Paul
the apostle told the people in Rome how Hosea in the Old Testament
prophesied,
“I
will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved,
which was not beloved” ,
and he added, “And
it shall come to pass, that
in the place where it was said unto them, You are
not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living
God.”
In
chapter nine and verse twenty-seven of Romans,
Paul continued his thought as he referred to Isaiah the prophet and
told his readers, “a
remnant shall be saved”
where
we read:
Isaiah
also cried concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of
Israel
be
as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
The
verse begins, “Isaiah
also cried concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of
Israel
be
as the sand of the sea, ...”
Paul
began with the word, “Isaiah”
whose name means “Jehovah's help” and was “a
famous Hebrew prophet who prophesied in the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham,
Ahaz and Hezekiah
” “also
cried” which
means “even so and indeed croaked, vociferated
and spoke aloud”
“concerning”
which means “on behalf and for the sake of” “Israel”
which means “he
shall be a prince of God
” and was “the
name given to the patriarch Jacob
and the name given to his family and descendants” “of
the children” which
refers to “pertaining to the offspring and descendants” “of
Israel”
or “he shall be a prince of God and the
name given to the patriarch Jacob
and the name given to his family and descendants” “be
as the sand” which
means “like the sandy ground” “of
the sea”
or “pertaining to the sea in general”. Paul referred to
“Isaiah's”
words pertaining to “Israel”
being in number like the granules of “sand”
which are in the “sea”.
The
verse goes on to say, “...
a
remnant shall be saved:”
Paul
added the words, “a
remnant”
which means “a few or remainder” “shall
be saved”
or “will be kept safe and sound and rescued from danger or
destruction”. Paul shared “Isaiah's” “few” who will be
“rescued from danger and destruction”.
When
we meditate upon these words of Paul, we see how even though “Israel”
has many people who are part of their nation, there will only be a
“few” who will be “saved”.
This is true with the whole world. Jesus said, “Enter
in at the strait gate: for wide is
the gate, and broad is
the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in
thereat: Because strait is
the gate, and narrow is
the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it.”
(See Luke 7:13-14) God offers “salvation” through His Son Jesus
Christ to everyone, however, many will not receive it. “A
remnant” in “Israel”
“shall be saved”,
and a “remnant”
in the world shall be “saved”
also.
Next
time we
see Paul tell his readers how God will,
“finish
the work, and cut it short in righteousness”,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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