Israel's Time-out

Most of us can remember time-out, or being "grounded".  Are there any "perfect children" out there?
No, I didn't think so, lol!  Our parents, at some time or other, took away some of the privileges of "sonship", due to our disobedience.

We are in Romans 11 today, a chapter in which Paul is describing how God has done this with the nation of Israel.  He has set the Jewish race aside during this present Gentile age.  Why did God do this?  Because of their refusal of Jesus Christ and His gospel. Because of their refusal to believe (11:20).   (More about God's "why" later...)

Does this mean that God has permanently abandoned His chosen people?  Absolutely not! As Paul says in verse 29:  "The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable."  God is keeping His promises to His chosen people, although it may not look that way to a casual observer.  And, in vs. 11 we read that they did not stumble and fall permanently.  So, God is now, in this present day, saving a remnant of Jews (vs. 5).  But the majority of them have been blinded spiritually, experiencing a partial hardening of their hearts toward salvation through Jesus Christ.

25 For I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: A partial hardening has happened to Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.

Paul calls this a "mystery", a μυστήριον, in the Greek.   When we read, "show you a mystery" in the New Testament, we need to understand that the phrase is better translated "tell you a secret".  In other words, these "mysteries" are God giving some new revelation that He had previously kept to Himself.1

This brings us to the rest of God's "why" about hardening the hearts of the Jewish people.  He did it so that Gentiles would be evangelized and "grafted in" to the tree of salvation.  (I wrote about this in a previous post: "I'm a Wild Olive Branch, How About You?"  You can read it here: http://resplendentdaughter.blogspot.com/2014/08/good-morning-ezra-8-begins-by-listing.html )

Does that mean that He makes it impossible for Jewish people to be saved?  NO!  God's hardening does, however, make it more difficult.  Paul warns us Gentiles to not let this situation make us "conceited" over what God is doing in the lives of the Jews.  Instead, it should make us grateful, that salvation was extended to us Gentiles at all!

This explains why it is so difficult to witness to a person of Jewish heritage/faith.  Of all people in this present Church age to come to Jesus Christ, Jews find it the most difficult.  So close, but yet so far!  Interestingly, when those of Jewish heritage DO come to Jesus Christ, I truly believe that they "get it the most right" of any of the Christian sects, because they "marry" the beautiful feasts of Judaism with their salvation through grace, in Jesus Christ.  They are able then to see most clearly how God has revealed Himself over the eons, in one continuous glory.

If this idea of God hardening the hearts of the Jews (or of anybody else, for that matter) bothers you, come back tomorrow.  We'll explore this conundrum in more depth, as well as looking at how Israel will be once again be returned to the preeminent position.

Father, first of all, I acknowledge that my understanding is limited.  I'm just grateful that You choose to reveal Yourself to us humans at all.  We are not meant to understand everything.  You have had a magnificent plan all along.  Thank you for allowing us to learn the minutest portion of the mysteries, the secrets of Your heart.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Source:

http://doctrine.org/pauls-mystery/