“And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:” (Romans 11:26)
There has been much said about the Jews and their rejection of Jesus. But Paul writes how all Israel will be saved. And just as the church was a mystery in times before it was revealed, so is the salvation of Israel a mystery until “the fulness of the Gentiles” has happened. (Romans 11:25)
The prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel wrote God’s promises of salvation to Israel. God’s promises to Israel have not and will not fail. Solomon prayed a prayer of dedication when the temple was completed and said, “Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto His people Israel, according to all that He promised: there hath not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised by the hand of Moses His servant.” (1King 8:56) And Malachi prophesies, “For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” (Malachi 3:6) For all the wickedness that Israel did, their rejection of God and of the Messiah, they will repent and be forgiven. There are many Scriptures that tell how Israel will be exalted in the end time and how all of God’s promises will be fulfilled. Their blindness now is a mystery. We of little understanding don’t know why it has to happen a particular way, but God in His wisdom has an eternal reason and an eternal purpose. Paul continues, “For this is My covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.” (Romans 11:27) So we see that God has not abandoned Israel.
God’s promises are “yea and amen.” (2Corinthians 1:20) All and everyone of them are yes and sure. Paul wrote about the hope that both Gentile and Jew have in Jesus. “Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: And that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to Thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto Thy name. And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with His people. And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people. And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and He that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in Him shall the Gentiles trust.” (Romans 15:8-12)
God in His mercy and wisdom has made a way for those who were His enemies and not of His people to come to Him. “For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!” (Romans 11:30-33) It was revealed to Paul what God was doing, but along with us, Paul doesn’t fully understand why God did it this way. We can be sure it’s His mercy that saves both Gentile and Jew. And it’s His wisdom how He does it.
The phrase Paul uses is beyond earthly and human understanding. “...For God hath concluded them all in unbelief...” (Romans 11:32) While we were in unbelief, God has embraced us. It’s too wonderful to ignore His love and mercy. Romans 5:8 is another Scripture which says the same thing. “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
Can we ever understand the Lord’s love and mercy for us? God’s Word tells us that when we are in Jesus and rooted and grounded in love, we’ll be able to understand. When we are so rooted and grounded on the Rock that no matter the storms, rain, wind and flood that comes to us, we will still be standing strong and unmoved, we will know His love. (Matthew 7:24,25; Luke 6:48) “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” (Ephesians 3:17-19) I don’t know if our human hearts can contain all His love. But it can be filled with as much as it’s able.
Comments