Question of the Week: What about the Jews?

by Anne Lang Bundy

Western Wall, Temple Mount, Jerusalem
Photo credit: Rafael Ben-Ari

Are the Jews of today heirs to the covenant made with Abraham? Are all Jews saved? Will the Lord ... allow resurrected Jews to accept Christ?
~ T. Anne Adams

God does not forget the people of His covenants or fail to provide for them.

When Jeremiah 31:31-37 prophesies of the New Covenant (the covenant established through Jesus's death), the Lord makes clear that not only is Israel heir to that covenant, but He gives the covenant specifically to Israel.

Jesus directed His Jewish followers to actively seek converts to the New Covenant. More Gentiles than Jews accepted it, and those New Covenant Jews assimilated with Gentiles and ceased practicing the Old Covenant. In time, New Covenant Jews were no longer distinguished as Jews, while Old Covenant Jews still are. This has resulted in a notion called Replacement Theology, which says the church of Jesus has replaced Israel as heir to the promises which God made to His chosen people.

Replacement Theology is not Scriptural. Although the covenant made with Moses was made obsolete by the New Covenant, covenants made with Noah, Abraham, and David are still in effect.

However, Jews are not heirs to God's covenants because of their human bloodline, but because of their faith:

Abraham "believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.
~ Galatians 3:6-7 (NKJV)

Righteousness has always come by faith in the Lord and calling upon His name (Romans 10:11-13). All Jews are not saved, because not all Jews have the faith of Abraham. But there are many Jews with the faith of Abraham who do not yet know Jesus is their Messiah. God has promised a day when they will accept Jesus as their Lord.

Blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved.
~ Romans 11:25-26 (NKJV)

"All Israel" refers not to every Jew, but every Jew of faith. There are numerous interpretations of how Israel will be saved in connection with The Tribulation and end times. But the Bible indicates there is no second chance to come to faith after death.

The Lord has already begun to fulfill this last verse. He not only restored Israel as a nation just 63 years ago, after 1878 years with no country, but many Jews have come to faith in Jesus since that time. My own take on "until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in" is that a day will come when the Lord reveals to all of faithful Israel that Jesus is Messiah, and that the Holy Spirit will not bring any more Gentiles to faith when that point is reached.

I personally believe the end is very near.

: : :

This post originally appeared at Bullets & Butterflies. To see ongoing dialogue in comments posted there click here.

What questions do you have about Christianity or the Bible? You're invited to leave them in the comments below (anonymous questions welcome), or email buildingHisbody [plus] @ gmail.com.

© 2011 Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

How Shall We Sing?

“After silence, that which comes nearest
to expressing the inexpressible is music.”
~ Aldous Huxley

How Shall We Sing?

By the rivers of Babylon,
There we sat down, yea, we wept
When we remembered Zion.
We hung our harps
Upon the willows in the midst of it.
For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song,
And those who plundered us requested mirth,
Saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"
How shall we sing the LORD's song In a foreign land?
~ Psalms 137:1-5 (NKJV)

Observe the pain here. The Babylonians have ransacked Jerusalem (Mt. Zion), burned the temple, and taken surviving Jews captive to a foreign land. The people of song have no song left in themselves and have hung their harps upon the willows to weep with deepest mourning. Their captors now taunt them: “Go ahead, sing us one of your famous songs. None of those sad songs, either. Sing us one of the happy songs about Zion—your pride and joy.”

Sunday morning is our time of song. All across the globe, we come before the Lord with praise and worship and testimony set to music of every kind. But some of us may not feel like singing. Earth is a foreign land to citizens of the heavenly Zion. With heavy hearts we wonder how shall we sing of home when we are captives in enemy territory?

What was the psalmist’s answer to tormentors?

If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
Let my right hand forget its skill!
If I do not remember you,
Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
If I do not exalt Jerusalem
Above my chief joy.
Remember, O LORD, against the sons of Edom
The day of Jerusalem,
Who said, "Raze it, raze it,
To its very foundation!"
O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed,
Happy the one who repays you as you have served us!
~ Psalms 137:5-8 (NKJV)

And so we also look our tormentor the devil squarely in the eye, pick up our music and say, “You taunt us by reminding us where we are and where we long to be. So we will indeed sing of our home, and we will throw your derision back in your face with song of your fate. For the Lord has promised good to us and damnation to you. We shall call to mind our home and our God,
and
we
shall
SING!”

Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
#powerofwords
Image source: jeffpaschall.com

Forgotten Not, Part I

Note: The numerous links of this post are for the historical passages of Scripture referenced.

"Pessimism is a luxury that a Jew can never allow himself."
~ Golda Meir

Forgotten Not, Part I

Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: "For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father's house." And the name of the second he called Ephraim: "For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction."
~ Genesis 41:51-52 (NKJV)

"I have formed you, you are My servant;
O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me!"
~ Isaiah 44:21 (NKJV)

The northern ten tribes of Israel—which seceded from the southern kingdom of Judah after the time of Solomon—were sometimes called "Ephraim" by the Lord. The name's favoritism is first evident in about 1830 B.C., when Jacob (Israel) lay on his deathbed and prophesied of the future for his sons. He gave the firstborn son's double inheritance not to Reuben (who had violated one of his father's wives), but to Joseph, and specifically to Joseph's younger son Ephraim.

Because of gross idolatry, the northern kingdom ("Ephraim") fell to Assyria in 722 B.C. The southern kingdom ("Judah," from which the name "Jews" is derived) would fall to Babylon in 586 B.C. for the same reason, with her people made Babylonian captives before returning to the land of Israel seventy-plus years later. But Ephraim was not made Assyrian captives. Instead, her people were "scattered among the nations," and did not officially return to Israel ("aliyah") until the nation's modern rebirth in 1948.

2,700 years is an impossibly long time to be away from home. Any other people would be long forgotten by the land, their existence preserved only by the annals of history.

Jacob once placed Ephraim, which means "abundantly fruitful," before Manasseh, which means "causing to forget." God's people were later spoken of as fruitful rather than as forgotten. Their survival, despite attempted annihilation by numerous persecutors throughout the millennia, testifies to the Lord's faithfulness.

He has made Israel fruitful and forgotten not, her restoration fulfilled in these, the latter days.

When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the LORD your God and obey His voice (for the LORD your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.
~ Deuteronomy 4:30-31 (NKJV)

Lord YHWH, thank You for Your love and mercy, new each morning, lasting throughout the ages. Please give us patience for the few hours we are upon the earth.

Contrasting points-of-view, questions and feedback are invited. Post to

BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
#Israel
Image source: life.com

Anointed Ones

Note: Be looking for new thoughts on praise and suffering as we work our way through Psalms 101-125 til about Christmas.

For those guests visiting for the blog carnival on "Community" (hosted by Bridget Chumbley)—Welcome! Regular readers are invited to visit this link for more messages on the Community theme.

"If a man would follow, today, the teachings of the Old Testament,
he would be a criminal.
If he would follow strictly the teachings of the New, he would be insane."
~ Robert Green Ingersoll

Anointed Ones

He is the LORD our God ...
He remembers His covenant forever ...
for a thousand generations,
The covenant which He made with Abraham,
And His oath to Isaac ...
To Israel as an everlasting covenant ...
He permitted no one to do them wrong;
Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes,
Saying, "Do not touch My anointed ones,
And do My prophets no harm."
Psalms 105:7-9,14-15 NKJV

Lest you be wise in your own sight, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob"; "and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins."
~ Romans 11:25-27 (ESV)

I wrote last Wednesday in the guest post on Peter Pollock's blog of the need for unity among Christians, in answer to what's been called "The Only Unanswered Prayer of Jesus." Today is an opportunity to expand on that message, with more relevance than might be immediately apparent.

I continue to be surprised by how many people consider both the Jews and the Old Testament of minimal relevance to Christianity. Jesus said "salvation is of the Jews" (John 4:22) and made Himself known in the context of Judaism. He also said He came not to destroy the "Law and Prophets" of OT Scripture, but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17-18).

