Day 18: Has God rejected the Jews?

I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. – Romans 11:1 ESV

Some of today is adapted from an interview with Joy Irwin Schtakleff.

Many people believe that God rejected Israel because they rejected Christ. Then He chose the church as His covenant people in place of Israel because they received Christ. They believe that as God’s sole covenant people, the church is now the sole possessor of the covenant promises that God transferred over from Israel. This is called Replacement Theology, meaning that the church superseded or replaced Israel as God’s covenant people.

Many Jews are blinded to knowing who their Messiah is and that He came to earth and died, although it is exciting to see how many Jews are coming to believe in Yeshua. I heard recently that about a million Jews have come to Christ. Many Gentiles are also blinded to the truth that Jews are still God’s covenant people, His chosen people. God has not changed His mind about His promises to them. Yes, God loves each of us, but He has a special place in His heart for the Jews and Israel.

A pastor told a Jewish friend of mine when she spoke at his church, “I’m so glad you found our Jesus.” She replied, “I’m so glad the Father let you in on the covenant.” Many Christians don’t understand that we are the ones who have been invited into God’s covenant with Israel. We want them to find their Messiah, but He is not “our Jesus.” Jesus is the Jewish Messiah spoken of throughout the Old Testament and came initially to the Jews.

Many Gentiles don’t understand these truths and think Jews need to become Christians. We often don’t recognize that we are joined to Israel, not the other way around. We have been grafted into God’s family. When we understand these truths, it changes our whole biblical perspective.

The Apostle Paul responded four times to the question of whether God has rejected Israel by declaring emphatically, “May it never be!”

Two of the problems of believing that Christians have replaced the Jews are:

• It misrepresents God, making us believe that He breaks His promises. If God broke His promises to the Jews in the Old Testament, then what can we believe in Scripture?
• Instead of provoking Israel to jealousy like the church is meant to do (see Romans 11:11), anti-Semitism has resulted and instead, we have provoked Jews to be repulsed at the thought of Jesus being their Messiah.

Meditate on and study the following verses:

• As you read each one, ask yourself if God has rejected Israel.
• Write down what God is saying to you through each verse.

Romans 11:1a (TLV): “I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be!”

Romans 11:11–15 (TLV): “I say then, they [the Jews] did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! … If their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?”

• What does God say about the Jews through the Apostle Paul in this passage?
• What does He say about Gentiles?
• How can our coming to salvation make the Jews jealous?
• The Jews’ rejection of their Messiah, Yeshua, cleared the way for the Church Age, during which God is bringing Gentiles into His family.
• I am so grateful that God allowed Gentiles to become part of His family, to know we have salvation and hope for the future. How about you?

A prayer to pray

God, thank You that You have not rejected Your people, the Jews, even though it has appeared so to some. Yes, they sinned and You had to send them away from the land You promised them for a time, but You have not rejected them forever. I’m so grateful that because of their sins, Gentiles have an opportunity to be saved. If their sins brought so much blessing to Gentiles, their acceptance of You, Yeshua, will be just like life from the dead! Thank You for making a way for me to have a relationship with You forever.

Prayer points for today

• Ask God how you can provoke Jews to jealousy. Romans 11:11 (ESV): “So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous.”
• Ask God to bring Jews into your life, whether they already know their Messiah or not.
• Pray for any Jewish people you know or any that are in your city or state.

An action to take

Share with a Jewish friend that you know that God chose the Jews to be His people. You might apologize for how Christians have treated them in the past. Tell them you know that God loves them and that you love and honor them.