… excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise,
Summary: Being on the “inside” is cool. Being on the “outside” is a pain. This is a lesson that we all learn early in life.
One of the hardest things about growing up is figuring out which group you belong to. In the fancier schools, these groups are called “cliques.” On the other side of the tracks, the groups are called “gangs.” In between, there are all kinds of combinations of people trying to figure out where they belong.
Paul recognized that Judaism itself had become a kind of clique. It is defined by its adherence to the Mosaic laws, but equally important are the bloodlines. A Gentile could adopt the laws and customs of the Jews, but they could never overcome the lack of a pedigree.
When people are rejected by others, it can hurt. Social stigma is a real thing. Sometimes we tell ourselves that being rejected is okay because we didn’t want to join anyway. This response is called “sour grapes.” I wanted some of your grapes, but you wouldn’t let me have any. Now I’m angry! But it’s okay because your grapes are probably sour anyway. Nyah!
Paul seems to understand this as a practical matter, but he also looks at it as a theological matter. To be a Gentile, living outside of Judaism unaware of God’s Law and promises is to be ignorant of God’s only provision for atonement. In short, life without Christ is a death sentence.
God’s chosen people are special because they are chosen by God, but they are also special because they are blessed by God. They have been blessed by God through Abraham. God told Abraham:
“I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:2-3)
These words were not just words. They were a promise from God. God, being God, made good on his word and set the Israelites apart in every way. No matter where they were in the world, they stood out. People noticed.
Before Christ, we Gentiles were looked down on by the Jews. We were separated by a gulf that could not be breached. We were not allowed to touch the grapes. In Christ, we become part of the grapevine itself (John 15:5).
Application: Thank God for the Jews because we have all been blessed through them.
Food for Thought: How has God blessed the world through Abraham’s descendants?
In so many ways – they are a large provider of fruit and flowers throughout Europe, they gave us the cherry tomato, they have blessed us with technological and medical advances, etc.
But Above all, they are the people through Whom God provided special revelation of Himself – the vast majority of biblical authors were Jewish. And most importantly, they were the ones through whom Messiah Jesus came to us as God in human flesh.
Nice summation, Rich!
Thank you! I didn’t know about the cherry tomatoes. I’ve always been impressed by the Israelites devotion to history as well. The Dead Sea Scrolls are an example. I remember being impressed by the painstaking detail required to reassemble tiny fragments of scroll when I saw the exhibit in Seattle.
04-16-2023, How has God blessed the world through Abraham’s descendants?
God inspired the children of Abraham to write and preserve the Old Testament for all nations. God inspired Paul to write “Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham”. Paul writes of the reality of our spiritual family in contrast to a physical family, a family sharing faith rather than a bloodline. Believers are spiritually descendants of Abraham, the father of our faith.
Psalm 67:1-2, Galatians 3:7, Romans 4:11-12, John 14:6
Jesus, the Son of God, was physically a bloodline son of Abraham and David. All the promises made to physical Israel speak to a spiritual truth in Christ.
Matthew1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38
John 14:16, And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Today, through the power of the Holy Spirit, Psalm 67:1-2 has been fulfilled as Jesus lives and rules all nations, the entire world and is the only power of life over death. All believers, united as one family, have eternal life through Christ and purpose as we serve God on earth for a short time.
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
Thanks Ron!
You have highlighted the greatest gift of all — providing the means for God to bring us the Word; both the Bible and our Lord.