The New Covenant (or Testament) is superior to the Old; the NT provides fuller revelation of the OT and enhances understanding of it. But the new by no means does away with the old. Like an oil lamp long made obsolete (Hebrews 8:7-13) for most people, the OT still gives light to those who choose to use it, or who are ignorant of the better alternative.

Anti-Semitism has prevailed for hundreds of years, robbing Christianity of the riches of Judaism and full appreciation of the Old Testament. Even Martin Luther, one of Christianity's greatest reformers, was markedly anti-Semitic. The church has largely failed to see the unity between Jew and Gentile which Paul notes as God's plan (Ephesians 2:11-16). We define Christians as "anointed ones." Yet the Lord also called His covenant people of the OT "anointed ones."

I treasure the entirety of Scripture not merely for the knowledge it offers, but for its revelation of the Father, His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Not only do I see NT truth as a continuous revelation of the OT, I embrace the bond between faithful Jews and Christians. We will one day be fully united, and the Spirit is already bringing Jew and Gentile together in Messianic congregations around the world, in the name and blood of Yeshua ha-Mashiach (Hebrew for Jesus Christ).

If you are a student of eschatology (the study of end times associated with the second coming of Jesus), you know that the time is at hand when Christians and Jews needed to stand in UNITY against our COMMon enemy—one definition of community.

I celebrate that unity now, in the simple gesture of welding together on a single link a cross of gold and silver Star of David. It is the pendant I wear, and the bond I already feel in my heart.

Father in Heaven, please unite our hearts to one another, in the love and blood and name of the Lord Jesus Christ—Adonai Yeshua ha-Mashiach—that we may stand firm for Your name in any hour of trial.

Contrasting points-of-view, questions and feedback are invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Inheritance

"Joy is the most infallible sign of the presence of God."
~ Leon Bloy

Inheritance
#Biblestudy

Then the LORD said to Aaron: "You shall have no inheritance in their land, nor shall you have any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel.
~ Numbers 18:20 (NKJV)

O LORD, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance.
~ Psalms 16:5-6 (NKJV)

I love owning land. When I walk through the fruit trees and under our grape arbor—or I am propelled skyward by my children on our tire swing above our land—I feel an attachment to the section of earth we call ours that reaches my soul.

The Old Testament Levite priests had no portion of land allotted to them. When the lines were drawn, they did not receive a piece of ground to call theirs. Theirs was the inheritance of the Lord Himself. For those who did not love the Lord, it must have seemed they came up short when lots were drawn. For those who did love Him, no lot of land could have compensated.

I do not believe in the theology which says that the church has taken Israel's place in history, and falls heir to all promised to her. I believe the children of Jacob will yet receive their full inheritance. The Lord will do exactly as He's said, and will fulfill His everlasting covenant with Israel's twelve tribes.

But in the meantime ...

Forty years after Jesus' crucifixion, temple sacrifices ended with the destruction of Jerusalem. Multiple New Testament references refer to all who are believers in Christ (and therefore anointed by His Spirit) as priests. Now, we are the ones who offer daily sacrifice of ourselves, and minister to the Lord in our worship, praise, and service.

There's no question in my mind that given the choice between owning a portion of the planet, and having the Lord as my portion and inheritance, I'd gladly choose standing in the presence of God, to lay down whatever else is mine in sacrifice.

There is no more pleasant place in the universe. Yes, I have a good inheritance.

Lord God, how is it that You give us Yourself? How is it possible for You to reside within mortal flesh? How do You call prayers a sweet aroma of incense? How can You be pleased in sacrifice of our miserable lives? How is it that You should exalt us as royal priests? We are unworthy of such inheritance. Thank You for grace. Thank You for love.

