By Grace: Gentiles Included
Isaiah 14:1-2; Ephesians 2:1-19
"The LORD will have compassion on Jacob; once again he will choose Israel and will settle them in their own land. Aliens will join them and unite with the house of Jacob."
(Isaiah 14:1)
The Hebrew word for "compassion" here is that of a mother's deep love for her child. The LORD loves Jacob - Israel - as a son. He promised Abraham children as numerous as "the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore" (Genesis 22:17). Isaiah reiterates God's promise - the Israelites will settle in their own land. During the Babylonian captivity, a remnant returned to the land under leaders like Ezra and Nehemiah. Is this the return Isaiah has in mind?
Verse 2 argues against that notion. Israel has never made "captives of their captors, and rule[d] over their transgressors." No, Isaiah is speaking about an age where "aliens will join and unite" with Israel. The doubling indicates true unity - a real and perfect union. Has this already occurred? Yes. In Christ! "For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility..." (Eph. 2:14). God's promise to Abraham included the Gentiles. Israel was but a conduit for God's ultimate purpose.
INSIGHT
A key to understanding the Bible is that God's people have different names. In the OT they are called "Israel;" in the NT, the "Church."
READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Genesis 16-17
Psalm 8
Matthew 13
Isaiah 14:1-2;
1 The LORD will have compassion on Jacob;
once again he will choose Israel
and will settle them in their own land.
Aliens will join them
and unite with the house of Jacob.
2 Nations will take them
and bring them to their own place.
And the house of Israel will possess the nations
as menservants and maidservants in the LORD’s land.
They will make captives of their captors
and rule over their oppressors.
Ephesians 2:1-19
Made Alive in Christ
1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
One in Christ
11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men)— 12 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. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household,
Footnotes:
a. Ephesians 2:3 Or our
No comments:
Post a Comment