Prologue - The Bible Through the Lens of God’s Covenant with Israel

Over time, I’ve come to see the Bible in an entirely new light—through the profound and marvelous covenant relationship that Hashem (a reverent title for the God of Israel) has with His people. This discovery has reshaped everything I thought I understood about Scripture. What once seemed like disconnected stories became a unified narrative of covenant faithfulness. I now feel compelled to share that same insight with you.

This study began as an apologetic response to various historical and modern expressions of Replacement Theology—the belief that the Church has replaced Israel in God’s plan, or that Israel has been redefined in some theological abstraction. I wanted to confront these claims directly—not simply to argue, but to reveal the beauty, consistency, and covenantal depth of the Bible’s testimony from Genesis to Revelation.

What started as a defense quickly grew into something far more expansive. As I worked through each book of the Tanakh, I saw again and again how the Scriptures proclaim, without hesitation, Hashem’s enduring covenant with Israel. The evidence wasn’t isolated; it was pervasive. I came to realize that this wasn’t merely a theological stance—it was the very fabric of the biblical narrative.

The Controlling Thesis of This Work

As this study unfolded, I began to recognize that what I was encountering was not merely a collection of supportive texts or theological arguments, but a consistent and cohesive biblical framework. The Scriptures themselves were telling a unified story — one rooted in covenant, identity, promise, and faithfulness.

At the center of that story stands Israel — the physical descendants of Abraham — in covenant relationship with Hashem.

I came to see that the Bible is not a disconnected anthology of religious writings, but a covenantal narrative unfolding across time. From the calling of Abraham to the promises of the prophets, from the mission of Messiah to the hope of the age to come, the thread of Hashem’s relationship with Israel runs unbroken.

This realization brought clarity to passages that once seemed obscure and coherence to themes that once felt disjointed. It became increasingly evident that one’s view of Hashem’s covenant with Israel profoundly shapes how one reads the entirety of Scripture.

Indeed, this covenantal lens influences how we understand:

• The purpose and permanence of the Torah

• The message and warnings of the Prophets

• The identity and mission of Messiah

• The nature of the Gospel proclamation

• The meaning and timing of the New Covenant

• The identity and role of the people of God

• The hope of Israel and the nations in the age to come

What is often treated as a secondary doctrine revealed itself to be interpretively foundational. Israel’s covenant relationship with Hashem is not a theological sidebar — it is the framework within which the biblical story unfolds.

A Story, Not a System

For this reason, this study does not approach its subject merely as a topical defense or systematic argument. Instead, it follows the narrative flow of Scripture itself.

We walk the same path laid out in the biblical text:

• Creation, the fall, and the world before Abraham

• The calling of Abraham

• The establishment of covenant

• The election of a nation

• The testing of that covenant through history

• The prophetic reaffirmation of Israel’s promises

• The arrival of Messiah within Israel’s story

• The apostolic witness to covenant faithfulness

• The future restoration spoken of by the prophets

By tracing this covenantal storyline, we allow the cumulative testimony of Scripture to speak. This narrative method guards against isolated proof-texts and instead reveals the continuity and consistency of Hashem’s redemptive plan.

Restoring the Jewish Context of the Faith

Another burden that emerged through this study was the necessity of restoring the Jewish context of the biblical message.

Too often:

• Yeshua is removed from His Jewish world, presented in categories foreign to the covenantal story in which He lived and taught.

• The apostles are detached from their covenant identity, as though their message marked a departure from Israel rather than an announcement within her prophetic hope.

• The Gospel is separated from Israel’s prophetic future, reduced to an individualized message rather than the proclamation of covenant restoration and kingdom fulfillment.

• The Torah is disconnected from its covenantal function, treated as obsolete or abolished rather than understood within its enduring relationship to the Sinai Covenant.

• Paul’s Jewish identity is minimized or reinterpreted, obscuring his continued allegiance to his people, his covenantal worldview, and his place within the story of Israel.

• The Gospel itself is narrowed, focused almost exclusively on the cross while neglecting its fully Jewish apocalyptic framework — the announcement of the Kingdom, the restoration of Israel, the defeat of evil, the resurrection of the dead, and the age to come.

This work therefore seeks to restore these themes to their proper place.

It re-embeds:

• Yeshua within Israel’s covenant story

• The apostles within the hope of their people

• The Gospel within the prophetic vision of restoration

• The Torah within the structure of covenant faithfulness

• Paul within his Jewish theological world

• And the message of Messiah within the full apocalyptic expectation of Scripture

By doing so, the biblical narrative regains its continuity, coherence, and covenantal depth.

A Corrective, Yet Hopeful Aim

While this study is deeply devotional in its reverence for Hashem’s covenant faithfulness, it is also unavoidably corrective.

It engages theological frameworks that have, over time:

• Replaced Israel with the Church

• Flattened the distinct roles within Hashem’s redemptive plan

• Abstracted covenant promises into purely spiritual realities

My aim is not controversy for its own sake, but clarity — to allow the voice of Scripture to reassert the enduring covenantal relationship between Hashem and Israel.

This commitment to clarity also shaped the way I approached the Scriptures themselves.

Letting Scripture Shape Theology

Another conviction that emerged through this study concerns the starting point from which we interpret the Bible.

Too often, within the Christian world, our reading of Scripture begins not with the text itself but with a theological system already in place — usually inherited from denominational tradition, church background, or systematic frameworks developed over centuries.

