Throughout the pages of the Bible, we witness a remarkable progression of God’s purpose and plan of salvation for humanity. One significant aspect of this progression is the distinction between the Jews and the Gentiles, first graphically observed in Exodus 11:7. This separation continued until the revelations given to Paul regarding the mystery of the Gospel of Grace, some 2000 years later, where God would pour out His grace unto both Jew and Gentile apart from the Law.
This division between Jews and Gentiles traces back to around 2000 BC, as depicted in Genesis 12. First, it is crucial to understand that for the first 2000 years, (From Genesis chapter one to Genesis chapter 12), of biblical and human history God dealt directly with all of mankind, and all of mankind spoke one language. Yet due to humanity’s continual defiance of God’s commands, He sovereignly chose one man—Abram, who we now know as Abraham—to create a people for Himself, the Jewish people, and would reveal Himself only to the nation of Israel through Jewish prophets (with few “ONLY 9” Gentile exceptions ).
Through the nation of Israel, the Jewish people, God’s chosen people, brought forth Scripture, the Ten Commandments, the gospel, and the teachings for righteous living. And it is through the nation of Israel that our Savior, who is Jewish, Jesus Christ, God the Son, will come on the scene in the flesh as the once for all sacrifice for the sin of the world.
One of the keys to truly understanding the Bible is understanding the difference between Israel (God dealing with Jews only) and the body of Christ (the mystery revealed that God will save both Jew and Gentile apart from the law for an unspecified time period called the dispensation of grace), which is His church. The theme of Scripture until we, the body of Christ, is revealed to Paul is all Jewish. All scripture up until Paul is prophetic and direct only to the nation of Israel, that one day a Messiah would come to the nation of Israel (not Gentiles) and be their King, crushing Israel’s enemies (who are Gentiles, read Luke 1:67-75), with the nation of Israel as the top nation above all nations with their King, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, ruling from David’s throne in Jerusalem. Through this kingdom, Gentiles would be blessed (Zechariah 8.23; Isaiah 42.1). This kingdom was to be the fulfillment of all that the Jewish prophets had proclaimed and the promise God had given to Abraham (Genesis 12.1-3).
Before we delve into the following five verses that delineate this separation of Jew and Gentile, let us first turn our attention to Exodus 33:12-17, where a profound declaration is made—Israel, the chosen people of God, is unmistakably revealed. Additionally, in Exodus 33:18-19, God openly proclaims to both Moses and the world the reasons behind His choosing of Israel as His own. His sovereign nature shines through as He bestows His grace and mercy upon those He chooses.
The following verses clearly and unmistakably declare that the Jewish people are God’s chosen people, not the Gentile world. I know most of Christianity does not accept this truth, but God Himself makes this graphically clear in these verses and in all of the Old and New Testaments. God does not change, nor can He lie (Psalm 89:33-37).
Exodus 33:12-17
‘Then Moses said to the Lord , “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.” And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.” So the Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.”’
Then God gives the reason why He chose Abraham to create a people for Himself.
God proclaims to Moses and the world, “Why? “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”
Exodus 33:18-19
‘And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.” Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”’
Here are five key passages that trace this theme of the separation of Jews from the Gentile world:
#1
Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:1-3): God promises Abraham that he will become a great nation, blessed and separate from others. This is the foundational promise of Israel’s distinction from the Gentiles.
Genesis 12:1-3
Now the Lord had said to Abram:
“Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you.
I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”“`
#2
Mosaic Covenant (Exodus 19:4-6): God separates the Israelites as His “treasured possession” among all nations, further establishing their uniqueness.
Exodus 19:4-5
‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’`
#3
Sabbatic Covenant (Exodus 31:12-18): This covenant sets the Israelites apart through the Sabbath, a sign between God and the Israelites throughout their generations.
#4
Land Covenant (Deuteronomy 9:1-29): God promises to give Israel a land where they will be established as a nation.
#5
Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7:4-29): God promises David an eternal dynasty, further setting Israel apart.
Here is another verse of many during the Lord’s earthly ministry that clearly makes the distinction between Jew and Gentile. But this verse is so graphically clear that it is impossible not to see that up until this time in Biblical and human history God was dealing only with His chosen people, not Gentiles.
‘“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them gets lost, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountain and go in search of the one that is lost? And if it turns out that he finds it, I assure you and most solemnly say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that did not get lost. So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones be lost. “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens and pays attention to you, you have won back your brother. But if he does not listen, take along with you one or two others, so that every word may be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he pays no attention to them [refusing to listen and obey], tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile (unbeliever) and a tax collector.’
Matthew 18:12-17
Temporary Blinding of the Nation of Israel
In Acts 7, 36-37 AD, Stephen’s stoning marks Israel’s final rejection of Jesus as the Messiah (Israel’s promised King), which in turn allows (sovereignly and predetermined before time began) for the calling of Paul (approximately 37 AD). With the Apostle Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15; Romans 11:13; Ephesians 3:1-2) comes the revelation of the Gospel of Grace, extending salvation to both Jews and Gentiles, as depicted in Acts 20:24 and 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. This marks (sometime around 40 AD, and not before) the temporary blinding of Israel (as the favored nation, temporarily), as mentioned in Romans 11, and the beginning of the Church Age, the age of grace, where there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile in Christ Jesus. The middle wall of partition has been broken down by the blood of Christ, and all mankind has access to Israel’s God apart from the law and temple worship (Ephesians 2:11-13; Romans 3:21).
Ephesians 2:11-12
‘Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.’
But now, after the cross, after the stoning of Stephen, after God calls Saul, whom we now know as the apostle Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, writes the next verse…
‘But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.’
Ephesians 2:13
100% Unashamed of the gospel of grace.
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