Chapter 4: Israel – The Model

Overview

From the time of Noah until the coming of Christ, humanity was marked largely by idolatry, wars, and wickedness. Time and again, men failed God. The Noahic Covenant, like the Adamic before it, was disregarded. Scripture reminds us that a matter must be established by two or three witnesses (Deuteronomy 19:15).

• The Adamic Covenant was God’s first witness, showing man’s inability to remain faithful.

• The Noahic Covenant became the second witness.

• God then established the Abrahamic Covenant as the third. If this also failed, His verdict on mankind would stand as final.

God chose a man named Abram, later renamed Abraham. Like the rest of the world, Abraham’s people practiced idolatry. Genesis 11:28 tells us he came from Ur of the Chaldeans, a city in Mesopotamia. Joshua 24:2 further explains that Abraham’s ancestors “worshiped other gods.” The Chaldeans, who later formed the Neo-Babylonian Empire under Nebopolassar around 626 B.C., were known for astrology and star worship. Because of this background, God separated Abraham from his people and revealed Himself progressively to him. Out of Abraham’s descendants, God intended to raise a nation that would serve as a model for the rest of the world.

The Three Blessing Covenants

It is important to note that the Adamic, Noahic, and Abrahamic covenants were all blessing covenants. Their original intent was blessing, not cursing.

Adamic Covenant – Genesis 1:28–31 (NIV)
“God blessed them (Adam and Eve) and said to them, Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground. … I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. … To all the beasts … I give every green plant for food. And God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.”

Noahic Covenant – Genesis 9:1–3, 9–10 (NIV)
“Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying, Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. The fear and dread of you will fall upon all the beasts of the earth … Every creature that moves along the ground and all the fish of the sea are given into your hands. Everything that lives and moves will be food for you … I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you.”

Abrahamic Covenant – Genesis 17:1–7 (NIV)
“I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers. You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant … to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.”

We see clearly: not a single word of cursing, only promises of blessing. Later in Scripture, however, disobedience to God’s instructions brought consequences such as the curse in Eden (Genesis 3). These were not part of the original blessing covenants but arose when mankind turned away from God.

Why Curses Came

Curses entered whenever men broke covenant with God and aligned themselves with His adversary, Satan. This is simple to understand: one cannot give what one does not possess. If I have no money, I cannot give you any, even if I want to. In the same way, Satan cannot bless because he has no blessings to give. He offers only what he possesses—curses, destruction, and bondage. Thus, when people forsake God and turn to idols, they inherit Satan’s portion: plagues, poverty, and despair.

I know this from experience. My great-grandfather was a powerful idol worshipper who wielded strong “juju” in war. My grandfather followed his steps and became a fetish priest. Yet what was passed down to us was not prosperity, but poverty. That was the inheritance of serving the adversary.

But thanks be to God for Jesus Christ, whose blood has established a new blessing covenant. Today, I no longer live under the bondage of poverty, but under the covenant of blessing. By His grace, I live in abundance, not in lack.

Israel’s Formation and Early Failure

Even before the nation of Israel was fully born, the weaknesses of human nature nearly derailed the unfolding plan. Scripture records the struggles of Ishmael, Esau, and Jacob. Yet God, in His mercy, worked through these frailties. He chose Jacob, renamed him Israel, and continued His purpose through him.

Jacob’s own journey was far from flawless. The deceiver who had tricked his brother was himself deceived by his father-in-law, Laban. This led him into a polygamous marriage with Leah and Rachel, whose rivalry shaped the early story of Israel. Out of this complex family situation, the twelve tribes of Israel were born. And once again, God in His great forbearance accepted them and fashioned them into a nation.

It was this nation, descended directly from Jacob, that God intended to serve as a model for the entire world. Under the leadership of Moses, Joshua, Samuel, the Judges, King Saul, King David, and others, God sought to mold Israel into a covenant people. The vision was clear: if Israel could return to the covenant of their forefathers, tracing back to Noah and Abraham, God could present them to the nations as a living model of His ways.

Israel as Model and Witness

But from the very beginning, signs of failure appeared. The “Israel model” did not unfold as a triumph, but as further proof of human frailty. The third witness of God was about to testify: that mankind, in its fallen state, is incapable of keeping covenant with God, no matter how much time or opportunity is given. Neither religion nor human effort can restore man to God.

To put it plainly, the Israel model also failed. Israel too turned to idol worship. Psalm 106:19–41 gives a sobering summary:

“At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped an idol cast from metal. They exchanged their glory for the image of a bull, which eats grass … They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods. They provoked the Lord to anger by their wicked deeds, and a plague broke out among them … They mingled with the nations and adopted their customs. They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. They shed innocent blood … Therefore, the Lord was angry with his people and abhorred his inheritance. He handed them over to the nations, and their foes ruled over them” (NIV).

