Revealing the Mystery

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Romans 11:25-36

 

Romans 11:25

Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers:^[a] a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 

(ESV)

 

In my younger years, I liked reading Mysteries, mainly Sherlock Holmes mysteries. I found myself intrigued by trying to solve the mystery based on the evidence gathered by Mr. Holmes. In Romans 11:25, the Apostle Paul speaks of a mystery, the mystery of the fullness of the Gentiles. The text of Romans 11:25-36 provides an understanding of this mystery and how it impacts both Jews and Gentiles.

 

A hardness of the heart happened in Israel and opened a door of mercy through which God provides salvation to the Gentiles (Romans 11:25). This hardness of the heart has the purpose of bringing Israel to Salvation (Isaiah 59:20-21; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Psalm 14:7; Romans 11:26-27). However, this does not mean the Gentiles have replaced the Jews due to the Jew's rejection of Jesus because the promises of God are irrevocable (Romans 11:28-29). The Jews and Gentiles both have a heritage of disobedience to God with a merciful God providing a path of salvation for both Jews and Gentiles (Romans 11:30-32).

 

The mystery of the time of the Gentiles demonstrates the dept of the richness, wisdom, and knowledge of God one can find in the Word of God. It also demonstrates the unsearchable judgments and inscrutable ways of God (Romans 11:33). Paul then quotes Jeremiah 23:18, asking who has sought the counsel of God from His Word and listened (Romans 11:34). Paul asks who has given a gift to God that could repay to God for his gift of salvation (Job 41:1-11; Romans 11:35). Paul then gives glory to God for all things come from and through God (Romans 11:36).                                                                                                

 

The mystery of the time of the Gentiles involves a pause in God’s timeline with Israel. After the destruction of Jerusalem by Rome in 70 AD Israel ceased to exist as a nation till 1948. During this period, the Church which began in Acts 2 spread the message of the Gospel throughout the world. This is what Paul referred to as the time of the Gentiles, also known as the Church age. The fullness of the time of the Gentiles will occur when Jesus catches up (raptures) those believing in Jesus as their Savior to meet Him in the air (Revelation 4:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). After this event, the Jews will experience a time of great tribulation and after the desecration of the new Temple at the mid-point of the tribulation period (Daniel 9:27) realize the Antichrist is not their Messiah. Those studying Eschatology, or the end times believe many Jews will believe the desolator of the Temple (The Antichrist) is their messiah only to discover the deception they fell for after the desecration of the Temple. This will lead to national repentance by Israel with God extending them His mercy.

 

The Church still exists in the time of the Gentiles with a mission of spreading the message of the Gospel and making disciples for Christ (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20). However, looking at the current state of the world, it is not a stretch to believe the time of the Gentiles is nearing an end (Luke 12:54-56). Therefore, the Church must have a sense of urgency, taking the Gospel message of Salvation to as many people as possible before the Church is caught up to meet the Lord. While Churches may have differing interpretations of Scripture, they must unite around the mission of spreading the Gospel and making disciples.

 

I now want to extend an invitation to all reading this that have never asked Jesus to be their Lord and Savior, by praying with me,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

May God challenge and bless everyone reading this post. 

The Consequences of Separation from God

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Jeremiah 44:1-30

 

Ephesians 6:12

 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

(ESV)

 

The expected red wave in the November 8, 2022 election did not materialize but the U.S. House of Representatives did shift from Democrat control to Republican, making it possible to halt the out-of-control spending contributing to high inflation in the U.S. While this is good news for the U.S. economy, the closeness of the election indicates a divisiveness in the culture. Politically this divisiveness is a division between the Democrat and Republican governing philosophies, spiritually there is a division between Godliness and ungodliness, a battle not with flesh and blood but a battle with principalities and powers in high places (Ephesians 6:12). This battle cannot be fought with conventional weapons but spiritual weapons (Ephesians 6:13-18), weapons only accessible through drawing close to God and not separating from God.

