God Doesn’t Disown Or Forget His Kids

Romans 11:9-15

One of my bosses and I went on a service call near Durango, Colorado. The directions were somewhat confusing, but at least some of them included road numbers, and we were pretty sure we were in the right area, but the since we were in a forested area, one instruction seemed a little unclear. We were to turn right just past the tree in the road. Our cell phones were not getting a good signal and we were unable to call for clarification, so we continued driving down the road, hoping we hadn’t passed it.

Suddenly, we came to a place where the road divided, passing on both sides of a large pine tree, and rejoined on the other side. The tree was literally ‘in’ the road. Just beyond it was a road going to the right. There was no longer any question as to where we needed to turn. Experience made a the instructions clear.

Sometimes children do not understand what is going on until they actually experience what they have been taught. Parents and schools can expend vast effort trying to teach, but many people only learn by repeatedly making the same mistake. The prodigal son was one of these. Losing his money didn’t stop him. He continued living as much the same lifestyle as he could until he reached the point of starvation before admitting it wasn’t working. His lusts almost killed him.

By letting him go, and not sending food when he needed it, his father sounds cruel, but had he sent help, the young man would probably never been forced to consider his state and would have continued until his activities totally destroyed him. Parents need to let children have bad experiences and make mistakes when they are young so they learn that there are natural consequences for their actions. God has done exactly that with Israel.

“And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompense unto them: Let their eyes be darkened that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.” (Romans 11:9-10)

The very things Israel was most proud of, their traditions and heritage, became the thing keeping them away from God’s blessings. God instructed Israel to build the Tabernacle and use it to worship God. The Ark of the Covenant represented God’s throne in heaven, and was where the atonement sacrifice was offered to God. Unfortunately, Israel began to worship the Ark, rather than God. I Samuel 4 describes them as trusting the Ark to fight for them. They were horrified when God allowed it to be captured, believing God had been taken away. It was more than twenty years before they fully recognized God as God and the Ark was restored to it’s proper place. Israel made the same mistake, worshipping the law and their traditions, rather than God himself.

“I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?” (Romans 11:11-12)

In spite of their worshipping their traditions and the law instead of God, he has not forgotten his promises to Abraham. Because of their worship of their heritage and the law, They persecuted the Christians who didn’t worship it. This led to many Christians being driven out and preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, or non Jews. Envy of God’s blessings caused the Jews to stir up riots in city after city in the book of Acts.

The prodigal son’s older brother felt cheated that he’d never had such a feast thrown for himself despite all his obedience and never having turned away. His father reminded him that the younger was still his son in spite of his rebellion. While they were celebrating his brother’s return, and sharing with him, everything the father had belonged to the older son. The younger had already got his cut. There was no reason to be jealous of him. We who serve God during the period before Israel turns to God are in the position of the older brother, experiencing life with God day by day, and guaranteed the rewards at the end. The Jews turning back and being blessed is just a reminder of how much better we are blessed.

“For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?” (Romans 11:13-15)

That God would still remember Israel and keep his promise to them reinforces his our confidence that he will keep his promise to us. While the struggle may seem hard now, we can be like Paul in II Timothy 1:12. “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” He’s not going to forget about us and our effort when the time comes.

We need to approach everything we do as something we are doing for the Lord. Is it something he would want us to do? How would he want it done? Colossians 3:23-24 commands, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”