What God Can’t Do
“How shall I give you up, Ephraim? Shall I deliver you, Israel? How shall I make you like Admah? Hosea 11:8
How – In systematic theology, we often speak of God’s omnipotence. It is simply the doctrine that God can do anything that can be done. But did you know there are some things even God can’t do. Why can’t an all-powerful being do these things? Because they are impossible, that’s why.
The usual range of impossible things falls in the self-contradictory category. So, God can’t make a rock so big that He cannot lift it. The idea is logically self-contradictory. It does not diminish the doctrine of omnipotence at all to say this is something even God can’t do. It just doesn’t make sense. There is, however, another category of things that God cannot do. These things are ethically impossible. For example, God cannot sin. The idea of sin is a contradiction to God’s character. No one would argue this point.
But apparently there are a lot of believers who would argue God can break His promises. They don’t see this as logically or ethically contradictory, so they claim God can change His mind and do something He promises not to do. For example, in Hosea God speaks about His love, care and promise to Israel. God says it is simply inconceivable that He will give up on Israel. He will never break His promise, so it is impossible for Him to abandon Israel, no matter what the people do. “How shall I give you up?” The Hebrew adverb (‘eyk) anticipates the answer, “Impossible!” There is no other way to understand this question.
If you agree (and it’s very difficult to see how you couldn’t), then we are forced to a conclusion many will find startling, perhaps even uncomfortable. God deals with all people via Israel. God’s first love is Israel. God’s intentional plan of redemption goes through Israel. What God does with Israel has consequences for everyone else. Every Gentile is a Gentile because he or she has a relationship to Israel and it is that relationship that defines how God interacts with Jews and Gentiles. Let’s put it as sharply as possible. God is not your God. He is the God of Israel. Israel is His people. If you are not related in some way to Israel, then Israel’s God isn’t your God. Ruth is the example of a Gentile believer. “Your people will be my people and your God will be my God.” We can’t go around Israel to get to God.
You might object. “But look at the history of the Church. Look at all those people – Gentiles – who became believers. Look at all they have done for the Kingdom. They didn’t become Jews. They didn’t move to Israel. How can you say that we must be connected to Israel?” The answer is simple: Balam’s donkey. God uses what we give Him to use. He uses the mistaken, misunderstood, even deceptive and deliberate efforts of men to avoid affiliation with Israel. He uses it, but it is not His design. Yeshua tells us that deliverance comes through Israel. He tells us “first to the Jews, then to the Greeks.” Sha’ul reminds us that we are grafted in. Nowhere is there any proclamation that we supersede Israel. Nowhere is there any suggestion that we replace Israel. Everything depends on Israel, including our relationship with the Father. We don’t become Jews, but we do become adopted citizens of His Kingdom.
Here’s today’s question: Do you think of yourself in relation to Israel’s God? Do you see that God’s interaction with Israel is His interaction with you? Are you a Gentile grafted in? Or did you think God forgot His promise and now deals directly with you?
Topical Index: Israel, promise, Gentile, Hosea 8:11, ‘eyk, how
One more thought: Fulfilling a commandment of the Lord brings righteousness into the world. It is as if each completion of His instructions adds one beam of light in the dark universe. The essence of light is not its quantity but rather its effectiveness in penetrating the dark. So, even the smallest sign of obedience brings righteousness to light. Today, just fulfill one small instruction in righteousness and watch the light grow.
“Do you think of yourself in relation to Israel’s God?”
Hi Skip,
For me, it would be impossible to read the Bible and not THINK of myself in relation to Israel’s God.
It would be like reading Hamlet without THINKing about Shakespeare’s play. It is not logical.
any Christian “worth his salt”, realizes and recognizes the Jews/Israel/Hebrews/circumcised as G-d’s chosen people group. They have been from the time of Abraham and ever since (and always will be). Why?
Because of G-d’s covenant words. He has said, (or “it is written”-if you prefer), in Psalm 138:2: “For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.” G-d hath said and G-d don’t play. When He says something it is our job to “hearken” and to “heed”. “Shema”, O Israel. Remember also these words..”and it came to pass”. Yes, brother Skip- Jerusalem is the navel of the earth. Location, location,location. And in the center of the central city is another “center”. The temple mount. As the young people used to say.. “this, is where it’s at”. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, it is our duty and privilege to “pray for the peace of Israel”. Unless we are blind in one eye and can’t see out of the other, we see a gathering together starting to happen, preceeding certain events that will again- “come to pass”. Shabbat Shalom kol Israel.
