The Messenger Entrusted By God

 Meditations on Romans

July 20, 2021

The Messenger Entrusted By God

You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it. No wonder the Scriptures say, “The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you.”

Romans 2:23-24

Read: Romans 2:17-24

I am in awe of Paul’s wisdom and his skill at crafting this letter. Like most of the first churches, the Roman congregation was made up of Jews and Gentiles. Apparently, there were Jews who were reluctant to believe that their God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of the Covenant, was fully embracing the Gentiles.

Paul is using the same teaching to reach both groups, and he demonstrated God is the Father of all. Paul’s citation of scripture in verse twenty-four, quoted above, is from Isaiah 52. This passage tells how Israel completely failed in God’s mission and then leads into Isaiah 53 where the Messiah, the Suffering Servant of God, is introduced as the One who will save Israel and the world. That citation also refers to Ezekiel 36 which tells of the coming New Covenant where God’s law is written on the hearts of His people.

Paul saw Israel as the messenger entrusted by God with a gift that would enable all people to live in right relationships with one another and God. For Paul, Israel was like a postman who, instead of delivering the package, kept the package for himself. Therefore, God chose a new messenger, the Messiah, to bring the Good News. This messenger did not fail in his mission.

My Takeaway: Today the church is just as susceptible as Israel was in yielding to the temptation to keep the Good News for ourselves. To help us resist that temptation, Jesus has a message for His church:

“But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.” (Revelation 2:4-5)

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.