"Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!" (John 1:47, NASB).
To be an Israelite is much more than being a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The Lord had plenty of “Israelites” before the nation of Israel ever existed (see: Hebrews 11). Further, within the nation were many Israelites who were not Israelites indeed.Â
Many ethnic Israelites were never God’s people. This became apparent when God brought judgment upon the nation. Those who were not faithful were swept away in the deluge of judgment, while others, referred to as “the remnant” (Mic. 2:12), survived:
Unless the LORD of hosts Had left to us a very small remnant, We would have become like Sodom, We would have been made like Gomorrah (Isa. 1:9, NKJV).
These were His Israelites indeed.
Zacchaeus was almost certainly a descendent of Abraham’s lineage, but when Jesus proclaimed him that “salvation has come to this house” because he, too (in addition to all other true Israelites of all the ages) was a “son of Abraham” Jesus wasn’t referring to Zacchaeus’ family tree (Luke 19:9).
The church is composed of Israelites and non-Israelites. There are tares that grow up alongside the wheat. They look identical most of the growing season. Two main things reveal the difference between them: fruit (or lack thereof), and judgment. True Israelites always bear good fruit. Yet, even non-Israelites might appear to bear good fruit, too (see: 1 Tim. 5:24). Only Judgment will reveal this ultimately. In the harvest, the tares are revealed, pulled, and destroyed (Matthew 13:36-43).
Paul argued that an Israelite is not one who comes from the bloodline of Abraham, but from the faith of Abraham. And that is how Abraham is “the father of us all” (Romans 4:16). He adds in Galatians that those baptized into Christ are Abraham’s descendants (Gal. 3:26-29).
Note in Jesus’ final phrase to Nathaniel, what it means to be an Israelite: “…in whom there is no deceit” (John 1:47). Nathaniel was of an honest, sincere, forthright heart.
That was, is, and always will be, an Israelite indeed.
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