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Tag: gentiles

That you may have Certainty – 6 – Gentiles
“I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness,
And will hold Your hand;
I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people,
As a light to the Gentiles…

Behold, the former things have come to pass,
And new things I declare;
Before they spring forth I tell you of them.”

Isaiah 42:6,9 NKJV

What is a Gentile?

The NLT Study Bible’s introduction to the Gospel of Luke summarizes the perspective of Gentiles to the Jewish mind in this way:

“The ultimate outsiders were Gentiles, and Luke emphasizes that God’s salvation extends even to them.”

Jewish daily practices had been refined into an exclusionary culture of separation from Gentiles who observed worship from a distance. Have you ever entered a worship service and felt like an outsider? I have.
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We'll address a first century meaning in our next post, but first Isaiah's context from seven centuries before Christ.
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What makes Gentiles different from Jews?

גּוֹי – gowy from the Hebrew – nation or people, usually of non-Hebrew people

Although used generically as description of people from any nation, Gentile may be used as an insult to a foreigner. (Of course, no one today would do that, would we?)

Hear Isaiah’s tone with this word (גּוֹי) here translated, ‘nations.’

Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged. Isaiah 1:4

Which one of the Nations does Isaiah address, which people to which the LORD is foreign to their lives?

Isaiah speaks specifically to Judah and Jerusalem!

Faithfulness to the LORD is what is supposed to separate Jews from Gentiles. The Prophet of God warns that because of their sin (iniquity), these Jews are no different than other nations.

Does any of this have a contemporary ring?

Like ‘sin,’ ‘iniquity’ is accusation too intolerant for ears of leaders unwilling to obey the Lord God.

Iniquity – עָוֹן – `avon – perversity, depravity, guilt or punishment of iniquity

Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth;
for the LORD has spoken:
“Children have I reared and brought up,
but they have rebelled against me. – Isaiah 1:2

By the time of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, Isaiah’s rebuke from the LORD fell on deaf ears of a broken Israel. But God’s warnings had been constant for Israel, then neglected by generations even back to Moses.

Deuteronomy 8:

“The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers…

3 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna… that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord… 19 And if you forget the Lord…

20 Like the nations that the Lord makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God.

Nations, Gentiles (the same word): make yourself like them by turning from the Lord and you shall perish. As Isaiah concluded more than six centuries later: they are utterly estranged.

Why does a Jewish Messiah matter to the Nations (Gentiles)?

Zechariah 2:
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[circa 5th Century Before Christ]
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10 Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord.

Were these the songs of Palm Sunday, praise from Jews and the Gentiles?

11 And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.

The Messiah, Jesus, Emmanuel, God With Us; here entering Zion (Jerusalem) and joining Himself also to the Gentiles. How will He do that? How will the Nations know that Jesus is sent also to them?

¹²And the Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.”

Here gathered the Jews for a Passover festival in a Zion ruled by Gentiles. Romans, Greeks, people of the Nations all present for an event of witness. Yet the witness would be of a New Covenant of Blood on a Cross. Their witness would be of a resurrection and a new hope. The Gentiles were now joined to God in the Blood of the Messiah!

13 Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.

To be continued…

That you may have Certainty – 7 – An outsider’s view from a Gentile
May 5, 2018
Relationship with a Roman
Luke 7:1 After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum.

Jesus has just taught the crowds who were amazed at His teaching (probably under the watchful Roman eyes of their area squad of the Legion).

Jesus taught His own people with such sayings as:
- Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.
- Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
- The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good.
- “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?
The multitudes followed Jesus from place to place (under watchful Roman eyes, along with ears to hear the true motives of this Jewish teacher who taught in the synagogues of the towns and on the distant hillsides) … waiting to see what their promised Messiah would do. (The Roman authorities and Jewish authorities wanted to know that as well.)

Jesus has told the crowds, “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, 44 for each tree is known by its own fruit.”

What is the fruit of Jesus’ ministry? For most of the crowds just watch. Many bear no good fruit.

Jesus returns to his new home, followed by the crowds of onlookers.

2 Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. 3 When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant.

This Roman soldier had a servant, possibly a captured slave from their many battles of the Roman campaign and rule of the region (perhaps even a zealous Jew). We know that the culture of the City of Rome required many slaves (25% of the population). This person (slave or servant) was valuable to the Roman Centurion (a General in charge of many men, in addition to his own servants).

Propriety and protocol require communication at the proper levels of leadership to approach a common Jew like Jesus; therefore the centurion sends another servant to communicate with the servant of a Jewish elder about dealing with this common Rabbi of the hillsides about possibly helping him in a personal matter of his gentile (Roman) household.

The Elders themselves (highly esteemed and with the authority of Jewish leadership of their fellow Jews like Jesus) come to the Rabbi Jesus and ask Him a favor. No faithful Jew would refuse such a request directly from an Elder.

4 And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He (this gentile, Roman centurion) is worthy to have you do this for him, 5 for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.”

So the Jews then begin a short journey toward the Roman encampment nearby, but not in Capernaum.

6 And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed.

Fruit of His teaching! AND from a Roman gentile.

8 For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

And Jesus had just asked on the hillsides:

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?”

Beloved believer, you who this day claim Christ by calling yourself a christian; do you hear now Jesus’ teaching to faithful followers of God?

It is a further lesson for the ears of skeptical Jews and their local Elders:

9 When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”

And later report would come back to Capernaum from the gentile Roman camp of this miracle that did not even require the touch or near presence of Jesus:

10 And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.

Adoption and mercy for gentiles like most of us. Jesus IS Lord of all.

We cry out to Christ, “Lord, Lord.”

Do you have the faith of this centurion?

Is He your Lord?
February 25, 2014
A Light of Revelation to the Gentiles

Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

Luke 1:5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord…

The Birth of John the Baptist

57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.”

(a few months later in Jerusalem, which is near to Bethlehem)

Jesus Presented at the Temple

22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord…

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”

33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

(Jesus was eight days old; then Joseph fled from the wrath of Herod to Egypt.)

We have picked up the story of Jesus’ early ministry 30 years later.

He is filled by the Holy Spirit, baptized by John, faced Satan for 40 days in the wilderness and returned to Nazareth and the surrounding towns to preach repentance.

Jesus has been rejected by his own brothers and neighbors of Nazareth. The people of Nazareth try to stone Him!

Jesus moves to Capernaum. He teaches and performs miracles on the Galilean hillsides. All the time, of course, Galilee is under the administration and watchful eye of Rome. A Roman army could occupy any town at any time if they perceived a threat from its people or a charismatic leader with thousands of followers listening to his teaching. Of course, watchful Roman ears would have the intelligence to hear what such a Galilean would be saying to his followers. Rome and the gentile solders certainly knew Jesus prior to His triumphal entry into Jerusalem which would occur just three short years from now.

Christ Jesus is not only a teacher and friend of the Jews. Jesus IS a light and salvation to the gentile Romans.

The Prophesy of Luke 1:

30 …for my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”

(Next we continue Jesus’ journey and witness to Capernaum and Nain in Galilee.)

February 24, 2014