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A Hardening

Words of Faith Final

A Hardening
Words of Faith 11-1-2021
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2021
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Romans 11
[25] I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. [26] And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
"The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. [27] And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins."

Sometimes we just forget the most basic thing-- God is in charge.
As we deal with the sometimes thorny issues between Jews and Gentiles, we often forget that God is the judge and God is in charge. Paul offers to let the Gentile believer in on a little secret. It is important to understand this truth so that the Gentile believer will not become conceited.
It would be quite easy, because of the enormous acceptance of the Gospel of Christ in the Gentile world, for the Gentile church to somehow think they had "done better" or even "replaced" Israel as the "chosen people." Such theology has abounded through the centuries, but this "conceit" could not be further from the truth. Here is the secret, the mystery that Paul wants to make clear. What we see is part of a larger plan that God has in mind. "Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in."
The "hardening" of Israel is both partial and temporary, and it is not without purpose. Apparently, we live in what might be called a "church age" that specifically fulfills God's plan to reach all the nations (Gentiles) of the earth with the Good News of Christ. God has allowed the temporary hardening of Israel specifically so that this would take place.
How long will this age go on? God has in mind a "full number" of Gentiles that shall come into His Kingdom; then, at a time known only to Him, He will institute events leading to the coming of the Lord.
The statement, "All Israel will be saved," is confusing. This does not mean that every Jew will be saved or even that every Jew living at the time of Christ's return will be regenerated. Many will not be saved, as seen by the fact that the judgment of Israel, to follow soon after the Lord's return, will include the removal of rebels (Ezek. 20:34-38). Following this judgment, God will remove godlessness and sin from the nation as He establishes His New Covenant to regenerate Israel (Jer. 31:33-34). Paul does point to the fact that a large enough number of Jews to be called "Israel" will come to regeneration through Christ.
What is not confusing is the fact that Israel figures prominently in God's plan. "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins." In the last days, a great number of Jewish people will turn to Jesus as Messiah.
It is estimated that more Jewish people have turned to Jesus in the past few decades than in all the previous centuries combined. With the establishment of Israel as a nation in 1948, it appears that prophetic events are coming to pass. Of one thing we can be sure, God is in charge.

Lord, I pray in expectant hope for Your return. Use me to fulfill Your Great Commission. Use me as you fulfill the number of the Gentiles. Use me to reach out to Israel. Just use me. In Jesus' name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2021
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2021 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.