God's interaction with humanity changed at Abraham's call when God stopped dealing with mankind as a whole and began working through one man and the nation of Israel.
After 2,000 years of human history, God did something totally different by calling out one man, Abram, and pulling him out of the mainstream of humanity. From that point, Les explains, God dealt with Israel alone — 'Jew only, with exceptions.' Israel was to be the channel through which God would bring salvation back to the nations, but they rejected their King.
Genesis 12:1-3 — God's call of Abram marks the moment God began to deal specifically with one man and his descendants, the nation of Israel.
At the call of Abraham, Scripture records a decisive shift in God's dealing with humanity. The LORD told Abram to leave his country and promised, 'And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed' (Genesis 12:2-3). This passage shows that God's promise to bless the world now began to run through one man and the nation that would come from him.
Les teaches that after 2,000 years of human history, God did something totally different at the call of Abraham. From Adam to Abraham, humanity had failed — expelled from the garden, destroyed by the flood, and scattered from Babel. So God called out one man, Abram, and pulled him out of the mainstream of humanity to form a new nation, Israel. From that point on, God turned His back on the other nations and dealt with Israel alone — 'Jew only, with exceptions,' as Les puts it. The nation of Israel was to be God's channel to bring salvation back to the rest of humanity. About 500 years later, God gave Israel the Law, a completely new set of circumstances with the Ten Commandments, priesthood, and temple. While God dealt with Israel, the rest of humanity drifted along in their godless state.
Les teaches that after 2,000 years of human history, man had not responded to God simply by believing and obeying Him. At the midpoint between Adam and Christ, God therefore called out one man, Abram, and gave him a covenant to become a nation. God separated Abram from the mainstream of humanity and made him the beginning of Israel.
Les teaches that God turned His back on all the other nations and dealt only with the nation that came from Abraham. He summarizes Israel's position as 'Jew only, with exceptions.' One notable Old Testament exception was the Gentile city of Nineveh, to which God sent Jonah. The rest of humanity was left to drift along in its godless state while God worked through Israel.
Les teaches that about 500 years after Abraham, God gave the nation of Israel a different set of circumstances: the Law. Never before had the human race been given a written standard of behavior. Israel was given the Ten Commandments, the ritualistic law, the priesthood, and the temple, and God distinctively told Israel how to operate.
Les teaches that God's purpose in pulling Israel out of the mainstream of humanity was to use the nation to funnel the knowledge of God back into the nations of the world. Israel was to be the way by which salvation would go back to the whole mainstream of humanity, but Israel rejected that purpose when they crucified and killed their King.
Hagar, Ishmael & The Everlasting God: Genesis 21 Bible Study
garden, God gave them absolutely no hint of what was coming down the pipe, did He? There were no prophetic statements that by and by something like this would happen. So He chose to put them in time and that was all. He didn't reveal any prophecy or anything like that. So Adam and Eve, they sinned. They ate.
God Separated Abraham from the Mainstream of Humanity
Les teaches that when God called Abraham, God separated him from the rest of humanity and promised that from him would come the distinctive nation of Israel.
God Did Something Totally Different at 2,000 B.C.
Les explains that after 2,000 years of failed humanity, God called out one man to form a small nation through whom salvation would go back to all humanity.
The Midpoint Shift from Adam to Christ
Les describes God's call of Abram as the midpoint between Adam and Christ, when God pulled one man out of the mainstream of humanity to create Israel.
Israel as a Little Stream Drawn Out of the River of Humanity
Les teaches that God pulled the nation of Israel out of humanity and intended Israel to funnel the knowledge of God back into the nations.
A Total Difference: God Turns to Israel Alone
Les teaches that at Abraham's time God turned His back on all other nations and dealt with Israel only, then later gave Israel the Law.
Jew Only, with Exceptions
Les teaches that after Abraham, God stopped dealing with non-Jews, except in rare cases like Nineveh.
God Let the Rest of Humanity Drift While Dealing with Israel
Les teaches that God pulled Israel out of the mainstream of humanity and let the other nations drift along in their godless state.
Genesis 12:1: Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
God calls Abram to leave his home, beginning His new way of dealing with one man.
Genesis 12:2: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
The nation of Israel comes from this promise to Abraham.
Genesis 12:3: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
God's ultimate purpose through Abraham and Israel was to bless all the world.
Yes, for the most part. Les Feldick teaches that God turned His back on all other nations and began dealing with the nation of Israel alone, which he summarizes as 'Jew only, with exceptions.' One of those exceptions was the Gentile city of Nineveh.
Les Feldick teaches that about 500 years after Abraham, God gave Israel the Law. This was a completely new set of circumstances, including the Ten Commandments, the ritualistic law, the priesthood, and the temple.
Les Feldick teaches that after 2,000 years of human history, God saw that man would not simply believe and obey what He said. So God did something totally different: He called out one man, Abram, and from him made the nation of Israel.
Les Feldick teaches that God's primary dealing was with Israel alone, but exceptions were rare. The clearest Old Testament example he gives is Nineveh, where God sent Jonah to minister to that Gentile city.
Watch the Teaching: Hagar, Ishmael & The Everlasting God: Genesis 21 Bible Study