The People of God: The Story of the ChurchSample

It may be a bit confusing to see what the seventy-sevens of Israel’s exile have to do with the church. The place and role of Israel in the story of the church are so vital for us to understand. There is a constant tension in how much we, as followers of Jesus, should insert ourselves into the story of Israel as God’s chosen people.

There are certainly promises of how God will one day, when the Messiah comes, give opportunity for all people to worship him. However, there are also other passages, as we shall read today, that highlight that this does not mean that Israel ceases to be important. For example, in Jeremiah 33, the nation of Israel is said to be as sure as night and day. To truly understand our vocation as the church, we must understand the story of Israel. The ‘new covenant' spoken of in this passage refers, first of all, to a new covenant given to Israel rather than a covenant that replaces her. We will see in the coming days what this means for other nations, but it is important to follow the progression of the story.