Israel’s Blindness

This mystery is at the end of a parenthetical clause found in Romans chapter 11. This parenthetical clause is composed of chapters 9 through 11 dealing with Israel’s past, presents and future, with chapter 12 picking up the rest of the teaching from the end of chapter 8. Paul starts in chapter ten laying the ground work for the introduction for God's having blinded the eyes and ears of Israel to their Messiah and their none acceptance of Him and the offer of His kingdom. The letter starts with how God sees humanity in various stages and then brings in the explanation of Christ’s finished work of the cross. In chapter sixteen we have what appears to be an additional letter added, this letter also has a mystery mentioned at the end of it, which is able to establish us according to the Gospel of Jesus Christ which is received by revelation of Christ's resurrection and a greater experiencing of the Spiritual life. It is from this that we'll be drawing from for the rest of our outline of Paul's mysteries revealed.

Paul in his ministry letter to the Romans: in the first five chapters; from chapter one verse eighteen through to verse thirty-two reveals how God sees the immoral man. In chapter two verse one through verse sixteen; God reveals how He sees the moral man, then in verse seventeen through chapter three verse twenty; God reveals how He sees the religious man. From chapter three verse twenty one through chapter five verse five we find God's imputed right-wise-ness to man kind. The rest is teaching in the ways of righteousness through redemption and salvation.

Then Paul changes directions in chapter three in verse nineteen through verse twenty-six where He tells us not to have doubt as Israel did. In these verses He reveals the sanctification, justification, and righteousness that all receive when they put their hope and faith in Christ’s resurrection or the finished work of the cross.

Paul over lapses this action of God from chapter three verse twenty-six on through chapter four verse nine, to strengthen his and our foundation as contained in the finished work of the cross of Christ and our being in Christ in God’s mystical power of grace, the “It is finished” of Jesus’ flesh being put to death and mans sin problem done with forever. The secret of our being identified (conjoined) in Christ in His selfless action of love by allowing man to put Him to death on that tree and the taking of the wrath and punishment due us because of the action of Adam and his putting to death the Christ of God that he (Adam, humanity held at the first) contained in himself as a divine being. Christ as the second Adam, that is the incarnate one in humanities flesh putting sin to death for all who would come to faith in this revelation and carry themselves as dead to the lust of the old man of flesh. He offers redemption in His blood unto regeneration of mans spirit to newness of life or quickened from the dead that the natural man still lives in. Which even the truly born a new person still contains in the flesh or the outward man as the new spiritual man of the heart will learn to keep in subjection. By putting the desires or lusts of the flesh to death daily as they raise their ugly head in his flesh. This is known as crucifying the flesh or taking up the cross of Christ daily.

Then in chapter four verse one through chapter five verse five Paul reveals our righteousness in Christ in God when we by faith acquire or accept the truth of God’s working for us and in us for His good pleasure our total redemption by sanctification. It required our being sanctified from the death and sin nature by our being conjoined to Jesus Christ as at the first when He went to the cross and put the commandment, first given to Adam (found in Genesis 2:16) , this commandment has carried through all generations of human kind. It is something that no man in any works done by the flesh could or would accomplish, for if we could we would have somewhat to boast about before God and this we can not do, because God has done it all for us when we by His Faith receive it. This was a sovereign working of God and was His plan, held in secret from before the foundation of the world, a mystery now revealed to those who are in Christ Jesus as Paul was the chief of this line or group. What is meant is that there was not a hint of this plan in the Old Testament though the prophets searched for the meaning of the secret but were unable to find the key to unlock its meaning. Even John the revelator was told to eat the book, Daniel was told to close the book because it was not for his time and understanding.

Then in chapter five verse six, (this reveals the laws power and Paul’s and our struggle with its hold) is the crucifying of the old Adam nature in our flesh, through to the end of this chapter. Then chapter six through chapter eight Paul opens up our understanding on what he had covered again to strengthen our faith and the work which God accomplished in the flesh of Christ, those men who gain the wisdom of God contained in Christ and revealed in them. Chapter eight reveals in verses fourteen through seventeen what many call “the Romans road to salvation.” However the plan of our salvation can better be seen in 1 Corinthians 15: 1-8.

Then chapters nine, ten, and eleven are dealing with Israel’s past, present, and future. Then in chapter eleven verse twenty-fifth revealing Israel’s blindness or hardness of heart.(*) From the first verse foreword Paul is explaining the error of Israel and why God laid aside the promised glory that Israel is to some day have. The purpose is for the benefit of the gentiles and their entry into God’s Gospel of Grace, because of Israel’s doubting of God which is unbelief and their failure to accept Jesus as the nations promised Messiah and King.

Chapter twelve picks up where Paul left off at the end of chapter eight with more of his teaching on the grace of God which is now available to all, that is to both Jew and Gentile on a level playing field, and is practical living for all.

Chapter sixteen is another letter written to Phoebe which ends in verse twenty-four with what we’d call a P.S. added where Paul adds another mystery, the fact that the gospel of grace revealed here a hidden secret of Christ’s resurrection as it was written in the scriptures and prophets and is now made manifest to all the nations in faith to obedience of faith. This gospel has power to establish all by the preaching of Christ Jesus’ finished works. This mystery will be covered later in another paper, but here we’ll be looking at Israel’s blindness or hardness of heart which started when Moses brought them out of Egypt and has carried all the way up to this vary day. In the process we find a similar blindness mentioned which applies to both Israel and the nations or Gentiles, we’ll look at this in a second paper as this can be a vary long study other wise.

(*) Remember that Israel as a nation was lead by Priests that the Lord called false teachers, wolves, liars and whited sepulcher which appears beautiful outwardly but inwardly are full of dead mans bones and all uncleanness. These men taught lies and sowed doubt which is unbelief by reasoning’s, which are the works of the devil. That is why Paul’s letter to the Hebrews is a letter of persuasion to come out of a works gospel and a works mentality into a faith in God, a changing of the Hebrews thinking pattern and to a love of your neighbor working which is an obedience of faith in both love and grace.

(1) God does not want the Body of Christ ignorant of His plan as Israel was at the Lords first advent. He wants us to know the secrets and have complete knowledge of them, being able to teach others and to edify the Body of Christ with the reality of the truth. To be able to strengthen each other to stand all the wilds of the adversary in his attempts to draw us away from our faith in Christ’s finished works and our being IN Him as one. And with our hope held steadfast in glory and our promise of eternal life with God in Christ.

