Part II — Israel in the Old Testament
To understand the New Testament teaching about the true Israel, we must first understand how the Old Testament itself uses the concept of "Israel." It becomes apparent, on careful examination, that even in the Old Testament, "Israel" is not simply a matter of physical descent from Jacob. There is a spiritual dimension to membership in Israel that cuts across the lines of ethnic identity.
Not All Israel is Israel
Paul makes this point explicitly in Romans 9:6: "For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel." This is not a novelty introduced by Paul; it reflects the consistent teaching of the Old Testament itself. The covenant community was defined by faith and obedience, not merely by physical descent. Those who rejected God — even if they were physical descendants of Abraham — were cut off from the covenant people.
The case of Esau is instructive. Esau was the firstborn son of Isaac and the twin brother of Jacob. By physical descent he was as fully a descendant of Abraham as Jacob. Yet God said, "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated" (Romans 9:13; Malachi 1:2–3). Esau was excluded from the covenant not because of his ethnic identity but because of his unbelief and rejection of God's calling. The physical seed alone does not constitute true Israel.
The Remnant
Throughout the Old Testament, the prophets speak of a "remnant" within Israel — a faithful core of true believers whose faith and obedience stood in contrast to the apostasy of the majority. Isaiah speaks of a "remnant that shall return" (Isaiah 10:21). Elijah discovered that God had preserved seven thousand in Israel who had not bowed the knee to Baal (1 Kings 19:18; Romans 11:4).
This remnant theology is crucial. It demonstrates that even within the physical nation of Israel, there was a distinction between the outward community and the true, spiritual Israel. The New Testament teaching that the Church is the true Israel is not a radical departure from Old Testament teaching; it is its natural development and fulfillment.