Joshua 7 & Replacement Theology

Good morning! If you haven’t yet pulled out your Bible to sit with Hashem today, then here is your reminder that He is just waiting for you to be still so that He can pour into you the wonders of the world. Let’s take a peak in the book of Joshua for some Truth.

For some context, in the previous chapter, Israel was partially obedient. You can read Joshua 6 to see what I mean. Even in their moments of obedience, it still was not perfect. However, the LORD proved Himself perfectly faithful in order to produce faith among the people. In this chapter, however, the Israelites complete disobeyed. These people of our ancestors are the same as we are today. Our obedience to the fullest capability is still not perfect and even though our obedience is only partial, at a moment of temptation we quickly forget the LORD’s command for us and completely disobey. Sounds so familiar. Our disobedience is complete and our obedience is, at best, only partial. How typical it is for us to fall and need to give glory to the LORD out of respect of our great God Who sees everything and confess to Him the wrong we committed. We must tell Him when we sin and not hide anything out of pride or deceit to our great King.

A lot of times I hear a description of the Israelites as a group of people who just kept messing up so much that they needed Christianity so that they could finally leave the law behind because they just couldn’t get it right. It was just too hard. This idea that God replaced the law with Jesus because of the Israelites’ sin is called Replacement Theology and is very dangerous for multiple reasons.

For one, God has never changed from the beginning of time and never will change for eternity. What He commanded from His children He would not take away or make more lax because of our condition. He set these guidelines for us so that we can be made aware of our condition and live a life of repentance in order to make ourselves holy, for He is holy. That is what we needed the Savior to do - to live inside of us to consecrate us and sanctify us so that we could be made holy for the LORD. If anything, Jesus helps us keep the law. He never once said that He came to replace the law of Moses.

Also, considering Israelites as “those people who couldn’t get it right” separates ourselves from the nation of Israel which therefore cancels our Promise from Father. In order to receive our inheritance, we must respect the tree in which we are grafted and recognize that by faith, Abraham is the father of us all (Romans 4:16). Spiritually but not physically, we are al Israel.

Another reason this thinking should be avoided is because, in essence, we would be considering ourselves as better than the Israelites because “they” kept messing up. That thinking would make us unaware of our own sinful human condition, in which case, there is no need for a savior. That prideful attitude would need to be humbled and you would need to confess and ask for forgiveness. Our forefathers are the example for us all for our deep need for the LORD’s salvation due to our imperfect condition. In the Torah, the LORD says that He created us to be perfect, and He does not accept anything less than perfect, regardless of our fall. However, due to the fall of mankind, no one could ever do it on their own, because only the LORD is perfect alone, so He had to do it Himself inside of us.

“I ask, then, has God rejected His people? Absolutely not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. I ask, then, have they stumbled in order to fall? Absolutely not! On the contrary, by their stumbling, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous. Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, though a wild olive branch, were grafted in among them and have come to share in the rich root of the cultivated olive tree, do not brag that you are better than those branches. But if you do brag — you do not sustain the root, but the root sustains you. Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” True enough; they were broken off by unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you either. Therefore, consider God’s kindness and severity: severity toward those who have fallen but God’s kindness toward you — if you remain in His kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. So that you will not be conceited, brothers, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery: A partial hardening has come to Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written: The Liberator will come from Zion; He will turn away godlessness from Jacob. And this will be My covenant with them when I take away their sins. Regarding the gospel, they are enemies for your advantage, but regarding election, they are loved because of the patriarchs, since God’s gracious gifts and calling are irrevocable. As you once disobeyed God, but now have received mercy through their disobedience, so they too have now disobeyed, resulting in mercy to you, so that they also now may receive mercy. For God has imprisoned all in disobedience, so that He may have mercy on all.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭11:1, 11, 17-22, 25-32‬ ‭HCSB‬‬