Daily Devotion

 With Pastor Ancel Presnell

“THE ADVANTAGE OF THE JEW”

 

The Bible makes several references about the advantages of the Jews. God chose and adopted this people group. We do not know why, nor do we have to know why. We simply must believe the word of God. Too many Christians take an unbiblical view of Isreal as we know Israel today. There are phrases such as: “God’s chosen people, God’s children, and God’s nation, that are understood to be synonymous with children of God by grace through faith. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The only people who are God’s children are those who have been saved by grace through faith. Abraham is the father of faith and the father of the Jewish people, the Bible says in Genesis 15:6—” 6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.”  The Jew has been gifted with great advantage, just as Paul writes in Romans 3:1, 2—” 1 What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? 2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.”

Paul’s deep conviction for the souls of his fellow Jews was in large part due to their great advantage, and yet total rejection of it. He lists their many advantages that God gifted them with. He begins with their adoption as a people. God chose the Jewish people as those to whom He would separate unto Himself. His work at separating them unto Himself came through various works of God.

It was the Israelites that God showered in His glory. He did so with the guiding pillar of cloud and fire (Exodus 13:21, 22.) He showered them with His glory by filling the Tabernacle and the Temple (Exodus 40:34, 35; 1 Kings 8:10, 11.) It was the Israelites that God gave His covenants to. The Abrahamic Covenant of blessing was given to Abraham and later reaffirmed with Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 12:1—3; Genesis 26; Genesis 35:9—15.) God made covenant with the people in the Mosaic covenant where God gave His Law to the Jews first through Moses. The future kingdom is promised in the Davidic Covenant found in 2 Samuel 7 and several key Psalms.

All these Covenants are given to the Jews, but the fruition of these promises are conditioned upon their faith in God, not by their works. This is the exact truth for all people of God, we become His children by grace through faith, this is true for the Jew and the Gentile. The Jews just so happened to be blessed with God’s Covenants and the truth of them first.

Romans 9:4—” 4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises”