CHAPTER 8. JEW & GENTILE.

CHAPTER EIGHT 

JEWS AND GENTILES.

Is there any weightier topic in the scriptures than Jews and gentiles, barring very God Himself and all that He is in the revelation of Himself to mankind? This topic of Jew and gentile demands our attention now more so than ever. By the definition of Jew and gentile, I mean those gentiles who have repented and turned from their wilful ways and are become the people of God by faith in the Messiah. The Jews, i.e. Israel, have always been the people of God, a truth so very much forgotten by gentile believers, albeit, Jews need to repent also and receive their Messiah.  The gentiles who have come to repentance are the people of God by virtue of their being in relationship with Israel’s Messiah, thus forming the people of God. The entity commonly known as the church, which comprises of Jew and gentile is not an entity unto itself but is a part of the whole people of God. One of the representations in scripture of gentile believers is that of a wild olive branch being engrafted into the natural olive tree which is Israel.

 The Greek word ekklesia that is translated into our English language as church actually means an assembly or gathering of citizens or people for any purpose be it customary, social, political or religious reasons. In the spiritual sense it has reference to the gathering or assembling of all God’s people, either globally or locally to worship the one true God of heaven and earth. There is only One Way to the Father and that through His only begotten Son for Jew and gentile alike, no exceptions whatsoever.

Much injustice has been done regarding Israel and their relationship with the church by the church and vice a versa. Both entities are a nation to God in their own peculiar way by the sovereign choice of God. Israel is a nation unto God even as the church is a nation unto God, a people peculiarly His own. His divine intent is that the two become one, so being one nation unto Him, a nation of priestly people to bless all the nations of the earth, this being the divine intention from the very foundation of the world.

There is a unity implied and expected from the relationship of Israel and the church that has long been a stumbling block to both. I am persuaded to believe that the enemy of both for reasons we must know threw this stumbling block there. If the church and Israel were to walk in this unity, it would cause principalities and powers to crumble and be shaken out of their place. The church and Israel are both part of the same structure that is being fashioned and formed together for a habitation, a fixed abode for God in His fullness. See Eph. 2: 11 - 22

In dealing with this matter of Israel and the church, we will look at the unity implied and expected between the two. Two books that are an essential reference point for our understanding are the book of Ephesians, where the relationship between the two is expounded in depth; and the book of Romans where we understand that unbelieving Jews, i.e. those Jews who refuse to trust in the Messiah are replaced by the believing gentile and by the same token God is not finished with the Jew.

Let us start with Paul’s letter to the saints at Ephesus.

“Before the foundation of the world, God chose us to be in the Messiah to be separated and blameless in love. To be His own children through the Messiah Yeshua according to His own will and purpose”. (Ephesians 1 verses 4 – 5)

Paul goes straight to the issue of us. Who is the ‘us’ he is referring to? Reading the whole context of this issue, he is referring to Jews and gentiles who are chosen to be the people of God in the Messiah and shows the timing of His purpose, before the foundation of the world, which purpose is a mystery that has now been unveiled and is recorded for us who believe. It must come however, as a revelation or else we will read it and not perceive it, it will remain as an unveiled mystery to us. Remember that the divisions of chapters and verses are not in the original text; it is one continuous discourse.

“He has made known to us the mystery of His purpose according to His own good pleasure which God purposed in the Messiah being this, that He would gather together all things in heaven and earth into the Messiah when the time was ripe for it”.  (Ephesians 1 verses 9 – 10)

Can you not sense the eternal weight of God’s glorious purpose here revealed and penned by the apostle Paul? This gathering together of all things is inclusive of Jew and gentile into the Messiah where God’s purposes are realised. This is foundational truth, i.e. apostolic and prophetic truth we are reading even from the foundation of the world.

“Therefore, remember your former state: you gentiles by birth, called uncircumcision by those who, merely because of an operation on their flesh, are called circumcision, at that time had no Messiah. You were estranged from the national life of Israel. You were foreigners to the covenants embodying God’s promise. You were in this world without hope and without God. But now, you (the gentiles) who were once far off have been brought near through the shedding of Messiah’s blood. For He Himself is our peace, He has made us both one and has broken down the wall that divided us by destroying in His own body the enmity occasioned by the law, with its commands set forth in the form of ordinances. He did this in order to create in Himself one new man out of Jew and gentile thus making peace. Also to reconcile to God both Jew and gentile in one body by being put to death on the cross as a criminal, thus destroying the enmity thereby. Also, when He came, He proclaimed as good news, peace to you who were afar off and peace to those who were nearby. The news was that through the Messiah both Jew and gentile have access by one Spirit to the Father. So then, you gentiles are no longer foreigners and strangers. On the contrary, you are fellow – citizens with the Jews as God’s people and members of God’s family. You are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets; the Messiah Himself is the cornerstone of the building. In union with Him, the whole building of Jew and gentile is held together and is growing up into a holy temple, yes in union with Him you yourselves are being built up as a fixed dwelling place for God”. (Ephesians 2 verses 11 – 22)

