“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.”
The NLT Study Bible’sintroduction 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.
We'll address a first century meaning in our next post, but first Isaiah's context from seven centuries before Christ.
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.
“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)?
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?
12 And 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
That you may have Certainty in these Uncertain Times
Recall the guiding theme of our post-resurrection series is witness from the introduction of Luke-Acts and Jesus’ assurances to followers. We continue with the uncertain entry into Canaan after the death of Joshua. Our further focus looks at the consequences of those who had not obeyed the instruction of the Lord.
We know well Moses’ struggle with those who refused to obey the Law, but once again obedience comes into question. The lasting consequence from those those who had not obeyed the Lord became generational struggles for Israel. Obedience to the Law and Commandments became the foundation of righteousness for this people of God, but did not bring complete certainty.
The Hebrew people who complained as slaves saved from Egypt, who challenged Moses and then Joshua now enter another uncertain time of transition.
10 And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.
11 And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. 12 And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the Lord to anger.
23 A long time afterward, when the Lord had given rest to Israel from all their surrounding enemies, and Joshua was old and well advanced in years,2 Joshua summoned all Israel, its elders and heads, its judges and officers, and said to them, “I am now old and well advanced in years.3 And you have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake, for it is the Lord your God who has fought for you.
Like Moses and other fathers of the faith Joshua calls the congregation of the people together and witnesses faith. “… you have seen all that the Lord your God has done…” Once again, a call to future generations for ongoing faithfulness. Yet will certainty in the Lord prevail over doubts of mankind?
Promises unfold, along with covenant to be obeyed.
5 The Lord your God will push them back before you and drive them out of your sight. And you shall possess their land, just as the Lord your God promised you.
6 Therefore, be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left, 7 that you may not mix with these nations remaining among you or make mention of the names of their gods or swear by them or serve them or bow down to them, 8 but you shall cling to the Lord your God just as you have done to this day. 9 For the Lord has driven out before you great and strong nations. And as for you, no man has been able to stand before you to this day…
Sounds good to us. Therefore we will just let the Lord take care of everything for us.
11 Be very careful, therefore, to love the Lord your God.
Why of course we love the Lord when He is doing everything for us. In their place we probably would have thought, ‘no need to listen further.’
For If You Turn Back
12 For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you and make marriages with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, 13 know for certain that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you…
Clear choices. Serve the Lord and He will lead them to victory. Or turn back to doing whatever you like and you will be on your own.
Here we recognize something we see easy enough in others, that they obeyed only their own hearts. But let’s observe how it happened, so that we might not turn back in the same way.
“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor;
and they served other gods.
3 Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan, and made his offspring many…
Why did the Lord lead Abraham away from the lands where men worshiped idols? Do we see the caution here?
6 “‘Then I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea. And the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. 7 And when they cried to the Lord, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians and made the sea come upon them and cover them; and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. And you lived in the wilderness a long time…
More reminders follow of the faithfulness of the Lord, who blessed Israel through Joshua.
13 I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.’
Choose This Day Whom You Will Serve
It’s a choice we have every day, isn’t it? Choose the Lord or choose sin.
… Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord…
Joshua challenges the congregation:
15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua even takes authority to speak for his descendants, who will soon succeed him. Think of it as Joshua’s will and testament.
An inspired congregation will all agree.
… “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods…”
If only Israel had obeyed the Lord. But they did not obey. We continue to suffer the consequences to this very day.
Joshua’s Warning
19 But Joshua said to the people,
“You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins.
20 If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good.”
Is Joshua a Prophet; for he accurately foresees what Israel will do next? Moses had issued such warnings as well, in the Lord. Though the people pledge their loyalty to God, Israel will once again turn back in their hearts.
Judges 1:
17 And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they defeated the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath and devoted it to destruction… 18 Judah also captured Gaza with its territory, … but he could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain… 21 But the people of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem…
Failure to Complete the Conquest
27 Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and its villages, or Taanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages, for the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land.28 When Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not drive them out completely.
29 And Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them.
30 Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, or the inhabitants of Nahalol, so the Canaanites lived among them, but became subject to forced labor.
31 Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, or the inhabitants of Sidon or of Ahlab or of Achzib or of Helbah or of Aphik or of Rehob,32 so the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, for they did not drive them out.
33 Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, or the inhabitants of Beth-anath, so they lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless, the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became subject to forced labor for them.
34 The Amorites pressed the people of Dan back into the hill country, for they did not allow them to come down to the plain.35 The Amorites persisted in dwelling in Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim, but the hand of the house of Joseph rested heavily on them, and they became subject to forced labor.
You get the idea. Israel did not live in the promised land by themselves as they do not today. The twelve tribes turned to other gods, as we easily do today.
Israel had neither heeded Joshua’s warning nor obeyed the Lord.
Yet have you obeyed the Lord completely? Do you consider the consequences of your transgressions and for your sins?
Following Joshua; following Jesus
יְהוֹשׁוּעַ from: יְהֹוָה Yĕhovah and יָשַׁע yasha`
This is the meaning of Joshua: The Existing One IS our Savior.
A mortal man cannot save, only the Lord.
Centuries later, even after several defeats of Israel, Jesus walks up to amazed disciples. He appears and teaches His followers for forty days after His Resurrection from the Cross!
Luke addresses uncertainty in uncertain times with a comforting witness:
.. many have undertaken .. a narrative .. from eyewitnesses ..
.. it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you,
.. that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. – Excerpt Luke 1:1-4
Consider events of this past week or most recent months? Any good news of consequence other than feel-good fluff? Uncertainty seems to rule the day.
We live in a world filled with headlines of hopelessness and endless debates of speculative fear. And as I consider unexpected wars between rich rulers I sense only uncertain futures in these times.
Yet do not despair, beloved friend; for we proclaim a gospel of hope in times of hopelessness. We preach a gospel of certainty in uncertain times, life eternal in Christ Jesus.
What Gospel after the Resurrection?
Transitions bring uncertainty even to those comfortable with trusting God. Jesus’ disciples had just fifty more days to learn to trust in a new and certain covenant with the Lord. Then upon His ascension into the clouds the Holy Spirit would confirm their new certainty.
The opening words of the meticulous physicianhistorian Luke affirm his purpose:
‘that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.’
Jesus taught the Disciples, who subsequently taught others with His authority. Like Paul and Mark, Luke was a follower of The Way who had access to the Jesus’ Disciples.
Luke records their certain witness near the end of the first century, A.D. in Luke-Acts, a two-scroll history.
More to Come
In this next series we will examine the transitional time of uncertainty just a few years after the ascension of Jesus. We will also take a look back to Joshua, who led the Hebrew people through another transitional time after the death of Moses.
Conquering the Promised Land in many ways parallels the uncertain task of Jesus’ followers proclaiming the Gospel to the entire world. The old and new commissions both depend on the Lord. And lest we forget, our own uncertain times in this 21st century after Christ require much faith.
Trust in the LORD forever,
for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.
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Centuries later, even after several defeats of Israel, Jesus walks up to amazed disciples. He appears and teaches His followers for forty days after His Resurrection from the Cross!