◄ What Does Romans 11:12 Mean? ►

The Church has not replaced Israel and God has not finished with His chosen people. Should anyone doubt this truth, they should familiarise themselves with three chapters in Romans where Paul details their past history (chapter 9), their present position (chapter 10), and God's future plans for His people (chapter 11).

Due to pride and disobedience, Israel were set aside for a season. Because they rejected their Messiah and because of their unbelief and apostate ways, God's promised kingdom of peace and prosperity on earth was postponed.

However, Israel's terrible loss became a glorious gain for the Gentiles, for by His grace He redeemed believing men and women from every nation and language, every kindred and tribe.

The nation of Israel may have broken their covenant with God, rejected their Messiah, and failed to complete in the good work that God had prepared them to do, but their sinful lack and foolish rebellion meant that the rest of the world received great blessings: "Their stumbling brings untold wealth for the world, and their failure, riches for the Gentiles."

The Law of Moses, the Psalms of David, and the prophetic writings of holy men of God, had painted a clear and exciting picture of Jesus, their long-awaited Messiah. He was to come as their anointed King in fulfilment of God's redemptive plan for mankind. But Israel had wandered far from the Lord. They chased after foreign gods and sadly they missed the day of their visitation, which angered the Lord and caused Him to punish His disobedient people and set them aside, for a season.

Israel still has a spirit of slumber and are blind, in part, which has continued throughout the entire Church age. Because of their unbelief, God gave His errant nation a spirit of stupor, with ears that were deaf to His voice and eyes that were unable to see the truth of the glorious gospel of God. This was not to be a permanent impediment, but would prove to be a stumbling block to those who would not believe on His name.

The spirit of stupor would be a prolonged period during the 'dispensation of grace' when God would call out of the Gentiles a people for His name. Blindness in part is to continue to the end of the Church age, when all Christians will be removed at the Rapture and at long last, Israel will be reinstated as God's witness on earth, and the gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world.

Not all Israel received this shocking spirit of slumber. Only those who rejected Him as their God and Saviour had blinded eyes and deafened ears. But as Paul pointed out: "IF Israel’s stumbling brought such wealth for the world, and their failure produced riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full number bring?" How much greater will be the blessings and abundant riches for the Gentiles, when the nation of Israel finally recognises Jesus as Lord and welcomes Him as their Messiah and King?

Heavenly Father, thank You that Your plan of redemption was not thwarted by Israel's rejection of their Messiah, but through their stumbling and failure, so much blessing and hope has been spread abroad to the Gentiles. I pray for the day when Israel recognises the Lord Jesus and receives Him as their Messiah. Thank You that it is not Your will that any should perish, but that Jew and Gentile alike, should come to repentance and be saved. In Jesus' name, AMEN.