Popa Emanuel

Quiz 2

In essay form, discuss the question of who was Israel in the OT. Was it primarily an ethnic or

spiritual entity?

Firstly, the household of Abraham is to be mentioned (Gen 18:19). All his house is to

keep the way of the Lord, so God may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him. This

implies the fact that they were concerted to Abraham’s faith. This household although it was

Abraham’s for sure did not have only jews in it. One of the arguments for that is Abraham’s

possibility of gathering three hundred and eighteen trained servants able to bear weapons

(Gen 14:14). They were from all nationalities, and a clear example is Hagar (slave from

Egypt). With wives and kids, the household would reach around the number of 1000 people.

This is the first main proof that Israel in Old Testament was primarily a spiritual entity, not

only an ethnic one.

Going further, the OT includes other facts that support the above hypothesis. After the

people of Israel were freed from Egypt, with them left a multitude of people from different

nations, thus becoming Jews. The examples can go on: Moses married a Midianite woman,

Joseph married an Egyptian woman, Ruth was a Moabite and Kaleb was a kenizite. King

David was also partially jew and his elite bodyguards were philistines (probably they adopted

his lifestyle and religion), and his general Uriah was a Hittite. In the time of Solomon in Israel

were almost 153.000 converts from different nations. Of course, the case of Rahab is strong

evidence, that the inclusion in the covenant was not blood-based, but faith-based. The

Edomites (Idumeans) were converted by John Hyrcanus in the intertestamental period, so in

the Roman attack on Jerusalem, they fought alongside jews. Also, foreigners attended Jewish

festivals of the year.

These are some strong arguments, that prove how God perceived the identity of Israel.

I think that from the very beginning the real Israel was a spiritual one, and by faith, anybody

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Popa Emanuel

could be part of it. Israel was the flag bearer or the missionary nation, to share the belief in the

true God. Thus they will gather anybody who believes in the covenantal relationship.