physical, spiritual, or faithful Israel?

As we read Isaiah some of us are wondering about the title "Israel" and the other names that would be given to the people of God. Who are they? To whom does the title "sons of god" belong?

I do not think an ecclesiastical organization from "Christendom" has replaced Israel as the recipient of the promises. Yet, Jesus is certainly the true vine. And if Iam reading Isaiah rightly, He is Israel, to whom we must be united if we are to bear fruit pleasing to God.

So does the title "the chosen people of God" refer to all who trace their lineage back to Jacob? Or are we to understand the faithful remnant as those Jews who embrace the annointed one, Jesus?
Are we to understand references to the future blessings for the people of God as referring to a strictly physical Israel, a strictly "spiritual" Israel, or something else?
Interestingly, the term "salvation" has meaning first to Israel and then extends to the Nations. But what is the salvation of Israel and how will this salvation extend to the Nations?
In reading Isaiah, the answer to these questions will not merely be set before our minds, rather our hearts will be saturated with God's answer.
Then we will read the New Testament more aware of how the N.T. witnesses understood the prophets like Isaiah?
We will stand back and consider how the whole thought set forth in the epistle to the Romans, for example, maybe an explanation of "the salvation of Israel" spoken of in Isaiah???

Paul said; "For I am not ashamed of the announcement, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Romans1:16)."

"There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Romans 2:9-10)."

"For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God (Romans 2:28-29)."


"For all who are being led by the spirit of God, these are the sons of God(Rom.8:14)."

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God (Rom.8:18,19)."

"But it is not as though the word of God has failed, for they are not all Israel that are descended of Israel;..(Rom.9:6)."

So is it "physical" verses "spiritual," or is it really about faith and the faithful God who has a faithful people...The jew first and also the gentile.

Perhaps the New Testament is more concerned with answering the interpretive question "Who are the people of Abraham's God?" than what we have recognized. So that even in Romans, Paul communicates something of how we, disciples of Jesus the Messiah, might rightly read the prophet Isaiah.

If this is the right understanding then maybe the modern question of whether "gentile Christianity" is counting the Jews out, should be re-cast. A question that asks whether the God of the faithful Jew is counting us (gentiles) in, may be more appropriate.