In this model, doctrines are first organized, defined, and systematized — often in ways influenced by Greek philosophical categories — and then the Scriptures are read through those pre-established conclusions. Passages are interpreted, harmonized, or sometimes constrained to fit within the boundaries of the system.

While systematic theology can serve a valuable purpose, it can also risk placing theological conclusions in front of the biblical narrative rather than allowing the narrative to speak for itself.

This study seeks to move in the opposite direction.

Rather than beginning with a theological grid and reading Scripture through it, I have sought to read the biblical text at face value — within its immediate context, its covenantal framework, and its overarching narrative flow — allowing theology to emerge from that story.

By approaching Scripture this way, the covenant relationship between Hashem and Israel does not appear as a secondary doctrine or theological addendum. It emerges naturally as one of the Bible’s central and organizing realities — visible from Genesis through the prophetic writings and into the apostolic testimony.

In other words, this study does not attempt to impose a covenant framework onto Scripture; it seeks to uncover the covenant framework already embedded within it.

Purpose and Audience of This Work

This work is designed as a detailed apologetic for Messianic Jewish and Messianic Gentile believers—those who seek to affirm the continuing covenant between Hashem and Israel while walking in the revelation of Messiah.

Many of us find ourselves in ongoing dialogue with our Christian brothers and sisters who, often unknowingly, have inherited theological frameworks shaped by supersessionism. For this reason, I saw the need not only to compile evidence addressing these perspectives, but to demonstrate how every book of the Bible—each in its own way—testifies to the covenantal faithfulness of Hashem.

As such, this study functions both as a theological defense and as a guided journey through the Scriptures. For the deep student, it offers detailed engagement with each book; for those seeking a concise overview, each section concludes with a summary designed to capture the heart of its message.

May this guide deepen your reverence for Hashem, sharpen your understanding of His covenantal faithfulness, and lead you into greater joy in His eternal promises to Israel.

Regarding the Use of “Hashem”

Throughout this study, I will use the term Hashem in place of titles like “God” or “the LORD.” Hashem, meaning “The Name” in Hebrew, is a traditional way of referring to the Holy One of Israel with reverence—especially in teaching or writing. It reflects a long-standing Jewish practice of honoring the sanctity of the Divine Name (YHWH) by not pronouncing it or using it casually.

While this guide is written from a Messianic perspective, it is also deeply rooted in the Jewish tradition of awe before the holiness of Hashem. I invite readers from all backgrounds to receive this with the respect intended, as a way of drawing near to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in reverence and wonder.

A Word About the Essays

Before we delve into the structured parts of this study, I have included two essays that offer personal reflections on the journey of faith and the complexities encountered along the way.

The first essay, “Rediscovering the Root: A Gentile Journey into the Jewish Gospel,” chronicles my personal transformation upon embracing the Jewish context of the Scriptures. It addresses the internal struggles and external challenges that arise when confronting theological perspectives such as Replacement Theology within the broader Christian community.

The second essay, “Crossing Boundaries: Navigating the Tensions of Jewish-Christian Relations,” reflects on the delicate balance between sharing one’s faith and respecting the spiritual boundaries of others. Prompted by contemporary discussions within the Jewish community regarding Christian evangelism, this piece explores the historical and relational dynamics that shape Jewish-Christian interactions today.

These essays provide a personal lens through which to view the theological and relational themes explored in this study, grounding the material in lived experience and heartfelt conviction.

Structure of This Book

To guide the reader through the consistent thread of Hashem’s covenantal relationship with Israel, this study is divided into four main parts:

Part I — The Torah: Foundations of Covenant
(Genesis through Deuteronomy)

Part II — The Prophets and the Writings: Covenant Tested and Affirmed

Part III — The Apostolic Writings: Covenant Faithfulness and the First Coming of Messiah

Part IV — The Age to Come: The Fulfillment of Hashem’s Promises and the Return of Messiah

Part I explores the Torah — the Five Books of Moses — which lay the foundation of Israel’s identity, calling, and covenant responsibilities.

Part II examines the Prophets and the Writings (Nevi’im and Ketuvim), where we witness the covenant tested through disobedience, reaffirmed through prophetic correction, and projected toward Israel’s future restoration.

Part III engages the Apostolic Writings, often referred to as the New Testament, approaching the life and teachings of Yeshua within the enduring framework of the Mosaic Covenant. Rather than portraying the New Covenant as fully realized, this section emphasizes its future fulfillment as described by the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

Part IV turns our eyes toward the age to come — the second coming of Messiah, the full restoration of Israel, and the complete realization of the New Covenant promises within the Messianic Kingdom.

Foundational Truths

Throughout this study, I have included what I call Foundational Truths — central theological statements clearly supported by Scripture and intended to equip the reader for apologetic engagement. Each one reflects the ongoing covenant between Hashem and Israel.

A full index of these truths appears in the Table of Foundational Truths at the beginning of this work.

Covenant Reflections

You will also encounter occasional Covenant Reflections — brief pauses within the commentary to explore significant theological themes raised by the text.

For example, when 1 Samuel 3:1 notes that “the word of Hashem was rare in those days,” we examine what it means, covenantally, when Hashem “hides His face” from Israel.

These reflections are not detours, but purposeful pauses — moments to deepen understanding and connect the covenantal threads of Scripture more fully.