When the apostle Paul defined “a Jew who is one inwardly,” did he mean that Christians—who are reconciled to God—are the true identity of Israel and the recipient of the nation’s covenant promises? Many believe so, but they are mistaken. Romans 2:28–29 is one of several passages that have been misinterpreted to teach that the church is the new Israel. Discover how the Romans 2 passage reveals God’s desire for the Jewish people to devote their hearts truly to Him rather than merely to keep a clean external appearance!

Because the apostle Paul used the phrase the Israel of God in Galatians 6, many Christians have concluded that they have taken on the identity and covenant promises of Israel, erasing the Jewish people’s unique standing with God. But context is king. When verses are stripped of their context, the true meaning of God’s Word becomes lost. Reading Galatians 6 in context reveals beautiful truths about the unity of Gentile and Jewish believers in Jesus—and the distinct ethnic and national identity Israel continues to enjoy. Find comforting insight on this important biblical phrase this week!

As we conclude our short series on the biblical cities of refuge, we learn what happened after a person arrived in such a city. An accidental manslayer’s protection from vengeance was contingent upon staying in the city. Returning home was permitted only upon the death of the high priest. Through the death of Jesus, our High Priest, we, too, find freedom and payment for our sin debt. In the days of Moses, long before Jesus came, we find this beautiful picture of God’s grace, played out in the lives of His Chosen People!

In the ancient world, killing a person, even accidentally, was liable to bring the rage of an “avenger of blood.” But in giving His Law to the people of Israel, God instituted cities of refuge as legal protection from vengeful attackers. These cities reveal that God is both perfectly just and perfectly merciful, neither coming at the expense of the other, a truth we see materialize clearly at the cross, where God poured out His love for us to atone for our sin. Cities of refuge are more than an interesting aspect of the Mosaic Law—they have much to teach us about our Lord and Savior!

Our God is a God who frees and redeems. The concept of Jubilee shows these attributes of His in His instructions to Israel. But even though the year of Jubilee is rarely found in the rest of Scripture, its message plays an important part in some powerful Bible prophecies. Study Jubilee’s themes of liberty and redemption with us in Ezekiel’s end-times prophecy and Isaiah’s Messianic prophecy. As you see how these themes highlight the prophets’ writings and Jesus’ ministry, you’ll see why they are key to your present and future, too!

Have you ever wished you could just start over? In hard times, we wish we could make things go back to the way they were. God actually did this for Israel! The year of Jubilee is an important part of Israel’s culture. God instituted it not only to give the land a rest but to allow the Israelites to reset after things had gone wrong, whether by canceling their debts, freeing them from slavery, or returning their sold property to them. Follow along with us this week and next to learn about the Land of Israel’s sabbath rest and the parallel to the gospel the Jubilee year provides!

When Jesus died on the cross to save sinners from death, God gave humanity access to Himself in a new way: within believers in Jesus themselves through the Holy Spirit! This week, David Gunn joins the show to detail this shift from God’s localization to His personal indwelling in his article “The Nearness of God” from our latest issue of Israel My Glory magazine. Tune into this week’s excellent broadcast to gain a wealth of insight into God’s loving presence not only with, but within His children!

Last week we studied examples from Jesus’ life that demonstrate that He was undeniably a Zionist. But in light of Jesus’ death and resurrection, can we still consider Him a Zionist today? To answer this question, Chris takes a look at the disciples’ final question to Jesus: “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). Jesus’ answer is the key to evaluating His case as a Zionist. Enjoy the conclusion of our 2-part series on Jesus and Zionism!

As anti-Zionism spreads throughout the world, threatening to separate the Jewish people from their ancestral homeland, Christians are faced with an important question about their faith: Was Jesus a Zionist? In part 1 of our series answering this question, Chris digs into the Gospels to consider what the connection between the land of Israel and the Jewish people meant to our Savior. As we examine God’s promises to Israel concerning its land, you’ll understand why Jesus was a Zionist in word and deed and be encouraged to live as an unashamed Zionist too!

What does it mean to love God with all your strength? It goes far beyond physical power! The conclusion of our series on the Shema brings us to the final portion of the command in Deuteronomy 6, the command to love God with all one’s strength, or me’od. This term indicates that believers, like the Israelites, are to love God completely, with all that we are, at our maximum capacity, creating a love that changes our hearts and actions entirely. Learn how to fall deeper in love with the Lord God this week!