Is it valid to take passages in the Old Testament about God cursing Israel for disobedience and bringing an enemy against them OR blessing them for obedience....and then applying that to any country such as the USA? I mean, it seems common sense enough that God curses those countries who rebel against Him and that He would bless those who obey Him...but I get a bit of an uneasy feeling when I hear some preachers preach on Deut 28 and apply it in that way to the USA when Israel did have a redemptive-historical role as a nation (they were His covenant people, but granted, they were also simply a nation in one sense). Is it valid to make these applications?
USA and OT promises to Israel
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Jack K
Puritan Board Doctor
For generally seeing the character of God, how how he deals with his people and what things may befall nations that reject his word... there are lessons that apply to us as a nation (as well as many that apply to us as covenant people). But when it comes to supposing that the USA has a special relationship with God similar to that of OT Israel, with similar blessings promised for obedience and punishments for disobedience... that would be a misunderstanding of redemptive history.
The skillful teacher will be able to draw appropriate lessons out of such passages without overstepping.
The skillful teacher will be able to draw appropriate lessons out of such passages without overstepping.
I agree with Joshua.
Prophesies concerning Israel as a nation equally concerned Israel as a church because they were both. Only Israel existed in this unique way. God has not entered into the same covenant relationship with any other nation. However, the same covenant exists between God and His church. Therefore, one could glean many general principles from, say, Isaiah 1 and apply them to the church in America, for example. From a Christian perspective, as the church goes, so goes the nation anyway.
Prophesies concerning Israel as a nation equally concerned Israel as a church because they were both. Only Israel existed in this unique way. God has not entered into the same covenant relationship with any other nation. However, the same covenant exists between God and His church. Therefore, one could glean many general principles from, say, Isaiah 1 and apply them to the church in America, for example. From a Christian perspective, as the church goes, so goes the nation anyway.
Peairtach
Puritan Board Doctor
I think there may be general lessons that can be drawn for Great Britain and the USA and other nations that have been Christianised, because to the extent that they have been influenced by Christianity they have been absorbed into the sphere of the Church/New Testament Israel.
The context of their history is that large numbers of their forebears were Christians and the Gospel has had a profound influence on their history and culture, and that like OT Israel they as nations, as well as Churches within these nations, have reacted against that.
An able expositor could carefully draw something of that out, and how God has and is dealing with these nations through Church history, while carefully pointing out that the first reference is to the Church.
The history of these nations in relation to God, rather than being "new" the the Gospel, is the context in which God now deals with them.
The context of their history is that large numbers of their forebears were Christians and the Gospel has had a profound influence on their history and culture, and that like OT Israel they as nations, as well as Churches within these nations, have reacted against that.
An able expositor could carefully draw something of that out, and how God has and is dealing with these nations through Church history, while carefully pointing out that the first reference is to the Church.
The history of these nations in relation to God, rather than being "new" the the Gospel, is the context in which God now deals with them.
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