I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means!
Romans 11
Paul now asks the question of whether or not God has rejected His chosen people, the Israelites. And, Paul answers the question, “By no means!” Paul’s statement is that the eternal God of all things, who is immutable, has not and, will never, reject His Chosen Ones. It is man who rejects God! The Israelites, through their religious leaders, rejected God, all the while thinking they were worshipping God through their myriad laws and traditions they forced upon the people. From eternity past, God chose some to receive salvation which God promised, in the garden of Eden, “your Seed shall crush the serpent’s head and the serpent shall bruise the heel of your Seed.” Through the Seed of Eve, all people looked for a Messiah, Savior, who would save humans from the sinful nature they had fallen into. In Old Testament times, salvation was received by the promise of the Messiah to come. Since the Cross of Calvary, salvation is received by the works of Messiah, Savior, in His sinless earthly life and His atoning, sacrificial death upon the cross. Now, Paul moves to show that salvation was extended to the Gentiles (non-Jews) because the Israelites failed to maintain their focus upon the coming of Messiah and, the Gentiles have been granted salvation through the works of Messiah whom they rejected. Gentile Christians are warned NOT to be “proud” of the salvation that has become theirs, but to fear God with the fear that a child has for his/her parents to not disappoint them. Lastly, Paul uses the word “mystery” to reveal something that was previously unknown, the Jews rejected the gospel in order to have the gospel sent to the Gentiles. We, Gentiles, have received God’s Grace and Mercy as a result of the disobedience of the Jews! Even today, many Jews still reject the Messiah sent to them some 2,000 years ago. But, there is a time to come when the Jews will recognize Jesus Christ as the Messiah who came to rescue His people!
Source: S C Ball September 5, 2023
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