewish believers, into God’s kingdom.
An Extension, Not a Replacement
This grafting was not done at the expense of the Jews, however (Romans 11). Rather than replacing the Jews, Gentile Christians joined them. But individual Jews who refuse to accept Jesus as their Messiah are making the choice to exclude themselves, resulting in the two separate faith groups that we see today. Many Jews do accept Him, though, and become fellow believers along with their Gentile brothers 1.
When I was much younger and just starting to attempt deeper research into the Bible, I purchased my first Bible commentary book at a local Christian bookstore. I didn’t really know what I was looking for, so I asked the nice owner lady if the book I had picked up was a good choice. She flipped through it for me, telling me she wanted to be sure it didn’t say that God was finished with the Jews. I thought at the time “OK, but why would anyone think that? Of course God will never stop loving the Jews!”
I’ve since learned about the mistaken belief that Christians have replaced the Jews completely in God’s eyes. Not at all! As Paul says, some Jews have a temporary hardening that keeps them from accepting Jesus. This had the effect of causing the Gospel to spread out to include Gentiles, rather than staying too exclusive to Jews only. When God is finished, that hardening will soften, and many Jews will come to faith in Him. We can all look forward to Heaven together. 🙂
Claiming the Legacy
This thinking — that Christianity is the fulfillment of Judaism rather than a separate entity replacing it — is why Christians take all of the Old Testament to heart as applying to us as well. The Old Testament looked forward to Jesus; the Gospels describe Him as the promised Messiah; and the rest of the New Testament looks back to Him and teaches us how to live the new life that He gives 2. It’s really difficult to understand Christianity without first understanding its Jewish, Old Testament, roots. So, when the Old Testament says that God will be with His people, or that He will discipline those who claim to be His without really taking it to heart…we know that He means us, not just the ancient nation to whom those lines were originally addressed.
When Christians read:
- If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)…
- ..then we pray for our own lands, wherever we may live around the world.
- For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)
- …then we rest in the assurance that God is in control and has our best interests at heart.
- I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. (Jeremiah 31:33)…
- …then we are grateful that God had given us His Spirit already, and will finish fulfilling this promise when we get to Heaven.
A Legacy for the Entire World
Jesus Himself is a Jew, of course. He often quoted the Old Testament as relevant to all His listeners, including its stories of God’s grace to Gentiles like the widow of Zarephath and Naaman the Syrian (Luke 4:25-27, referring to stories from 1 Kings 17:8-24 and 2 Kings 5:1-14). In the same passage where He says that He is the “good shepherd“, he also says that He has “other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd” (John 10:16).
All who follow Him belong to His flock. All are heirs to the rich legacy that began when God picked one man, Abraham, to sire not just a specific nation but a worldwide family of faith as numerous as the stars. (Genesis 12:1-3, Genesis 15:5-6)
Footnotes and Scripture References
- To learn more about Messianic Jews today, see resources just as OneForIsrael and the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America (MJAA).
- See article “Before and After“.
