2S18-7: The Elect Versus The Fallen In Israel—A Story in Scripture

“So the people went out into the field against Israel;
The battle took place in the forest of Efrayim.”
-2 Samuel 18:6

I wanna show you something fascinating in verse 6.

We’re told…

“…the people went out into the field against Israel.”

The Hebrew word for “people” here is AM.

In Scripture, this term refers to God’s set-apart or elect people.

Now you’re probably thinking, isn’t all of Israel God’s people?

Well, sure.

I wouldn’t disagree with that.

But I also can’t deny that right here in this chapter, we have one set of Hebrews being set against another.

Or to rephrase, we have a war of AM, God’s true elect, versus those who should’ve sided with God’s ordained King, but didn’t.

I want you to pay attention to this.

As we move forward, we’re gonna encounter some amazing patterns that foreshadow what the Messiah will do through his people (AM), the Jews (members of the tribe of Judah), and all of Israel (the 10 northern tribes).

This is also gonna uncover a lot of the mystery in Paul’s teachings, especially in the Book of Romans.

Paul declares there are two Israels.

There is one part of Israel that is the TRUE or saved Israel.

And there is another part of Israel that has TEMPORARILY fallen away.

Why temporarily?

Paul explains they have been temporarily blinded to let the Gentiles join the AM or “saved Israel.”

But once the God-ordained measure of Gentiles reaches its cap (the fullness of the Gentiles as Paul calls it), then all of Israel will be saved.

This dividing line is made crystal clear here in 2 Samuel 18.

We have a group of Hebrews siding with Adonai’s anointed King David.

And we have another group who decided to place their bets with the anti-King Absalom.

Ain’t this pattern amazing?

I betcha you never thought you’d find it in this part of Scripture.

But, and this is a HUGE “but,” so pay attention…

Israelites who deny God’s anointed king do NOT stop being Israel.

Physically speaking, they are still God’s chosen people.

They are the descendants of the original Hebrews who stood in front of the living God at Sinai.

And God has made an eternal covenant with them.

The point is that a portion of Israel decided to side with King David, and a portion decided to side with the anti-Christ, Absalom.

The real difference is SPIRITUAL rather than physical.

Likewise, in the New Testament, a portion of Israel decided to side with the son of King David called Yeshua, and a portion decided not to.

It’s the same reality based on the same bloodlines.

The takeaway for today is this is a healthy reminder that the so-called “Old Testament,” as it has been labeled, is anything but old.

It’s organically connected to what is revealed in the New Testament.

And points to the battle about to overtake all of mankind.

So to close, I wanna ask you…

In the final conflict, who are you gonna side with?

Will you be like those who sided with King David?

Or will you be like one of those who joined Absalom?

Will you be one of God’s AM?

Or will you be one of the rebels who deny Yeshua?

There ain’t no middle ground here.

Ya feel me?

CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT

 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery,
brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited:
Israel has experienced a hardening in part
until the full number of the Gentiles has come in,
and in this way all Israel will be saved.
As it is written:
‘The deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.'”
-Romans 11:25-26

“For if their rejection means
the reconciliation of the world,
what will their acceptance
mean but life from the dead?”
Romans 11:15

“I ask, then, has God rejected his people?
By no means!
For I myself am an Israelite,
a descendant of Abraham,
a member of the tribe of Benjamin.”
Romans 11:1

“God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.
Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah,
how he appeals to God against Israel?”
Romans 11:2

“So too at the present time
there is a remnant, chosen by grace.”
Romans 11:5