Amir Tsarfati - Israel and the Church Study Guide: An Israeli Examines Gods Unfolding Plans for His Chosen Peoples

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PROPHECY

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Israel and the Church Study Guide

Copyright 2021 by Amir Tsarfati

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon 97408

www.harvesthousepublishers.com

ISBN 978-0-7369-8272-6 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-0-7369-8273-3 (eBook)

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We must understand the truth of Gods presence in the midst of the imperfect times. God didnt create the imperfect. God doesnt cause the imperfect. But God works through the imperfect. Thats who He is. He is a perfect God who carries out His perfect will in imperfect people who live in an imperfect world. When God first created this universe, everything was perfect. The perfect God established His perfect creation by His perfect Word. Then humanity expressed the free will with which the Lord had gifted it, and everything blew apart. Sin entered the world, and with sin came death. Creation was separated from Creator.

Israel and the Church , pages 16-17

A s the world all around us continues to decline morally and spiritually, its easy to become discouraged. With evil running rampant, we may feel as though there is no hope. All of this is a result of sins entrance into the world. With sin comes separation from God, which, in turn, brings corruption, decay, wickedness, and ultimately, death.

As Scripture says, The whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one (1 John 5:19). Satan is the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who works in the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2). This is why we are given the warning to be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).

Yet God does not want us to live in fear. All through Scripture, He has given us many reminders of the hope we have as believers. The more we read His Word, the more confidence we have that no matter how bad things get, God is still in control. And He has already secured the victory that assures us of a future totally free from sin, a future in which all will be perfect again.

First Peter 1:3 says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

What does the passage say God is abundant in?

What has God begotten us again to?

What do the words living hope tell us about the kind of hope we have?

What makes this hope possible?

Romans 15:4 tells us, Whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

For what purposes did God give His Word to us?

In what ways have you received hope during your most recent readings of the Bible?

Why do you think it is so important for us to keep our eyes on the hope God has given us?

In 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Paul wrote, We do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

For what reasons did Paul say we do not lose heart?

How does Paul describe our affliction, then our glory?

What are we called to look at?

In 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Paul reveals to us the power of keeping our focus on that which is eternal. As believers, we are to look heavenward. That is why so much of the Bible is filled with prophecy. The more we read prophecy, the more our hope increases. In this way, we can replace our fears with hope.

Though sin separates us from God, He didnt give up on humanity. This is true for all people, including the Old Testament nation of Israel. Even though the people repeatedly rejected their Lord, He reached out to them, inviting them to return to Him. Even in their unfaithfulness, God pleaded,

You have burdened Me with your sins,

You have wearied Me with your iniquities.

I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake;

And I will not remember your sins.

Put Me in remembrance;

Let us contend together;

State your case that you may be acquitted (Isaiah 43:24-26).

God did not abandon Israel. We can take great comfort in that, for if He has long-suffering patience for the Jewish people, then He will show that same patience to us today even when we fail Him.

Hosea 3:4-5 says, The children of Israel shall abide many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without ephod or teraphim. Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the L ORD their God and David their king. They shall fear the L ORD and His goodness in the latter days.

After a time without king or prince, what will the people of Israel do?

What will Israel do in the latter days?

Do you see this prophecy as one that offers hope to Israel? Why?

About three decades after the church had been born, Paul wrote the book of Romans. What did he say about the Jewish people in Romans 11:1?

What did Paul later add in Romans 11:29? Will God ever go back on His promises?

How is Gods love for Israel described in Jeremiah 31:3?

What do the above passages tell you about Gods commitment to Israel?

One vitally important fact we must understand about Gods love for His people is that just because He disciplines them doesnt mean He will abandon them. When God disciplined the nation of Israel, He did so out of love; His desire was to get the peoples attention so they would return to Him. The hand that disciplines is the same hand that restores and protects. We see this clearly in Isaiah 43, where God warns Israel that punishment is about to come, yet that doesnt mean He will abandon His people.