Paul in the verses before this is showing by the use of illustration the olive tree (Christ is the trunk of this tree) with branches grafted in from a wild olive tree. (this being the gentiles) In chapters seven and eight he deals with the law and the fact that Israel was under the Law of Moses or that which God had given to him. (It made no room for forgiveness or charity.) That the gentiles were under the first commandment given to man in Adam and that all humanity is required to die to this law of sin and death, this law of commandment was first spoken to man in Genesis 2:16-17, they (the gentiles) were not nor had they any part of Israel’s Law. Then in another place he tells us that Jesus took the requirements of both laws to the cross and nailed them there in the sin filled flesh of man, by His being fashioned in mans flesh. Jesus tells us in the synoptic gospels that He was the gate and the door through which it is required to enter the new birth by death to the sin nature. As Jesus acted in His own free will obedience to death we are by our own free will required to yield our hellish wills to the Father and see ourselves on the cross of Christ in death to the evils of the flesh. Thereby willing to do His Will, and breaking the chains of bondage to sin and death, slaves to Satan’s rule held in the flesh of natural man.

Israel when she rejected the kingdom of heaven that had been promised to her by the stoning of Stephen in Acts chapters 6 and 7 and when Stephen said that “he see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing by the right hand of the throne of God” (verse 56). Stephen used the phrase that Jesus used to describe Himself during His ministry on earth, to the nation of Israel primarily. This was the phrase used by the prophets to describe the coming Messiah and is found in Ezekiel primarily. Now we’ll be looking at Israel’s partial hardening or blindness caused by its sin of unbelief. This blindness is to cause Israel to become jealous of the gentiles because of God’s love being shown them and their acceptance as heirs and joint heirs of Christ in the kingdom of God through grace.

Unlike other studies where written outlines are used and this being electronic we’ll dispense with the usual “now turn to page or chapter and verse so and so” for this study and all those to follow.
Now our base scripture of study:

Rom 11:25-32
Lest you be wise in your own sight, I want you to understand this mystery; a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. In this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, and he will banish ungodliness from Jacob; and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” As regards the gospel, they are enemies of God for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy (the gift of God) because of their disobedience (unbelief), so they too have now been disobedient(in unbelief) in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

Before we get into our study let me present to you another translation of this same passage of scripture, this is taken from the Weymouth 1912 New Testament:

Rom 11:25-32 For there is a truth, brethren, not revealed hitherto, of which I do not wish to leave you in ignorance, for fear you should attribute superior wisdom to yourselves (speaking of the gentile believers)--the truth, I mean, that partial blindness has fallen upon Israel until the great mass of the Gentiles have come in; and so all Israel will be saved. As is declared in Scripture, "FROM MOUNT ZION A DELIVERER WILL COME: HE WILL REMOVE ALL UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB; AND THIS SHALL BE MY COVENANT WITH THEM; WHEN I HAVE TAKEN AWAY THEIR SINS." (The Jewishness of unbelief and the crucifying of Him) In relation to the Good News, the Jews are God's enemies for your sakes; but in relation to God's choice they are dearly loved for the sake of their forefathers. For God does not repent of His free gifts nor of His call; but just as you were formerly disobedient to Him, but now have received mercy at a time when they are disobedient, so now they also have been disobedient at a time when you are receiving mercy; so that to them too there may now be mercy. For God has locked up all in the prison of unbelief, that upon all alike He may have mercy.

Now to getting to the rest of the story we need to start with the beginning, but first some terms to clear up the meaning of.

wise in your own sight: This in the King James Version and others is translated “I would not have you ignorant of” means the following: “ as if you alone were in all time coming to be the family of God” this is to prevent self-conceit on the part of the Gentiles who have believed. They had no merit in themselves.
Ignorant this is taken from Webster’s 1828 Dictionary

IG'NORANT, a. [L. ignorans.] Destitute of knowledge; uninstructed or uninformed; untaught; unenlightened. A man may be ignorant of the law, or of any art or science. He may be ignorant of his own rights, or of the rights of others.

1. Unknown; undiscovered; a poetical use; as ignorant concealment.

2. Unacquainted with.

Ignorant of guilt, I fear not shame.

3. Unskillfully made or done. [Not legitimate.]

Poor ignorant baubles.

IG'NORANT, n. A person untaught or uninformed; one unlettered or unskilled.
In the dispensations and epochs of God for it is in these that we learn God’s character and nature.

Did I for this take pains to teach our zealous ignorants to preach?

a partial hardening: Or blindness to the spiritual things of God, as a nation is this blindness spoken of, the individual is still able to receive salvation, until: This is a time word, there remains a day when this blindness will be removed form the nation of Israel that day is known as the Day of the Lord at which time the lawless one will be revealed and Jacobs vexation starts. God picks up where He left off in dealing with Israel’s unbelief and mingling with the nations, this is known as the tribulation period of seven years duration.

the fullness of the Gentiles has come in: The gentiles and any individual Jew, who has taken himself out of his Jewish traditions, will be taken out of here when this fullness is completed, the mystical Body of Christ, the one new man. I say former Hebrew because to be a member of the Body of Christ the individual Hebrew looses or is required to give up his heritage of traditions both of man and the Leviticus Law with its ordinances these are abandoned as Christ nailed them to the cross in His flesh. They were for mans fleshly nature and for Israel only as a tutor until Christ. Christ is the end of what is known as the Old Testament in fact from Matthew through Acts 8 &9 is where God changes His “mod of operation” dispensation of dealing only with Israel.

they are enemies of God: We find that Paul was all the time being flowed by his own country-men or religious zealots who caused trouble for him and his new converts to the Gospel of God’s Grace. This can be found in Galatians chapter 2:4-6; “Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in---who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery--- to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. From those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)--those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me.” (See also John 8:31-32, 36; Acts 15:1, 24-26; 2 Corinthians 11:24-27 and others) This is Paul’s account of the meeting with his Hebrew counter parts in Jerusalem as found in Acts 15.

Many are ignorant of the common usage of words in the Koine’ Greek from 300 BC to 300 AD the time of our Lord and Paul’s writings. When the usage of a word was determined on its placement and application, with a prefix or suffix consisting of long or short sounds marking placed on certain letters, in the structure of a sentence though they did not have a structured sentence as we have today. We have refined their usage patterns to come up with what we have now, ie they had no punctuation just hard or soft letter (groupings of) sounds. For this reason the Bible’s usage or word applications may be different than what we understand them to be in meaning.

Israel’s Blindness
Rom. 11:25-32

As regards the gospel
Rom 11:1-2 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel?

