Hey everybody. Welcome back to another edition of the Daily Bible Podcast. Hello and good morning. So let's kick something around for a second. I'm happy to kick anyone you want me to. Awesome. 'cause yesterday I did talk about dispensationalism and everybody left the church and so it was crazy. Everybody got angry and just stormed church or did they get raptured? Do we know? I hope we're not still here if that's the case, because then our theology would be suss at least. No. If they all got rapture, our theology would be right. It's just that we would be suss.

Yeah. That's very fair point.

Yeah. No, but I and I said this with our leaders and going through the Pres sermonm preview video that I send out, but. It wasn't satisfying for me, and I'm sure it wasn't satisfying for a lot of people out there because just, it's not the time and place to go in depth. And so it's not gonna scratch every itch. It's not gonna answer every question. One of the questions that was raised actually by Lewis, 'cause I was talking with him a little bit about after church on Sunday, this not after church on Sunday. Before, during the week leading up, I was working with him on some different things, different ideas, and I brought up to him and I, Genesis 12 three. The Abraham and Covenant, those who bless Israel will be blessed and those who curse Israel will be cursed. In context. That's, I think, dealing with the nations primarily. I think that's dealing with the nations that bless Israel will be blessed. The nations that curse Israel will be cursed. I guess my question would be, and I'd love to get your thoughts on this, is there an application for us, number one, nationally, today still in regards to our relationship with Israel as a nation, and number two, is there an application to that individually? I. As pertains to Genesis 12 three, as far as if our nation were to say, Hey, we're not gonna be an ally with Israel anymore. Are there blessings for us individually? If we will support Israel, pray for Israel, and so forth and so on, even if we're not in a country that has an alliance with them. That's a really interesting question.

I don't think I've ever thought about that question ever. But now that you raise it, but now that I raise it, I do have initial thoughts about it that, okay, so let's start with the fact, I agree with you. The context of that blessing to Abraham in Genesis 12 and 15 is about the surrounding nations. And I agree it's gonna be largely corporate in its application. Those who bless will, bless those who curse. Of course. I don't see a negation of that. And so my knee, re knee jerk reaction, my gut reaction is that's still in, in vogue. Because Abrahamic Covenant, I think still in some ways applies. It's not the same as it was under Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, et cetera, but that the idea of God fulfilling his promises to Abraham, which were unilateral, are still yet to be future. And so I would say that the. Covenants still has applications that are relevant for us today, which would include the blessing of Israel. Now a question is, what does that look like? How do you bless them? Is it giving them money during time of aid where they need that? Is it praying for them? And I think maybe those are fine applications. I think that's at least part of it. And here's what's interesting is because we believe that Israel has a future, that God has predestined them to. God's going to ensure that they survive. The question is how God will do that and by what means He keeps him alive and here's what we've said before. God accomplishes his sovereign purposes through means through some agency where it's either human agency or divine agency through angelic hosts. It could be a lot of things. So I think, and I'm gonna just offer it that way. I don't want to pound the table, but I think this is still in vogue in some way.

Yeah, it's so interesting because God's. This dispensation and yesterday I talked about the classic dispensational list gives you seven dispensations. The progressive dispensational list gives you four dispensations, which I think are just a little cleaner and easier to think about. And if we're in the ecclesial dispensation, the church age, that from Pentecost until the rapture. This is the church age. And that's real quick.

You're using terminology that some people may not be familiar with. Sure. Classic versus progressive. When you say progressive, do you mean like politically progressive? Yes. Yes. Liberal. You mean super

