Paul
the apostle asked the people in Rome,
“What
if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known,
endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to
destruction,
and
that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of
mercy, which he had before prepared unto glory”.
He continued with a question, “Even
us, whom he has called, not of the Jews only, but also of the
Gentiles?”,
and in
chapter nine and verse twenty-five of Romans,
Paul continued his thought as he referred to the Old Testament book
of Hosea where we read, “I
will call them my people”
where
we read:
As
he says also in Hosea, I will call them my people,
which
were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
The
verse begins, “As
he says also in Hosea, I will call them my people, ...”
Paul
began with the words, “as
he says”
which means “As God utters, proclaims and declares” “also”
which
means “even and indeed” “in
Hosea”
whose name means “salvation” and was “the well known Hebrew
prophet who was the son of Beeri and contemporary with Isaiah”, “I
will call them”
or “God shall bid and invite people” “my
people”
which refers to “God's human beings whether male or female”. Paul
referred to the Old Testament prophet Hosea of Israel concerning
“God”
“inviting” His “people”
.
The
verse goes on to say, “...
which
were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.”
Paul
continued with the words, “which
were not”
which means “who were in no way and never” “my
people”
which refers to “God's human beings whether male or female” ;
“and
her beloved”
or “welcomed, entertained, fond of, well pleased and contented
with”, “which
was not beloved”
which means “whom God was not welcomed, entertained, fond of, well
pleased and contented with”. Paul shared how God “loved” people
who were not previously His
“people”.
When
we think through these words of Paul, we see how he quoted from Hosea
chapter two and verse twenty-three where we read, “And
I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her
that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them
which were
not my people, you are
my people; and they shall say, you
are
my God.” Paul
desired for his readers to see yet another example of the way God
“chose” both “Jews and Gentiles” for “salvation”. God
wants every person to be saved, and although some will refuse Him, He
continues to “invite and bid” everyone. Jesus Christ, God's Son,
came to the world not only to die for everyone's sins, but also to
provide access to “everlasting life” in a relationship with God.
Those who are wise shall understand these words and believe.
Next
time we
see Paul tells his readers in Rome how those who were not God's
people, “shall
be called the children of the living God”,
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment