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It is understood that as Believers, having been saved by grace through the atoning blood of Yeshua (Jesus), that we have an obligation to share that Good News with others that God puts in our path. This is often a bit unnerving especially for new Believers, but also for many long time Believers as well.
Most of us swallow our fear, take a step out in faith, and obey the Lords commandment to “go forth” and spread the Gospel! Unfortunately, when it come to sharing with Jewish friends, neighbors and relatives, our legs turn to rubber and our spine to
jelly, and we become intimidated and fearful. As the result, untold Jews never hear that Yeshua is their Messiah who became their final attonement for sin. This is something that we, as Believers, need to confront and deal with, for many reasons, not the least of which is because the Scriptures command us to. Today I would like to talk about “WHY” we must share the Gospel with the Jews!
There is an amazing prophecy in Deuteronomy
32:21, where God is angry at Israel because of
their sin, and says this: “They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have
provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation”.
This gives new meaning to the words of Saul of Tarsus (the Apostle Paul) when he said, “For I would not brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery . . . that blindness is part has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.” (Romans 11:25) and again in Romans 10:19 when he continued with this - “But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will
provoke you to jealousy by they that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you”.
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This begs the question, why did God blind his Chosen People to the truth of their own Messiah? Paul explains it this way, “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”.
Are those of us who are gentile Believers grasping what the Scriptures are saying here? Gentiles believe on the Lord Jesus (Yeshua) and are saved by His atoning work on the tree, because of the blinding of His people, Israel. God in His wisdom knew that there was a “middle wall of partition” between Jew and gentile, and if the Jews accepted Messiah Jesus, Gentiles never would!
God doesn’t stop there! Paul continued with this, “For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: Even so have these also now not believed, so that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy”. (Romans 11:30-31)
It is the obligation of every Gentile that believes on the God of Israel and His Messiah, Yeshua, to bring the “Good News” to the Jews, so that they may also obtain mercy.
Let me close with this! In Romans 11:25, Paul said that the Jews would be blinded UNTIL the “times of the Gentiles be come in”! The spiritual
blindness of Israel is not a permanent condition, and God is not through with them yet!
The “Time of the Gentiles” will be fulfilled at the beginning of the 7-year period called the “Time of Jacob’s Troubles”, commonly referred to as the “Tribulation”, which most students of scripture believe is about to take place, when God again will turn His focus and dealing back to the nation of Israel.
Let me encourage you to be bold in the faith, and follows God’s instructions to bring the gospel “to the Jew first, and also to the Greek (gentile).
by Ron Cusano,
Shiloh Ministries
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