Chapter 44
A LESSON FROM ISRAEL
Matthew 13:10-17
Dear Heavenly Father, Almighty God,
We come before You in the Name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Holy Father please open our eyes, our ears and our heart so we can truly see, hear and understand Your Word and what You are teaching us. Please remove from us whatever unbelief or skepticism we may have that is hindering us from whole heartily trusting and relying upon You and Your Son, Jesus Christ.
Amen
Since this study and the previous one are closely tied together, let us refresh our memories with,
A QUICK REVIEW
To do this we begin by reading the question Jesus’ disciples asked after Jesus presented the parable of the soils. Their question is recorded in,
Matthew 13:10
"[10] The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?""
Jesus' response to their question is recorded in,
Matthew 13:11-17
"[11] He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. [12] Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. [13] This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. [14] In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. [15] For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.' [16] But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. [17] For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."
Within Jesus' response we discovered two major teachings:
1. The opening of the eyes and ears of Jesus' disciples.
2. The closing of the eyes and ears of Israel.
In our previous study (Chapter 43) we found the following four great secrets or mysteries that God has now revealed to us.
1. God’s plan and purpose.
2. The mystery of God, namely Jesus Christ.
3. Christ is in the born again believer.
4. The mystery of the resurrection.
With this review as background let us now explore the second major teaching which is the closing of the eyes and ears of Israel.
INTRODUCTION
We begin by rereading what our Lord and Savior said to His disciples after they asked Him why He spoke in parables. This time we go to,
Mark 4:10-12
"[10] When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. [11] He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables [12] so that, "'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'""
Let us notice the following verses,
11a ... The secret or mystery of the Kingdom of God was and is given to Jesus’ disciples.
11b ... However, to those who are not His disciples these mysteries are given in parables. The reason Jesus did this is given in verse 12.
12 ... so that, "'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!"
To expand upon this we will,
1. Read some of the events and circumstances during Israel's exodus from Egypt that prompted God, through Moses, to make a similar statement.
2. Review Isaiah’s prophecy and the conditions under which it was given.
3. Review some of the attitudes that many of the Israelite's had that prompted Jesus Christ to quote Isaiah’s prophecy.
4. Read the warning or message our Lord has for us; today.
With this introduction in mind we begin with,
A QUICK REVIEW OF ISRAEL'S EXODUS FROM EGYPT
While dwelling in Egypt for approximately 400 years,
THE ISRAELITES CALLED UPON GOD TO DELIVER THEM FROM THEIR BONDAGE
To refresh our memories let us read from,
Exodus 2:23-25
"[23] During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. [24] God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. [25] So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them."
In response to Israel's pleading,
GOD SENT MOSES TO SET THEM FREE
God's commission to Moses is recorded in,
Exodus 3:7-10
"[7] The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. [8] So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey--the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. [9] And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. [10] So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.""
To reveal to Pharaoh, the Egyptians and the children of Israel that He is God and that the nation of Israel was to be released from their bondage,
GOD PERFORMED MANY MIRACULOUS SIGNS
As an example, let us read about the plague of locusts.
Exodus 10:1-6
"[1] Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these miraculous signs of mine among them [2] that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the LORD." [3] So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, "This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: 'How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me. [4] If you refuse to let them go, I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow. [5] They will cover the face of the ground so that it cannot be seen. They will devour what little you have left after the hail, including every tree that is growing in your fields. [6] They will fill your houses and those of all your officials and all the Egyptians--something neither your fathers nor your forefathers have ever seen from the day they settled in this land till now.'" Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh."
Let us notice the following verses,
1 ... To perform miraculous signs, God hardened Pharaoh's heart.
2 ... So the Israelites would know that He is Lord, these signs were to be taught to the Israelite’s children and grandchildren.
Even though God performed many miraculous signs, such as the plague of locusts, it was not until the death of the Egyptians' first born did Pharaoh release the Israelites from their bondage.
