By David Blalock
During my trip to Israel this summer, my first of what I hope will turn into many, I experienced the reality of God’s plan for the Jewish people in many different ways. One of the most significant ways came as I observed how tenaciously they clung to their religion. Seeing the orthodox Jews dressed up and keeping the law day in and day out made me realized that these were committed people. They will do almost anything just to keep the law, much of which rabbinical tradition has imposed on them for many years. Despite being presented every day the tedious task of keeping the law, which is far from the idea of a life giving relationship with God, they persist in holding fast to what they think is true.
All of this provoked me to think of how it might look if they found true life in their messiah? After contemplating this for many days and weeks I decided that it would look exactly the way Paul described it in Romans 11:15 when he said “For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?” … life would spring up in their society and, furthermore, in the earth. As intent as these people are in following a dead religion sustained by rules and regulations how much more intent would they be if they knew the fullness of what God had done for them through His son? It would truly be life from the dead for them and for all those around them!