liberal and, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, don't understand. Thanks for stopping me around that. Progressive meaning the key distinction there is classic dispensationalism would say that there is a heavenly people of God and an earthly people of God. The heavenly people of God would be the church. The earthly people of God would be Israel in the eternal state. There's still gonna be a distinction in classic dispensationalism that Israel will be separate from the church, that the two will not co-mingle, that there won't be any confusion. Therein, progressive moves a little bit. Further towards the continuity side of the spectrum from the discontinuity side of the spectrum, meaning that there is, there are distinctions presently that the church has not superseded Israel, not replaced Israel, that there's a future for Israel for sure, and there are still promises to be fulfilled in Israel. However, there's been an inauguration of some of those promises presently in the life of the church and already not yet that we're experiencing some of those blessings, not. All of those blessings. Israel is gonna experience the fullness of those covenants in the future with the return of Christ, the millennial kingdom, and so forth and so on. But really after God has brought those fulfillments to completion, that there is more in the eternal state a one people of God entity that we are not separated out as the church and Israel. But I think e even the imagery of the tree being and the grafting end of the tree from Paul in Romans chapter 11, or when Paul talks about. In Ephesians the breaking down of the dividing wall of hostility to take the two people and make them one in progressive dispensationalism, they would say the future of the eternal state is one wherein the church and the, and Israel, the people of God are together as one people of God. There's not a distinction as much an identity anymore at that point. And so that's how it differs from classic dispensationalism there.

Super helpful. So do you believe then that God. We'll bless you according to what we just talked about. You bless Israel.

And that's what's so interesting is because of our current dispensation. Israel is not. They're not iden I in their identity presently walking in obedience to the Lord. True. And so to say is their blessing for blessing in an unregenerate rebellious people right now, what does that even look like to bless a people that are like, how would you bless a Muslim country right now? Like, how do you, certainly God doesn't want us to do that, so does God want us to bless and unregenerate. Com country simply because there's a future for them in God's economy. I'm with you. I the promises that Abraham and Covenant are unconditional, those are still in operation and they will come to fruition and fulfillment in the future. I just don't know in this present dispensation if the blessing and cursing motif for others and how they treat Israel is still an application today. That's fair. God, they could be under God's judgment and a discipline right now. The very same reasons that you discussed now. Where we don't wanna go is what's risen in vogue today, and that is antisemitism. So we don't wanna become people that are like Israel deserves this and why would you care about Israel? They're unredeemed. They're unregenerate. No, God still has a future for them and they are once again going to be the people of God with his affection set upon them. Right now he's focused on the church, but there's still a future for them. So yeah. On all agree these things to say. Yeah. Interesting. Alright, let's jump into first Kings chapter nine and second. Chronicles Chapter eight, one Kings chapter nine, the first part of this chapter. The Lord responds to Solomon's prayer, which we've seen already and confirms that yes, he will hear from heaven and he will honor the covenant commitment to Israel and to Solomon, so long as they honor their covenant commitments to him. And so there are some stipulations given here for God's covenant relationship with the people. These are conditions that he says, if you do this, then I will do this. I will respond this way. And so he's laying out these. Instructions here for Solomon. Unfortunately, from here, it's not gonna go well. The future kings are not gonna walk in the way of Solomon. By and large. Some of them will, but a lot of them will not, especially all of the ones in the Northern Kingdom will not walk in the way of the Lord there. Second half of the chapter, then the author of First Kings here gives us a rundown of some of Solomon's later accomplishments. So included in this is this unique interaction between Solomon and Hiram, where the former Solomon gives Hiram these 20 towns in Galilee. But Hiram basically says what are these? Why did you give these to me? I, and it gives them a name that basically is the phonetically the equivalent of the Hebrew word for worthless. He's thanks a lot for nothing here. Nothing. In fact, I think eventually it gives him back, but yeah, just Solomon's accomplishments there in the second half of one Kings nine.

Yeah. I love this chapter because it does provide us a few clues into their future, and it's helpful to understand maybe where Solomon might've gone wrong. Let's look at verse seven, then. I'll cut off Israel from the land that I have given them and the house that I have consecrated for. My name, I'll cast out of my sight, so God is saying I care so much more about your heart. Connected to me about your genuine worship to me rather than I, than caring about the building itself. And so he says, I'd rather destroy the temple if it means that you don't continue in sin. And you see something of a parallel in the New Testament where you have God saying in one Corinthians through the penal one Corinthians 11, that if someone's taking the bread in an unworthy fashion, I'd rather kill you than let you continue in sin. So you see some connectedness there. God cares a lot about our connection to him, that it be genuine, real, authentic and that it not be. Simply affectation that you're just putting on a show and that maintains. That maintains not only in the Old Testament, but the New Testament one leak here. Verse 21. It says here, there are descendants who were left after them in the land whom the people of Israel were unable to devote to destruction. Here you have something about Israel's history to this point where they failed to remove the people that they were supposed to remove. And for this very reason, this is why we believe that God was not finished with Israel. The promises that he made to them, even though they were enacted in some way, in a partial way, it was not complete. It was not full because they did not do what God told 'em to do, at least in its entirety. And therefore, even though it's true that they didn't occupy the land and that Solomon experienced really great prosperity in a, in large borders, it was never to the full extent that God promised. That little line right there tells us that there's something that's not yet finished. Which is why, again, we are dispensational.

