The “fathers” of Israel were literally the fathers of the nation. It was through their line, their physical offspring, from whom the nation came into being. But they were also “fathers” in the spiritual sense: they were men of faith in the living God who looked forward to the coming of Messiah. The Lord Jesus said to the Jews about Abraham, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad” (Jn. 8:56). Not only was he the progenitor of the nation, but he was a man with spiritual insight and strong faith.

There is another important feature found in the “fathers.” Their lives provide, by way of types, the great principles of God in the Bible:

Abraham: the call of God, election, and the principle of righteousness by faith;

Isaac: sonship, promise, and resurrection. He was the son of promise and was raised from the dead, “in a figurative sense” (Heb. 11:19);

Jacob: the discipline of God, typifies the prophetic future of Israel;

Joseph: suffering and reigning, heirship, a beautiful type of the Lord Jesus Christ in His sufferings and supremacy.

Some however argue, “But has not Israel utterly failed and now been permanently set aside?” Yes they have failed, but their “blindness” is not permanent (Rom. 11:25). And we must never forget, “Concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers” (v. 28). Today, let us honor the memory of these great men of faith by praying for the nation of Israel. Amen.