 

A remnant of Jews in Judah decided to move to Egypt to seek safety from the Babylonian occupiers of Judah. This goes against the Word of the Lord issued by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 42:7-17). In Jeremiah 44:1-30, we see that the remnant in Egypt has decided to separate from the worship of the one true God and worship the queen of heaven when in Egypt (Jeremiah 44:17). While those choosing to worship the queen of heaven believe this will return them to the prosperity they enjoyed in Egypt, it is exactly what led to the exile (Jeremiah 44:20-21). The consequences of this decision to separate from the worship of God to the worship of the false God of the queen of heaven will have the dire consequence of death by the sword and famine (Jeremiah 44:11-14).

 

Despite this additional warning from the Lord, the remnant in Egypt continues their path of separation from the worship of God and continue their worship of the queen of heaven (Jeremiah 44:15-19). The queen of heaven possibly refers to the goddess Ishtar, Astarte, or Ashtoreth a near eastern goddess of fertility. (1) It is separation from God that led to Israel and Judah’s exile and the remnant in Egypt is destined to suffer a worse fate, death by the sword, famine, and pestilence for their separation from the worship of God (Jeremiah 44:11-14). The moral of the story is that one should run to God and not from Him in times of trouble.

 

The remnant returning to Egypt from Judah have decided to worship the queen of heaven, following in the footsteps of their ancestors (Jeremiah 44:15-17). To justify their decision, they fall for the deception that the consequence of their situation is due to stopping the worship of foreign gods, forgetting that their situation is due to the worship of other gods and the separation of themselves from God, resulting in their exile. God explicitly commanded His people to only worship Him (Exodus 20:1-3) reminding them that He was the one who delivered them from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 20:2). However, the remnant from Judah going to Egypt is seeking safety and security by returning to Egypt instead of returning to God.

 

We live in unprecedented times. While the overturning of Roe v. Wade returned the decision on legalizing abortion over to the states, the debate remains with the lives of the innocent unborn in the balance. Traditional marriage is under attack, replaced with gay marriage with churches under pressure to perform gay weddings. Businesses are under pressure to cater to the LGPTQ community to avoid legal action and negative comments in media and social media. Even the creation of God which God declared as good (Genesis 1:10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31) questioned with people born with one gender claiming God made a mistake and they should be the other gender.

 

The Church has a choice to make. Does it essentially return to Egypt by reaching out to individuals falling for these deceptions, accepting their behavior, or remain true to God by standing against these ungodly lifestyles, lovingly pointing the individuals involved in these lifestyles to Christ? The Church at Laodicea is an example of a Church preoccupied with its wealth and prosperity instead of with Jesus Christ, a lukewarm Church (Revelation 3:14-22). While Revelation 3:20 is used to evangelize people, in the context of Revelation 3:14-22, it indicates Jesus is outside this Church wanting to come in and not involved in the Church.

 

In contrast, the Church at Philadelphia is a Church not spewed out of the Lord’s mouth because of its lukewarmness but instead commended for its good works and provided an open door despite its little power (Revelation 3:7-13). Even though this Church had little power, it stayed true to the word of God and promised escape from the hour of trial coming upon the world (Revelation 3:8-10). The mission of the Church is not a mission of compromising with the world to attract them into becoming involved with the Church but a mission of staying true to the Word of God and pointing people to a loving God who sent His Son to die for their sins (John 3:16-18; Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20; Revelation 3:8). If you are reading this and have never asked Jesus to forgive your sins and be your Savior, I invite you to do so now by praying with me,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

May God challenge and bless everyone reading this post.

 

1. Mariana, Tota. Who is the Queen of Heaven in Jeremiah 7:18; 44:17-19; 44:25. The Marian Blogger. [Online] July 23, 2019. [Cited: November 19, 2022.] https://themarianblogger.wordpress.com/2019/07/23/who-is-the-queen-of-heaven-in-jeremiah-718-4417-19-4425/.

Not Replacement, Grafting

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Romans 11:1-24

 

Romans 11:1

I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham,^[a] a member of the tribe of Benjamin.

(ESV)

 

In the previous chapter of Romans, Scripture established that salvation from sin was for all (Romans 10). In Romans 11:1-24, Paul deals with the belief that God has rejected the Jews because they rejected Jesus and God replaced them with the Church. Such a belief would go against the availability of salvation to all with Paul’s teaching in this section pointing out that God has not rejected the Jews and replaced them with the Gentiles but has instead extended salvation to Jews and Gentiles through Christ. Jew and Gentile can be grafted to the root of Christ through belief in Jesus as Lord.