These passages just quoted and hopefully read by you the reader say it all. The revelation content here, expresses the very heartbeat of God Himself. I have highlighted essential points to bring out the weight of this revelation given to Paul and also to us. When the appointed time was right, God sent forth His Son born of a virgin to redeem the world from sin. In doing thus, He also came to put away the enmity between Jew and gentile and out of the two, make one new man to be a holy habitation of God. This He purposed before the foundation of the world for the praise of His own glory.

Although a Jew, when he repents and acknowledges the Messiah is made a member of the body of believers commonly known as the church, it is more so the case of a gentile when he repents and acknowledges the Messiah that he is made a partaker of the national life of Israel. He is born into the family of God, which already exists. It is the nature of the case that a gentile when he believes in the Messiah, he is made a partaker of the covenants and promises of Israel. A straight forward reading of Ephesians openly declares this to be so.

Dead in trespasses and sins, in the world without God, without hope, under the sway and control of the ruler of the power of the air and destined for the wrath of God. These are descriptions that apply to gentile unbelievers and for non-believing Jews for that matter. Yet, when one is convicted by the Holy Spirit of God and repents, turning from his/her wicked ways they are translated out of darkness into light. They become sharers of the covenants and promises of the national life of Israel by virtue of the shed blood of the Messiah.

Chapter three of Ephesians continues thus,

“Because of this very thing, I, Paul am a prisoner on behalf of you the gentiles. I believe you have heard of the grace of God given to me for the work to be done for your benefit and that it was by revelation that this mystery was made known to me. I have written about this already briefly and after reading what I have written, you will grasp how I understand the mystery concerning the Messiah. The Spirit is now revealing this to the apostles and prophets unlike past generations when it was not known, that in union with the Messiah by the good news, the gentiles are to be made joint heirs in one body being joint sharers with the Jews in what God had promised. I became a servant of this very good news by the grace of God, which He empowered me with by His power. To me then who am the least important of all God’s holy people was this honour given of announcing to the gentiles, the good news of the Messiah’s unfathomable riches and how this mystery was going to be worked out. This plan that was kept hidden for ages by God creator of everything is in order that now to principalities and powers in heavenly places, the church (i.e. those who are called out of the world Jew and gentile alike) might demonstrate the wisdom of God. This is in accordance with the age old purpose of God that is accomplished in the Messiah Yeshua our Lord”. (Ephesians 3 verses 1 – 11)

Because of this very thing as Paul writes, is the revelation of the mystery of Jew and gentile being formed into one body in the Messiah. This revelation did not bode well with the many in Paul’s day and ironically nor has it for generations after, even until now. Who do you think might be responsible for the enmity that has arisen amongst the two? If only we knew the depths of this eternal purpose of God in the Messiah, we would also know that our archenemy has sort to destroy this knowledge by perversions and lies. The Greek word ekklesia, where we derive our English word church, as primary meaning in a Christian sense is reference to a body of people called out of something unto God and encompasses Jew and gentile alike. The term church often conjures up thoughts of gentile believers only, which is a serious detraction from the actual truth. Once again, Jews are the people of God even as believing gentiles are also and there is only one appointed medium by which either can enter the kingdom of God, which is Yeshua the Messiah. This mystery came to Paul by divine revelation and will remain a mystery only to those who do not have eyes to see or ears to hear. It is the will of God that we, the whole body of believers, perceive by revelation this same mystery. Whether that revelation comes by reading the scriptures, being the most likely case, or by direct impartation is irrelevant, but it needs to come. And unless it comes we will continue in a measure of blindness that will keep us from the eternal purposes of God in the Messiah.

There is a relationship that presently exists between Jew and gentile that if the veil were taken off our hearts, it would revolutionise our whole thought process and manner of life. I say if the veil were taken off our hearts for two reasons: 1) In a very real sense we are in darkness because the Holy One of Israel has allowed it to be so because of our, Jew and gentile hardness of heart and as an open reading of the book of Romans so declares, particularly chapters nine to eleven.

