CAN I CLAIM THE OLD TESTAMENT PROMISES MADE TO ISRAEL AS MY OWN

AS A FOLLOWER OF JESUS, CAN I CLAIM THE OLD TESTAMENT PROMISES MADE TO ISRAEL AS MY OWN?

Claiming biblical promises is one of God’s great gifts to fol-lowers of Jesus. Peter says that through the Messiah Jesus own glory and excellence, God “has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:3-4). We do not want to claim promises that Scripture gave to someone else. How-ever, we know the whole Bible is “breathed out by God” and designed to be “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man [or woman] of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17 ESV).

How can we resolve the tension of knowing that some Scriptural promises were not given directly to us, while on the other hand, knowing that all Scripture should be relevant to our lives? The following are some interpretive principles for claiming promises of God in the Old Testament.

DETERMINE THE MEANING

Start by reading the biblical promise in its context to determine to whom it was given and what it meant for them. For example, one of the most beloved Old Testament promises is Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” The context indicates that these words were found in a letter sent by Jeremiah to the leaders of the exiles of Israel in Babylon (Jer. 29:1).

Additionally, the verse just previous to the promise states that the length of their captivity would only be 70 years (Jer. 29:10). The point of the promise in Jeremiah 29:11 is that although God had disciplined Israel with the exile, He had limited their captivity to 70 years, indicating that God’s discipline was all part of His good plan for the nation. So, unless we are Israelites in the Babylonian exile, it’s incorrect to claim this promise as directly belonging to us.

DISCOVER THE APPLICATION

A good rule of biblical interpretation is that although there is only one meaning to a given passage, there are many applications of that truth. That’s why the whole Bible is profitable for us as members of the universal church, even if the direct meaning of a promise was designed for the people of Israel. So rather than claim the promise itself, we can apply the truth of that promise to our circumstances. Using Jeremiah 29:11, here’s how to find the application.

IDENTIFY THE SIMILARITIES

Although a Gentile follower of Jesus is not part of ethnic Israel, there are a number of similarities, especially as they pertain to Jeremiah 29:11. The first resemblance is that just as Israel was chosen as a nation to represent God,’ so we have been chosen as individuals for salvation (Eph. 1:4-5). So, just as God made promises to His elect nation, those promises must somehow apply to the chosen individuals who make up the church.

The second likeness is that just as God promised to discipline His chosen nation (Lev. 26:14-45), so the Lord promises to discipline individual believers as well (Heb. 12:7). The proof that God had adopted Israel was in His commitment to their correction. Likewise, discipline in the life of the believer is proof that we are His children.

The third similarity is that God designed Israel’s national correction for their benefit, just as God’s purpose for discipline in the lives of followers of Jesus is for our good (Heb. 12:10). The point of Jeremiah 29:11 is that God would use the devastation of the exile to restore Israel. Since the exile was intended for their well-being, it should give them hope for the future. In the same way, we can know that God uses the difficulties of our lives today, either to restore us to Him or to cause our spiritual growth. He does not allow us to suffer meaninglessly but with kind intentions for our good. That gives us hope for the future as well.

ARTICULATE THE PRINCIPLE

Having identified the similarities between Israel and us, we need to synthesize the truths of Jeremiah 29:11 into an enduring principle. The point of Jeremiah’s promise to Israel was: Since God chose them for Him, He would use the difficulties they faced as means of correction and growth so they could have a hopeful future.

In the same way, we can know that God chose you and me as His children and that He will use the difficulties and challenges of our lives for our correction and growth, giving us a hopeful future. As we walk with the Lord, when we struggle with difficulties, we can know that God has a good end in view, giving us a confident expectation as we anticipate the future (Phil. 1:6; 1 Thess. 5:24).

CONFIRM WITH THE NEW TESTAMENT

Having determined the simple meaning of a text and discovered the application, the third step in applying Old Testament promises is to confirm the application by comparing it to what is written in the New Testament. The promises should not be inconsistent. Jeremiah 29:11 indicates that God has a good purpose and plan for the difficulties we face, giving us a hopeful future.

But does the New Testament also teach that? Absolutely! Specifically, in the most extensive New Testament passage about discipline, Hebrews 12:4-11, we are told that God uses difficulties in the life of a believer as a means of teaching and it is always done for our good. It even says that the outcome of persevering under difficulties will be good: “to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (Heb. 12:11).

A second New Testament promise is that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28). A few years ago, a friend of mine, when he was in his early sixties, was laid off from a position he had held for many years. He was stressed because his circumstances were truly difficult and distressing. But when I asked how he was doing, he said this was just an opportunity for him to believe his life verse, Romans 8:28. He knew that God had a good plan _ in mind for him. In a sense, Romans 8:28 promises precisely the same thing as Jeremiah 29:11.

All that to say, the New Testament confirms the principle given in Jeremiah’s promise. Just as an aside, here’s an example of the reason New Testament confirmation is so crucial. In Deuteronomy 28:1-14, God promises Israel material blessing for obedience to the Law of Moses.

The application could be that God promises us blessing for obedience to God’s Word. However, the New Testament confirmation demonstrates that God promises spiritual blessing for obedience to the Scriptures, not material blessing (2 Peter 1:10-11). The New Testament clarifies the promise for us in the body of the Messiah, the church.

FINAL THOUGHTS

There’s a popular and long-cherished praise song, Every Promise in the Book is Mine:

Every promise in the book is mine,

Every scripture, every verse, every line.

All are blessings of His love divine,

Every promise in the book is mine.

Although the song contains a happy sentiment, it’s not exactly true. We have to be careful to understand precisely to whom God gave each promise in His Word. Then, thought-fully, we should develop a true and practical application of the promise, with confirmation from the New Testament. Although not every promise was written directly to us, the whole Bible is indeed profitable for us.