The Bible of God's People

God's People as Scripture's Unifying Focus
Focus on God's people runs from Adam to Jesus (Luke 3:23-38)

and from Jesus to anyone (Acts 1:8, 2:39, 10:34-43).

Christians confess "one holy catholic apostolic church" and "the fellowship of saints."
'The Church' calls for theological interpretation and discernment.

Israel as a Storied People
Israel's character is both revealed and transformed in its history.

Gathering: Israel assembles as ekklêsia (1 Kings 8:14).
Sin, exile: Israel is scattered among the nations (2 Kings 25).
Restoration: Israel's regathering is prophesied and begun in the OT (Jer 3:14-17, 2 Chron 36:22-23),
secured as well as transformed* in the NT (1 Pet 1:1, Eph 1:22-23),
and will culminate at the Lord's parousia.

(What is the nature of that transformation?)

Israel as a Metaphysical Entity
Christ's 'recapitulation' of every episode in Israel's life ...

its eternal election to God's saving purpose,
origin in his conception through his baptism,
gathering in his calling disciples,
suffering under unfaithful Jewish leaders and dominating foreign ones,
exodus at Jerusalem,
disciplining in the wilderness temptations,
conquest at the Jordan,
apostasy as rejected king,
scattering at his betrayal and arrest,
judgment in his passion,
glorification at his resurrection,
exaltation in his ascension,
inclusion of the nations,
etc. (and note that the sequences differ)

... makes every era's reality available to every other, and to us.
This is a common motif in Catholic and Orthodox spirituality, liturgy, and mysticism.

A Nagging Question: What About the "Old" Israel?
What about that *transformation? What is the old Israel to "the Israel of God" (Gal 6:16)?

Supersessionism: The Church replaces Israel as "the new Israel" (classical theology).
Dispensationalism: The Church and 'Israel according to the flesh' live under two different and still active covenants.
Pluralism: The Church and Israel have different ways to salvation (some varieties of Dispensationalism).
Paul's more complicated vision (Rom 9-11, interpreting Deut 32): Someday "all Israel will be saved" by faith.