Kari,
I also find God’s covenant with Israel to be an encouraging reminder of God’s constancy and love for His people. After learning more about God’s promise to the Jewish people, I feel that I am able to read Scripture with new eyes. Passages about Israel are stand out much more to me now that I have understood the central role the Jewish people play in God’s plan for humanity. As you said, Jesus makes many references to the Old Testament. To me, this is an important reminder of who Jesus is as the Messiah and a Jew.