Now a point needs to be made here as Paul uses the terms of argument heard in the Temple among the priests. They would start by saying something like: I’m of the tribe of Levi or Benjamin; just as Paul here is doing to establish their (his) point of view and scriptural interpretation. Remember that all of the Hebrews were a sense ruled people with few exceptions, this simply means that they had to depend on what they thought they could trust namely what they saw, heard, tasted, or felt and smelt. That is why they required signs and wonders or miracles and even then they still remained hardhearted or stubborn.

Rom 11:7-14 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect (the righteous or spiritual man) obtained it, but the rest were hardened, as it is written, "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day." David says, "Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever.” I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass redemption has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!
Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them.

Rom 11:15 For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?
(Life from the dead is in reference to life now in this present earthy state not only for Israel but all of unredeemed mankind. As we think of ourselves as living but according to the Bible we are not because we in our natural state since the fall of Adam and in the first Adam are dead to God and His influences. We are contrary to common belief under the rule of the prince of the power of the air or put another way under the influence of the spirit of the world as slaves to his whims and by this we are enmity to God. Until we willfully become obedient to the requirements of sin and death, the lusts of the flesh will no longer have sway over us. When we become connate within Christ (by revelation)in His death, burial and resurrection, we then become a new creature and seated within Him at the right hand of God.)

Rom 11:16-24 And if the first fruit is holy, so is the lump: and if the root is holy (Yehovah, Christ), so are the branches (individual Hebrews). But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive (the gentiles), were grafted in among them, and did become partaker with them of the root of the fatness of the olive tree (natural Israel); glory not over the branches: but if you glory, it is not you that bear the root, but the root you (Christ Jesus, Yeshua). You will say then, Branches were broken off, and that I might be grafted in. Well; by their unbelief they were broken off (carnal or natural man), and you stand by your faith (righteous or spiritual man). Be not high-minded, but fear: for if God spared not the natural branches, neither will He spare you. Behold then the goodness and severity of God: toward them that fell, severity; but toward you, God's goodness, if you continue in His goodness: otherwise you also shall be cut off. And they also, if they continue not in their unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut out of that which is by nature a wild olive tree (under Satans rule), and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree; how much more shall these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

Rom 15:3-10 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me." For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction (in learning), that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope (looking towards the promised redemption and it’s salvation promised to the seed-Christ). May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy. As it is written, "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name." And again it is said, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people."

Thayer’s definition: life real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed, in the portion even in this world of those who put their trust in Christ, but after the resurrection to be consummated by new accessions (among them a more perfect body), and to last for ever. Also Thayer's Definition: to live, breathe, be among the living, to enjoy real life, to have true life and worthy of the name, active, blessed, endless in the kingdom of God, to live, i.e. pass life, in the manner of the living and acting of mortals or character as living water, having vital power in itself and exerting the same upon the soul, metaphorically to be in full vigor to be fresh, strong, efficient as adjective active, powerful, efficacious.
Webster’s 1828 Dictionary:
Consummation: Consummation of marriage, the most intimate of unions, which completes the connubial relation.
Connubial: of or relating to marriage or the relationship between God and man. See also join and yoke and here is a new one to be “connate” and “conjoin” (ed). Matthew 11 my yoke: a link; a bond of connection; as the yoke of marriage, to couple; to join with another, to be conjoined.
Join: To set or bring one thing in contiguity with another. To couple; to connect; to combine; as, to join ideas and to unite in league or marriage. But that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgment. 1 Corinthians 1. The mystery and hidden meaning of marriage, to be flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone.
Conjoin: To join together, without any thing intermediate; to unite two or more persons or things in close connection; as, to conjoin friends; to conjoin man and woman in marriage.


2Cor 3:4-18 This is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant,(a new and living way) not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills (mans sufficiency), but the Spirit gives life. (Being born again in the regeneration from mans fallen spiritual darkness into the light of Christ again as at the first.) Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation (the Mosaic Law with its ordinances), the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory (God’s Grace). Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. (The new life found only in Christ by Grace.) For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, how much more will what is permanent have glory. Since we have such a hope, [a more sure foundation, bed rock who is Christ] we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end (Jesus Christ was the end of the Mosaic Law with it’s ordinances, for He fulfilled the requirements of it). But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through (in union with) Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns into the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (liberty) We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. This comes from the Lord who is the Spirit that abides forever. Note Paul is here telling us from whom he learned or received this truth.

2Cor. 4:1-11 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. Even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For it is God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. We have this treasure in jars of clay, (our flesh) to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
(At this stage of the Corinthians growth they were not showing much growth spiritually so Paul says “in our mortal flesh.” Showing them his being upset with them for their lack of spiritual understanding, discernment or knowledge. We’ll see more on this in the next study on this passage.)

1Cor. 2:4-16 My speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power (this is the resurrection power that all who enter through the gate receive, that enables them to witness Christ crucified and resurrected again in them): that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. We speak wisdom, however, among them that are full-grown: yet wisdom not of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who are coming to naught: but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom that has been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds to our glory: which none of the rulers of this world had known: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory: but as it is written, Things which eye saw not, and ear heard not, and entered not into the heart of man, Whatsoever things God prepared for them that love him. To us God revealed them through the Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yes, and the deep things of God. For who among men knows the things of a man, save (except) the spirit of the man, which is in him? (Is the spirit of man a live or yet dead because of sin?) Even so the things of God none knows save (except) the Spirit of God. We received, not the spirit of the world, again, but the spirit which is from God; that we might know the things that were freely given to us of (by) God. Which things also we speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Spirit teaches; combining spiritual things with spiritual words. Now the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually judged. (understood, discerned) He that is spiritual judges all things, and he himself is judged of no man. (No earthy man can be judge of a spiritual being.)For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. (Only when we have yielded our wills to His will in the required way, death to the fallen flesh of sins nature, do we respond to the word of the Lord spoken to us and heard by us in our spirit, we know it is truth.)

John 3:5-8 Jesus answered, “Verily, verily, I say to you, except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God! That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said to you, you must be born anew. The wind blows where it will, and you hear the voice thereof, but know not where it comes from, and where it goes: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”
(Those who are born into the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ become regenerated in spirit and are become “born anew” have their dead spirit quickened or given new life in Christ. They have passed through the veil of the flesh, the gate and passed from death into life being conjoined to Christ. This is being born of water and the Spirit. It might be noted that an understanding of the name of Moses might be of aid here, this can be found elsewhere in another writing.)

For many this will be a door opener and maybe their redemption which leads to salvation that said please read and take to heart the following simple outline of faith. Then if you agree with it repeat it from the heart in agreement with it by speaking it out thereby taking it as your own, for with the mouth is confession made and possession is taken.

