What is Israel's spiritual status as a nation today?
Israel today is in unbelief and spiritually blinded as a nation. They have been set aside and are not currently enjoying the covenant promises. Their government is secular like other nations, under the control of the God of this world, yet they remain God's covenant people, and God is not through with them.
Les explains that the little nation sitting in the east is still the nation of Israel, but it is not tonight the apple of God's eye because they are in unbelief. He cautions not to expect the government in Jerusalem to be godly or more righteous than any other government. They are secular, ordinary human beings doing what they think is right for their circumstance, just as much under the control of the God of this world as Washington D.C. is. Yet there is an exception: they are still God's covenant people, and right now they have been set aside. They are spiritually blinded for the most part as a nation, but God is not through with them. He will yet pick up where He left off, and they will one day enjoy the covenant promise, though it is not appropriate to put Israel under that covenant promise tonight.