9 Now don't get me wrong. Don't get the impression that I don't like my own people or that I'm glad they're in trouble for not accepting Jesus as Messiah. I wish I could be damned in their place! And it's such a pity because my fellow Israelites have so much going for them. The covenants and promises are for them. God gave them the law and the temple. Jesus himself was a Jew!
But this is not God's fault. In a sense, not everyone in Israel is yet truly in Israel. True Israel is, after all, about God's direction and not about your DNA. God's plan often is unpredictable and our job is to accept it rather than question it. It's not about us following our plan but about following the plan God himself has set up. God can show mercy on the Gentiles if he wants to show mercy on the Gentiles. And if part of his plan is for most of Israel to reject him right now, it's his call.
So is God unrighteous for having a different plan than we would expect? Is God unrighteous because it fits his will for most of Israel to reject him right now?
Absolutely not. God can do what he wants--he's God.
You might say, then, well why does God find fault with Israel because his Messiah isn't what they were expecting, indeed what the Scriptures themselves would lead us to expect?
It's not your place to ask. God can make most of Israel reject Jesus if he wants to because he's God. It's his clay and he can do whatever he wants with it.
Right now it's his will to include the Gentiles in the people of God. And right now it's his will that only part of Israel will accept Jesus as the Messiah.
So is that really what you're saying, Paul, you ask. The non-Jews who didn't care about being right with God have come to be right with God and Israel--which wanted to be right with God--is not. Yes. Why? Because they have not accepted God's plan. They have continued to think God considers their acts of keeping the Jewish law as the basis for continued right standing before God. But they misunderstand what the law was all about. The law was meant to point to Christ. Faith in God's plan, what he has done through Christ, is the path he wants both Jew and Gentile to take in order that they might be in good standing with him.
Israel is currently tripping over Christ. Their zeal for the law has ironically led them away from God's plan. I sure hope they will come to realize this!
Moses' writings realize it. Deuteronomy tells about this path to right standing with God. It's not something you have to go up to heaven or down to the dead to get. It's right in your mouth, the confession of faith that Jesus is in fact God's king, God's messiah, the Lord of the universe. It's faith that God raised Jesus up from the dead to take this role. If we will call on Jesus as Lord we will all be saved from God's wrath on the Day of Judgment.
It's because of this good news that I have gone all over the world. But thus far most of Israel has not accepted this good news. The writings of Moses and Isaiah both have some words that are true of most of Israel: God is making them envious by bringing the Gentiles into the people of God, even though the Gentiles weren't even looking for God.
So is that it for Israel, the end?
Absolutely not! I'm an Israelite, after all. There is already a remnant who have accepted Jesus as Messiah. This is a group that has placed their faith in God's gracious offer of reconciliation through Christ, rather than by keeping the Jewish law. In some mysterious way, this is just God's plan for those in Israel who have not accepted Jesus as Messiah.
So are those who have rejected Jesus toast, the rest of Israel? Is there no hope for them?
Absolutely not! This is apparently God's plan to bring the Gentiles into the people of God. Those of you who are Gentiles will make Israel so jealous. They will become jealous that God is showing such favoritism to those who didn't even start out as his people. You're like a branch that God has grafted into the tree of Israel.
By the way, if Israel had no basis for boasting in a privileged relationship with God, certainly you Gentiles don't have any basis to boast either. If your faith fails like Israel's has, God can cut your branch off too. And if Israel starts having faith, God can graft them back in as well.
In fact, this is all a big mystery to me--especially the fact that Israel has not accepted Jesus as Messiah. But when enough Gentiles are in, then the rest of Israel will come in too--Israel will eventually affirm Jesus as Messiah. How could it be otherwise, since God would not change his mind about his election of Israel. Ultimately, God will have mercy on everyone--both Jew and Gentile.
Oh how mysterious and unfathomable is God's way of thinking to us! Everything is ultimately about him, to whom be glory forever!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
can you explain your choice of a chronological 'then' in the 2nd to last paragraph instead of a conclusive 'so'?
In my understanding...
First, the word 'so' is not the same as the word 'then'. Paul isn't saying that after the fulness of the gentiles comes in, all national Israelites will finally believe in Christ. He's saying that the 'part' of national Israel that is un-hardened and all the gentiles who believe, together, make up spiritual Israel. The 'result' of the remnant Jews and the believing Gentiles is the collective people of God. Second, the word 'all' means just that. It can't refer to national Israel because Paul just quoted Isaiah in order to echo his prophecy that only the remnant of national Israel would be saved. Whoever 'Israel' is in verse 26a, it can't be national Israel. Third, the word 'Israel' is key and should be read as 'spiritual Israel'. If Paul is not talking about national Israel here, he must be talking about his new definition of the term, spiritual Israel. Can 'all' of spiritual Israel be saved? Yes, by definition they are all saved.
Of course, I could be wrong, but if you have time to clarify your choice I'd appreciate it :)
Matthew, I think Paul means the majority of ethnic Israel. If he simply means "all those who are saved will be saved," he's hardly saying anything. The train of thought in 25-26 is this:
1. there is a mystery going on here.
2. hardness has come on a part of Israel [so he's talking about the hardened part]
3. until the fulness of the Gentiles come in [implying that the hardness will end at that time]
4. and thus [therefore] all Israel will be saved [presumably at the time when the fulness of the Gentiles comes in and the hardness of a part of Israel ends]
5. As it is written in Isaiah, the redeemer will come from Zion--he will turn ungodliness from Jacob [we can debate whether these ungodly in Israel will turn before or after Christ's return]
6. God will forgive their sins [again, surely meaning the currently sinful part of Israel].
That's how I interpret it.
thanks for replying :)
"If he simply means "all those who are saved will be saved," he's hardly saying anything."
I guess I read it as a "Thus" or "in this way" or "so" all Israel will be saved. By saying this, Paul isn't 'hardly saying anything' so much as he's making an exciting point.
It doesn't seem like a chronological thing to me. First some Jews reject, then the fulness of gentiles comes in, then 'all' jews accept. He seems, to me, to be saying some jews will reject and some will accept and that that pattern will continue throughout the time of the gentiles and 'thus' all those who truly are God's people will be saved.
I enjoy your blog :) God bless
Post a Comment