Skip: I am but a child compared to some of the intellects among your readers, but here is my response to the message for today: James 4:8 says if I draw near to God, He will draw near to me. It does not say draw near to Israel, and God will draw near to me. Am I to now add to 1 Cor. 1:12, “I am of Israel”??? I still read Hebrews 8:13 believing something has changed. Otherwise, how do accept 2 Cor. 5:17-18 as the truth? Yes, I still believe He deals directly with me.
Thanks for articulating these important concerns. Of course, there is no indication that God will not draw near to those who seek Him. In fact, the Hebrew idiom (to draw near) is the word for sacrifice. In other words, performing the sacrifices is an act of drawing near and, of course, performing the sacrifices as God directs is the proper form of worship. Now, there are many sacrifices, not just the blood sacrifice for sin. So, each time we draw near in sacrifice, we worship and God draws near to us. James is simply being Jewish. He knew all this. After all, it was his language.
Let’s look at 1 Cor 1:12. What is Paul’s point? Echad! One! Unity! There is only one body, one commonwealth, one nation, one Israel. We who are Gentiles have been brought near, adopted into the body of the Messiah, the Messiah of Israel. We are now naturalized citizens of the one Kingdom, the eternal choice of God for His chosen people. Does that make us less valuable? Of course not. Is a naturalized citizen less a citizen. Absolutely no! But naturalized citizens are not a separate nation, are they? They join an already existing commonwealth. they do not create a new one. Paul’s point is that divisions among those who are citizens of the one Kingdom of God are pointless and wrong. Who created Israel? God. Who is invited into Israel? All who wish to follow God.
Finally, Hebrews 8:13. The author of Hebrews is thoroughly Jewish. He makes constant references to the Scriptures. He uses allusions, metaphors and events anchored in Hebrew Scripture. Everywhere he argues that the authority of Scripture is the final proof of his claims. So, does it make any sense at all that he should then discard the very foundation that he uses to prove his case? Would he say, “All that I demonstrate to you is true because the Word of God (Hebrew Scripture) supports it all,” and then in the next sentence say, “Of course, it is all passing away and doesn’t really have any authority”? The answer must be NO! So, that means if we read the text in such a way that we conclude he is undermining his own appeal to authority, WE MUST BE WRONG, not the author who wrote it. It’s time to reconsider what all this means from the perspective of an author who stakes everything on Scripture – the Old Testament. And you won’t find replacement theology anywhere in that document.
“Yes, I still believe He deals directly with me.”
Hi John,
I feel the same way. When I draw near God, God draws near me. On an experiential level, I’m not typically thinking about Israel, or Jesus, or anything other than “Thy will be done.” I’m trying to become conscious of God.
Yes, brother John, James 4.8 is true (as is every word of G-d), but the amazing realization is the G-d we know and love and worship today is the very same G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! G-d is “dealing with” you as He is with all who belong to Him (including myself)- Hallelujah! We are (all) in this journey together and we are (all) one in Christ Jesus. This I can promise you.. your Bible is an absolute gold mine when you learn to use a Hebrew shovel. The “jots” and the “tittles” come alive, bursting into blossom, and revealing G-d as you have never known Him before. Stay “tuned”.. there’s more!!.. Our Father is full of wonder and surprises! I am praying you will find “delight in the discovery” of the G-d who is.
Shalom Skip … the same Words … sharp as a two edged sword … the truth cuts deep!
Like others, I have experienced a number of predominant Christian perspectives regarding Israel in my days:
1) Christians who are completely on board with the replacement theology … right down to the point that the Jews have been soundly rejected;
2) Christians who believe Israel was something special … and that The Lord will bring some of them back … as in conversion;
3) Christians who believe in the promises of The Lord and realize that Israel has not been rejected. Yet there is no temporal affiliation with the chosen people or their way of life;
4) Believers who have come full circle and recognize the dynamic between ELOHIM, Yisrael and the Nations. These believers consider themselves Israelites …. adopted citizens of the kingdom and embrace the ways of the kingdom.
