June 6: I’m seeing how the people of God experienced both God’s goodness and His severity because of His covenant relationship with them. As Tevye in “The Fiddler on the Roof” says, “I know we’re your chosen people, but once in a while, couldn’t you choose someone else?” And yet, it is this very covenant relationship by which God has obligated Himself to show them mercy when they meet certain conditions and call on His name. This track record of God’s with Israel is what we base our trust in Him upon, and also take instruction on the importance of the conditions. David saw the honor in the love of the son for him, and the TRUE King would have loved him for the sake of His Son. And yet, Saul does still picture God in a way, for Jonathan did experience Saul’s wrath for David’s sake. Israel has experienced a judgment that the Gentiles’ fulness may come in. Even the church has been appointed to persecution, suffering and affliction for His sake—just not, thankfully, the wrath of God. (1 Thessalonians 5:9) And God’s patient endurance as HE (Acts 9:4) is persecuted is the means that many are saved, (2 Peter 3:15).
2 Samuel 1: David composed a dirge for Saul and Jonathan to honor them in death. What new king ever honors the legacy of another dynasty? Yet David’s admiration for Jonathan and even Saul, is genuine, and he does not want the Philistines to exult in their death. David’s lament over Jonathan especially is touching: “the love of women” was likely taken for granted at that time and the honored relationship between the crown prince of Israel and a young man from a humble family was a great signal of God’s grace to David. We, likewise, should treasure the love of the Son of the King for us greatly.
Psalm 107:1-22: Why is there calamity and affliction upon the nation of God’s people? Sometimes it’s “because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High” (Psalm 107:11). Sometimes it’s, “because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities” (Psalm 107:17). For someone in this condition not to seek the Lord through His word is like a starving man who despises any kind of food—would His word not heal them? (vv. 18-20) May God give us eyes to see His hand whenever it is part of our troubles, and a heart to cry out to Him, then praise Him for saving us from our distress.
Romans 11:1-24: To answer the question, “What is going to happen to God’s chosen people?” then, Paul provides the following encouragements:
- He himself is Jewish, from the tribe of Benjamin
- Elijah felt as if he was the only one following God, but there were at least 7,000 with him
- The Church at this time was mostly Jewish, the remnant of Israel according to grace
- It’s happened before in times of God’s judgment (his reference is to Isaiah 29:10, in which future judgment on complacent Israel is warned, and David’s imprecation on his enemies in Psalm 69:22-23)
- But is God’s purpose the utter fall of Israel? Not at all, but a way to bring the Gentiles to Christ, and provoke the Jews to jealousy at what God is doing through them
- We await a future regrafting of the "natural branches"
Does the olive tree analogy mean that everyone who trusts Christ has become Israel? Given the distinction that Paul has maintained throughout this discussion, how could it? As recently as Romans 9:7, Paul acknowledged that not all of the seed of Abraham are called children of Abraham; the reverse is true as well. He’s father of many nations, including the one called a “chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people” (1 Peter 2:9). It’s likely that the “root” is meant to be Christ Himself, and the “olive tree” is meant to be Abraham. It’s the natural branches that are Israel.
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