Read Romans 11:11-16
Have you ever failed at something? Have you ever felt the ache and let down of wanting to achieve something but not reaching that goal? Israel had! It’s clear from the Old Testament that Israel failed in her God given mission. God needed to do something drastic to bring them back to Himself through Christ Jesus. In his providence He allowed them to fall away.
But we have to ask, Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Again Paul answers immediately without allowing speculation. Not at all!
Good will come out of Israel's fall. Through their fall salvation comes to world. Three times throughout Romans Paul has used the phrase ‘first for the Jew, then for the Gentile’. In 1:16 salvation comes first for the Jew and then for the Gentile. In 2:9 judgment and condemnation comes first for the Jew and then for the Gentile. In 2:10 final deliverance comes first for the Jew and then for the Gentile. As we consider this phrase, it becomes easier to see how salvation and blessing flow out of the Jewish nation to the rest of the world. God chose them to be the vehicle of blessing and salvation to the world.
In allowing Israel to fall, the circle has been completed. The Gentiles are saved through the Jews and the Jews in turn as are saved through the Gentiles. God’s plan is to make Israel envious and to bring them back to Himself. In many movies where a girl wants to get her man back, she goes out with another man to make him jealous. God is going out with the Gentiles to make Israel jealous. In the Bible, this kind of jealousy is a positive jealousy that rouses Israel to search again for God. This explains why Paul is so gung-ho in his ministry to the Gentiles. Not only does he want Gentiles to come into the Kingdom through faith in Christ, he also wants his own Jewish people to be aroused to jealousy and to come to Christ as well.
There are two verses in today’s passage that highlight and extend the blessings that Jews will bring to the world.
Verse 12 reads
But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!
Verse 15 similarly reads
For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
It’s a simple lesser-to-greater Hebrew argument. If the lesser brings something then how much more will the greater bring? The idea is to excite us and to whet our appetite for the greater. In this case, if Israel’s rejection of God brought riches and blessing, how much more will their return to God bring?
Prayer:
Having read today’s passage and notes jot down various prayer points in each:
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Continue to pray for the MOPS and Playpals ministry - especially that many of the mums and their families would come to know Christ as Lord. Pray that we’d see the Kingdom of God grow through these ministries.
¨ Pray that God’s Word would be faithfully and diligently preached in your congregation and that He would be powerfully at work among you.
There is much anti-Semitism in the world today. Christians are not to be anti-Semitic. We are to pray for the return of the Jews back to God and we are to work towards it as God allows.
1. What is your attitude towards the Jews at present? What should the Christian attitude be?
2. How should Christians be praying for the Jews?
3. What role does the Israel of the OT have in God’s salvation?
Intro: We all know people who are really bad and act/speak in ways that we don’t approve of. We need to remember that no one is beyond salvation.
Discuss people in your life that fit into this category and if possible, share how God has brought some of them into Christ for salvation.
Read 1 Tim 1:15-16
What is Paul’s attitude towards himself?
How does his description help us to have hope for the ‘bad’ people we know?
How does it help keep us humble?
Pray together that you bring salvation to many.
Intro: We all know people who are really bad and act/speak in ways that we don’t approve of. We need to remember that no one is beyond salvation.
Discuss people in your life that fit into this category and if possible, share how God has brought some of them into Christ for salvation.
Read 1 Tim 1:15-16
What is Paul’s attitude towards himself?
How does his description help us to have hope for the ‘bad’ people we know?
How does it help keep us humble?
Pray together that you bring salvation to many.
No comments:
Post a Comment