Yeah. In fact, OAI even talks about that in the restoration of the land in Oai that we talked about yesterday. It's the territories that he in initially gave Joshua to fulfill. So that future restoration is one that, to your point, is not done yet. And still in the future here I. That's right. Second Chronicles chapter eight. A lot of this parallels what we find in One Kings Chapter nine. Second Chronicles eight, two, I mentioned the cities that Solomon gave Hiram. It says Solomon rebuilt the cities that Hiram had given to him. Some people think these are the same cities that Hiram was like, thanks, but no thanks. Why don't you take these back? The fact that he rebuilds 'em tells you that he probably didn't think they were that great either, right? He's oh, wow. Let's do over. These are awful. Oh, you don't want those? Okay, then let's let's drop some new plans for him. Yeah. And then the other thing that stands out to me is verse 11. Here. Solomon brought Pharaoh's daughter up from the city of David to the house that he had built for her and said, my wife shall not live in the house of David, the king of Israel, for the places to which the ark, the Lord has come, are holy. Which would imply that Solomon knew Yeah, not good enough, right? Like he knew that this was not a right thing to do. He knew that this was wrong. He knew he shouldn't be taking this woman as a, as his wife, and yet. He did it anyways. Which again is one of his downfalls. It's one of the key weaknesses that Solomon's gonna have. It's, is perhaps the downfall in Solomon's life. Which on that note, let's talk about this. Ali Trinidad wrote in a question, oh, that was overlooked by me last week and then did not see it. Opportunity for us to talk about it here because I think it, it fits this context. She asked about the ceiling of believers. And she said, look, in the New Testament, I understand it believers are sealed by the promised Holy Spirit and can't lose their salvation. Her question, which I thought was insightful was, she said in the Old Testament though could they quote unquote lose their salvation? Because the relationship with the Holy Spirit was different. And so we're talking about in our community group on Susan night, we were talking about Solomon. That's a good question. And Solomon went after the women and his heart was. Was drawn away from the Lord because he went after these women. Was he saved and then not saved? And then did he get saved again later on in his life? And was there backsliding? What was going on here? That was the question that she posed and I answered it regarding the unique role of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament versus the Old Testament. And it's hard to take the one and try to apply it backwards to the old that God interacted with people in a different way. In the Old Testament, I don't think. That we can allow for someone to ever quote unquote, have lost their salvation. But in the Old Testament, as far as a covenantal relationship with God, unique to the national people of Israel, people were cut off from the people of God for their sins. They were cut off from any sort of relationship. They were cast away from culture, society, from the tabernacle, from the temple, such that the relationship with God was not anything that they could continue to maintain. I don't, I wouldn't put that equivalent to New Testament era salvation regeneration being sealed by the promised Holy Spirit. But it is interesting to think about. Somebody's fellowship with God being interrupted by sending the Old Testament. And what did that look like?

