Y Not I

He hath not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

Psalm 103:10 gives a wonderful promise. The other day I heard it read on a Christian radio station in the area. It is a wonderful promise. I think many believers take this in and definitely want it as their own promise from G-d. It got me thinking though that so often I hear that something that is from the Tanakh or maybe something Yeshua said to fellow Jews of His day was for those Jews and does not apply today, because basically we are now on the other side of the cross (basically meaning after the work of Yeshua is completed). That is supposed to change everything. While that was a central point of history, I do not see it as changing the nature of G-d, nor of His promises.

I do, however, find it odd that in this type of theology, it changes only the curses and restrictions, since they all apply only to Israel, but it does not apply to the promises G-d made, like the ones in Psalm 103. It seems that based upon some theologies that the people Psalm 103 was written to, namely Israel, that G-d did deal with them according to their sins and because of their sins, in contrast to the verse. Is it that He has removed all the promises from Israel and given them to “the Church?”

Is not Psalm written by King David? Would it not be directed to Israel and the Jews just as much as any verse about tithing or food restrictions, etc.? Verse 7 says:, “He made known His ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel.” So Israel, the Israel of the Old Testament must be at least included in the audience for these words. As a matter of fact a number of verses speak of remembering and doing the commandments of G-d, and this is something more often associated with Jews than Christians.

My point is to those who want to look at Scriptural promises as for them, but then seem to divide up commandments, requirements and curses so as to exclude themselves and their behavior, well that seems a bit too convenient. If the promises are for me today (and I think they are), then maybe the other parts of Scripture from before the resurrection are also pertinent to my life today. Maybe there is something I can do with each command, for if I want the promises (I do, I do!), then maybe, just maybe it is sensible to take the whole package and not just pick and choose. That is how I see it.