Contrasting points-of-view, questions and feedback are invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Goodness of the Grape

"The vine said to them,
'Should I cease my new wine,
Which cheers both God and men ...?' "
~ Jotham, Judges 9:13

Goodness of the Grape
#biblestudy

Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes. So they went up and spied out the land [of Canaan] ... Then they came to the Valley of Eshcol, and there cut down a branch with one cluster of grapes; they carried it between two of them on a pole... And they returned from spying out the land after forty days.
~ Numbers 13:20-21,23,25 (NKJV)

Praise the LORD, my soul! ...
You make wine to cheer human hearts,
olive oil to make faces shine,
and bread to strengthen human hearts.
~ Psalms 104:1,15 (GW)

Here's a thumbnail history of grapes and wine in ancient Israel.

In Israelite culture, the grape and its wine—its blood—symbolized health and wealth, joy and prosperity. Beer was cheap, intoxicating drink produced from common barley, familiar among Egyptians, Philistines, and other peoples. Wine was produced from grapevines which required careful attention, and took up to ten years to produce good grapes—not possible unless one was peaceably settled in the land for an extended time.

Tiyrosh (fresh grape juice, or "new wine") was available only at late summer grape harvest. Yayin (intoxicating wine) was far more than a beverage. It was important to purify water, cleanse wounds, and aid digestion. It was one of the offerings God required to be presented daily at the temple. And while some covenants might be sealed in the blood of an animal, joyful covenants such as betrothals and weddings were sealed with this blood of grapes.

The Bible has numerous mentions of grape harvest as a joyful celebration which crowned the harvest, perhaps comparable to our Thanksgiving. Treading the grapes was accompanied by dancing and music. To this day, it is not uncommon to find Mediterranean region grapes as big as plums, in clusters up to 45 lbs. Many varieties of grapes begin ripening around the beginning of August (others as late as mid-September), with the harvest lasting about forty days.

While the Bible has numerous examples of harmful overindulgence in wine and warnings against drunkenness, the prevailing image is of the vine and all its fruit being representative of God's highest blessing. When the twelve spies returned from their expedition with an enormous cluster of grapes, they demonstrated that the land was not simply adequate, but contained exceedingly abundantly above all what the Israelites might ask or think.

Tomorrow, more about the spies, and about trust.

Father in Heaven, You created only good in the earth. We long for the day when you will eliminate all the havoc our sin has wrought upon Your creation. Even now, please enable us to see Your exceedingly-abundantly-above-all-we-might-ask-or-think blessings.

On a personal note: This is not intended as an argument for drinking wine. I respect the views of Christians who choose to abstain from alcoholic beverages.

Contrasting points-of-view, questions and feedback are invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Photo from vineyardrobertdouglas.com

Numbers

"What is many men's business is nobody's business.
The greatest things are accomplished by individual men."
~ Charles H. Spurgeon

Numbers

#biblestudy

Those who were numbered of the tribe of Dan were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.
~ Numbers 1:39 (NKJV)

Dan shall be a serpent by the way,
A viper by the path,
That bites the horse's heels
So that its rider shall fall backward.
~ Genesis 49:17 (NKJV)

No passage of the Bible is boring. Today's passage is Numbers 1-2. It is a detailed account of ... numbers; the numbers and names and camp assignments of the twelve tribes of Israel. On their face, the two chapters look like read-when-you're-trying to fall asleep material.

But look! The nondescript tribe of Dan is prominent. It is the second largest of all the tribes, and is given a curious position of leadership in the encampment layout. This is especially interesting because Revelation 7:5-8 omits the tribe of Dan from the 144,000 of Israel who are sealed in end times. What caused Dan go from prominent leader to forsaken?

The tribe of Dan is otherwise noteworthy only for the precedence it set as idolatrous and rebellious in the account of Judges 17-18. One woman led her Danite son into idolatry. He led a Levite priest into idolatry, and they together influenced five other Danites. The tribe then forsook the central land allotted to them by God to instead obtain their territory in the farthermost north—by their own strength.

No man or woman is without the potential to wield influence which will endure for even thousands of years. No act of disobedience is without its consequences as we fall backward.

Oh Lord, thank You for the value You place on every human life. Thank You for seeing and loving and gifting each of us as individuals. Please let us live up to all the potential You give us. Please let us see no act of obedience or act of turning away from You as insignificant. Please let us see no person as insignificant.

