Loved And Called God's People

HoHum:

There are approximately 150,000 Jewish Believers in Jesus Christ today. In 1948, when Israel was reestablished as an independent nation, there were fewer than 100 Messianic Jews living in Israel. Today, there are approximately 15,000 Messianic Jewish people in Israel. However, there are 13.4 million Jews in the world.

WBTU:

Last year around this time we were talking about grace mainly from Romans 1-8. Did not talk about the next section of Romans. Romans 9-11 deals with questions that might come up from chapters 1-8. One of those questions is how do we understand the fact that most of the nation of Israel did not accept Jesus as the Messiah; they rejected the gospel of grace.

Paul was concerned about this greatly. Look at Romans 9:1-4a and 10:1-3.

Toward the end of chapter 9 Paul quotes some passages from Hosea and Isaiah. The passage from Hosea should be familiar with us, dealt with it this morning.

Thesis: Let’s talk about God’s plan to include the Gentiles and then talk about how anyone, both Jew and Gentile, can obtain righteousness.

For instances:

I. God’s plan to include the Gentiles (Romans 9:25-29)

Here we have a series of quotations from Hosea and Isaiah, cited to give prophetic confirmation of God’s purpose for Israel as it involves the birth of the NT church. These verses show that the present state of Israel’s unbelief was no surprise to God, and that his original purpose has not failed. The nation of Israel was always intended to be a means to an end; the end itself is spiritual Israel, which is made up of both a believing remnant from old Israel and all believers from among the Gentiles. This end, and therefore God’s purpose for Israel, have been accomplished, in fulfillment of these prophecies.

A. The Jewish connection (Romans 9:25-26)

Hosea 1:6, 8-10; 2:23

For whom were these verses intended? Audience would have to be the 10 northern tribes of Israel. These Jews had become “not loved” and “not my people” through the judgment of the exile. For God to punish Israelites by stripping them of their status as “my people” was a severe blow; being the people of God was their greatest treasure. This promise that God would one day bestow this title upon them again would have special meaning for Jews.

B. The Gentile connection (Romans 9:25-26)

Hosea 1:6, 8-10; 2:23

Beyond the context in the OT, these verses apply to the evangelization of the Gentiles in the NT. The Gentiles were “not loved” and “not my people” by nature. Think about this, for thousands of years, the Lord was mainly concerned with the Jews. They were God’s people and the Gentiles were not. Does this mean that the Lord did not care about the Gentiles? No, God’s plan was to reach out to them so that they would be loved as well. In the NT age, when the church goes into all the world, the gospel message reaches Jew and Gentile alike, and the words of Hosea take on a new and expanded meaning. Gentiles who have never had this status as being the people of God may not realize what a great promise this is. To be “God’s people” means to come into a special family relationship with him.

Because of gospel, whole world is loved and each individual can be a member of God’s people.

Now we are loved, the Lord has compassion on us (take off the Lo in Hosea’s children’s names) [don’t confuse Lo Ammi with Bon Ami- Bon Ami is a brand of household cleaner products], and we are no longer orphans, but a part of the family of God.

Ephesians 2:12-13: remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

1 Peter 2:10: Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

C. God’s exclusive plan for the Jew (Romans 9:27-29)

Isaiah 10:22, 23

Paul takes this quote and specifically applies it to Israel. Isaiah is assuring Israel that even though they must suffer conquest and captivity, at least a remnant will survive and return to the Lord. But at the same time, the fact that only a remnant will be saved means that the rest will be destroyed. Paul sees Isaiah’s prophecy as being fulfilled through the preaching of the gospel and the entry of some Jews into spiritual Israel, the church, through their conversion to Christ.

The prophet Isaiah declares that only a remnant would thus be saved is proof of Paul’s main point and anguish. The main purpose for the nation of Israel was fulfilled through Jesus Christ. But this prophecy shows that this great nation was chosen only for service not for salvation; and the fact that only a small portion were saved was in no way contrary to God’s promises.