Great summary! I cringed through most of the interview. I had heard (and quoted) that scripture all my life, but went ‘hmm?’ when Cruz stalled on the question. Ultimately I went on the same eye-opening search you did. 😜
Also I asked Alexa the population of Iran weeks ago. I mean come on, Ted 🤣.
So God promises to bless those who bless the physical descendants of Abraham. As far as I can see the only people alive today that fall in that category are the Jews, weather in the State of Israel or elsewhere. God will also curse those who curse these people and so I intend to bless the Jews.
Unless God failed to keep the nation of Israel alive today? The church is not Israel nor Jewish nor physical descendants of Jacob but God made an oath:
"Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day, who sets in order the moon and stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the LORD of Hosts is His name:
“Only if this fixed order departed from My presence,
declares the LORD,
would Israel’s descendants ever cease
to be a nation before Me."
This is what the LORD says:
“Only if the heavens above could be measured
and the foundations of the earth below searched out
The blessing in Genesis was for Abraham and his seed, not Sarah's. The Arabs are alive today, and the blessing is for them as well. It is for every child of Abraham from Ishamel to Isaaac to all the children he had with his wives and concubines (Genesis 17). In fact, the blessing is for "all the nations of the earth," which culminated in Christ. But that does not mean that God did not remain faithful to the Jewish people- God is faithful to all His people who are now His through Christ not circumicsion (Romans 2).
The church is not Israel, but it exists in continuity with Israel's stories and promises, not distinct from them. God has a plan for Israel, just like he has plan for all of us. So we are not to despise the Jews or think that God does keep his promises to them (Romans 11), the church is co-heir with them in the promises of God.
But, that really isn't even the point of this blog. The point is the story of Baalam and how his blessing of Israel was used to seduce them into sin. The lie of Balaam is that blessings make one inviolable, free to do as they wish as long as it serves their best interest. When a group of people believe that God has blessed them and nothing can change that, they may feel free to do as they will in the name of God's blessing. But the rest of the Old Testament says quite differently. Jeremiah being one example when he told the Jews: "Your cities will burn, you all will starve, you will go into exile, and you will eat your children.”
I am a bit confused then, what is the point of this blog? That blessings make one sin? So should we not bless people then?
Jesus instructed us to bless everyone but specially "the least of these my brethren" (womb-mates). What they do with that blessing is not our responsibility. The Jews are God's people and he knows they will sin but He will glorify Himself through them as He sees fit.
No, it is that blessings come with responsibilities; they do not void them. The Jewish people, like all people, are not immune to the seduction of feeling "special." The New Testament writers did not herald Balaam as some hero because he blessed Israel, they lamented how Israel fell hook line and sinker for the deception that followed. Which, I think, matters today and the way we think about that verse in the light of an Israeli state that has the power of violence. With much power, comes much responsibility. God and the prophets held them to this then, and if "then" matters "now," so should we.
Ok, so please make it simple for a simple man like myself. Should we bless the Jews in Israel or should we not, because I think you are saying we should not.
I think Christians should bless all people regardless of race or ethnicity. I think God's blessing comes through the Messiah, Jesus. I think our blessings are for mutual well-being. I think God's blessing is according to God's plans and purposes for creation and is not without responsibility. I do not think Jewish people are more blessed by God or more assured a blessing from others by God than any other race or ethnicity. I think all those in Christ have received the fullness of Abraham's blessing, and it is God's desire for all people, including Jews, to be in Christ.
Aa, now you are saying that we should bless everyone equally, but initially you were arguing against blessing the Jews specifically because it makes them irresponsible sinners.
Of course we should bless everyone, regardless of race, etc. But only the blessing of Israel as the people of the God of Israel to whom He gave the land of Israel forever, comes with a promise of blessing in return (and a curse in case of the opposite) .I thank you for engaging with me on this topic. May God bless you richly.
P.S. I hope the Lord finds you sensitive to His desire to bless the Jewish believers in Yeshua in Jerusalem with a donation as apostle Paul instructs in Romans 15:26-27. They could really use a blessing right about now.
