The Bible is full of treasures, both God’s treasures and ours. If we mine for these treasures, we will surely find them.
Israel was God’s treasure.
“Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine,”
Exodus 19:5 NIV
Before time began, God chose one nation out of all the nations on earth to be His own possession.
“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession”, that is, His “segulah”
Deuteronomy 7:6 NIV
After He had created the nations, He assigned to each nation a governor, a member of His “divine counsel”,
“When the Most High assigned lands to the nations, when he divided up the human race, he established the boundaries of the peoples according to the number in his heavenly court.”
Deuteronomy 32:8 NLT
…but He chose Israel to be His personal responsibility.
So close and intimate would this relationship be that God entered into a marriage covenant with Israel. In the language and cultural protocol of the children of Israel, He betrothed them to Himself to live within the boundaries of His covenant relationship.
In Hebrew culture, when a young man sought a bride, he would choose a young woman out of all the maidens in Israel, get to know her, and then make his intentions known to her.
Using the first appropriate word in this process of courtship, “lachah”, which can mean “I want to take you,” she would know that he intended to marry her. After a period of time, when he was sure of his choice, he would seal his intention with the next accepted word, “segulah”.
“The Hebrew word “segulah”means a “treasured possession” or “special, peculiar treasure”. It refers to something of great value, a beloved and carefully guarded possession, such as a king’s prized trophies or the nation of Israel as God’s special people. The term can also refer to segulot (plural), which are small items or practices intended to bring good fortune or a blessing, like a bride’s jewelry used by a single woman to attract a spouse.” (Sourced from Google)
At Sinai, God entered into a betrothal pact with His people. It was in this covenant commitment, embodied in the word, “chesed”, the strongest Hebrew word used to express God’s love and loyalty to His people, that God remained faithful to Israel regardless of their unfaithfulness to Him. This love kept Him from utterly destroying them for their rebellious defiance of His covenant.
In the worst moments of their disobedience, exemplified in their persistent disregard for His first requirement…
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before me.”
Exodus 20:2-3 NIV
…He resolved not to destroy the completely. His indictment and judgment against them was heartbreaking.
“Will they not return to Egypt and will not Assyria rule over them because they refuse to repent? A sword will flash in their cities; it will devour their false prophets and put an end to their plans. My people are determined to turn from me. Even though they call me God Most High, I will by no means exalt them.”
Hosea 11:5-7 NIV
However, God’s covenant love for Israel prevented Him for turning them into another Sodom and Gomorrah. As He agonised over His decision to destroy them, He cried out…
““How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboyim? My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I devastate Ephraim again. For I am God, and not a man— the Holy One among you. I will not come against their cities.”
Hosea 11:8-9 NIV
Israel has always been and always will be God’s treasured possession. He has never abandoned them and He never will. He has promised that, in His predetermined purpose for all people, He will fulfil His will for His “treasured possession. “
This is the conclusion of the matter…
“I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin….Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious….If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.
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. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.”
Romans 11:1, 11, 16, 25-29, 31-32 NIV
So, God’s faithful love for Israel and His covenant commitment always to do good to them will culminate in and combine His purpose for them with His purpose for the whole human race…in one united family through Jesus.
“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility….Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household,”
Ephesians 2:13-16, 19 NIV