The Holy First-fruit and Root Romans 11:16

Paul the apostle asked the people in Rome concerning Israel, “if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?”, and in chapter eleven and verse sixteen of Romans, Paul wrote concerning, “the holy first-fruits” and the “holy root” where we read:

For if the first-fruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

The verse begins, “For if the first-fruit be holy, the lump is also holy: ” Paul began with the word, “for” which means “nevertheless, moreover and” “if the first-fruits” or “whether the first portion of the dough from which sacred loaves were to be prepared” “be holy” which refers to “is and exists as pure, morally blameless or religious and ceremonially consecrated”, “the lump” which means “the substance mixed with water and kneaded” “is also holy” “is even so, indeed, no doubt, seeing then, verily and therefore pure, morally blameless or religious and ceremonially consecrated.” Paul considered the “first portion” of the sacred bread as “pure and morally blameless” and declared the entire “substance” as “pure and morally blameless” as well.

The verse continues, “ and if the root be holy, so are the branches.”. Paul added the words, “and if the root” which means “and whether the sprout and progeny” “be holy” or “is and exists as pure, morally blameless or religious and ceremonially consecrated”, “so are the branches” or “the young tender shoots which are broken off for grafting”. Paul concluded that since the “sprout” is “pure and morally blameless”, the “tender shoots” produced from them are “pure and morally blameless” as well.

When we think through these words of Paul, we see how the “beginning sources” of “kneaded bread” and “trees” flow throughout each “lump” and “branch”. That which begins in a small portion of a loaf of bread permeates the entire loaf, and that which begins in the “root” of a tree spreads throughout every “branch” thereof. If each of these “beginning sources” are “holy”, the rest of their counterparts will be “holy” as well. God considered “Israel” to be the “first-fruit” of the “gospel”, and the remainder of people within that nation were to be “holy” as well. God also considered the “Gentiles” to be a “grafted in” offshoot of the people of “Israel”, and when they received Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord”, they were to be considered “holy” as well. Everyone has been given an opportunity to be “holy” to God through Jesus Christ His Son, and those who are wise shall submit their lives to Him and be filled with the “holiness” of the “first-fruit” and the “root”.

Next time Paul tells his readers what happens, “if some of the branches are broken off”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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