The Simplicity of Redemption
Taken from: “The Way to Divine Knowledge” by William Law (1686-1761)

Take only the gospel (That’s found in Romans through Philemon, for the mysteries of God which is known as the Gospel of God’s Grace opens to us His plan for our redemption which leads to our salvation.) into your hands; deny yourself; renounce the lusts of the flesh; set your affections on things above; call upon God for His Holy Spirit; walk by faith, and not by sight; adore the holy Deity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in whose image and likeness you were at first created; and in whose name and power you have been baptized, to be again the living likeness, and holy habitation, of His life, and light, and Holy Spirit.

Look up to Christ, as your redeemer, your regenerator, your second Adam; look at Him, as truly He is, the wisdom and power of God, sitting at His right hand in heaven, giving gifts to men; governing, sanctifying, teaching, and enlightening with His Holy Spirit, all those that are spiritually-minded; who live in faith, and hope, and prayer, to be redeemed from the nature and power of this evil world. Follow but this simple, plain spirit of the gospel, loving God with all your heart, and your neighbor as yourself; and then you are Christ's disciple, and have His authority to let the dead bury their dead.

God is a spirit, in whom you live and move and have your being; and He stays not till you are a great scholar, but till you turn from evil, and love goodness, to manifest His holy presence, power, and life, within you. It is the love of goodness, that must do all for you; this is the art of arts; and when this is the ruling spirit of your heart, then Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, will come into you, and make their abode within you, and lead you into all truth. Thank You Father!

Lets take a lesson from one of the minor old testament prophets to see if we can gain some insight into Israel’s blindness, we’ll turn to Hosea chapter 3.

Hosea 3:1-3 Then said the LORD unto me, “Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.” So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley: and I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee.
(Instead of just simply claiming a girl for his wife, now he’s going to go back and win the wife that had left him to go back to her lovers. This girl was from the northern tribes of Israel and not some gentile.

Now lets return to Jeremiah 44:19; Now, this again is the response of idolatrous Israel. Now, the better translation for flagons of wine would have been grape cakes. In other words, they actually took a grape-flavored cake and offered it on their altars to this female goddess. So, here’s where we get the comparison of Scripture, “did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink-offerings unto her,…” (Note: this is spoken to all 12 tribes of Israel and not just the northern or southern tribes; he said "the children of Israel")
Verse 3 remember, he’s talking to that who had once been his and had been lost, and he’s bringing her back. I think what’s implied here is that Israel was so steeped in idolatry all the way up until the Babylonian captivity. That cured her. I don’t think there’s any evidence that the Jews practiced idolatry after the Babylonian captivity. Now, they had a lot of other wicked acts, but not idolatry. For some reason or other, it cured them of idolatry! Now he’s referring to. That she would come back for a time, and she’s going to completely be removed from idolatry, because that’s her return after she’s been out in that Babylonian captivity of 70 years. Now she comes back and is at least cured of the adulterous, spiritual adultery.)
Now here's a biggy verse 4

Hosea 3:4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim:

(Listen carefully; "the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim:” The casual reader is going to miss all that. What are we talking about? They’re going to be bereft of all their Temple worship. They’re going to be out of the land. They’re going to have no formal ritual to keep them in touch with the God of Abraham. When did that all come about? For the third time: In 70 AD, because what happened in 70 AD? The Romans came in and again they destroyed the Temple, but so much differently than when Nebuchadnezzar did it. When Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the Temple, 70 years later the Jews came back and rebuilt the second Temple. And they went on again with their Temple worship, with their Priesthood, and their sacrifices; all the way up until the time of Christ’s first advent.

But, when Titus came in and destroyed the Temple and destroyed Jerusalem, and the Jews were scattered out into every nation under heaven, it’s been that way now for 1,900 and some years. They’re without a Temple. They’re without priesthood. They’re without a prince. They’re without a sacrifice. They are destitute of any kind of a religious practice that will keep them in touch with the God of Abraham. All right, that’s what that one verse is telling us.)

Now turn to Acts 1:6
Acts 1:6-8 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, will you at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And He said to them, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in His own power. But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (This has not been completed yet and wont be until the tribulation period and after as the Jews as a nation never accepted Jesus Christ as their lawful King.) Now back to Hosea 3.

Hosea 3:5 Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.
("Afterward" Now turn to Acts 1:6 the Eleven did not have the view of it as we can construct from Scripture. They merely knew that it would be a kingdom likened unto David’s and Solomon’s when Israel was the most glorious kingdom on earth.
" shall the children of Israel return" Look at Deuteronomy 30:1-3 (Now remember, this is Moses 1,500 years before Christ. That’s 3,500 years back from our day.)
"And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee, and shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee."
This would be when the Jews would find themselves scattered into every nation under heaven, none excepted. Even the Arab world had Jews in their midst. It wasn’t until about the turn of the century that they started getting forced out and back to their homeland.
This was all in God’s providential design that that’s the way it would happen. And now here they are. They’re back in the land.
Now turn to Ezekiel 36:24; 37:1-10 Verse 24 “For I will take you (That’s Israel. That’s why I’m always emphasizing – to whom is this written? Well, it’s written to Israel, not to the Gentile world. So He says to Israel.) “…and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.” Now, isn’t that plain?
What brought the Hebrews back from their exile? Persecution WWII, the ovens and gas chambers caused the Jews to desire to return to their desolate home land.
Now turn to 37:1-10 Now remember, this is symbolism. You know, if you drive across West Texas, and you look out over the prairie, you’ll see an old skull of a steer or something laying there. It is chalk white, and you know it’s been out in that old West Texas sun for years and years. The longer it lies there the whiter it gets. Well, that’s the bones in this valley. They’ve been there a long time. Now, in actuality, it has been over 1,900 years. The bones are representative of Israel out in the Gentile world without any of her homeland advantages. Verse 5 "Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones;…” Now remember, they are representative of the Nation of Israel.
Now Ezekiel37:11-12 Israel return home.....
Amos 9:11-12 this is the analogy. It’s going to be restored with the glory that it was in David’s day, only far, far greater.
Lets jump up to Acts 15, here we find Paul before the council because of his teaching to the gentiles he is being confronted by the Judaizers from the Jerusalem Jewish church (the “Christians”) and told that his converts had to be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses. Look at verses 12-14 All right, so they took this all in as the argument is now being kind of put to rest, because they are recognizing that Paul and Barnabas do now have a ministry with the Gentiles that Israel was never permitted to do.
vs 12 Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.
vs 13 "Gentiles, to take out of them…” Now keep your pronouns right. Who are the “them” now? The Gentile world. Paul has been designated to go to the Gentiles.
vs 14 “…to take out of them a people for his name.”

