Contents
Introduction iii
Chapter 1 Israel as a Blessing to the Nations. 1
Genesis 12:1-3. 1
What is Blessing? 5
Genesis 12:3 and the New Testament 6
Conclusion 10
Chapter 2 The Election of Israel as God’s People 11
Two Elections 11
Election by Faith 11
Election by Birth 12
The Purpose and the Task 13
Why Choose a Nation? 14
A Kingdom of Priests 15
A Holy Nation 16
The Motivation 17
No Favorites 19
Advantages for the Jews Only? 19
Chapter 3 God’s Holiness and Glory 22
God's Ultimate Purpose in History 22
Declaring God's Glory Among the Nations: Psalm 96 23
That they may "know that I am Lord" 23
Preserving the Message's Purity through Judgment 25
Chapter 4 The Law and the Gentiles 28
The ger 28
Equal Privelege 28
Equal Responsibility 30
The Gentile and Circumcision 30
Removing the Prohibition: Isaiah 56 31
The Court of the Gentiles 33
Gentiles Pray in Solomon's Temple 34
Conclusion 35
Chapter 5 The Witness of Israel before the Nations 37
Testimony that Blesses 37
Profaning Testimony 38
The Testimony Corrected 39
Military and Political Testimony 40
Effective Testimony 40
Chapter 6 Judgment 44
Judgment and God's Holiness 44
Remedial Judgment 45
The Judgment of Destruction 46
Judgment for Gloating Nations 47
Idols and the Jealousy of God 47
Mercy for the Nations Too 48
Conclusion 49
Chapter 7 Contest 50
The First Two Commandments and Idolatry 50
Jehovah and Gods Who are No Gods 50
Chapter 8 The Glory of the Kingdom 55
Spiritual and Material Blessing 55
Blessing Through Subjugation 55
Gentiles Built the Temple 57
The Queen of Sheba Learns about Jehovah 58
Conclusion 60
Chapter 9 Faithful Gentiles 61
Ruth: A Cursed Moabitess Becomes the Great Grandmother of
Israel's Greatest King 61
Rahab: A Doomed Canaanitess Becomes a Chosen Vessel of God 64
The Gentile Heritage of the Messiah 64
Faith Gentiles, Circumcised and Uncircumcised (Naaman,
Nebuchanazzar, and Ninevah) 66
Conclusion 70
Chapter 10 Israel's Failure 71
Chapter 11 The Eventual and Final Worship of God by the Nations 73
God's Strategy of Blessing Remains the Same 73
Judgment Begins with the House of God 74
The Nations Judged Too 74
Refined Witnesses 74
Unraveling the Chronological Element 75
Conclusion 78
Chapter 12 Conclusion 79
Works Consulted 82