Contrasting points-of-view, questions and feedback are invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Exhibit H: Covenant

"Pessimism is a luxury that a Jew can never allow himself."
~ Golda Meir

Blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
"The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins."
~ Romans 11:25-27 (NKJV)

The LORD will scatter you among the peoples ...

He will not forsake you nor destroy you,

nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.
~ Deuteronomy 4:27,31 (NKJV)

Paul concludes his case for Christ with an eighth exhibit—God's covenant with Israel. Israel stands as proof that God's Word and promises are reliable. The Lord cut off Israel in Paul's era. But Paul foresaw what is being fulfilled in our era: YHWH's restoration of Israel in fulfillment of His everlasting covenant with her.

Israel's survival alone is miraculous testimony to God's covenant. But on May 14, 1948, Israel's sovereignty was reestablished after 2600 years, testifying that she is indeed the Lord's chosen people. God is at work for full restoration as He has promised. The time for Israel to know and put faith in her Messiah is near.

Paul said that Israel's blindness to the identity of Jesus will endure until the fullness of Gentiles has come in. I believe God gives prophecy of future evens with enough specifics that we cannot dispute it after the fact, and enough ambiguity that we are forced to rely on Him as events await fulfillment.

No one has complete knowledge of how and when each end time event will unfold. Yet Jesus said we would recognize the signs of end times (Mark 13:27-29).

As God shows that His covenant with Israel is everlasting, we see the reliability of His covenant with Christ's followers—and a sign that the days of the Gentiles draw to a close.

Sovereign Lord, all Your Word is true and reliable. You have done great things for Israel and for those of us who are Christ's, and have promised to do so much more! Work mightily in our hearts and make Your bride ready for her Bridegroom.

Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

The Ends of the Earth

"Proclaim, give praise, and say,
'O LORD, save [Hosanna] Your people,
The remnant of Israel!'
Behold, I will bring them from the north country,
And gather them from the ends of the earth."
~ Jeremiah 31:7-8 (NKJV)

He will set up a banner for the nations,
And will assemble the outcasts of Israel,
And gather together the dispersed of Judah [Yehuda, the Jews]
From the four corners of the earth.
~ Isaiah 11:12 (NKJV)

And so all Israel will be saved... For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
~ Romans 11:26,29 (NKJV)

The multitude of prophesies which preceded Jesus' arrival on earth made clear only in retrospect the nature of His ministry. The majority of Jews presumed that He must take the throne immediately. His timing required otherwise, frustrating their limited faith.

Presumption of many faithful Christians denies that Israel shall still be saved, despite volumes of prophecy to the contrary—despite seeing the gathering of Jews from the ends of the earth back to Israel, before our very eyes!

We cannot be so presumptuous that we believe we can know in advance how all will be fulfilled. Only in retrospect will we see with accuracy the how's of God.

I don't wish to be contentious. I refuse to be divisive on matters not foundational to salvation. I freely admit my limited knowledge, which is certain we shall escape God's wrath, but cannot conclusively support that the rapture shall precede the seven-year Tribulation. I do not see such clarity in Scripture, nor do many people far more learned than I am.

Many Christians presume the Lord will gather us from the ends of the earth immediately before The Tribulation. It is my firm belief we should wait upon the Lord without presumption, expecting the tribulation Jesus said we should expect.

Father in heaven, thank You for Your multitude of reassurances that people faithful to You should always escape the brunt of Your wrath. Please unite Your people in spirit and truth. Please complete final preparations to make us one, in anticipation of Your return for Your bride.

Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Glory of Your People Israel

"My eyes have seen Your salvation
Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel."
~ Luke 2:30-32 (NKJV)

I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! ... But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles... Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear... Blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved.
~ Romans 11:1,11,20,25-26 (NKJV)

O seed of Abraham His servant,
You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!
He is the LORD our God ...
He remembers His covenant forever.
~ Psalms 105:6-8 (NKJV)

In my opinion, Israel's past glory climaxed when God's glory so filled Solomon's newly dedicated temple that the priests could not minister there. David had conquered her enemies and the nation was at peace. Solomon had yet to fall into the idolatry that would become rampant.