Acts can’t tell us what it is, because it really hasn’t been totally revealed. The Body of Christ is that called-out group of Gentile believers under Christ’s published Gospel of God’s amazing Grace, Paul’s Gospel of Grace that has to be believed for salvation, that Jesus died for their sins, was buried, and rose again the third day. The Body of Christ is totally insulated from all the promises of Israel and from Moses on and all the action that will take place when this spiritual (mystical) Body of Christ is removed. (A revelation of Moses and his relationship with Israel while in Egypt and their exodus as well as his names meaning will help to see what is taking place now.)

After Christ has ascended and Israel’s rejection, now God is going to do exactly what Amos is referring to. That after a period of time, which would include our Church Age and the Tribulation that will follow, the King and the Kingdom would still come in and bring back the glories of David and Solomon.

vs 15 “And to this (James says) agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,” But you see, they didn’t have a clue what Amos was talking about. They didn’t have a clue that after 1,900 years of being scattered into all the nations of the world, they would come back and reappear as a Nation and yet have the promised Kingdom become a reality. They didn’t know that.

“And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,” Now they can put it together. This is what Amos was talking about. After the calling out of a people for His name up in verse 14, after that long period of dispersion, they would be back in the land, but they would still have to wait for the out-calling of that spiritual Body of Christ, the Gentiles and a few Jews.
vs 16 “After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:” Now, get the “after.” After what? The calling out of the spiritual Gentile and Jew Body of Christ.
Hosea is talking in the same language that the Nation would be out there for a long time. Until the “bones were white with age.”
Israel had no understanding that their Messiah would be the same person that is that He would suffer and be crucified and that He would also be the one to restore Israel back as it was under King David and Solomon. They were looking for two Messiahs: one suffering and the other of strength a King.

Receive mercy
Is revealed in Rom. 11:11, 15 above.

