Israel holds a central place in both the Old and New Testaments, with numerous scriptures reflecting God’s covenant with the nation, His faithfulness to it, and its role in His divine plan. From the formation of Israel through the patriarchs to its role in the coming of the Messiah, Israel is a focal point for God’s purposes in history. The following 35 Bible verses shed light on Israel’s significance in God’s Word.
35 Bible Verses About Israel
1. Genesis 12:2-3
“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
God’s promise to Abraham sets the foundation for the nation of Israel, foretelling its pivotal role in the world.
2. Exodus 3:10
“So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”
God’s call to Moses highlights Israel’s role as God’s chosen people whom He will lead to freedom from oppression.
3. Deuteronomy 7:6
“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.”
Israel is set apart as God’s chosen people, a nation specially selected for His purposes.
4. Deuteronomy 10:15
“Yet the Lord set his affection on your ancestors and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations, as it is today.”
This verse reinforces Israel’s status as a nation loved by God, chosen to receive His blessing.
5. Psalm 33:12
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.”
Israel is blessed because God chose it to be His people, and through them, His blessings are extended.
6. Psalm 105:6-7
“O offspring of Abraham, his servant, O children of Jacob, his chosen ones. He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth.”
The psalmist acknowledges the enduring covenant God has made with Israel and the importance of His righteous judgments.
7. Isaiah 41:8
“But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend.”
Israel is referred to as God’s servant, affirming its unique relationship with Him.
8. Isaiah 43:10-11
“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior.”
Israel is chosen to bear witness to God’s sovereignty and salvation.
9. Isaiah 49:6
“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”
God’s plan for Israel is not just for their restoration but to extend salvation to all nations.
10. Jeremiah 31:35-36
“This is what the Lord says: ‘He who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the Lord Almighty is his name: ‘Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,’ declares the Lord, ‘will Israel ever cease being a nation before me.'”
God affirms Israel’s eternal role as His chosen nation, emphasizing that as long as creation endures, Israel will remain His people.
11. Ezekiel 36:24
“For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.”
This prophecy speaks of Israel’s future regathering, a promise of hope for the people.
12. Joel 3:16
“The Lord will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the heavens will tremble. But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.”
God promises to protect Israel and be their refuge in times of trouble.
13. Amos 3:2
“You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your sins.”
God’s special relationship with Israel is emphasized here, though it comes with accountability.
14. Matthew 2:6
“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'”
This verse points to the fulfillment of prophecy with the birth of Jesus, the Messiah, in Bethlehem.
15. Matthew 15:24
“He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.'”
Jesus emphasizes His primary mission to Israel, though His message of salvation would ultimately extend to all nations.
16. Luke 1:54-55
“He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”
Mary, in her song of praise, acknowledges God’s faithfulness to Israel in fulfilling His promises.
17. Luke 2:32
“A light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”
Simeon declares that Jesus is both the light for the Gentiles and the fulfillment of Israel’s glory.
18. Acts 3:25-26
“And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers; he said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’ When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”
Peter addresses the Jewish people, affirming that Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise to Israel.
19. Romans 9:4-5
“Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.”
Paul highlights Israel’s privileges as the people through whom God revealed His promises, with Jesus coming from their lineage.
20. Romans 11:1-2
“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. God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew.”
Paul affirms that God has not rejected Israel, and He will remain faithful to them.
21. Romans 11:11-12
“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. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!”
Though Israel stumbled in their rejection of Christ, God’s plan includes a future restoration for Israel.
22. Romans 11:25-26
“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.”
Paul speaks of the eventual restoration of Israel in God’s plan of salvation.
23. Revelation 7:4
“Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.”
This verse emphasizes the role of Israel in the end times, as 144,000 from the tribes of Israel are sealed.
24. Revelation 21:12
“It had a great high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.”
The new Jerusalem in Revelation has the names of Israel’s tribes inscribed on its gates, highlighting Israel’s eternal significance in God’s plan.
25. Genesis 17:7-8
“I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”
God promises to Abraham and his descendants an everlasting covenant and the land of Canaan as their possession.
26. Joshua 1:3
“I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.”
This promise to Israel marks the beginning of their inheritance of the Promised Land.
27. Isaiah 60:21
“Then all your people will be righteous and they will possess the land forever. They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor.”
God promises the righteous future of Israel, where they will possess the land forever.
28. Jeremiah 3:18
“In those days the people of Judah will join the people of Israel, and together they will come from a northern land to the land I gave your ancestors as an inheritance.”
This speaks of the reunification of Israel and Judah, indicating a future restoration of Israel as a whole.
29. Zechariah 8:13
“Just as you, Judah and Israel, have been a curse among the nations, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong.”
Zechariah prophesies the blessing and restoration of Israel in the future.
30. Zechariah 14:9
“The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.”
A prophecy of the reign of God in Jerusalem, marking Israel’s central role in God’s kingdom.
31. Isaiah 55:5
“Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations that do not know you will hasten to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor.”
Israel’s future glory and prominence among the nations is foretold, highlighting its central place in God’s plan.
32. Ezekiel 37:21-22
“Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel.'”
Ezekiel prophesies Israel’s regathering and reunification in the land of promise.
33. Genesis 32:28
“Then the man said, ‘Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.'”
God gives Jacob the name Israel, signifying the nation’s future struggle and victory in God’s plan.
34. Matthew 21:43
“Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.”
This speaks to the temporary rejection of Israel in favor of the Gentiles, but does not negate the future restoration of Israel.
35. Romans 15:8
“For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed.”
Paul affirms that Jesus came to fulfill the promises made to Israel and the patriarchs.
Conclusion
These 35 verses reflect Israel’s unique and eternal relationship with God, showing His ongoing work in their history and His ultimate plans for their restoration. Israel’s role in the Bible and in the divine plan remains central, not only in the Old Testament but also throughout the New Testament and into the future.
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