Hear, O Israel

A friend of mine cleverly used Donald Rumsfield's words from a press conference months ago to describe our limited understanding of scriptures. I believe Mr. Rumsfield was talking about intelligence in Iraq, but Patrick was referring to our understanding of the Word. "There are things that we know. There are things we know we don't know. There are things we don't know that we don't know."

I am convinced that many Christians have too quickly explained away Israel. Maybe we should not discount Israel's role today and in the future, but I understand why many of us have to this point. The current nation of Israel was only recently reestablished. For someone studying the Bible up through the mid 1900's, seeing Israel as a nation in the Bible would have been difficult to perceive. Maybe this is why some believe the church had replaced Israel. I don't think that is necessarily the case. Were God's promises to Israel conditional? I'm not sure, but I believe a study of Romans indicates that we have been grafted into Israel and not them into us. I have been slapped in the face for being prideful that I accepted Christ while so many Jews did not/have not. But this was all part of God's plan. Paul says regarding Israel, quoting the OT "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear to this very day." He also says "For if their [JEWS]rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?" "Do I think Israel should return to the Law, animal sacrifice, and rebuild a temple to be saved. No, salvation is still through Christ, but would their returning to what they knew to do be viewed favorably by God? Perhaps. Paul says this "I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins."

What do you think? Some of this I know I don't know. Some I probably don't know that I don't know.