Great summary! I cringed through most of the interview. I had heard (and quoted) that scripture all my life, but went ‘hmm?’ when Cruz stalled on the question. Ultimately I went on the same eye-opening search you did. 😜
Also I asked Alexa the population of Iran weeks ago. I mean come on, Ted 🤣.
Same! I had googled it weeks before. I was gobsmacked that he didn’t know that.
Yes Tucker’s response was a valid kapow 🥊, “You don't know the population of the country you seek to topple?"
So God promises to bless those who bless the physical descendants of Abraham. As far as I can see the only people alive today that fall in that category are the Jews, weather in the State of Israel or elsewhere. God will also curse those who curse these people and so I intend to bless the Jews.
Unless God failed to keep the nation of Israel alive today? The church is not Israel nor Jewish nor physical descendants of Jacob but God made an oath:
"Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day, who sets in order the moon and stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the LORD of Hosts is His name:
“Only if this fixed order departed from My presence,
declares the LORD,
would Israel’s descendants ever cease
to be a nation before Me."
This is what the LORD says:
“Only if the heavens above could be measured
and the foundations of the earth below searched out
would I reject all of Israel’s descendants
because of all they have done" [Jeremiah 31]
The blessing in Genesis was for Abraham and his seed, not Sarah's. The Arabs are alive today, and the blessing is for them as well. It is for every child of Abraham from Ishamel to Isaaac to all the children he had with his wives and concubines (Genesis 17). In fact, the blessing is for "all the nations of the earth," which culminated in Christ. But that does not mean that God did not remain faithful to the Jewish people- God is faithful to all His people who are now His through Christ not circumicsion (Romans 2).
The church is not Israel, but it exists in continuity with Israel's stories and promises, not distinct from them. God has a plan for Israel, just like he has plan for all of us. So we are not to despise the Jews or think that God does keep his promises to them (Romans 11), the church is co-heir with them in the promises of God.
But, that really isn't even the point of this blog. The point is the story of Baalam and how his blessing of Israel was used to seduce them into sin. The lie of Balaam is that blessings make one inviolable, free to do as they wish as long as it serves their best interest. When a group of people believe that God has blessed them and nothing can change that, they may feel free to do as they will in the name of God's blessing. But the rest of the Old Testament says quite differently. Jeremiah being one example when he told the Jews: "Your cities will burn, you all will starve, you will go into exile, and you will eat your children.”
I am a bit confused then, what is the point of this blog? That blessings make one sin? So should we not bless people then?
Jesus instructed us to bless everyone but specially "the least of these my brethren" (womb-mates). What they do with that blessing is not our responsibility. The Jews are God's people and he knows they will sin but He will glorify Himself through them as He sees fit.
No, it is that blessings come with responsibilities; they do not void them. The Jewish people, like all people, are not immune to the seduction of feeling "special." The New Testament writers did not herald Balaam as some hero because he blessed Israel, they lamented how Israel fell hook line and sinker for the deception that followed. Which, I think, matters today and the way we think about that verse in the light of an Israeli state that has the power of violence. With much power, comes much responsibility. God and the prophets held them to this then, and if "then" matters "now," so should we.
Ok, so please make it simple for a simple man like myself. Should we bless the Jews in Israel or should we not, because I think you are saying we should not.
I think Christians should bless all people regardless of race or ethnicity. I think God's blessing comes through the Messiah, Jesus. I think our blessings are for mutual well-being. I think God's blessing is according to God's plans and purposes for creation and is not without responsibility. I do not think Jewish people are more blessed by God or more assured a blessing from others by God than any other race or ethnicity. I think all those in Christ have received the fullness of Abraham's blessing, and it is God's desire for all people, including Jews, to be in Christ.
Aa, now you are saying that we should bless everyone equally, but initially you were arguing against blessing the Jews specifically because it makes them irresponsible sinners.
Of course we should bless everyone, regardless of race, etc. But only the blessing of Israel as the people of the God of Israel to whom He gave the land of Israel forever, comes with a promise of blessing in return (and a curse in case of the opposite) .I thank you for engaging with me on this topic. May God bless you richly.
P.S. I hope the Lord finds you sensitive to His desire to bless the Jewish believers in Yeshua in Jerusalem with a donation as apostle Paul instructs in Romans 15:26-27. They could really use a blessing right about now.