Yeah, I think I agree with that. I would say it would be impossible for someone to lose their salvation, even under the old covenant. But like the new covenant, you could experience the experience, the kind of consequences that would make your relationship with God either strained or it would be finalized, it would be terminated so that you could enjoy God in a different way. I think. I sometimes forget how good it is to be a New Testament Christian. We have the power to obey. We have a heart of flesh, not a heart of stone. God promises to give us regeneration and renew our lives by the spirit. But because the same spirit that operates in the New Testament was also an operation in the old, just in a different way. I would still say that there access to God was by grace through faith. And that what they experienced though was not regeneration in the same way that you and I do. Our gift to the spirit is unique to us. And so I don't know exactly what it looks like for them. I just would, I'd be inclined to agree with you that they couldn't lose it. Was Solomon a Christian? Guess I, I don't, he wouldn't be a Christian. That's an anachronism. Is he a believer? I think so. And this is what I appreciate about scripture. It gives an honest look at his life with all of its flaws and failures, and at the same time shows us how good the new covenant is. Because by the spirit, we can legitimately say no to all of these sin categories that Solomon fell into. That doesn't give us permission to sin in the same way. It doesn't give us any kind of, a reason to justify sin because, oh, Solomon did it and he was still a Christian, or David did it and he did the worst sins ever, and he was still a Christian. Or I keep saying that a believer, you get my point. So I think that they're still sealed and they're still, they still belong to God, even Saul. What do you think about Saul? Since we're talking about believers under the old covenant I think it's still very viable that Saul was a believer, just a wayward rebellious king who got his just desserts. In life and perhaps suffered loss in the next life, but still a believer, still part of God's elect. I think maybe,

yeah. It's so hard to take New Testament concepts and apply them backwards. It is, and that's part

of the beauty of scripture is learning how to do that in a helpful, and, I don't know, careful way. Yeah.

Yeah. Because even the idea of regeneration I think at the end of the day, you have to argue that every. A fallen creature has to be regenerated. The old has to pass away. The new has to come at some point. So is that retroactively applied to Old Testament believers post cross? Is there something, some transaction when the Old Testament Saint dies and goes to Abraham's bosom, so to speak, to go to be with the Lord? Is there a regenerative act at that point? I, it's just it's so hard to go backwards. To your point, to be so thankful for what we have now and the clarity that we have now is a good thing. I would agree with you. I think Paul makes it clear the gospel was preached to, to Abraham, and so if Paul is saying the gospel is preached to Abraham if even we go back before that to Adam and Eve, Genesis three 16, the proto and Gian, the first gospel that, that. The serpent would strike the heel of Eve's offspring, but the offspring of Eve would crush, the head of the serpent, would crush the head of Satan. We see redemption prophesied and promised even there. So I think it's always been salvation by grace through faith in Christ. Just not knowing the person of Christ until after I. His advent, his his incarnation hard stuff, good questions to ask heavy and we'll find out answers when we get to eternity. Good questions to ask, but maybe

not with the cleanest answers that we can offer. For sure. We're trying, for sure. We're trying to talk around it. Good question. That just shows you how good the question was. 'cause we're still trying to put the pieces together.

Yep. By the way, if you have questions podcast@compassncx.org or just text PPJ or just text me, and I'll just put it in the, I'll put it in the show notes here. Will you? Thanks man. Thanks. Yeah. I'll make, get Google number out there. Thanks. I appreciate that. Yeah. Hey let's pray and then we'll be done with this episode. God, we are thankful for our relationship with you and the New Testament and being on the backside of the cross in the empty tomb and understanding what we understand now. And we also, I. Admit our own frailty and our own inability to fully wrap our minds around who you are and how you operate and how you operated in the past and what that looked like for Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and David and Solomon and all of them, even Saul God, that those are things that eventually, that the secret things belong to you and that. Regard and so we can trust that you will work those things out and met out justice according to your perfect ways. In the meantime, we wanna be faithful to you and I pray that we would be faithful to you and we do look forward to the time that we'll be able to be in your presence and find out some of the answers to these questions. In the meantime, help us to walk by faith and not by sight. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Keep reading your Bibles. Tune in again tomorrow for another edition of the Daily Bible Podcast. Hey folks, bye. thanks for listening to another edition of the Daily Bible Podcast. This is a ministry of Compass Bible Church in north Texas. You can find out more information about ourChurch@compassntx.org. We would love for you to leave a review to rate to share this podcast on whatever platform you happen to be listening on, and we will catch you against tomorrow for another edition of the Daily Bible Podcast. Yeah. I would agree with everything that you said