Israel Didn't Forget Israel  

   O.S. Hawkins  Part 2

     "For nearly 2,000 years of exile, scattered among often-hostile nations, the Jewish people remembered. Each Passover they retold the story of redemption. Even today, the mezuzah on doorposts of Jewish homes serves as a reminder of God's promise. History has shown tragic consequences when the Church forgets God's purposes and promises for Israel." 

     "Some claim God has rejected the Jewish because they rejected Jesus as Messiah. Yet scripture affirms the opposite. God promised Abraham an everlasting possession," (Genesis 17:8). And when Abraham entered the land...'all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever,' - Genesis 13:15.  

     "Later, God said to Jacob, 'I...will give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession,' Genesis 48:4. See Ezekiel 37:25. God's covenant promises were not based on Israel's obedience but on God's faithfulness. In Romans 11, Paul dismantles the idea that Israel has been rejected. He asks, 'Has God rejected His people?' And his answer, 'By no means! God has not rejected his people whom He foreknew - Romans 11:1-2.    

     Howkins wrote, "In a culture where opinion often outweighs conviction, scripture remains clear. Replacement theology collapses under the weight of God's Word." 

     There must have been some "replacement" claims in the first century after Jesus rose from the grave and later rose to heaven. In Romans 11, Paul the Jew that Jesus (from above) led to the truth, wrote, 'Israel is the cultivated tree; Gentile believers are wild branches grafted in. Do not be arrogant toward the branches. It is not you who support the root, but the root supports you, - Romans 11:18." 

     "The branch does not replace the tree. The Church shares in Israel's spiritual blessings. It draws life from that root, not the other way around."

Conclusion tomorrow