2) The enemy has blinded our eyes that we may not see the truth of relationship revealed by the Holy Spirit of God in the scriptures. 

I believe that soon the veil will be removed, yet to a small degree it is already being drawn back and the revelation of this relationship is being seen for what it is. The depth of true understanding will come into effect, “what God has joined together, let no man separate”. There are types and foreshadowings in scripture that convey a deeper meaning than we have anticipated, because our understanding is limited. The mystery of relationship that is alluded to by Paul in Ephesians between husband and wife is a conveying of spiritual truth to describe in human terms the relationship between the church i.e. the people of God, that is, Jew and gentile and their Head, namely the Messiah of God. Paul’s prayer to the Ephesian believers being granted a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the intimate knowledge of God needs to be our prayer. See Ephesians 1 verse 17.

We need to see as God sees, that is true seeing. Jew and gentile are to be fashioned into one single body for His own glory and honour. The fact that God first chose the Hebrews through Abraham and through them chose for Himself a number of gentiles who would believe in Him through His Son, was His divine and sovereign prerogative. Who are we to question that? O, the depths, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God.

We turn now to the book of Romans, reading chapters nine to eleven. The written revelation of God concerning the relationship between Jew and gentile is well noted here. Space does not allow us here to quote all three chapters. I would like to make a comment before going into these chapters. There are certain sectors of gentile believers that teach God has done away with the Jews (Israel) in favour of the gentile church, commonly known as replacement theology. These proponents of this teaching spiritualize direct references to Israel for the church because they believe the church has replaced Israel in the purposes of God. While it is true that God rejected Israel because of their continued rebellion and rejection of Him, His rejection of Israel was not to be forever. There would come a time that God would once again turn to His people Israel and they would return to Him and of the whole, only a remnant would be saved. How much longer the gentile world has before their allocation of those to be redeemed from it is completed; only God knows, yet it is soon, then salvation will return to the Jews. After all, salvation is of and from the Jews. See John 4 verse 22.

This is not to say that Jews do not get saved before the full ingathering of the gentiles has come in. If any Jew repents, as is the requirement of God through His Son, Yeshua, he shall be saved indeed. I do believe that it will become apparent to Jews that their need for the Messiah of God will become greater in these last days, until that day in which en masse they will repent bitterly, in acknowledgement at the sight of Him with Whom we have to do. Not all of Israel will be saved; the One who calls them knows only a remnant and the number of them.

“The Lord is not slack concerning the thing He promises as some consider slackness, but is long - suffering towards us not wanting anybody to perish, but that all will come to repentance”.  (2 Peter 3 verse 9)

The sad state of affairs is, as we all know that this is not the case. Men reject God’s free gift of salvation willingly, choosing rather to live a life of sin than live a life of righteousness by His Son Yeshua. As equally as God is not willing that any perish, even so those who refuse to trust in Him for life will incur His everlasting wrath in the fires of hell. Is it any wonder then that we are exhorted not to refuse Him who speaks from heaven, as the writer of the book of Hebrews declares?

“So see to it that you do not reject Him or refuse to listen to and heed Him Who is speaking to you now. For if they (the Israelites) did not escape when they refused to listen and heed Him Who warned and divinely instructed them here on earth – revealing with heavenly warnings His will – how much less shall we escape if we reject and turn our backs on Him Who cautions and admonishes us from heaven”?  (Heb. 12 verse 25)

There will be no room for excuses from either Jew or gentile in that day, none whatsoever. The Most High God will require of all men, women and children irrespective of colour or creed why they have conducted themselves in the manner they have and judgement will be meted out accordingly.

I trust that you have read the book of Romans and in particular chapters nine to twelve, if not then do so now before continuing as it will be essential and central to our understanding of the relationship between Jew and gentile. In the first three verses of chapter nine, Paul speaks about the anguish of heart he experienced over his natural kinsmen, in fact his bitter grief, wishing that he would be cut off instead of them from their Messiah. He goes on to say,

“To them belong the adoption, the Shekinah (glorious presence) is theirs, the covenants were made with them and the Torah (law) was given to them. The temple service and worship and God’s own promises are all theirs. To them belong the patriarchs and as far as His natural descent is concerned came the Messiah who is over all. Praised be God forever”.  (Romans 9 verse 4)

What has God not given to Israel? They have inherited all of God’s goodness, which is covenant indeed. Even the very Messiah of God Himself is theirs, what more could they ask for. Yet they rebelled time and again, playing the harlot, finding refuge in other nations running after false gods instead of God Himself. How would we fare if we were in the Sovereign Lord’s position? Perhaps we would zap them or wipe out the whole nation of miserable, rebellious Jews. Indeed there were occasions that God’s anger was kindled against His people in fierceness and many were destroyed but His mercy was still upon them.

