Has God forgotten about Israel?  In these verses, there is underlying tension as Paul is speaking to the ethnic Jews, whom God has used throughout history as a part of God’s unfolding redemptive plan.  Ethnic Israel rejected the Messiah, and many of the laws, ceremonies, and traditions that the Jews held pointed to and were fulfilled by Jesus Christ and his work on the cross.  With that said, God has not absolutely rejected all Jews, and Paul himself, as a Jew, was an example of this.  He was seen persecuting the church and not seeking salvation in Jesus Christ alone, but God saw fit to invade Paul’s life and call him to himself, and he will do the same to a multitude in the future.  We must come alongside Israel and preach the Gospel as we must to all others.   

 

Scripture: Isaiah 65:13-16, Romans 10:16-11:10