God's Timeline: Part 2 of 16-Rightly Dividing The Word Of God

2 Timothy 2:15

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

Divisions.

From creation to the Tower of Babel--Genesis 1 to Genesis 11--God was dealing with Gentiles because, well, there weren't any Jews yet.  They sprang from Abraham.  He doesn't come into the picture until Genesis chapter 12.  

But, the Gentiles ultimately rebelled and were disobedient so God suspended their blessings--temporarily you understand.  The last straw was the Tower of Babel.

(For more information on the Tower of Babel,  please see the article below: "http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-tower-of-babel.html.)

(Tower of Babel.)

So, in chapter 12, God started a new program with a new nation that had never before existed:  Israel. He raised Abram who became the father of all Jews. God said to him:  "From you I shall make a great nation.”  

Paul asks the question "What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way!...To the Jews belong the all covenants, all the promises, the favor of God, and all the blessings," in Romans 3:1-2.
That is so God's style, isn't it?  He uses the weak things of this world to confound the wise.

Understand, however, that God raised them, not because they are special or more moral than any other group.  In fact, He said of them. "Because you are few in number, I chose you so that you won’t boast in your numbers.”  He chose them so that that they would be a testimony of His love, goodness, mercy and grace.  But, like Jonah, one can either be a negative testimony or a positive one.  Either way, you'll be a testimony.  

From Genesis 12 a-a-all the way to Acts 1, believe it or not, GOD WAS DEALING WITH ISRAEL.  THIS FACT IS key; and, yes, you read that right:  From Genesis 1 through Genesis 11, God was dealing with GENTILES.   But from Genesis 12 all the way to chapter 1 of the book of Acts, He was dealing with the JEWISH PEOPLE.

Many Christians don’t want to accept that statement because they think that Jesus came for the sole reason of dying for the sins of the world, and I say that very reverently.  Yes, He MOST ASSUREDLY did come and die for the sins of the world!  THANK YOU, JESUS!!!  We are forever grateful!  But He came for MANY reasons. 

Of course, the ultimate one was to die for our sins.  But the Bible also tells us that another of His reasons for coming was "to destroy him who had (past tense) the power of the death, that is, devil."  HEBREWS 2:14 

Again.....THANK YOU, JESUS!!!.....and He destroyed him with his own weapon:  DEATH.  

Death is swallowed up in VICTORY! 

But first and foremost, He came for THE LOST SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL.  Scripture bears this fact out.  You see, even though "God SO LOVED the world" that He sent His beloved Son, His 1st coming was for Israel and to fulfill all the promises God had made to the Jewish fathers:  Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  

In Romans 15 it says, "Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a SERVANT TO THE CIRCUMCISION (the Jews) for the truth of God, TO CONFIRM THE PROMISES MADE TO THE FATHERS, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy as it is written:"(verses 8&9)  In other words, once God's plan with the Jews was completed, He would again turn and deal with the Gentiles.

Remember, back in Genesis 11 where He temporarily suspended their blessings?  His plan was to bless the entire world through the nation of Israel.  They were to be His vehicle, so to speak.  He wanted to make them a shining example of how blessed a nation could be who's God is the Lord in order to provoke the nations to jealousy.  Then they would want to seek and serve God and so be just a blessed and favored as Israel. 

But because of her rejection of her Messiah, the tables were turned.  God's blessings on the Gentiles today are provoking Israel to be jealous of us and her own God.  They now want to seek the One we have!  Amazing!

Join me in Part 3 and where we’ll be talking about the Gospels in our study on Rightly Dividing The Word Of God.  Follow the link below:

http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-gospels-part-3-of-16-rightly.html