Is God Jewish? And how should the answer to this (odd) question influence your attitude towards the Jewish people, Israel, and the Arab-Israeli conflict? Let’s start by looking at God’s covenant with King David.
After David’s great victory and prosperity, he settled in a first-class mansion in Jerusalem made of finest cedar wood. David then began to have a bit of “holy guilt” because God was still dwelling in a tent, and not a beautiful temple. David wanted to honor God by building Him a permanent, glorious resting place (Psalm 132). God’s reply was, “Thank you David for your heart, and yes to a temple, but you’re not going to build it…instead I’ve got bigger plans for the both of us – together!”
“… I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me.” (2 Samuel 7:12–16 NASB95)
Friends, did you catch that? The LORD promises David a “son” whose throne will be eternal. At the same time, He promises that this Davidic scion will also be a son to God Himself. The two of them will be joint patriarchs of the same glorious Son – the Messiah – Son of God and Son of David.
Most Christians have agreed throughout history: Jesus, son of David, son of God, was born a Jew, an Israelite from the tribe of “Jew-dah.” The bigger question is: is He still Jewish? Did the Messiah, Son of David, son of Joseph and Miriam, come into the world as a Jew – in order to fulfill the prophecies so that He could “graduate” to becoming the universal, divine Son of God, savior to every tribe, tongue and nation? Was His Jewishness only important at His first coming?
Well, Yeshua Himself seals Biblical revelation by saying, “I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star” (Revelation 22:16). Just like the “I am” statements in the Gospel of John, the Lord declares that He still is both the root (preceding David) and the offspring (David’s Son). This Jewish, Davidic identity continues to be a part of who Yeshua is, in the New Testament present tense. This means that Yeshua is both divine, and human – but not just any universal human, a real human with a unique DNA from the Judean House of David.
Let’s ponder and pray about what this means for us. If Yeshua is indeed one unified person, then this means, if you’re comfortable saying it, that God is in fact Jewish! Or, at least that God, in His coming down as a flesh and blood human, did so as a Jewish, Davidic man. He is still that man, and it is that Man who sits on the throne of heaven and will soon return to rule the nations and the universe from Jerusalem, the city of His father David.
So when you see Him in the manger, remember that eight days after the birth, He was circumcised according to Abrahamic and Jewish covenant. And as you look at the situation in Gaza, or the Arab-Israeli conflict, or at rising anti-Semitism around the world, ask yourself these questions:
Is not the anti-Israel sentiment throughout world history, at its core, a Satanic mutiny to keep the Son of David from reigning over all?
If Yeshua is still Jewish, then how do I need to stand with Him, for Him, in the midst of all this?
And if He is still Jewish, what does my attitude need to be towards His people, His down-to-earth physical tribe?
Even amidst Jewish unbelief and continued resistance to the Gospel, we believe God is faithful to His covenants (Romans 11:28).
