Blessed Hope Bible-Presbyterian Church
500 Upper Bukit Timah Rd, Singapore 678106
There is a general rejection of the gospel by the Jewish people. Like the Apostle Paul before his conversion, the Jews are enemies of the gospel. It is sad to see this. Because the Jews rejected the gospel, God opened the way for the gospel to be given to the Gentiles.
God’s promise to Israel is that He shall through the Messiah will bring salvation in their latter days. Jesus Christ, will return to save Israel and establish His rule from Jerusalem. He shall purge all iniquity from Israel.
When Jesus Christ returns, He shall defeat the Antichrist at the Battle of Armageddon to save Israel from total annihilation. At that time, the whole nation will receive Jesus Christ as their long-awaited Messiah. This will be at the end of the 7 Year Tribulation commonly called the Great Tribulation.
Perhaps God is showing mankind the impossibility of prosperous self-government without God. Man’s existence has been plagued with violence, destruction and war till now with no solution of true peace in sight. The nations of the world will appreciate the time better when God will bound Satan and God in Christ will physically rule the earth during the millennium. This will be the true golden age for Israel as true representatives of God. The time when Israel will fulfil their God-given role. This role of pointing the nations of the world to worship the living and true God, Creator of heaven and earth. While God is allowing time for Gentile conversion, may we be up and about the gospel work. Amen.
The period of Israel’s blindness is the window that God allows for the evangelization of the nations of the world. This window for Gentile or world mission is highlighted in the Book of Acts with the conversion of the Roman centurion called Cornelius. This inauguration of world mission is recorded herein in Acts 10:
Acts 10:34-35 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
Israel is privileged by her national spiritual heritage. Before Israel returned to the land on 14 May 1948, the Hebrew Scriptures were sought to revive the use of the Hebrew language. In it is hidden the treasure of Israel’s spiritual heritage. Until today, the Hebrew Scriptures remain in the hands of God’s people in Israel. If they would come to the Scriptures, they would find the Christ of the Scriptures. Salvation is not far for God’s chosen people.
We see the father looking out for the son to return. When he saw the son, he welcomed him home with open arms. Jesus said If you have a need, call to your Father in heaven and He will supply your every need. An earthly father will do good to his son what more our heavenly Father. He urges us to pray, call upon the Lord for help.
The Apostle Paul presents the history of Israel as an object lesson for the Christian church. When Israel abide with Him, they prospered. We see this in the reign of David and the early part of the reign of Solomon. When Solomon began to wander away from God’s law to multiply wives and gold and horses, God caused the kingdom of Israel to be rent into two after Solomon’s death. In the Northern Kingdom, there were no good kings. The king led the people astray in the worship of other gods. God judged the Northern Kingdom severely in 722 B.C. The Assyrians came and destroyed the kingdom. There was no recovery for the North Kingdom after that. Likewise, the Southern Kingdom was judged by God through the hand of the Babylonians in 586 B.C. There was a remnant God preserved that still experienced God’s goodness and good hand protecting and prospering them.
When Israel departed from God, they were lovingly wooed to come back to God. In Israel’s history, God sent many prophets especially during the time of Israel’s divided kingdom to rebuke and reproof their waywardness. God sent afflictions their way especially by way of famines and foreign invaders to arrest their attention to come back to Him.
Only Joshua and Caleb from that generation of men did enter the Promised Land, the rest perished in the wilderness because of their unbelief. Joshua and Caleb from a young age followed the Lord wholly. Humility and the fear of God characterised their lives setting for us good example of men who by faith served God, receiving God’s blessing at the end of their lives. Amen.