Israel, called to be an example for the nations, ended up joining them in idolatry. The testimony was clear: humanity cannot sustain a right relationship with its Creator by its own strength. Only through the promised Messiah could reconciliation come.

This was already foreshadowed in Genesis 3:21, when the Lord clothed Adam and Eve with garments of skin—a picture pointing ahead to atonement through the shedding of blood. From that very day, God signaled that redemption would come not by human effort but by His own provision.

Thus the third witness speaks, and the verdict is declared: the Messiah must come to redeem humanity by His blood. The stage is set; the Savior will enter history to rescue the world.

The Law’s Limit and Christ’s Fulfillment

No form of religion, not even Judaism itself, could accomplish what God required. The same is true today: not “churchianity,” empty rituals, or human works can save. Only Christ fulfills what the law and the prophets pointed toward. As Hebrews explains:

“For if there had been nothing wrong with the first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. But God found fault with the people and said: ‘The time is coming when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers … because they did not remain faithful to my covenant’ … By calling this covenant new, he has made the first one obsolete” (Hebrews 8:7–13, NIV).

“For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance” (Hebrews 9:15, NIV).

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus … by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body … let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:19–22, NIV).

The witness of Israel has spoken. The verdict is clear. The only way back to God is through Christ, the Lamb of God.

The Model Illustrated (Ghana and Global)

What we are saying is simple: just as the Adam and Noah models failed, so also the Israel model failed. The only way out of humanity’s predicament is through the Way, Jesus the Messiah.

At this point, it is important to establish the biblical foundation for the statement that Israel was chosen as a model. We all know what a model is. For example, if you visit the Weija Dam, the Akosombo Dam, or the Volta Aluminum Company in Ghana, you will see a scale model. The model is an exact likeness of the real dam, crafted by the architect and usually displayed in a glass frame. Visitors are first shown the model to understand what the finished project looks like before being taken outside to view the real structure.

This is not unique to Ghana. Around the world, construction sites, museums, and architectural firms use scale models for the same purpose: to help people visualize the completed work. The model is not the finished structure, but it reflects it faithfully and helps observers grasp the vision.

This picture explains vividly what God was doing with the world through Israel. The nations of the world together form the real structure—humanity in its fallen state, having plunged into idolatry and forsaken the covenant of their fathers. To reach them, God chose Israel to serve as His model.

Scripture Foundations for the Model

1 Corinthians 10:1–10 (NIV)
“For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things occurred as examples (that is, as a model), to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were. We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did. We should not test the Lord, as some of them did and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did and were killed by the destroying angel.”

Romans 9:6–9 (NIV)
“It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are Abraham’s descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, ‘It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.’ In other words, it is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring. For this was how the promise was stated: ‘At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.’”

Galatians 3:13–14, 26–29 (NIV)
“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’ He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit … You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

From these passages it is clear that true sonship does not come from natural descent but from faith in Christ, the promised Seed. Israel was chosen as a model, but God’s ultimate desire has always been to include all nations in His covenant family.

Jeremiah’s Charges and Call to Return

What God spoke to Israel in the Old Testament carries a message for every nation. The warnings, instructions, and promises to Israel also apply to us today—whether in Ghana, Africa, or anywhere in the world.

Jeremiah 2:4–13 (paraphrased, NIV)
God reminds Israel how He led them out of Egypt and into a fertile land, yet they defiled it through idolatry. Priests and prophets abandoned Him, and the people exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols. The Lord sums it up: “My people have committed two sins: they have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water” (v. 13).

Jeremiah 2:26–27 (paraphrased, NIV)
Israel brought shame upon themselves: “As a thief is disgraced when he is caught, so the people of Israel are disgraced … They say to wood, ‘You are my father,’ and to stone, ‘You gave me birth.’” Instead of turning to Him, they turned their backs and looked to idols.

Jeremiah 2:30–31 (paraphrased, NIV)
Even when God corrected them, they refused to respond. “You of this generation, consider the word of the Lord!”

A Warning to the Nations

We, in this generation, must indeed consider the word of the Lord. If the world is to become what we all long for—a place of peace, justice, freedom to serve God, and nations no longer exploiting one another—then we must heed the message of the prophets. The word of the Lord is not reserved for a privileged race; it is for all humanity. It is time the world stopped pursuing empty religion and turned wholeheartedly to God.

In Jeremiah 4:1–4, 14 (NIV), God says, “If you will return, Israel … if you put your detestable idols out of my sight and no longer go astray … then the nations will invoke blessings by him and in him they will boast. Circumcise your hearts … or my wrath will break out and burn like fire because of the evil you have done. … Wash the evil from your heart and be saved.” This is not just a word for Israel but for all nations.