Taken from Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible
Here is the example that the apostle uses to make in his doctrine and teaching concerning the substitution of the Gentiles in the room or place of the Jews in the family of God.
(1.) As a kinsman to the Jews, here is a word of excitement and exhortation to them, to stir them up to receive and embrace the gospel-offer. This God intended in his favor to the Gentiles, to provoke the Jews to jealousy (Rom. 11:11), and Paul endeavors to enforce it accordingly (Rom. 11:14): If by any means I might provoke to emulation those who are my flesh. “Shall the despised Gentiles run away with all the comforts and privileges of the gospel, and shall not we repent of our refusal, and now at last put in for a share? Shall not we believe and obey, and be pardoned and saved, as well as the Gentiles?” See an instance of such an emulation in Esau, Gen. 28:6-9. There is a commendable emulation in the affairs of our souls: why should not we be as holy and happy as any of our neighbors? In this emulation there needs no suspicion, undermining or countermining; for the church has room enough, and the new covenant grace and comfort enough, for us all. The blessings are not lessened by the multitudes of the sharers. - And might save some of them. See what Paul’s business, to save souls; was and yet the utmost he promises himself is but to save some. Though he was such a powerful preacher, spoke and wrote with such evidence and demonstration of the Spirit, yet of the many he dealt with he could but save some. (Of such language does he use in his letter to the Hebrews authored by Paul written by Clements or possibly Luke) Ministers must think their pains well bestowed if they can but be instrumental to save some.
(2.) As an apostle to the Gentiles, here is a word of caution for them: “I speak to you Gentiles. You believing Romans, you hear what riches of salvation are come to you by the fall of the Jews, but take heed lest you do any thing to forfeit it.” Paul takes this, as other occasions, to apply his discourse to the Gentiles, because he was the apostle of the Gentiles, appointed for the service of their faith, to plant and water churches in the Gentile nations. This was the purport of his extraordinary mission, Acts 22:21, I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles; compare Acts 9:15. It was likewise the intention of his ordination, Gal. 2:9. Compare Acts 13:2. It ought to be our great and special care to do good to those that are under our charge: we must particularly mind that which is our own work. It was an instance of God's great love to the Gentiles that he appointed Paul, who in gifts and graces excelled all the apostles, to be the apostle of the Gentiles. The Gentile world was a wider province; and the work to be done in it required a very able, skillful, zealous, courageous workman: such a one was Paul. God calls those to special work whom he either sees or makes fit for it. - I magnify my office. There are those that vilified it and him because of it. It was because he was the apostle of the Gentiles that the Jews were so outrageous against him (Acts 22:21-22), and yet he thought never the worse of it, though it set him up as the butt of all the Jewish rage and malice. It is a sign of true love to Jesus Christ to reckon that service and work for him truly honorable whom the world looks upon with scorn, as mean and contemptible. The office of the ministry is an office to be magnified. Ministers are ambassadors for Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God, and for their work's sake are to be esteemed highly in love. - My office; tēn diakonian mou - my ministry, my service, not my lordship and dominion. It was not the dignity and power, but the duty and work, of an apostle, that Paul was so much in love with. In this day and time we are in direr need or straights for men of Paul’s caliber. Now two things he exhorts the Gentiles to, with reference to the rejected Jews: -
[1.] To have a respect for the Jews, notwithstanding, and to desire their conversion. This is intimated in the prospect he gives them of the advantage that would accrue to the church by their conversion, Rom. 11:12, 15. It would be as life from the dead; and therefore they must not insult and triumph over those Jews, but rather pity them, and desire their welfare, and long for the receiving of them in again.
[2.] To take heed to themselves, lest they should stumble and fall, as they Jews had done, Rom. 11:17-22. Here observe,
First, The privilege which the Gentiles had by being taken into the church. They were grafted in (Rom. 11:17), as a branch of a wild olive into a good olive, which is contrary to the way and custom of the husbandman, who grafts the good olive into the bad; but those that God grafts into the church he finds wild and barren, and good for nothing. Men graft to mend the tree; but God grafts to mend the branch.
1. The church of God is an olive-tree, flourishing and fruitful as an olive (Psalms, 52:8; Hosea. 14:6), the fruit useful for the honor both of God and man, Judges. 9:9.
2. Those that are out of the church are as wild olive-trees, not only useless, but what they do produce is sour and unsavory: Wild by nature, Rom. 11:24. This was the state of the Gentiles, that wanted church privileges, and in respect of real sanctification; and it is the natural state of every one of us, to be wild by nature. (Mans fallen state)
3. Conversion is the grafting in of wild branches into the good olive. We must be cut off from the old stock, and be brought into union with a new root. (The new root is of course Christ)
4. Those that are grafted into the good olive-tree partake of the root and fatness of the olive. It is applicable to a saving union within Christ; all that are by a lively faith grafted into Christ partake of Him as the branches of the root - receive from His fullness. But it is here spoken of a visible church-membership, from which the Jews were as branches broken off; and so the Gentiles were grafted in, autois - among those that continued, or in the room of those that were broken off. The Gentiles, being grafted into the church, (family) partake of the same privileges that the Jews did, the root and fatness. The olive-tree is the visible church (called so Jer. 11:16); the root of this tree was Abram who became Abraham, not the root of communication (the Law), so Christ only is the root, but the root of administration, he being the first with whom the covenant was so solemnly made (Genesis 17:7). Now the believing Gentiles partake of this root: he also is a son of Abraham (Luke 19:9), the blessing of Abraham comes upon the Gentiles (Genesis 17:5; Gal. 3:14), the same fatness of the olive-tree, the same for substance, special protection, lively oracles, means of salvation, a standing ministry, instituted ordinances; and, among the rest, the visible church-membership of their infant seed, which was part of the fatness of the olive-tree that the Jews had, and cannot be imagined to be denied to the Gentiles.
Secondly, A caution not to abuse these privileges.
1. “Be not proud (Rom. 11:18): Boast not against the branches. Do not therefore trample upon the Jews as a reprobate people, nor insult over those that are broken off, much less over those that do continue.” Grace is given, not to make us proud, but to make us thankful and to humble us. The law of faith excludes all boasting either of ourselves or against others. “Do not say (Rom. 11:19): They were broken off that I might be grafted in; that is, do not think that you did merit more at the hand of God than they, or did stand higher in his favor.” “But remember, you bear not the root, but the root you. Though you are grafted in, you are still but a branch borne by the root; nay, and an engrafted branch, brought into the good olive contrary to nature (Rom. 11:24), not free-born, but by an act of grace enfranchised and naturalized. Abraham, the root of the Jewish church, is not beholden to you; but you are greatly obliged to him, as the trustee of the covenant and the father of many nations. Therefore, if you boast, know (this word must be supplied to clear the sense) you bear not the root but the root you.”
2. “Be not secure (Rom. 11:20): Be not high-minded, but fear. Be not too confident of your own strength or sufficiency and standing.” A holy fear is an excellent preservative against high-mindedness: happy is the man that thus fears always. We need not fear but God will be true to his word; all the danger is lest we be false to ours. Let us therefore fear, Heb. 4:1. The church of Rome now boasts of a patent of perpetual preservation; but the apostle here, in his epistle to that church when it was in its infancy and integrity, enters an express caveat against that boast, and all claims of that kind. - Fear what? “Why fear lest you commit forfeiture as they have done, lest you lose the privileges you now enjoy, as they have lost theirs.” The evils that befall others should be warnings to us. Go (said God to Jerusalem Jer. 7:12), and see what I did to Shiloh; so now, let all the churches of God go and see what he did to Jerusalem, (in 70 ADC) and what is become of the day of their visitation, that we may hear and fear, and take heed of Jerusalem's sin. The patent which churches have of their privileges is not for a certain term, nor entailed upon them and their heirs; but it runs as long as they carry themselves well, and no longer.
Consider, (1.) “How they were broken off. It was not undeservedly, by an act of absolute sovereignty and prerogative, but because of unbelief.” It seems, then, it is possible for churches that have long stood by faith to fall into such a state of infidelity as may be their ruin. Their unbelief did not only provoke God to cut them off, but they did by this cut themselves off; it was not only the meritorious, but the formal cause of their separation. “Now, you are liable to the same infirmity and corruption that they fell by.” Further observe, they were natural branches (Rom. 11:21), not only interested in Abraham's covenant, but descending from Abraham's loins, and so born upon the premises, and thence had a kind of tenant-right: yet, when they sunk into unbelief, God did not spare them. Prescription, long usage, the faithfulness of their ancestors, would not secure them. It was in vain to plead, though they insisted much upon it, that they were Abraham's seed, Mat. 3:9; John 8:33. It is true they were the husbandmen to whom the vineyard was first let out; but, when they forfeited it, it was justly taken from them, Mat. 21:41, 43. This is called here severity, Rom. 11:22. God laid righteousness to the line and judgment to the plummet, and dealt with them according to their sins. Severity is a word that sounds harshly; and I do not remember that it is any where else in scripture ascribed to God; and it is here applied to the unchurching of the Jews. God is most severe towards those that have been in profession nearest to him, if they rebel against him, Amos 3:2. Patience and privileges abused turn to the greatest wrath. Of all judgments, spiritual judgments are the sorest; for of these he is here speaking, Rom. 11:8.
(2.) “How you stand, you that are engrafted in.” He speaks to the Gentile churches in general, though perhaps tacitly reflecting on some particular person, who might have expressed some such pride and triumph in the Jews' rejection.
“Consider then,” [1.] “By what means you stand: By faith, which is a depending on grace, and fetches in strength from heaven. You do not stand in any strength of your own, of which you might be confident: you are no more than the free grace of God makes you, and His Grace is His own, it is His sufficiency, which he gives or withholds at pleasure. That which ruined them was unbelief, and by faith you stand; therefore you have no faster hold than they had, you stand on no firmer foundation than they did.”
[2.] “On what terms (Rom. 11:22): Towards your goodness, if you continue in his goodness, that is, continue in a dependence upon and compliance with the free grace of God, the want of which it was that ruined the Jews - if you be careful to keep up your own interest in the divine favor, by being continually careful to please God and fearful of offending him.” The sum of our duty, the condition of our happiness, is to keep ourselves in the love of God. Fear the Lord and his goodness. Hosea 3:5.
Another thing that qualified this doctrine of the Jews' rejection is that, though for the present they are cast off, yet the rejection is not final; but, when the fullness of time is come, they will be taken in again. They are not cast off for ever, but mercy is remembered in the midst of wrath. Let us observe,
1. How this conversion of the Jews is here described.
(1.) It is said to be their fullness (Rom. 11:12), that is, the addition of them to the church, the filling up again of that place which became vacant by their rejection. This would be the enriching of the world (that is, the church in the world) with a great deal of light and strength and beauty.
(2.) It is called the receiving of them. The conversion of a soul is the receiving of that soul, so the conversion of a nation. They shall be received into God’s Grace, into the church, into the love of Christ, whose arms are stretched out for the receiving of all those that will come to him. This will be as life from the dead - so strange and surprising, and yet withal so welcome and acceptable. The conversion of the Jews will bring great joy to the church, for they will become a spiritual people. See Luke 15:32, He was dead, and is alive; and therefore it was meet we should make merry and be glad.
(3.) It is called the grafting of them in again (Rom. 11:23), into the church, (God’s family) from which they had been broken off. That which is grafted in receives sap and virtue from the root; so does a soul that is truly grafted into the church receive life, and strength, and grace from Christ the quickening root. They shall be grafted into their own olive-tree (Rom. 11:24); that is, into the church of which they had formerly been the most eminent and conspicuous members, to retrieve those privileges of visible church-membership which they had so long enjoyed, but have now sinned away and forfeited by their unbelief.
(4.) It is called the saving of all Israel, Rom. 11:26. True redemption may well be called salvation; it is salvation begun. See Acts 2:47. The adding of them to the church is the saving of them: tous sōzōmenous, in the present tense, are saved. When conversion-work goes on, salvation-work goes on.
2. What it is grounded upon, and what reason we have to look for it.
(1.) Because of the holiness of the first-fruits and the root, Rom. 11:16. Some by the first-fruits understand those of the Jews that were already converted to the faith of Christ and received into the church, who were as the first-fruits dedicated to God, as earnests of a more plentiful and sanctified harvest. (The first having already happened, the main harvest is yet to come, then the gleanings of Boaz, see Ruth.) A good beginning promises a good ending. Why may we not suppose that others may be savingly wrought upon as well as those who are already brought in? Others by the first-fruits understand the same with the root, namely, the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, from whom the Jews descended, and with whom, as the prime trustees, the covenant was deposited: and so they were the root of the Jews, not only as a people, but as a church. Now, if they were holy, which is not meant so much of inherent as of federal holiness - if they were in the church and in the covenant - then we have reason to conclude that God has a kindness for the lump - the body of that people; and for the branches - the particular members of it. The Jews are in a sense a holy nation (Exo. 19:6), being descended from holy parents. Now it cannot be imagined that such a holy nation should be totally and finally cast off. This proves that the seed of believers, as such, are within the pale of the visible church, and within the verge of the covenant, till they do, by their unbelief, throw themselves out; for, if the root be holy, so are the branches. Though real qualifications are not propagated, yet relative privileges are. Though a wise man does not beget a wise man, yet a free man begets a free man. Though grace does not run in the blood, yet external privileges do (till they are forfeited), even to a thousand generations. Look how they will answer it another day that cut off the entail, by turning the seed of the faithful out of the church, and so not allowing the blessing of Abraham to come upon the Gentiles. The Jewish branches are reckoned holy, because the root was so. This is expressed more plainly (Rom. 11:28): They are beloved for the fathers' sakes. In this love to the fathers the first foundation of their church-state was laid (Deu. 4:37): Because he loved your fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them. And the same love would revive their privileges, for still the ancient loving-kindness is remembered; they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. It is God's usual method of grace. Kindness to the children for the father's sake is therefore called the kindness of God, 2Sam. 9:3, 7. Though, as concerning the gospel (namely, in the present dispensation of it, Romans through Philemon and Hebrews), they are enemies to it for your sakes, that is, for the sake of the Gentiles, against whom they have such an antipathy; yet, when God's time shall come, this will wear off, and God's love to their fathers will be remembered. See a promise that points at this, Lev. 26:42. The iniquity of the fathers is visited but to the third and fourth generation; but there is mercy kept for thousands. Many fare the better for the sake of their godly ancestors. It is upon this account that the church is called their own olive-tree. Long it had been their own peculiar, which is some encouragement to us to hope that there may be room for them in it again, for old acquaintance-sake. That which has been may be again. Though particular persons and generations wear off in unbelief, yet there having been a national church-membership, though for the present suspended, we may expect that it will be revived.