Israel shall yet reach the pinnacle of her glory. The children of Jacob wait for the Son of David they rejected at His first coming. Some argue there is no such thing as Jews of faith unless they believe in Jesus. I contend that Jews who call upon the name of the Lord live by the faith of the Old Testament covenant which YHWH did not break. Paul calls their blindness partial.

The day is at hand when the fullness of the Gentiles has entered the kingdom and Jesus returns. Even now, many eyes in Israel are being opened to see their Messiah.

Israel! Behold Your God! His name is Yeshua Ha-Mashiach (Jesus Christ). He brings glory to His people Israel. You need only say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!"

God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, have mercy on Your chosen people! Open their eyes and hearts to fully receive You. We gentiles do not deserve the grace You've shown us at their expense. Please come and establish the glory of Your people Israel. Please put in their mouths the words to herald Your return.

Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Depths of Pain

Just as many were astonished at you,
So His [appearance] was marred more than any man,
And His form more than the sons of men.
Isaiah 52:14 (NKJV)

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted [tried] as we are, yet without sin. ~ Hebrews 4:15 (NKJV)

When we hear of another's suffering, we can often relate an account of our own—and come across as trying to out-martyr someone. It requires grace and empathy to convey that we share someone else's pain from the well of our own pain.

Isaiah spoke to the suffering Israelites and lovingly relates the account of their suffering Messiah. But to this day, they see Isaiah's prophecy of Messiah's great suffering as a picture of their own suffering. They have yet to comprehend what God took upon Himself for them, or to know the depth of His own pain.

In every hour of anguish, our divine High Priest is united to our suffering. As a human, Jesus suffered all we do and more. His Spirit lives within us and is one with our pain. And our loving Father cannot help but grieve when His children sorrow.

We never plumb the depths of pain alone.

Almighty God, King of the Universe, what kind of God submits Himself to human misery? What depths of love compels You to know our depths of pain and plunge deeper still? You are worthy of our highest praise, our deepest love, our greatest sacrifice. Come Lord Jesus and make all things new!

Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy

Israel Shall be Saved

But Israel shall be saved by the LORD
With an everlasting salvation;
You shall not be ashamed or disgraced
Forever and ever.
For thus says the LORD,
"... I did not say to the seed of Jacob,
'Seek Me in vain' ...
Assemble yourselves and come;
Draw near together,
You who have escaped from the nations...
In the LORD all the descendants of Israel
Shall be justified, and shall glory."
Isaiah 45:17-20,25 (NKJV)

For I do not desire you to be ignorant, brothers, of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel shall be saved, as it is written ... They are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Romans 11:25-26,28-29 (EMTV)

"I am the Good Shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his very life for the sheep... I have also other sheep--which do not belong to this fold. Those also I must bring, and they will listen to my voice; and they shall become one flock under one Shepherd." ~ John 10:11,16 (WNT)

How has tiny Israel survived the centuries? How impossible is it for Jews to return home as a nation after nearly two millennia of exile among many nations? How did they survive every attempt to annihilate them?

God promised them everlasting salvation.

Foremost among their persecutors have been both false and misled Christians. We have condemned them as Christ-killers, when our own sins pierced Jesus. They now see our evangelists as covert assassins, attempting to destroy Judaism by conversion. And some Christians refuse to acknowledge Jews of faith, denying all faith apart from Christ.

Indeed, no one comes to the Father except through His Son Jesus. But Paul also assures that Jews of Abraham's faith are true Israel, and that all Israel shall be saved. They and we shall be one flock, with one Shepherd.

Paul calls Israel beloved, as indeed she is.

God of Abraham, thank You for making Abraham father of many nations. Thank You for giving to us, who are strangers, a share in his inheritance. Please remind Israel to love the stranger as Moses commanded. Please teach us how to love Israel, pray for her, bless her, and become one flock with her.

Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy

Fellow Servants and Brothers

"You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him." (John 4:22-23 NKJV)

Blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved. (Romans 11:26 NKJV)

They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.
(Revelation 6:10-11 NIV)

Christians and Jews have had a troubled history during the nearly two millennia of the church’s existence. Satan has done a thorough job of keeping us apart, as if he could forestall his fate. But the Gospel has now reached almost all the tribes of the world and we near the fullness of the Gentiles. Christians are increasingly embracing the Jews from whom comes Jesus Christ and our salvation, and greater numbers of Jews are accepting their Messiah Yeshua.

When Jesus spoke of us, His "other sheep," to the Jews, He said there would be one flock and one Shepherd. (John 10:16) The days of fulfillment are finally at hand. We will not enter the next age without both our fellow servants and brothers. (Luke 13:34-35)

Oh come, Emmanuel, and ransom Israel! Bring in the fullness of the Gentiles. Please, Lord, work in our hearts, that we may be united as one flock, and You may return as our visible Shepherd. Put in the mouths of all Your people, "Baruch haba bashem Adonai! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!"

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Copyright 2008, Anne Lang Bundy

View of Zion

Beautiful in elevation,
The joy of the whole earth,
Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north,
The city of the great King.
God is in her palaces;
He is known as her refuge. ...
Let Mount Zion rejoice ...
For this is God,
Our God forever and ever;
He will be our guide
Even to death.
(Psalms 48:2-3,11,14 NKJV)

"I spread My wing over you ... I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine," says the Lord GOD.
(Ezekiel 16:8 NKJV)

Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (Revelation 21:2 NKJV)

The site of Golgatha where Jesus was crucified is placed north of Jerusalem. Looking toward the south, one would see the north sides of (from left to right) the Mount of Olives (where Jesus will return), Mount Moriah (the temple mount), and Mount Zion (symbol of the heavenly Jerusalem).

It is likely that this is what Jesus looked upon as He died—"Mount Zion on the sides of the north"—representing His bride, the city of New Jerusalem He will inhabit, for whom He was giving His life’s blood. In His eyes, the view of Zion is beautiful.

Beloved Bridegroom, thank You for the great price You paid to set us apart to Yourself as Your precious and beautiful bride. Help us remember how much You love us, that we might deeply love You.

Comments are invited! Post here, or e-mail via profile page.
Copyright 2008, Anne Lang Bundy

Reaching the Kingdom

But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
(1 Corinthians 2:9-10 NKJV)

"The kingdom of God does not come with observation. ... For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you." Then [Jesus] said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it." (Luke 17:20-22 NKJV)

The Jews asked Jesus when God would bring the kingdom—that is, restore political sovereignty to Israel. Plenty of Christians (me too) ask when we’ll reach Heaven, when we’ll experience the full joy of God’s presence and escape this messed-up world.

If escape was the plan then we would be raptured the moment we came to Christ. The plan is for us to live in the spiritual kingdom that Jesus is building on Earth through His Spirit’s presence in our hearts. The kingdom is here, now.

Oh Lord, Your abundant love puts eternity with You in our hearts. Let our perception of that kingdom be our blueprint for what this kingdom should look like. Show us each step to build it.

Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. © 2008, Anne Lang Bundy

Separate Links, Still Connected

Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed ... and went in pursuit ... and he and his servants attacked them. ... So he brought back ... his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people. (Genesis 14:14-16 NKJV)

Blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved.
(Romans 11:25-26 NKJV)

"How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" ... It was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed. (Revelation 6:10-11 NKJV)

God does not fully separate His people: Abraham and Lot, Israel and Gentiles, fellow servants and brethren—the day comes when we find ourselves reconnected to those we thought separate. In these last days, Jews and Christians increasingly find themselves jointly persecuted. War is ugly, and though we would rather not get involved, it has a way of finding us (whether U.S. or believers). If we do not bless those whom God has chosen, we will suffer with those who curse them.

Abba, Father, thank You for choosing to make not just Israel but also Christ-lovers Your own children. Though we remain separated for now, please unite our hearts in love for YHWH, and for each other.

Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. © 2008, Anne Lang Bundy