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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 Jehovahs 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 Zions sake will I not hold my
peace, and for Jerusalems 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 Jehovahs 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
liv4yeshua@aol.com
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