Why was this so, because the Lord has something else on His mind, and so now verse 24, so He answers to the Twelve.
Matthew 15:24
"But he answered and said, `I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel,'"
Do you see how plain that is? Now in plain English what the Lord is saying is, "I do not have a ministry except to the Jew." That's what He said in Matthew chapter 10, and now He's saying it again. Now in a while here she is again.
Matthew 15:25
" Then came she and worshipped him, (we think she literally fell down on her knees in front of him) saying, `Lord, help me.'"
Now notice how she drops the term, `thou Son of David' because that was strictly a Jewish addressing, or title and as a Gentile she couldn't use that legitimately so she learned something anyway, so now she just says, `Lord help me!' And again in verse 26 look at Jesus' answer.
Matthew 15:26
"But he answered and said, `It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.'"
Well who were the children? Israel, the Hebrews. Who were the dogs? Gentiles. The Lord says, `I can't take that which is on the table of Israel, and give it to Gentiles.' Why? Because of the Covenant promises, the Law and the Prophets. He was there to fulfill the covenants, the Law and the Prophets or the word spoken back here to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The prophets prophesied of the coming of the Messiah to Israel, and there's not a word in there that the Gentiles were to receive any of the blessing of Israel. They couldn't, because it was Covenant ground, and that was only for the offspring of Abraham. Now what many don't get is this they all without exception were spoken to the promised seed of woman (Genesis 3:15-Christ Jesus), who would only come through a set apart people even though those people rebelled against God and lived in abstract unbelief of His spoken word. For they time and time again broke covenant with Him and lived in idolatry or spiritual whoredom. So again Jesus says -
Matthew 15:26
"...It is not meet (fit) to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs."
This also goes with what the Lord said of eating at the lord's or master table, as recorded by Luke in chapter 14. Where a certain man or the master of the house is none other but God the Father and the children are the guesses again they are but Israel (to be more precise the Priesthood and then the people as a nation). Now when we go back into Psalms chapter 23, and where the psalmist says -
Psalm 23:5
"Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over."
Psalms 23:5a
"Thou preparest a table before me..."
Now what was this table before me? This place of privilege that only Israel could enjoy so they literally feasted at the Lord's table. For the "me" here is in reference to Christ as is this whole chapter. How? They above all other peoples had the Word of God. You're looking with a kind of blank look so turn with me for a moment to Romans chapter 3, and this is exactly what is meant. They were feasting at the Lord's table because of their Covenant position. We can also pick this up in other various places of Scripture. We Gentiles were never feasting at the Lord's table when God was dealing with Israel. Today of course, yes, we're in that place of privilege, but back here it's only the Hebrew. But today they have no share in His alter or table until they receive Him as LORD, on the same field as we are on. Now verse 1, and here Paul says-
Romans 3:1-2
"What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? (in other words, what benefit is it to be a member of the Nation of Israel?) Much every way: chiefly, (They had everything going for them, from the Ten Commandants, the Temple, the priesthood, they had the sacrifices, they had the prescribed approach to Yehovah, they had the land and the people, they had everything going for them, and God was constantly working in the Nation of Israel with miracles. So what was their number one blessing?) because that unto them were committed the oracles (the spoken Word, not the recording of that word but the SPOKEN WORD!) of God."
No other nation of the recorded world or its history had heard God's voice as this nation of peculiar people had, NO not one. Until after the ascension of Christ when He returned to His rightful place as the honored Son of God. Because from that moment on He has spoken to the few who honor Him and He then in turn Honors the Father of spirits. For those who now become the peculiar people of God through Christ are the true Israel of God's inward rule, as new born spiritually alive person, by choice in trusting faith.
See that is what has blessed America the most for the past 200 plus years, above all the nations of the world. America up until the last 80 years rested on this Book. All of our forefathers were believers of this Book. Now they might not have been what we would call born again Christians, but at least they were man enough to admit that America operated on the spiritual principles of this Book. Though they may not have walked fully in its blessing because of a lack of simple trust, in His faith. All right now that was Israel's blessing, they had the Word of God. Do you see that? Now flip back again to Matthew and let's finish that portion. So this was the table at which the Hebrews were literally feasting, the Word of God. And they were a privileged set apart people. Now reading verse 26.
Matthew 15:26-28
"But he answered and said, `It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.' (but she comes back and says ) And she said, `Truth, Lord; (in other words she recognized that, but) yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.' Then Jesus answered and said, unto her, `O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt,' And her daughter was made whole from that very hour."
In other words, He could heal a Gentile if He wanted to. But you see He was under the Sovereign agreement with Israel, through Abraham, and the Covenants of promise that He could not give out Grace to Gentiles until Israel had every opportunity to hear the offer of the King and the Kingdom, and when they rejected it, yes, then God turns to the Gentile world through the Apostle Paul. Now we're not quite ready to leave off with the earthly aspect of Ephesians 1:10, and we know we have the earthly aspect in this lesson and we'll have the heavenly aspect shortly. Now continuing on with the earthly kingdom aspect in Scripture, let's go back to Matthew 1:1. Now this will substantiate what we just said, that God could not break His Covenant promises with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Matthew 1:1
"The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham."
Now that's as far as it goes. It doesn't go on back to Adam, but rather from Christ's birth back to Abraham. Why is that? The reason is Matthew is going to present Christ as the King of the nation Israel, Israel's Messiah. Matthew is going to present Him as the fulfillment of all those Covenant promises made to Abraham and his seed, from whom Christ has come and so there is no need to go any further back, because this is where everything begins so far as Israel is concerned. Now come on up to chapter 3, and where we find that Jesus' birth has been recorded, and John the Baptist is beginning to announce the coming of the King, and now verse 2. And this is John the Baptist's message.
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