However, once Pharaoh realized that the Israelites left their homes and were walking out of Egypt, Pharaoh had another change of heart. Instead of keeping his word, he sent his army to destroy them.
Thus, the completion of Israel's deliverance was,
THE MIRACULOUS PASSAGE THROUGH THE RED SEA
To refresh our memories we go to,
Exodus 14:21-31
"[21] Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, [22] and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. [23] The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. [24] During the last watch of the night the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. [25] He made the wheels of their chariots come off so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, "Let's get away from the Israelites! The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt." [26] Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen." [27] Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the LORD swept them into the sea. [28] The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen--the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived. [29] But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. [30] That day the LORD saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. [31] And when the Israelites saw the great power the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant."
Let us notice the following verse,
31 ... After seeing what happened, the Israelites feared the Lord and placed their trust in Him and His servant Moses.
Unfortunately, this fear, belief and trust in God was short lived. During their journey to the promised land the Israelites lost faith and trust in God to care for them. Consequently,
ISRAEL CONTINUOUSLY COMPLAINED ABOUT THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES
For example,
At Marah they complained about the lack of water
We find this by reading from,
Exodus 15:22-25a
"[22] Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. [23] When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) [24] So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What are we to drink?" [25] Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. ..."
We also find that,
Israel complained about the lack of food
This time not only did the Israelites lose faith and trust in God to provide for their needs, they actually felt God led them into the desert to starve them to death. This is recorded in,
Exodus 16:1-3
"[1] The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. [2] In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. [3] The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the Lord's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.""
In spite of the moaning and complaining God remained faithful to the children of Israel. During their journey He encouraged, helped and cared for them. Approximately 2 years after they left Egypt, God brought Israel to the land He promised to give them. Before they were to take possession of the land,
SOME MEN WERE SENT TO EXPLORE THE PROMISED LAND
This is recorded in,
Numbers 13:1-3
"[1] The LORD said to Moses, [2] "Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders." [3] So at the Lord's command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of the Israelites."
After 40 days, the men returned with the following report,
Numbers 13:26-30
"[26] They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. [27] They gave Moses this account: "We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. [28] But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. [29] The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan." [30] Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.""
Let us notice the following verses,
27 ... The spies verified that the land was indeed very fruitful.
28-29 ... They also reported the powerful fortifications of the various cities and the powerful people who lived there.
30 ... It was only Caleb who maintained faith and trust in God.
Unfortunately, none of the other Israelites shared Caleb's faith. Hence,
THE ISRAELITES WERE AFRAID AND REFUSED TO TAKE POSSESSION OF THEIR GOD GIVEN LAND
To read what happened let us go to,
Numbers 13:31-14:4
"[31] But the men who had gone up with him said, "We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are." [32] And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, "The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. [33] We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.""
[14:1] "That night all the people of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. [2] All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, "If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert! [3] Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn't it be better for us to go back to Egypt?" [4] And they said to each other, "We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.""
God's response to the people’s lack of faith and trust is recorded in,
Numbers 14:10b-12
"[10] ... Then the glory of the LORD appeared at the Tent of Meeting to all the Israelites. [11] The LORD said to Moses, "How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them? [12] I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they.""
After hearing what God said, Moses interceded for the people of Israel. After listening to Moses' prayer, God said that this entire generation, except for Caleb, was to perish in the desert. To read what God said we go to,
Numbers 14:20-24
"[20] The LORD replied, "I have forgiven them, as you asked. [21] Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the LORD fills the whole earth, [22] not one of the men who saw my glory and the miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the desert but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times-- [23] not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it. [24] But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it."
After 40 years of wandering in the wilderness the older generation of Israel's exodus had perished. To prepare the new, younger generation for their entry into the Promised Land, Moses gave them council for their conduct and behavior. For this study we will only read the following introduction from Moses dissertation with respect to God’s dealing with Israel.
Deuteronomy 29:2-4
"[2] Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them: Your eyes have seen all that the LORD did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials and to all his land. [3] With your own eyes you saw those great trials, those miraculous signs and great wonders. [4] But to this day the LORD has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear."
Let us notice the following verse,
4 … All the years prior to the end of their wanderings, God closed their minds, ears and eyes of that disobedient generation.
"Why go through all this history?" The answer is because,
THESE THINGS HAVE BEEN GIVEN AS EXAMPLES FOR US
To see this truth let us read,
1 Corinthians 10:1-12
"[1] For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. [2] They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. [3] They all ate the same spiritual food [4] and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. [5] Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. [6] Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. [7] Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry." [8] We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did--and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. [9] We should not test the Lord, as some of them did--and were killed by snakes. [10] And do not grumble, as some of them did--and were killed by the destroying angel. [11] These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. [12] So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!"
THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY
The message the God gave Isaiah to speak to the children of Israel was the same message Jesus quoted to His disciples. To read it we go to,
Isaiah 6:9-10
"[9] He said, "Go and tell this people: "'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.' [10] Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.""
This raises the question of: "Why?" The answer is embedded within the explanation God gave Jeremiah as to why He was sending Nebuchadnezzar to capture Jerusalem and relocate them in Babylon. This is recorded in,
Jeremiah 5:1-13
""[1] Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through her squares. If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city. [2] Although they say, 'As surely as the LORD lives,' still they are swearing falsely." [3] O LORD, do not your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain; you crushed them, but they refused correction. They made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent. [4] I thought, "These are only the poor; they are foolish, for they do not know the way of the LORD, the requirements of their God. [5] So I will go to the leaders and speak to them; surely they know the way of the LORD, the requirements of their God." But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds. [6] Therefore a lion from the forest will attack them, a wolf from the desert will ravage them, a leopard will lie in wait near their towns to tear to pieces any who venture out, for their rebellion is great and their backslidings many. [7] "Why should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken me and sworn by gods that are not gods. I supplied all their needs, yet they committed adultery and thronged to the houses of prostitutes. [8] They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for another man's wife. [9] Should I not punish them for this?" declares the LORD. "Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this? [10] "Go through her vineyards and ravage them, but do not destroy them completely. Strip off her branches, for these people do not belong to the LORD. [11] The house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to me," declares the LORD. [12] They have lied about the LORD; they said, "He will do nothing! No harm will come to us; we will never see sword or famine. [13] The prophets are but wind and the word is not in them; so let what they say be done to them.""
Let us notice the following verses,
1-2 ... The Lord told Jeremiah to go throughout Jerusalem to see if he could find a man who deals honestly and seeks after truth.
3 ...Even though the Lord tried, through various difficulties and hardships to get their attention, the Israelites refused to accept His correction.
4-5a ... Jeremiah thought that the elders of Israel had known the ways of the Lord. Therefore, Jeremiah told God he could reason with them to return to the Him and His ways.
5b ... Unfortunately, even the elders had broken away from the Lord.
7-9 ... The Lord revealed to Jeremiah the many and various ways through which the people of Judah turned away from Him.
12-13 ... The elders along with the people lied about teaching and believing God would not bring judgment upon them.
Thus, as it was throughout their exodus from Egypt, so it was prior to the Babylonian invasion of Judah. Consequently, as the Lord did not give the people, eyes, ears and a heart to understand the mysteries of His Kingdom throughout their wanderings in the wilderness, He again withheld this blessing prior to their Babylonian captivity.
The third portion of our study is to explore the attitudes that prevailed,
AT THE TIME OF CHRIST
To save the children of Israel and us from our sins, Jesus Christ physically came to the nation of Israel. However, as we read at the start of this study, He spoke to the Israelites in parables. Let us recall that when His disciples asked as to why He did this, Jesus gave them the same words that Moses gave to the Israelites and the same words Isaiah gave prior to their captivity in Babylon. To refresh our memories we go to,
John 12:39-40
"[39] For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: [40] "He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn--and I would heal them.""
The question arises as to: "Why?" To find out we will explore four of the prevailing attitudes Jesus found within many of the Israelites. This also included many of the elders or leadership.
