"Behold an Israelite indeed" (John 1:47)
John 1:43-49 "¶ The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. 44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! 48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. 49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel."
The context of this passage was about Nathanael, whom Philip led to the presence of Jesus, and notice what Jesus said about him i.e. "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!" That is the true definition of what an Israelite is about, that is, a man in whom is "no guile". In this, Jesus was actually quoting from:
Psalms 32:1-2 "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile."
A true Israelite is a man in whose spirit, there is no guile. The context of this passage tells us something about the blessed man whose transgression is forgiven, and whose sin is covered i.e. he is a man whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity. The psalmist further tells us in:
Psalms 1:1-3 "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."
Therefore, a true Israelite is a man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD. He is also compared to a tree planted by the rivers of water, and bringeth forth his fruit in his season. The same words are also found in:
Jeremiah 17:7-8 "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. 8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit."
The Bible tells us in this passage that a true Israelite is a man who trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. This is a man whose trust is in the 66 books of the Holy Bible (the truth). Jesus taught in the Parable of the Sower (Luke 8, Matthew 13 and Mark 4) that there are four types of ground whereby the hearts of every man and woman may be represented. Of all the four types of heart, only the "good ground" heart having heard the word, will keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. So, a true Israelite in whom is "no guile" is a man whose heart is a "good ground" heart. Luke 8:15 calls it "an honest and good heart". A true Israelite has an honest heart in which is no guile.
Psalms 15:1-5 "LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? 2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. 3 He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. 4 In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. 5 He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved."
A true Israelite is a man who speaks the truth in his heart. The same is a man who walks uprightly and works righteousness; the same is a man who does not slander with his tongue, nor do evil to his neighbour; the same is a man whose eyes a "vile person" is condemned with strong disgust; the same is a man whose fear is in the LORD, and honours other men who fear the LORD along with him; the same is a man who makes a promise, and is bound by his words; and the same is a man who does not lend money to collect interest, nor does he take a reward against the innocent i.e. not covetous. Moreover, a true Israelite is the exact opposite of a "vile person" (verse 4). Paul made it very clear in:
Romans 2:28-29 "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God."
A true Israelite is NOT one which is outwardly in the flesh (as dispensationalists and some churches would like to have us believe), but one which is inwardly, whose circumcision is that of the heart and in the spirit. Again, Paul reiterates in:
Galatians 3:6-9 "Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. 7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham."
It is NOT to the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that the promise was made, but "they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham". So, don't let anybody tell you that God's promise of blessing is to the natural Jews or the modern nation of Israel. CI Scofield lied in his gospel add-on that focuses on ethnic Israel. The promise was never to the natural descendants of Abraham, but to spiritual Israel, as in:
Galatians 6:16 "And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God."
Spiritual Israel is the "Israel of God", not natural Israel, and Jesus is the "King of Israel" (John 1:49), the King of every true Israelite.
Genesis 17:1-8 "And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. 2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. 3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, 4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. 5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. 6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. 8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."
Abraham is a father of "many nations" (not just the nation of Israel) according to this passage, and notice: "kings shall come out of thee". Kings is a reference to born again believers, and never to the natural descendants of Abraham. In fact, when the scribes and Pharisees came to John the Baptist to be baptised of him, he rebuked them, saying:
Matthew 3:7-9 "¶ ... O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: 9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham."
By the way, this goes to show that the scribes and the Pharisees had it in their doctrines that just because they were the natural descendants of Abraham, they were blessed above all men. Their doctrine was derived from a corruption of Genesis 12:3. Indeed, a cardinal doctrine of the Pharisees and the Sadduccees has been that the purpose and result of the Messiah’s mission would be the reconstituting of the Jewish nation, the setting up again of the earthly throne of David, and the exaltation of the people of Israel to the place of supremacy, as in:
"The concept of kingship of God appears in the Hebrew Bible with references to "his Kingdom" and "your Kingdom" while the term "kingdom of God" is not directly used.[1] "Yours is the kingdom, O Lord" is used in 1 Chronicles 29:10-12 and "His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom" in Daniel 4:3, for example. It is tied to Jewish understanding that through the messiah, God will restore the Kingdom of Israel, following the Davidic covenant." ~ wikipedia, "Kingship of God (Judaism)"
In fact, a tenet doctrine in dispensationalism has been that God will eventually restore the earthly Kingdom of Israel to the natural Jews according to the Davidic covenant. This is what the religion of the scribes and the Pharisees teaches, and the same is that lie (dispensationalism) from the pit of hell concocted by CI Scofield for the Zionists. Paul made it very clear in:
Romans 4:13 "For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith."
It is through the righteousness of faith that a man should inherit the blessings of God to Abraham i.e. the promise is NOT to the natural descendants of Abraham (natural Israel), but to spiritual Israel which is a spiritual nation.
Psalms 37:11 "But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace."
Psalms 37:22 "For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off."
Psalms 37:29 "The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever."
The inheritance will be given to the meek, the blessed, and the righteous i.e. spiritual Israel. In fact, the Bible also tells us that:
1 Corinthians 6:9 "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,"
The unrighteous (including natural Israel) shall NOT inherit the kingdom of God. In order to partake of the inheritance, Jews or Gentiles, one must be born again, because if he is not born again, he can't even see the kingdom of God, much less inherit it.
John 3:1-3 "There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Brother Nicodemus was a natural Jew, a natural descendant of Abraham, the same who came to Jesus by night. Notice what Jesus told him "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." A true Israelite is a born again believer, born of the flesh, and born again of the spirit:
John 3:6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
That which is physical is physical, and that which is spirit is spirit. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither does corruption inherit incorruption (1 Corinthians 15:50).