God's Promises and Israel's Failure

Notes

1. In order that they might be a light to all the world, God called His people to occupy a position high above all other nations. In their efforts to be like the nations around them, they sank far below, and became the despised of all nations. From the position to which they had fallen, it was impossible for them to shed light upon the world, even if they had light.

2. When God's own chosen people fell from that high position to which they had been called to give the light to the world, He had to choose a heathen king, whom He designates as "Nebuchadnezzar My servant." He placed Nebuchadnezzar in a position of world-wide influence, above all other nations. He brought some of His own people who were true to Him to Babylon as captives, that they might give the light to Nebuchadnezzar to publish to the world, as he was the only man in the world who was in a position to be listened to by all people.

3. What has been said concerning Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, is also true of Cyrus, king of Persia. The Lord gave all the kingdoms of the world into the hand of Cyrus—set him upon the throne of universal dominion in this world—and caused him to publish the name and character of the true God to all the world.

4. At the time of Joshua's death God had planted His people in Canaan, the center of the world. He gave them that land, with the promise that just as fast as they could multiply and fill the whole world every place where the soles of their feet should tread should be theirs, and that not an enemy in all the world could stand before them. Just as the Lord had given Adam the Garden of Eden, with the promise that, at the touch of his hand, the whole earth would become like that sample, so He gave His people the land of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey, with the promise that the whole earth would become like that goodly land. All was on condition of their obedience. Just as Adam, through the fall, lost what the Lord had given him, so Israel, through their fall, lost what the Lord had given them. Some people talk about the "return of the Jews," as though God were under obligation to that nation to do for them what he promised to do. On the authority of God's word, we can say, as did Joshua, that "not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord spake; all are come to pass, and not one thing hath failed."

All that the Lord would have done through that nation, if they had been what God designed them to be—a spiritual kingdom—He will yet accomplish through the true Israel of God. When He finds a people of whom He can say, "Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus," the condition upon which all those promises were based, all these blessings will overtake that people.