The first prevailing attitude was that,
THEY THOUGHT ETERNAL LIFE CAME FROM KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES
Many of the elders and people were not willing to accept the fact that the Scriptures were given to lead them to their Lord and Savior. In other words, instead of believing and trusting in their Lord to grant them eternal life, they thought deliverance from their sins and eternal life came by trying to follow and adhere to all of the Scriptures’ laws and regulations. To read what Jesus said about this attitude let us read from,
John 5:39-40
"[39] You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, [40] yet you refuse to come to me to have life."
In other words, instead of trusting in their Lord and Savior,
They Trusted in their own abilities to be able to comply with the Law
The Holy Spirit clearly exposes this deceptive belief in,
Romans 9:30-33
"[30] What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; [31] but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. [32] Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone." [33] As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.""
Let us notice the following verse,
33 ... The rock many of the Israelites stumbled over was their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
The second attitude Jesus found was that,
THE PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THE LEADERSHIP, LOVED TO RECEIVE HONOR AND PRAISE FROM EACH ANOTHER
Instead of seeking after the honor and praise that comes from God, they sought after honor and praise from men. To see this we go to,
John 5:41-44
""[41] I do not accept praise from men, [42] but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. [43] I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. [44] How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?"
This desire to be liked and praised by their fellow man was so strong that even those who believed in Jesus would not confess Him. This is recorded in,
John 12:42-43
"[42] Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; [43] for they loved praise from men more than praise from God."
An outgrowth of this desire was the third attitude Jesus found and is,
THEY ALSO SOUGHT AFTER POSITIONS OF HONOR
They did this by seeking after special places, positions and wearing special clothing. Jesus’ view of this attitude is provided to us in,
Luke 20:45-47
"[45] While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, [46] "Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. [47] They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.""
In addition to the above, the fourth attitude Jesus found was that,
THE ISRAELITES AND ESPECIALLY THE LEADERSHIP LOVED MONEY
To see this let us read what Jesus once said to the Pharisees about their love for money, the means to purchase the physical pleasures of this world. To do this let us go to,
Luke 16:13-15
""[13] No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." [14] The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. [15] He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight."
Their love for money was so consuming that many of the elders and scribes set up businesses within the Temple courts. To read what Jesus did and said, we go to,
John 2:12-16
"[12] After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days. [13] When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. [14] In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. [15] So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. [16] To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!""
With all that we have covered, one can conclude that,
The Hearts of Many Israelites were far From God
In fact, this is precisely what Jesus said when He identified the Pharisees, scribes and elders to be hypocrites. This is recorded in,
Mark 7:6
"[6] He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me."
This brings us to,
THE MESSAGE - OUR INSTRUCTION
To read it, we go to,
Romans 11:1-36
[1] I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. [2] God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, [3] “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”? [4] But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” [5] Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. [6] And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
This raises the following question that is recorded in,
[7] What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. [8] Just as it is written:
“God has given them a spirit of stupor,
Eyes that they should not see
And ears that they should not hear,
To this very day.”
[9] And David says:
“Let their table become a snare and a trap,
A stumbling block and a recompense to them.
[10] Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see, And bow down their back always.”
[11] 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. [12] Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness! [13] For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, [14] if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them. [15] For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? [16] For if the first fruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. [17] 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, [18] do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.
We now come to a warning to not become arrogant about our relationship with God. To read this warning we move on to,
[19] You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” [20] Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear.
Hence, the importance of faith
To expand upon the necessity for true faith in God we go to,
Hebrews 11:6
[6] But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
To continue to read the warning for us to not become arrogant about our relationship with God, we go to,
[21] For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. [22] 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. [23] And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. [24] 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?
Let us now read the explanation of this mystery,
[25] For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. [26] And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
“The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
[27] For this is My covenant with them. When I take away their sins.”
[28] Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. [29] For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. [30] For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, [31] even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. [32] For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.
Blessed be the Lord forever,
Amen and Amen