Some believe they can serve both God and traditional practices at the same time. But Jeremiah 7:9–15 (NIV) warns: “Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods … and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, ‘We are safe’—safe to do all these detestable things? … What I did to Shiloh I will now do to the house that bears my Name, the temple you trust in.” True worship cannot be mixed with idolatry. We cannot worship God and pour libation to other gods.

Jeremiah continues in 7:30–34 (NIV), declaring that Judah set up idols in the very temple of God and even sacrificed their sons and daughters in fire. For this reason God said He would silence joy and gladness in the land and bring desolation. Again in Jeremiah 9:12–14 (NIV), the Lord explains why judgment came: “Because they have forsaken my law … and followed the stubbornness of their hearts; they have followed the Baals, as their ancestors taught them.”

Distress, Prosperity, and True Security

This is not a threat but a solemn warning. God makes it clear that idolatry brings hardship, sorrow, and even economic ruin. A nation that abandons Him may prosper for a time, but no nation will ultimately stand in the day of global distress foretold in Matthew 24:21–22.

Some may point to wealthy nations that do not acknowledge Christ and say, “But look, they are prosperous.” It is true that many nations enjoy material success for a season. Yet prosperity is not security. Jesus warned of a coming time when “there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again” (Matthew 24:21–22, NIV). In that day, no nation will stand by its wealth, power, or wisdom.

The recent COVID-19 pandemic offered just a glimpse of how quickly the entire world can be shaken. If a single crisis can unsettle global systems, how much more the time of distress spoken of by Christ. Only those who are in covenant with God through Christ will endure.

Creation Groans and God’s Fatherly Warning

Even today, villages where idol worship is still strong often live under fear, superstition, and poverty. It is as though creation itself resists them. Paul explains that “the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed” (Romans 8:19–22, NIV). When humanity clings to darkness instead of turning to God, even the earth suffers. God is not interested in destroying us but in warning us, as a parent would shout at a child playing with a razor. His words are stern because His desire is to save us from harm.

The Futility of Idols

Jeremiah exposes the emptiness of idols: “Do not learn the ways of the nations … their customs are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest … they adorn it with silver and gold … but their idols cannot speak … they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good” (Jeremiah 10:1–5, NIV). These man-made gods will perish, but “the Lord is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King” (Jeremiah 10:10, NIV).

The Promise of a New Covenant

Finally, Jeremiah looks forward to the day of renewal: “The time is coming … when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. … I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. … For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” (Jeremiah 31:31–34, NIV).

That time came in Christ. Through His blood, God has made a new covenant with all nations. Now He calls every generation to enter into it. Children of Ham, Japheth, and Shem alike—rise up and embrace your covenant in Christ!

Summary

This chapter explains how God chose Israel as a model and witness to the nations. After the failure of mankind under the Adamic and Noahic covenants, God called Abraham out of an idolatrous background and established a covenant of blessing with him. Through Abraham’s descendants, God intended to raise a nation that would show the world His ways and demonstrate what it meant to live in covenant with the true God.

The chapter shows that the Adamic, Noahic, and Abrahamic covenants were all blessing covenants. God’s original desire was not to curse mankind, but to bless, multiply, and establish man in fellowship with Him. Curses came when people broke covenant with God, rejected His rule, and turned to Satan, idols, and false worship. The chapter explains that Satan cannot give true blessing, because he has no blessing to give. His portion is bondage, destruction, poverty, and despair.

The chapter then follows the formation of Israel through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the twelve tribes. Although Israel was chosen by God to become a covenant people, the nation also revealed the weakness of fallen human nature. Israel repeatedly turned to idols, adopted the practices of surrounding nations, and failed to remain faithful to God. In this way, Israel became another witness that man cannot maintain a right relationship with God by religion, law, human effort, or natural descent.

The chapter also teaches that the law and the old covenant could not fully restore man to God. They pointed forward to something greater. The failure of Israel showed the need for a new covenant, one established by the blood of Jesus Christ. Christ is the mediator of this new covenant, and through Him, both Jews and Gentiles can become children of God by faith. True sonship does not come through race, tribe, or natural ancestry, but through faith in Christ.

The chapter further applies Israel’s story to all nations. Just as Israel was warned through the prophet Jeremiah to turn away from idols and return to the Lord, every nation today must also hear the same warning. No people can worship God while holding on to idols, occult practices, ancestral spirits, or religious systems that oppose Him. Material prosperity, political power, and human wisdom cannot provide true security, especially in times of global distress. Only covenant relationship with God through Christ can save.

Finally, the chapter points to the promise of the new covenant spoken of by Jeremiah. God promised to write His law on the hearts of His people, forgive their sins, and make them His own. This promise has now been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The call of the chapter is for all people, whether descended from Shem, Ham, or Japheth, to rise up, reject idolatry, and embrace the covenant of blessing in Christ.