Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About - BOTH TOGETHER

BOTH TOGETHER

In the days of the Old Testament, the world seemed to be divided into two groups: those chosen by God, the Jewish nation, and all others called Gentiles. There was no love lost between the two for the Jews disliked the Gentiles intensely. The Jews, the males being circumcised, often referred to the Gentiles as being the uncircumcised. For this reason, David referred to Goliath…

…who is this uncircumcised Philistine, 

that he should defy the armies of the living God? 

(1 Samuel 17:26)

Could such peoples ever be one? It seemed unlikely and it came as a surprise when Gentiles started receiving the same Spirit as the Jewish people.

While Peter was still speaking these words, 

the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 

And those of the circumcision were astonished…

because the gift of the Holy Spirit 

had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 

(Acts 10:44-45)

The Lord had also spoken concerning Saul…

…he is a chosen vessel of Mine 

to bear My name before Gentiles. 

(Acts 9:15) 

But overall, this was not really something new or unexpected. Many times Isaiah had spoken of this happening. For example:

And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse,

Who shall stand as a banner to the people;

For the Gentiles shall seek Him… 

(Isaiah 11:10)

And 

…I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles… 

(Isaiah 49:6)

The Gentiles shall come to your light… 

(Isaiah 60:3)

This all began when Abraham and Lot left Ur (Genesis 12) under God’s direction and with God’s blessing. Lot later separated from Abraham and God’s blessing when he went to live is Sodom, where he became morally and spiritually corrupt. After escaping from Sodom, Lot became drunk at the hands of his daughters who became pregnant by him and had children. They in turn gave rise to two immoral and inhospitable nations - Ammon and Moab. It was the king of the latter who tried to curse the Israelites through Balaam.

In spite of this historical separation between the Jewish people and the Moabites, it still happened that when a famine occurred in Bethlehem, Naomi and her husband left that city and went to Moab. Her husband, Elimelech, and her sons died there (some believe prematurely due to God’s displeasure with them), leaving Naomi and Ruth to return to Bethlehem. There, although Ruth was a Moabite woman, she met and ended up marrying Boaz, a Jewish man. In a way, this reconciled the descendants of Abraham, a Jew, with the descendants of Lot, a Gentile. And from Boaz and Ruth came the lineage of David and hence of Jesus. 

Thus, the church of Christ, brought together both Jews and Gentiles in one body…

and raised us up together, 

and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus…

that you, once Gentiles in the flesh…

were without Christ…having no hope and without God in the world.

…have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 

For He Himself…has made both one, 

and has broken down the middle wall of separation… 

(Ephesians 2:6,11-14)

It’s amazing how a situation that began with Abraham and Lot, in the book of Genesis has come full circle with the marriage of Ruth and Boaz, and that this has resulted in the reunification of the Jewish and Gentile peoples in Christ and his church.

It certainly does give one something to think about.