We share a common God, but not a common covenant — and that is the key difference.
God’s plan for humanity is revealed in two covenants: one with His chosen people (Israel) and one with His children (the Church). They are not the same, but they flow from the same God. Each has a different order, a different purpose, and a different outcome.
When we confuse them, we lose clarity. When we look through the eyes of covenant, everything comes into focus — including how we view governments and nations today.
Covenant Lasts — Governments Don’t
Governments rise and fall, but covenant is eternal. Hebrews 12 draws a vivid contrast between two mountains:
- Mount Sinai – The mountain of the old covenant. It was fearful and trembling, marked by fire, darkness, and a trumpet blast. It represents law, judgment, and separation from God.
- Mount Zion – The mountain of the new covenant. It is joyful, filled with angels, the Church of the firstborn, and Jesus, the mediator of the New Covenant. It represents grace, intimacy, and access to God.
God is telling us: you are not at Sinai anymore — you are part of a kingdom that cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:28).
Israel and America: Different Plans, One Sovereign God
God’s covenant with Israel is unique, unchanging, and still in effect (Romans 11). It includes land, lineage, and promises tied to a specific nation.
America, while sovereignly birthed, is not a covenant nation in the same sense. Our founders recognized that our rights are given by God, not government. That truth is powerful, but it does not make America equal to Israel in God’s plan.
Our identity as Americans does not come from our government structures — it comes from the sovereign God who placed us here for His purpose.
Why This Perspective Matters
When we see nations through the lens of covenant:
- We stop idolizing government — God’s Kingdom isn’t built on elections or policies.
- We stop despising government — it is God’s servant for justice and order (Romans 13).
- We anchor our hope in what cannot be shaken — God’s covenant plan, not man-made systems.
This keeps us steady when governments shift and cultures shake.
The Christian’s Charge
Christians are dual citizens — heaven first, and the nation where God placed us second. Our job is to:
- Pray for our leaders.
- Honor those in authority.
- Live out Kingdom values among the people God has placed us with.
But our ultimate allegiance is always to covenant, not government.
The Bottom Line
Two covenants. One God. Two different orders, one ultimate plan.
Governments come and go, but God’s covenants endure. When we look at both Israel and America through the eyes of covenant, we see His plan with fresh clarity — and we find our identity not in man-made systems but in God’s eternal promises.
“Therefore, since we are receiving a Kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.” – Hebrews 12:28
No comments:
Post a Comment