 

Paul begins this text by asking the question of whether God has rejected the Jews and answering the question with an emphatic no citing his being a believer and a Jew (Romans 11:1). The text elaborates further by looking at the example of Elijah who believed he was the only one left in Israel that followed God (Romans 11:2-3). God responds to Elijah by telling him of the existence of a remnant in Israel of seven thousand who had not bowed in worship to Baal (Romans 11:4). Paul then brings the narrative back to his time, letting the reader know there is a remnant of grace, including himself, among the Jews during his time (Romans 11:5). However, if this is a remnant of grace, it is no longer based upon one’s works for that would make grace unnecessary (Romans 11:6).

 

Paul then asks another question, if Israel has failed to obtain what it was seeking with the elect remnant receiving it with the others hardened (Romans 11:7). God has deafened and blinded his people spiritually, with them wandering in a state of spiritual stupor that was still present in the time of Paul writing the book of Romans (Deuteronomy 29:4; Isaiah 29:10; Romans 11:8). David also stated that their table had become a snare, trap, stumbling block, and retribution for them with their eyes darkened so they cannot see (Psalm 69:22-23; Romans 11:9-10). When Jesus entered the Temple and overturned the tables, he told them He was doing it because they had turned His Father’s House into a den of thieves (Matthew 21:12-13).

 

The stumbling of the Jews over Jesus has the benefit of bringing salvation to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous (Romans 11:11). If the trespass of this stumbling over Jesus brings the riches of salvation to the world, how much more will the Jews full inclusion mean (Romans 11:12). Paul then gives insight into the purpose of his ministry to bring the Gospel message to the Gentiles to save some of his fellow Jews by making them jealous (Romans 11:13-14). Paul then states that the Jews rejection of Jesus, bringing salvation to the Gentiles brings reconciliation to God for the world. Jewish acceptance after their rejection will mean resurrection from the dead (Romans 11:15). If the dough, Jesus, is holy so is the whole lump of those connected to the dough of first fruits, the rood that is holy with any branch connected to the root also holy (Romans 11:16).

 

Paul then cautions Gentiles not to become arrogant toward the Jewish branches that have broken off from the root, Jesus, due to their rejection of Him as Messiah because it is not the branches that nourish the root but the rood nourishing the branches (Romans 11:17-18). Gentiles believing in Jesus are grafted onto the root, Jesus, through grace with no reason to boast (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 11:19-20). Pride can lead to God rejecting the newly grafted branches just like the Jews were rejected for their rejection of Christ (Romans 11:21). God is both severe and kind, severe to both Jews and Gentiles who have fallen through rejection of Christ or arrogance in Christ, and kind to those continuing in grace (Romans 11:22). Those branches that have broken off from the root can be grafted back in if they choose to believe (Romans 11:23). If God chose to graft in wild branches, Gentiles, why would he not regraft in the natural branches, Jews, choosing to believe in Jesus as their Messiah (Romans 11:24).

 

In Romans 10:5-21, Scripture determined that the message of salvation was for all. For God to reject the Jews without providing a chance for salvation would mean the Jews were not included in salvation for all. We know God cannot lie so even though the Jews have disconnected from the root of God’s salvation through their rejection of Jesus Christ as their Messiah, they can still come back to God through repentance, something the nation of Israel has done many times in their history. There is therefore no such thing as replacement theology, the belief that the Church has replaced the Jews in God’s plan, but instead, there is an opportunity for all to reconcile with God by accepting Jesus as their savior. This is how anyone, Jew or Gentile, grafts their wild sinful branch (Romans 3:23) onto the root of salvation, Jesus Christ.

 

This opportunity to reconcile with God is available to all because it is a gift from God according to His grace or unmerited favor (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 6:23). One receives this gift by confessing with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believing in their heart that God raised Jesus from the Dead. If you are reading this and have not confessed Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, I invite you to do so by praying with me,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

No matter your nationality, your gender, your race, or what you have done in your life, the mercy and grace of God has now saved you from your sins if you just prayed with belief in Jesus as your resurrected Lord. I encourage all that just prayed to find a local Church teaching the Bible and become involved to begin the study of the Word of God and association with other believers. I also encourage you to let someone know about your decision, especially anyone you know who has been praying for you. May God challenge and bless everyone reading this post.