“I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then His mercy does not depend on human will but on God who has mercy”.  (Romans 9 verses 15 – 16)

If He has mercy on whoever he wills, then He also hardens whosoever He wills, as verse 18 declares,

“So then He has mercy on whomever he wills and he hardens, makes stubborn and unyielding the heart of whomever He wills”.

Verse 14 says,

“What shall we conclude then? Is there injustice upon God’s part? Certainly not!

Verse 20 – 21 says,

“Who are you a mere man, that criticises and answers back to God? Will the thing that is formed say to him that formed it, why have you made me like this? Has not the potter any right over the clay, to make out of the one mass, a vessel for honourable use and another for dishonourable use”?

If God has hardened the hearts of the Jews so that gentiles might be saved and made partakers of the covenants and promises of Israel, then the gentiles should rejoice at the mercy of God and not be jealous when God turns again to Israel that some of them might be saved and grafted back in. God’s turning from Israel to the gentiles is not indicative of His eternal rejection of the Jew. It was a momentary lapse in standing. The time frame when God turned away from Israel to the gentiles and turns once again to Israel, to us may be a long time, yet not in God’s sight; it is but a fleeting moment. That moment is most certainly nearer than many of us realise. The Holy One of Israel will once again turn to show mercy to the nation of Israel by the instrument of His own choosing, namely believing gentiles, who will demonstrate the mercy of God toward them.

“So I ask, have they (the Jews) stumbled and fallen to their own ruin? Absolutely not! Through their false step, salvation has come to the gentiles, so as to stir up Israel, showing them what they have missed in order to make them jealous. Now if their stumbling has enriched the world and their failure means riches for the gentiles, then what will be their (the Jews) reinstatement”?  (Romans 11 verses 11 – 12)

To stir up Israel to jealousy is going to take more than a bear hug or a declaration that we love you. It will require the very laying down of our lives and a being one with them in their persecution. They will have to see the very Life of God being demonstrated by a people who were not His people but now are because of God’s mercy. They will have to see what they have missed in order to be made jealous. This will by no means be a casual demonstration on the part of believing gentiles, the church.

“I ask then, has God totally rejected and disowned His people? Of course not”…   (Romans 11 verse 1a)

“No, God has not rejected and disowned His people whose destiny He marked out and appointed from the beginning”…  (Romans 11 verse 2a)

“What then shall we conclude? Israel failed to obtain what it sought, only the elect obtained it, while the rest of them became indifferent and were blinded. As it is written, God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that should not see and ears that should not hear, that has continued right down to this very day. David says, let their table become a snare and a trap, a pitfall and retribution upon them; let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see and make them bend their back forever”.  (Romans 11 verses 7 – 10)

Why is Paul speaking thus? He wants us to perceive the same revelation of the mystery that was given to him from the Lord Himself. It must be a revelation to us also; else we will not see the glorious intent of God concerning Jew and gentile. When we consider gentile believers, we see them in context with Jewish believers and visa versa, they are not separate from each other, they are made one in the Messiah and that one will bless all the nations of the earth.

“In the hope of making my fellow Jews jealous to stir them up, thus managing to save some of them. For if their rejection from the benefits of salvation were overruled for the reconciliation of the world to God, what would their acceptance mean? Nothing short of life from the dead”!  (Romans 11 verses 14 – 15)

To stir up the Jews to jealousy is going to be an ominous task, one which gentile believers as a whole, are ill prepared for. What kind of requirement is it going to take on our part to do such a thing as that? It will take nothing less than a profound demonstration of love and mercy shown by gentile believers even to the point of laying down their own lives. Herein is the mercy and kindness of God revealed; Israel hardened their heart at the choosing of God, salvation has now come to the gentiles, a people who were not seeking Him were found by Him having accepted the free gift offered to them by Him who in turn makes Israel jealous by the mercy shown to them by the same believing gentiles. What great mercy is this? What wisdom, which wisdom transcends anything that man may offer, God in His foreknowledge chose at an appointed time to reveal the mystery that was hidden but now is made known. Halleluyah!! Gentile believers are made one with Jewish believers in the Messiah Yeshua to manifest His glory in the earth.

