Page 21 - Why Israel?

WHY ISRAEL 15
the tree but have been “grafted in” by God to become a living part of it. Paul’s warning to Gentiles is sharp and still applies to Christians today:
“Do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arro- gant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, ‘Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in’” (ROMANS 11:18-19).
Reminding Gentiles that they were previously “strangers to the covenants of promise” (Ephesians 2:12), Paul warns them against thinking that the original branches, the Jewish people, were no longer part of their own tree!
Paul distinguishes between Israel and the church in the ref- erenced passage. He clarifies that even though the Jewish people have been judiciously blinded to the knowledge of the Gospel, “from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:7-8; 28b-29).
Christians should never look down upon the Jewish people as inferior or insignificant to God. Instead, the Bible is clear that Christians should look upon the Jewish people with gratitude and mercy because of the legacy they have provided!
Remember, the Jewish people have given us our Holy Scriptures, written almost entirely by Jewish authors who were inspired by the Holy Spirit. They have given us our Messiah, who was a Jewish rabbi living in the land of Israel. Therefore, Christians owe a debt of gratitude and a wealth of love to the Jewish people for their contributions to the roots of our faith!
Sadly, Christians have largely ignored the warning against
Christians owe a debt of gratitude and a wealth of love to the Jewish people for their contributions to the roots of our faith!