The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Micah 5:3,
"Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites."
This morning I am thinking about "the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites."
Here is a question we all should be able to answer: we are told that the Jews are God's "chosen people." Why are they God's chosen people?
If you are stuck on that, here is the answer: the Jews are the descendants of Abraham. God determined he wanted a people he would engage the world through, a people he would launch his program of redemption through to build his kingdom, a people through whom he would use to produce the Scriptures and entrust to, a people through whom he would send his Son into the world. In short, God's agenda in this life is to build his kingdom and many of the things he does in this life he does for that very purpose. Why the descendants of Abraham? Because Abraham was a man of the kind of faith God looks for in each one of us. Abraham is the model, he is the prototype, he is the example of faith. In quoting Genesis 15:6, Paul tells us, "Yet he [Abraham] did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why 'it was credited to him as righteousness.'" Romans 4:20.
God wants us all to look to Abraham to understand the kind of faith he looks for, the kind of faith he has chosen as the principle to determine who will enter his family. As such God entered into a covenant with Abraham, that he would bless his descendants with the inheritance he has in store for those he has chosen for himself (all who follow in the footsteps of the faith of Abraham.)
As we learn in Romans 4:11b, "So then, he [Abraham] is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised [the Gentiles], in order that righteousness might be credited to them. And he is then also the father of the circumcised [the Jews] who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised." The offspring of Abraham are not simply physical descendants, but all those chosen by God because they emulate the faith of Abraham, "In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring." Romans 9:8.
God's family is comprised of both Jews and Gentiles based on the faith Abraham modeled for all mankind. as we read in Ephesians 3:4-6, "In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus."
While some consider the "rest of his brothers" that return to join the Israelites in Micah 5:3 to be a rejoining of the various tribes of Israel together following their judgment from God, an argument can be made that those who return to join the Israelites is a reference to the God-fearing Gentiles who place their faith in Jesus Christ to join Jews who have done the very same thing. I am reminded of Paul's reference to Hosea in Romans 9:25-26, "As he says in Hosea: 'I will call them "my people" who are not my people; and I will call her "my loved one" who is not my loved one,' and, 'In the very place where it was said to them, "You are not my people," there they will be called "children of the living God."'"
The nation of Israel holds the status as God's chosen people. God is not done with Israel and has his plans for the nation. Much of the prophecy of end times, the things that we are awaiting, are based on God's interaction with the nation of Israel. At some time Israel, as a nation, will embrace Jesus Christ as her Messiah, "I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written: 'The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins." Romans 9:25-27.
How wonderful that God has made a place in his family for all peoples of the world! Yes, the Jews are God's chosen people, but much greater yet is that he has opened his family to include all who will embrace him in faith. May we all do so!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
"Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites."
This morning I am thinking about "the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites."
Here is a question we all should be able to answer: we are told that the Jews are God's "chosen people." Why are they God's chosen people?
If you are stuck on that, here is the answer: the Jews are the descendants of Abraham. God determined he wanted a people he would engage the world through, a people he would launch his program of redemption through to build his kingdom, a people through whom he would use to produce the Scriptures and entrust to, a people through whom he would send his Son into the world. In short, God's agenda in this life is to build his kingdom and many of the things he does in this life he does for that very purpose. Why the descendants of Abraham? Because Abraham was a man of the kind of faith God looks for in each one of us. Abraham is the model, he is the prototype, he is the example of faith. In quoting Genesis 15:6, Paul tells us, "Yet he [Abraham] did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why 'it was credited to him as righteousness.'" Romans 4:20.
God wants us all to look to Abraham to understand the kind of faith he looks for, the kind of faith he has chosen as the principle to determine who will enter his family. As such God entered into a covenant with Abraham, that he would bless his descendants with the inheritance he has in store for those he has chosen for himself (all who follow in the footsteps of the faith of Abraham.)
As we learn in Romans 4:11b, "So then, he [Abraham] is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised [the Gentiles], in order that righteousness might be credited to them. And he is then also the father of the circumcised [the Jews] who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised." The offspring of Abraham are not simply physical descendants, but all those chosen by God because they emulate the faith of Abraham, "In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring." Romans 9:8.
God's family is comprised of both Jews and Gentiles based on the faith Abraham modeled for all mankind. as we read in Ephesians 3:4-6, "In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus."
While some consider the "rest of his brothers" that return to join the Israelites in Micah 5:3 to be a rejoining of the various tribes of Israel together following their judgment from God, an argument can be made that those who return to join the Israelites is a reference to the God-fearing Gentiles who place their faith in Jesus Christ to join Jews who have done the very same thing. I am reminded of Paul's reference to Hosea in Romans 9:25-26, "As he says in Hosea: 'I will call them "my people" who are not my people; and I will call her "my loved one" who is not my loved one,' and, 'In the very place where it was said to them, "You are not my people," there they will be called "children of the living God."'"
The nation of Israel holds the status as God's chosen people. God is not done with Israel and has his plans for the nation. Much of the prophecy of end times, the things that we are awaiting, are based on God's interaction with the nation of Israel. At some time Israel, as a nation, will embrace Jesus Christ as her Messiah, "I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written: 'The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins." Romans 9:25-27.
How wonderful that God has made a place in his family for all peoples of the world! Yes, the Jews are God's chosen people, but much greater yet is that he has opened his family to include all who will embrace him in faith. May we all do so!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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