In ancient times there was a race of men called Hebrews because they spoke the Hebrew (Yehudi) language. Amongst them was a man named Jacob, whose name God changed to Israel. Israel’s offspring, 12 sons, eventually became 12 tribes of people that were known as the Israelites. These 12 tribes eventually divided into two kingdoms; the southern Kingdom of Judah, centered in Judea and whose capital was Jerusalem and was comprised of two tribes (Judah & Benjamin), and the northern Kingdom of Israel (the other 10 tribes).
Eventually the Babylonians conquered these kingdoms, and the people of the northern Kingdom of Israel were assimilated by other nations and lost their identity. However, the people of the Kingdom of Judah retained their identity and when they eventually established their freedom as a nation, they became known as the Jews (people of Judah), who continued to speak Hebrew. These Jews also were referred to as Israelites, maintaining their lineage to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Thereafter, the term Jews, Yehudi (Latin: Judaeus; French: Juif; German: Jude; and English: Jew) remains.
Ethnically, a Jew is a descendant of Judah. Religiously, anyone that practices or converts to Judaism is called a Jew, or is said to have Jewish faith. Judaism is the belief that adheres to the Mosaic Laws, these are the laws that God gave to Moses at Mt. Sinai. Judaism dismisses the New Testament of the Bible and dismisses the claim that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah. Christians believe Jesus is the Messiah who is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. Today, citizens of the State of Israel are called Israelis, a term by itself that has no ethnological or religious connotations.
Let’s go back a bit farther. The nation of Israel, as described in the Old Testament, were “God’s chosen people”. What does that mean? God told Abraham that his offspring would be “My people, and I will be their God”, Genesis 17 and Exodus 6. Abraham had a son named Isaac, and Isaac had a son named Jacob. The Lord changed Jacob’s name to Israel, and thus the descendants of Abraham became known as the Israelites. This ethnic group, as God’s chosen people, enjoyed God’s blessings as long as there was a relative amount of faithfulness to God found amongst them. These blessings were things like property/land, harvest, military power, and peace from their enemies. The big idea is that the Israelites would see and experience the blessings of God, and therefore turn to Him in faith in order to have their sins forgiven and to be heirs to the heavenly kingdom. Likewise, God’s plan was that the neighboring nations would see and hear about God’s blessings on the Israelites, and also turn to the Lord in faith. Sadly, many Israelites didn’t respond to God’s blessing with faith, and instead became entitled, and often pursued other false gods.
In short, even though Israel was God’s chosen people, many Israelites were not heirs to the kingdom of God. Being an ethnic Israelite didn’t by default make one a child of God with access to heaven. Eternal life was only given to those who by faith entrusted themselves to the Lord. Israelite birthright, or assimilation into Israel, didn’t mean that a person was saved. Even centuries later, in Jesus’ day, the Lord Jesus lived in Israel and found them to be quite faithless. Jesus noted that despite their privileges, which were having the scriptures, having received prophets, and having the priestly system (other nations had none of these) the Jews still only had a notion of God, with little to no faith amongst them. Jesus said, the Jews were people of deeds and ceremony, who worshipped with their lips, but their hearts were far from God.
Since the resurrection of Jesus, many Jews/Israelites have turned to Jesus in faith! So have many Gentiles! God’s people is the Church: the universal body of believers that have by faith entrusted themselves to the Lord. From Adam until the end of this earth, the only people who will be in heaven will be those who have entrusted themselves to the Lord. Nobody will be there because of their ethnicity, birthright, culture, deeds, or anything else. Jesus is the only way to be saved and to become a child of God and an heir to the kingdom of heaven.
What are we to do with Israel today? Like any nation, we pray for them (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Like any ethnic group, we seek justice for them. Like any human beings, we value their lives. Be it Jew or Gentile, all mankind is made in the image of God, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the good news to all who hear and believe!