A Chosen People.

A chosen people. Romans 11:11-24.

I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness! Romans 11:11-12 (NKJV)

Still to this day, Jesus has become a stumbling block for the Jews and many fall over the gospel when preached to them. To those Jews who stumble, they see the gospel of Jesus Christ offered to the gentiles and it provokes them. They are the ancestors of Abraham that hold the promise that they would be the people of God and to understand that Gentiles are invited in is, to them, an apostasy.

The Apostle Paul speaks to why God would do this in an attempt to explain that it is not an apostasy and that in God's foreknowledge He knew the hearts of His people. God knew that they had tendencies to be stiff necked and would reject change. God knew what it would take to get them to pay attention and therefore God provokes them to jealousy by offering the salvation they rejected to the Gentiles. This was an act of kindness to the Jew, for God loves His people, the Jews.

One thing that both groups can agree on is that God is love. Just as He loved the Gentile nation of Nineveh and sent Jonah to warn of the pending judgment, God loves all people. Through the Jews, their refusal of Jesus opened the door for God to offer escape to more Gentiles from another pending judgment.

A trip and a fall is no great reason to rejoice; however in this event, God made a way for them to glory. Paul offers them the logic that if through their refusal of Christ, great riches have come to the Gentiles and through this God has increased His kingdom. Now if this be so, how much greater will it be for a Jew to accept Jesus and become involved in this magnificent event. It is the icing on the cake and one that would bring God greater glory.

Therefore, to our Jewish friends, why would you not run to Christ when such great reward awaits you? You can bring great pleasure to God and receive to yourself special blessings, special opportunities, and much honor from God. Like the story of the prodigal son, the Father will run to you and shower you with blessings that you would not feel worthy to have. The Jew is a chosen individual and the recipient of much promise; however, they cannot receive the promise with a stiff neck.

For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them. For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? Romans 11:13-15 (NKJV)

Even in writing of this devotional Bible study, for the most part, it is written to Gentile Christians. There are few readers of Jewish decent; so like Paul's message, the material produced is intended to reach to the Jew in hopes to reunite them with God and that they can know Him as a Father. The message must be passed on and it is brought to you to do so.

Some Jews see Christians as being proud and arrogant; yet this message is designed not to declare the Gentiles as better, but to reach to them with love from God's heart.

To think of the Jew as rebellious is an ignorant perception. Jewish people are very careful people and have been charged by God with great responsibility to be the oracles of God. They are to pass down their scriptures and traditions from generation to generation; training up their children in the way they should go, so that when they are grown they will not depart from them.

Yet the concept of God's continued work must be presented to them with honor and every Christian must tread lightly; carefully considering the person they share Christ with.

Many Christians share Christ without concern for others; if they are rejected they still walk away with their own salvation and the loss of the other, to them, becomes just another loss. This is treading on hallowed ground and when dealing with God's people, can be very arrogant. This is no doubt why Jews acts as they do when around a Christian. That is why the gospel must be shared in love.

For if the first fruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. Romans 11:16-18 (NKJV)

The Jews are a people chosen by God and God's work is always perfect; God does not fail. God's initial work was with Jews; they are His people and God will continue His work with them until the end of time. Therefore, knowing this it is important that Gentile Christians recognize that God is the tree, the Jews the branches, and Gentiles have only been grafted into the tree.

Christians become stiff necked themselves as they are taught to speak like, act like, and consider themselves God's great work; however, the work was started before Christianity began. Gentiles have only been offered to come and participate.

You will say then, "Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in." Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? Romans 11:19-24 (NKJV)

Being invited into the work of the Lord is a great privilege and something not to be taken for granted. Even Christ taught that God is the gardener, overseeing the vines and those that do not produce fruit will be cut off and thrown into the fire. In this Christ warns of the careful approach we must all take. If He did not spare His own, how much more would He spare Gentile Christians? Gentile Christians must produce fruit or each grafted in branch that does not produce fruit will be cut off. This takes tender loving care to ensure the branch stays healthy for never will a diseased branch be left to spread disease to the tree.