(2.) Because of the power of God (Rom. 11:23): God is able to graft them in again. The conversion of souls is a work of almighty power; and when they seem most hardened, and blinded, and obstinate, our comfort is that God is able to work a change, able to graft those in that have been long cast out and withered. When the house is kept by the strong man armed, with all his force, yet God is stronger than he, and is able to dispossess him. The condition of their restoration is faith: If they abide not still in unbelief. So that nothing is to be done but to remove that unbelief that is the great obstacle; and God is able to take that away, though nothing less than an almighty power will do it, the same power that raised up Christ from the dead, Eph. 1:19-20. Otherwise, can these dry bones live?

(3.) Because of the grace of God manifested to the Gentiles. Those that have themselves experienced the grace of God, preventing, distinguishing grace, may thence take encouragement to hope well concerning others. This is his argument (Rom. 11:24): “If you were grafted into a good olive, that was wild by nature, much more shall these that were the natural branches, and may therefore be presumed somewhat nearer to the divine acceptance.” This is a suggestion very proper to check the insolence of those Gentile believers that looked with disdain and triumph upon the condition of the rejected Jews, (Christians) and trampled upon them; as if he had said, “Their condition, bad as it is, is not so bad as yours was before your conversion; and therefore why may it not be made as good as yours is?” This is his argument (Rom. 11:30-31): As you in times past have not, etc. It is good for those that have found mercy with God to be often thinking what they were in time past, and how they obtained that mercy. This would help to soften our censures of those that still continue in unbelief, and quicken our prayers for them. He argues further from the occasion of the Gentiles' call, that is, the unbelief of the Jews; thence it took rise: “You have obtained mercy through their unbelief; much more shall they obtain mercy through your mercy. If the putting out of their candle was the lighting of yours, by that power of God which brings good out of evil, much more shall the continued light of your candle, when God's time shall come, be a means of lighting theirs again.” “That through your mercy they might obtain mercy, that is, that they may be beholden to you, as you have been to them.” He takes it for granted that the believing Gentiles would do their utmost endeavor to work upon the Jews - that, when God had persuaded Japhet, Japhet would be laboring to persuade Shem. True grace hates monopolies. Those that have found mercy themselves should endeavor that through their mercy others also may obtain mercy.

