What is the difference between Israel and Palestine?

The name Palestine is often now used as synonymous with Canaan, but in the scripture that term and 'Palestina' refer to the land of the Philistines, the narrow border on the sea coast in the south of Canaan. Ex. 15:14; Isa. 14:29, 31; Joel 3:4.

The land on the west of the Jordan and some portions on the east have been surveyed, firstly by the officers of the Palestine Exploration Fund, which has been the means, as far as their judgement goes, of identifying many Biblical sites. Their map enabled the longitude and latitude of the principal places being given in this work. The modern State of Israel has ensured that much is now known of the geography of the country.

The land has various names in Holy Scripture. Palestine (Ex. 15:14) is derived from the fact that the Philistines for several centuries occupied a considerable strip of the coastland; Canaan, (Gen. 12:5-6) is more reminiscent of the inhabitants in general before the conquest; The Land of Israel (Matt. 2:20-21) connects itself very distinctly with the people of God's sovereign choice; while Immanuel's land (Isa. 8:8) stamps it as the peculiar possession of Him who is "God with us."

The Hebrew word, Pelesheth, occurs but four times, and did not allude to the whole of the land of Canaan, as the name Palestine is now applied; but was restricted to part of the coast of the Mediterranean, occupied by the Philistines. In Ex. 15:14-15, Palestina, Edom, and Moab are mentioned, and then 'all the inhabitants of Canaan.' In Joel 3:4, Tyre and Sidon are not included in the term. In these passages, and in Isa. 14:29, 31, it is usual now to translate the word PHILISTIA (as in the R.V.), the Hebrew being the same as in Ps. 60:8; Ps. 87:4; Ps. 108:9. See CANAAN and SYRIA.

In the first place, they are the people who give the name to the whole land. It is called Palestine from the Philistines. It is very interesting to see, however, that God never uses the name Palestine, in speaking of His people's heritage. It always designates a hostile country. Thus in Moses' song of triumph at the Red Sea, Sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina. Faith looks on it as an enemy's land till it is possessed by the people of God. The prophet Isaiah pronounces a woe upon it, as one of the hostile countries, along with Moab and the rest. The usage of the Psalmist is the same. Edom, Moab, and Philistia are spoken of together.

It is thus the land of the Philistines, as you might say, and yet they had no right to it. They were intruders, or, as their name suggests, wanderers, people who had no right there at all. They had wandered in and had settled down along the sea coast, where there was an easy way of getting into the land. This was a way by which God distinctly refused to lead His people, because they needed not only the training which conflict and hardship would give them, but they needed to be examples for all time, that the only true way to get into God's heritage is through death and resurrection.

Palestine is only a small part of the Promised Land, perhaps a tenth. Palestine is a country about the size of Wales, that is, about one hundred and fifty miles long by fifty miles broad.

Secondly, the full extent of the land pledged to the seed of Abram, is given — "from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates. The land we call Palestine is bounded on the East by the small river, the river Jordan, and is only a very small part of the land they are ultimately to possess. Ten peoples are mentioned in the closing verses as then dwelling therein. All are to be dispossessed and in the millennial age the true Israel will possess their promised land.

What a glorious fact is here unfolded to our view! A fact but little understood or taken account of by the nations of the earth. How little do men consider that, in the original settlement of the great national boundaries, the Most High had direct reference to "the children of Israel"! That thus it was, and the reader should seek to grasp this grand and intensely interesting fact. When we look at Geography and History from a divine standpoint, we find that Canaan and the seed of Jacob are God's centre. Yes; Canaan, a little strip of land, lying along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, with an area of eleven thousand square miles, about a third of the extent of Ireland is the centre of God's geography; and the twelve tribes of Israel are the central object of God's history. How little have geographers and historians thought of this! They have described countries, and written the history of nations which in geographical extent and political importance far outstrip Palestine and its people, according to human thinking, but which, in God's account, are as nothing compared with that little strip of land which He deigns to call His own, and which it is His fixed purpose to inherit through the seed of Abraham His friend.*

We enter this new creation by the new birth. We must be born again if we would enter here (John 3). That is what matters. The new birth brings with it eternal life, salvation, forgiveness of sins, entrance into the Father's family; by it we become children, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:17). Yes, new creation matters. It is truly something, but circumcision and uncircumcision are nothing. Do they want a rule? Must they have a rule to walk by? Very good. This rule, the rule of the new creation, the rule of the new birth, is the rule for us to walk by now. The word means to walk in line. It is the same word as we had in chapter 5:25. We might say, "As many as keep step by this rule"; to them the Apostle says, "Peace on them and mercy, even on the Israel of God." The law can only bring trouble and a curse. In contrast to the trouble these law teachers had brought, the Apostle sends a message of peace to those who walk by the rule of the new creation. "Peace on them and mercy." Mercy is generally not included in the greetings to an assembly, but only to individuals. (See 1 & 2 Tim. 1:2.) But in Galatia there were the true ones in the assemblies, and in this time of trouble they needed mercy. This is probably the only case where mercy is wished to assemblies.

The law teachers were boasting in the Galatians who had received circumcision, and so outwardly had become Jews. But this did not make them God's people. In chapter 3, verses 7, 9, and 29, we find much the same thought. "The ones on the principle of faith, these are the sons of Abraham." So now in contrast to the false teachers making false Jews, the Apostle cries in triumph, these are "the Israel of God." These who walk by the rule of the new creation are the true Israelites, not those wearing the badge of circumcision. The people of Israel had three names: Hebrews, Jews and Israelites. Jews were especially those of the tribe of Judah and Benjamin, though many others had joined them under this name. "Israel" means "prince of God," and was the name given to Jacob by God Himself, when he wrestled with the angel and prevailed. "Thy name shall be called no more Jacob (means 'cheater'), but Israel (a prince of God): for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed." Gen. 32:28. This name includes all the descendants of Jacob, all the twelve tribes, not the two tribes only as the name "Jew" means. It is most interesting to notice that this name Israel, is the name chosen by God's earthly people today, as they once again begin to take possession of their own land. But the true Israelites are those "born again" into God's household.

The Israelites are the only people chosen of God as His earthly people. The land of Israel is the only land specially chosen by God to be their land. The land of Israel is constantly referred to in Scripture as the land.

It is a remarkable thing that though these people only possessed a very small strip of the land of Canaan, it has taken its name from them, for Palestine means the land of the Philistines, but this name is only given to it in Scripture when the judgment of it is foretold, Ex. 15:14; Isa. 14:29, 31; Joel 3:4. They came into prominence first in Gen. 21, where they violently robbed Abraham of a well of water, and they were Israel's most persistent foes throughout their history in the land; there is more about them in the Old Testament than any other nation but Israel, and the last mention of them in Scripture is, "I will cut off the pride of the Philistines," Zech. 9:6. Of the condition of things that is the antitype of them in our day, the Lord has said, "I will spue thee out of My mouth." In the Laodicean Church we see the Philistines in full force.