Obviously the number of folks in the groups rapidly decline from 1 through 4 … yet at the same time there should be no arguments that sleepers are being awakened in the latter days. Just as a native Hebrew (a.k.a. Jew) comes into fullness through acceptance of Yeshua so too does the Gentile come into fullness when embracing the ways of ELOHIM … HaTorah! Which is simply embracing Yeshua as well! 🙂
Ultimately HaEdah (the witnesses a.k.a. Israel) are not designed to be broadcasting a different Gospel … a different way of life … a way contrary to the constitution of the kingdom. Gentile Christianity can spin religion any way they may like, but in the end they are not the head while the Jew is the tail … in fact the converse is declared in The Word. Yes … Jew and Gentile will be echad … but certainly halakah will not look goyish!
So if the truth is inescapable the big questions come into play …. Who then will cleave to Yisrael and provide more than lip service? Who then will embrace the ways of the kingdom and turn their backs on the ways of the nations? Who will break away from the confusion that fences out the flock and align themselves with the ways of the natural branches? Who is ready in a temporal sense to cross over from this order of creation to the kingdom and make their stand?
Blessed be the G_D of Israel!
Skip, it is remarkable to have the world’s blinders removed and the ability to see a Sovereign God move in the way He says He will. I must tell you “THANK YOU!” for recommending Robert Gorelik’s teaching on COVENANT. I have listened to this series 3 times and each time I receive a greater sensitivity to the steadfastness of our Lord’s love, compassion, mercy and grace toward His creation people and those, like myself, who were “aliens”/”foreigners”, outsiders, so to speak from the community of Israel. I am more grateful now for His so great salvation, realizing who I am in His great plan! So much of what I am convinced of now has transformed my theology into a deeper longing for Him and a “renewed”, or should use the term “new” hunger and thirst for Him as His beloved. Now when I think of Israel and her relationship to the world and how she regards the “Christian” community, I see things differently. When I hear the sometimes subtle or in-your-face blatant disregard for the Scriptures declaring the faithfulness of God for His people Israel, I am comforted to know that if He is NOT faithful to them, He CANNOT be faithful to me, because I have been grafted in to the TRUE vine (Psalm 80:8, 14; Isaiah 5:7; John 15:1, 4) But He HAS and CONTINUALLY declares His faithfulness to His people.
I can identify with Brother John Lightfoot’s questions because the current teaching of conventional replacement theology leaves us with many questions when attempting to reconcile the Scriptures to much of today’s preaching and teaching. Although we are glad the Lord uses submitted men (Brother Skip) as He gifts each one, only the Lord can reconcile those questions within us and our need for the Holy Spirit’s counsel/direction/teaching/understanding is vital! Yes, He is with us individually, as He created EACH one for His glory. His love, blessing, law/direction, provision, and great promises were originally given to Israel, and He has not rescinded ANY of those. He has unfolded His plan, as He used Israel through His divinely selected INDIVIDUALS to proclaim His message of love, deliverance, blessing and power. He repeatedly declares to be faithful to the Jews, and because of this faithfulness to them, He declares He will also be as faithful to INDIVIDUALS throughout the NATIONS who are grafted into the TRUE VINE!
This plan began in the beginning, was in progress before and during Christ’s walk on the earth, and continues to this day. As we honestly and sincerely seek Him while He yet may be found, let’s lift one another to His Throne of mercy and grace while we boldly come before Him in praise! All blessing, glory and honor to God The Father, His Son, The Messiah and the Holy Spirit!
Mary… I sure would like to invite you out for a cup of coffee!! Abba’s full blessings to you today.. thank you for your words ..
Skip: I’ve read your “Article”, and would respond in this way. I am not a Jew nor a native of Israel, but yet I Love Her as if she was my very own blood. I am in the “Church” by the Blood of Christ just as you are; and because of the New Covenant, which I understand is of Grace and not of keeping of the”Law”. By Your great knowledge of the Hebrew language, I presume that you are Jewish. Therefore you are truly blessed. We together are looking forward to the soon
return of “Messiah”.
Your Brother in Christ Jesus
Rex W George
Remember Jesus Is Lord
Guess what? I am not Jewish. I am just an adopted Gentile like most of my readers. But thanks for the complement.
Thank you, Skip. And this stands in sharp opposition to the U.N. & it’s resolution of Thursday.
I sorrow over the blindness of the world. Suz.