“When Israel went out from Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language, Judah became his sanctuary, Israel his dominion.” Psalm 114:1-2 ESV
Reflection: how many meanings of the name “Israel” do you know of? And why is that important?
Perhaps one of the most confusing aspects of reading the Bible, to try to make sense of, is associated with certain names and their meanings. Because, if you are not reading a passage using the right meaning, the right context, the story might not make any sense. Or even worse, we can get a completely wrong understanding of a passage. As a simple example, when many hear the name Israel, they think of the current nation of Israel, which was actually named by president Truman in 1948 after it was established by the United Nations. Some might think of the Jews as representing the Israelites. Others might think of stories from the Old Testament, such as what we read about in the two opening verses of psalm 114. And, in this psalm, we get a small sense of such confusion as we already have two meanings of the name Israel, in two verses. Did you notice the use of two meanings when you read it?
In v1, we see a reference to Israel as “the house of Jacob”, which is referring to the descendants of Jacob, who was renamed Israel by God. You might remember the story from Genesis “Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.”” Genesis 32:28 ESV. So this is one meaning of “Israel” used in the Bible. The psalmist points out that some (or all) of the 12 tribes of Israel (Jacob) went out of Egypt, freed from slavery, by God, and led into the desert.
Then in v2, we see the name Israel being used again, but this time for a different purpose, as “Judah became his sanctuary, Israel his dominion.” Psalm 114:2 ESV. A dominion is of course associated with a kingdom, so the meaning here is different. And one can speculate whether he was writing this referring to kingdoms in the physical promised land, or looking forward to the promised eternal kingdom, the dominion of Christ as the King of kings. That would include all who are in Christ, part of His kingdom. But Israel used in the context of a kingdom gets confusing too.
Around 900 BC, the twelve tribes were split into two. According to the Bible Hub, “The Ten Tribes refer to the northern kingdom of Israel, which consisted of ten of the twelve tribes of Israel. This division occurred after the reign of King Solomon, around 930 B.C., when the united monarchy split into two separate kingdoms: the northern kingdom, known as Israel, and the southern kingdom, known as Judah.” So now we have the reference to the house of Judah and the house of Israel, referring to specific tribes in two distinct kingdoms. So how does this relate to current day nation of Israel?
Ezekiel prophesied that there would eventually come a time when the house of Israel and the house of Judah would be united once more. Let’s read, “And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. And one king shall be king over them all, and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms. They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.” Ezekiel 37:22-23 ESV.
One might be tempted to think this is what is going on in the current day nation of Israel. But, if we read a bit further down, we can better understand the context for this prophecy, where God says “I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.”” Ezekiel 37:26-28 ESV.
This new covenant he was referring to by Ezekiel was also prophesied by Jeremiah ““Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” Jeremiah 31:31-33 ESV. And what is this new, everlasting covenant?
There is only one new covenant established, by Jesus Christ himself, “And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” Luke 22:20 ESV. And Jesus Christ “is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.” Hebrews 9:15 ESV. This is what the prophets of the Old Testament saw and prophesied about.
There is clearly a lot here to study and think about, and we have only touched the surface on one, very important name. But it is critical to understand that one name can have multiple uses and meanings, so that we don’t misinterpret scripture, prophecies and what we see happening in the world today.