(4.) Because of the promises and prophecies of the Old Testament, (Genesis through Acts 8) which point at this. He quotes a very remarkable one, Rom. 11:26, from Isa. 59:20-21.
Where we may observe, [1.] The coming of Christ promised: There shall come out of Zion the deliverer. Jesus Christ is the great deliverer, which supposes mankind in a state of misery and danger. In Isaiah it is, the Redeemer shall come to Zion. There He is called the Redeemer; here the deliverer; He delivers in a way of redemption, by a price. There He is said to come to Zion, because when the prophet prophesied he was yet to come into the world, and Zion was his first head-quarters. Thither he came, there he took up his residence: but, when the apostle wrote this, he had come, he had been in Zion; and he is speaking of the fruits of his appearing, which shall come out of Zion; thence, as from the spring, issued forth those streams of living water which in the everlasting gospel watered the nations. Out of Zion went forth the law, Isa. 2:3. Compare Luke 24:47.
[2.] The end and purpose of this coming: He shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. Christ's errand into the world was to turn away ungodliness, to turn away the guilt by the purchase of pardoning mercy, and to turn away the power by the pouring out of renewing grace, to save his people from their sins (Mat. 1:21), to separate us from our sins, that iniquity might not be our ruin, and that it might not be our ruler. Especially to turn it away from Jacob, which is that for the sake of which he quotes the text, as a proof of the great kindness God intended for the seed of Jacob. What greater kindness could he do them than to turn away ungodliness from them, to take away that which comes between them and all happiness, take away sin, and then make way for all good? This is the blessing that Christ was sent to bestow upon the world, and to tender it to the Jews in the first place (Acts 3:26), to turn people from their iniquities. In Isaiah it is, The Redeemer shall come to Zion, and to those that turn from transgression in Jacob, which shown who in Zion were to have a share in and to reap benefit by the deliverance promised, those and those only that leave their sins and turn to God; to them Christ comes as a Redeemer, but as an avenger to those that persist in impenitence. See Deu. 30:2-3. Those that turn from sin will be owned as the true citizens of Zion (Eph. 2:19), the right Jacob, Psa. 24:4, 6. Putting both these readings together, we learn that none have an interest in Christ but those that turn from their sins, nor can any turn from their sins but by the strength of the grace that is found in Christ. - For this is my covenant with them - this, that the deliverer shall come to them - this, that my Spirit shall not depart from them, as it follows, Isa. 59:21. God's gracious intentions concerning Israel were made the matter of a covenant, which the God that cannot lie can not but be true and faithful to. They were the children of the covenant, Acts 3:25. The apostle adds, When I shall take away their sins, which some think refers to Isa. 27:9, or only to the foregoing words, to turn away ungodliness. Pardon of sin is laid as the foundation of all the blessings of the new (better) covenant (Heb. 8:12): For I will be merciful. Now from all this he infers that certainly God had great mercy in store for that people, something answerable to the extent of these rich promises: and he proves his inference (Rom. 11:29) by this truth: For the gifts and callings of God are without repentance. Repentance is sometimes taken for a change of mind, and so God never repents, for he is in one mind and who can turn him? Sometimes for a change of way, and that is here understood, intimating the constancy and unchangeableness of that love of God which is founded in election. Those gifts and callings are immutable; whom he so loves, he loves to the end. We find God repenting that he had given man a being (Gen. 6:6, It repented the Lord that he had made man), and repenting that he had given a man honor and power (1Sam. 15:11, It repents me that I have set up Saul to be king); but we never find God repenting that he had given a man grace, or effectually called him; those gifts and callings are without repentance.
This teaching taken from Matthew Henry is an eye opener though it could be of more in depth or more spiritual. I insert this teaching as an illustration to show that what we’ve said is not all a bunch of garbage or poo. Now for Israel’s blindness of spiritual things let us take a look at an Old Testament example which is meant for our learning only, not for doctrine.

Isaiah 59:10 this is the verse that we want to look at but first let us get some ground work, 10 is in italics:
Isa 59:1-2 Behold, the LORDs hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.

Isa 59:9-17 Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us; we hope for light, and behold, darkness, and for brightness, but we walk in gloom. We grope for the wall like the blind; we grope like those who have no eyes; we stumble at noon as in the twilight, among those in full vigor we are like dead men. We all growl like bears; we moan and moan like doves; we hope for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us. For our transgressions are multiplied before you, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and we know our iniquities: transgressing, and denying the LORD, and turning back from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart lying words. Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter. Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him. He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.

Now let’s look what Jesus said in Matthew 6; here we want verse 23 it is in italics:
Mat 6:21-24 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
(Do you see the spiritual meaning here or are your eyes in darkness? Many believe that gospel for our finial salvation is found in Matthew through John’s books however it is not. Our Gospel of salvation is based on the risen Lord not on the ministry of Jesus to Israel which led only to their repentance and baptism into the kingdom of heaven that is still to come on earth that was promises to their fathers.)

Just for fun we’ll look at another found in Matthew 15 verse 14 and Matthew 23 verse 19, again in italics;
Mat 15:1-14 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat." He answered them, "And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.' But you say, 'If anyone tells his father or his mother, "What you would have gained from me is given to God," he need not honor his father.' So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: "'These people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" He called the people to him and said to them, "Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person." Then the disciples came and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?" He answered, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit."
Jesus calls the scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees “blind guides”, Paul tells us that we in this age of grace are to have knowledge of God’s hidden things and His will in all things. That as a head of His family group wherever it may be we are to first of all be spiritual and imitators of Paul as he is of Christ, which would make us imitators of Christ and having the mind of Christ in all things. That is to being heavenly minded not earthly minded.

Mat 23:16-23 "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' You blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? You say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.' You blind men! Which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. Whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. Whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
Jesus put these men in their place as they ignore that law of the first and that is to Love God, neighbor, and yourself. Jesus uses many parables to bring this spiritual truth to the forefront but many still only seek the gift in the hand and not the one who gives the gift.

Now what does Paul say that we may compare scripture with scripture in the first one we want verse 14, of 2 Corinthians 3 in the second one verse 4 of 2 Corinthians 4, our same standard applies here, italics:
2Cor 3:12-17, 18 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. This comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

2Cor 4:1-7 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. Even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

Let us take one more for comparison it is found in Ephesians 4:18:
Eph 4:17-27 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!-- assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.

If you’ve followed this study this far you should have had your eyes opened as we have to the truths of the “New Testament” which is based upon the resurrected Christ and His blood. This changes us from an earthy carnal being dead to God and enmity to Him to one resurrected in Christ Jesus and a live to God a spiritual being again as at the first.

There are many areas contained in scripture that we could look at but I think that we can draw our understanding from what we have here. Why Israel has drawn blindness upon its self as a nation, keep in mind that the individual Hebrew is still able to change his mind and have entry into the Grace of God and His Gospel of Grace also known as the gospel of Christ. This is in the same way that we as Gentiles have of entry as there is only one way to acquire redemption which leads to salvation. Now we’ll move on to the veil that covers all unbelievers found in 2 Corinthians 4.

All scripture is from the KJV, Weymouth New Testament, American Standard and English Standard Versions of the Bible.