“Now if the handful of dough offered as the first fruits is holy, so is the whole mass and if the root is holy so are the branches”.  (Romans 11 verse 16)

This transcends anything imaginable, what glorious intent from the council of God. One can only conclude even as is written,

“O the depths of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgements and how untraceable are His ways”. (Romans 11 verse 33)

The need to grasp by revelation this mystery of Jew and gentile being formed into one body must be received by us from the Spirit of Truth, who is the revealer of Truth knowing that the God of Truth, is willing to reveal it. Are we willing to receive it?

“But if some of the branches were broken off, while you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them to share the richness of the root of the olive tree, do not boast over the branches and pride yourself at their expense. If you do boast, remember it is not you who support the root but the root that supports you”.  (Romans 11 verses 17 – 18)

A guard against any form of pride in our hearts for those who may feel superior to the natural branches, is to humble ourselves in acknowledgement of the plan of God. This says what it means and means what it says. It is the root that supports you, not you the root.

“You will say then, branches were broken off that I might be grafted in! That is true. But they were broken off because of their unbelief and you stand fast because you do believe. So do not become proud or conceited, but rather stand in awe. For if God did not spare the natural branches because of unbelief, neither will He spare you if you are guilty of the same offence. Then note and appreciate the gracious kindness and severity of God; severity towards those who have fallen, but God’s gracious kindness to you, that is provided you continue in His grace; otherwise you too will be cut off. And even those others, if they do not persist in their unbelief will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you have been cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and against nature grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much easier will it be to graft these natural branches back on their own olive tree. Lest you be self – opinionated, I do not want you to miss this hidden truth and mystery brethren: a hardening has temporarily befallen a part of Israel to last until the full number of the ingathering of the gentiles has come in and so shall all Israel be saved…”   (Romans 11 verse 19)

I have had the privilege of seeing a wild olive tree that has been grafted in onto a natural olive tree and all I can tell you is, I was moved deeply beyond myself to see that relationship in the Spirit, of Jew and gentile, the intensity of the moment has left an indelible print in my understanding that will remain forever. At the expense of sounding repetitive, we must grasp this relationship as the Holy Spirit of God reveals it. If it were left to us, would we have penned this as pointedly as Paul did? No mincing words here, if unbelief is found in our hearts, we are in danger of being cut off even as those who refused to continue in trust towards the Lord. What is it about unbelief that offends the heart of God so, that He would allow His servant to speak thus?

“But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him”.  (Heb.11 verse 6)

“But the just shall live by faith and if he draws back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him”.  (Heb. 10 verse 38)

Our entire relationship with God is based upon faith; we believe that He is. Have any of us seen God at any time? God is Spirit, yet He invites us to believe in Him and follow after Him just believing that He is. This whole mystery of Jew and gentile needs to be grasped by faith, without which we cannot please God. Believing gentiles need to be careful not to become arrogant in that they feel superior to the Jews, because God’s purpose for the remnant of the Jews to be saved will come to pass, they will be grafted back in and so fulfil the eternal purposes of God. He will have a people, Jew and gentile formed into one body, who will demonstrate the very Life and Wisdom of God as witness in this earth to principalities and powers. It shall be so.

The fullness of the ingathering of the gentiles.

When something is full, it means no more can be added. There are an allocated number of gentiles who would come to believe in the Messiah of God and then God would turn once again to Israel and so a remnant will be saved. Can gentiles who have come to believe begin to acknowledge the mercy and kindness of God, in that they are made partakers of the blessings of the natural olive tree, they are engrafted into it by virtue of His mercy? There is no room for boasting as is the case amongst quite a number of believing gentiles. The time of the full number of the ingathering of the gentiles is just about on us.

“Lest you be self opinionated – wise in your own conceits – I do not want you to miss this hidden truth and mystery brethren, a hardening, insensibility has temporarily befallen a part of Israel to last until the full number of the ingathering of the gentiles has come in”.

(Romans 11 verse 25)

Just how great is the mercy of God toward all men; we who are gentiles have obtained mercy through their (Israel’s) disobedience and so are made partakers of the kingdom of God. His calling upon Israel to be a priestly nation to bless all the nations of the earth remains as part of His glorious intention. Gentiles who have come to believe in the Messiah are joined with Israel in one body to fulfil the same calling. No other nation on the face of this earth has been chosen to fulfil this save these two being fashioned into one. To Him be glory both now and ever more.