2000-11-25 - God's Command to His Church

Messiah: His Final Call to Israel, Part 14

In the past 13 devotionals, we have covered a few luminous mountain peaks in Israel's history, along with prophecy about just how "real peace" will come to the war-torn Nation of Israel. This week I would like to open up a new segment of our "Final Call Series." These next few weeks we will look at God's Command to His Church to present the Gospel to Israel. For a few weeks, we will be presenting a number of passages of Scripture that hopefully will explain clearly what the role of the Church is in regard to giving the Gospel to Israel. At the very end of our devotional this week, I will list the Scriptures that in weeks to come will become our devotional subject material. Whenever anyone attempts to proclaim the Gospel in any way to the Jews, they often resent the thought, saying that they do not wish to be "missionized." Being missionized to the Jews, therefore, is synonymous with preaching the Gospel to them.

The principal reason which the Jews present in support of their contention is that they are not heathen. Moreover, they say that when the Gentiles were bowing down to sticks and stones in worship, their ancestors had the revelation of God and were custodians of the true worship and service of the Almighty. They therefore tell the missionaries that they had better convert their own people and teach them to practice the morals and ethics of Jesus, and let the Jews alone.

No right-thinking, unbiased person who knows the facts in the case would ever think or state that the Jews are an ignorant, heathen people. The Jewish race as an ethnic group stands, figuratively speaking, head and shoulders above all other peoples. This position is proved by the fact that the Jews have made a contribution to the civilization of the world far in excess of their numbers. All well informed people know that the Jews stand foremost in the ranks of the sciences, professions, educational world, philanthropy, and general culture.

Why then go to the expense and trouble of presenting the Gospel to a people, highly-educated and cultured, when they do not want it --AND -- even thrust it from them? Is it kind to disturb a people by telling them what they do not want to hear -- especially since they have been taught that Jesus was not their Messiah and that the New Testament is a collection of forged documents written, as is often asserted, to bolster up the false claims of Christianity.

Three courses of reasoning answer this question. In the first place, all Scriptures -- both the Old and the New Testaments--testify that man is in a lost spiritual condition. For a classic passage dealing with this subject, see Romans chapter 1 through chapter 3 verse 20. Romans Chapter 1 shows that all the Gentiles are lost; Romans Chapter 2 shows the lost condition of the Jews. Romans 3:1-20 summarizes the evidence which proves that both Jews and Gentiles are lost and alienated from God. The conscience of every man confirms the scriptural testimony that all are lost. In the second place, the Gospel message is the revelation of God's scheme of redemption which meets man's spiritual condition and prepares him spiritually for time and for eternity. In the third place, God commands His people who know Him through the Lord Jesus Christ to give the message of redemption to all men--especially to His ancient people Israel. Next week we will dig deeper into God's Command to His Church. "Hereby we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and do his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." (I John 5:2-3). Until then Shalom Shalu Yerushalom (Pray for the peace of Jerusalem).

Isaiah 40:1-2 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. ² Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem; and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she hath received of Jehovah’s hand double for all her sins.

Isaiah 52:7-10 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation, that saith unto Zion, "Thy God reigneth!" The voice of thy watchmen! They lift up the voice. Together do they sing, for they shall see eye to eye, when Jehovah returneth to Zion. Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem; for Jehovah hath comforted his people. He hath redeemed Jerusalem. Jehovah hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Isaiah 57:14 And he will say, "Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way; take up the stumbling-block out of the way of my people."

Isaiah 62:1-12 For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her righteousness go forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burneth. And the nations shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory, and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of Jehovah shall name. Thou shalt also be a crown of beauty in the hand of Jehovah, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah; for Jehovah delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee; and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee. I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that are Jehovah’s remembrancers, take ye no rest, and give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth. Jehovah hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, "Surely I will no more give thy grain to be food for thine enemies; and foreigners shall not drink thy new wine, for which thou hast labored." But they that have garnered it shall eat it, and praise Jehovah; and they that have gathered it shall drink it in the courts of my sanctuary. Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people. Cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones. Lift up an ensign for the peoples. Behold, Jehovah hath proclaimed  unto the end of the earth, "Say ye to the daughter of Zion: Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him." And they shall call them The Holy People, The redeemed of Jehovah: and thou shalt be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.

Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, "all authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."

Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth -- to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is revealed a righteousness of God from faith unto faith: as it is written, "but the righteous shall live by faith."

In His Service,
Rick & Sandy

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http://www.cfdevotionals.org