THE KING’S BUSINESS
753
aside, as God did set aside Elijah at the time referred to and appointed Elisha to take his place. Tuesday, August 7 . Rom. 11 : 5 - 12 . As there were a “remnant according to thè election of grace,” i. e., a faithful few who were left, not because of their own goodness, but because of the gracious deal ing of God, so in Paul’s time there was an election, a choosing out of the Israelitish people of a remnant by the grace of God. As it is by grace that they are chosen it is not of works. Israel had sought for righteousness by establishing their own righteousness by works, and so did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God (v. 3). What they sought but did not obtain because they did not seek it in the right way, i. e., because they sought it by works and not by faith, the chosen ones obtained by simply believing. “The rest were hardened.” God had foretold that they would be hardened, that they would be given a “spirit of stupor,” “eyes that they should not see, ears that they, should not hear,” and this continued unto the very day when Paul wrote. The Psalmist also had anticipated this hardening and blinding of Israel. But why were they thus permitted to stumble? “In order that they might fall?” No, that could not be. But this was a part of the plan of God, in order that a door of opportunity might be opened unto the Gentiles, But God’s purpose of grace did not even terminate with the Gen tiles. Salvation came to the Gentiles to proyoke ’“disobedient and gainsayihg” Israel to jealousy, in order that they might repent, as they will some time repent as a nation and accept their Messiah. The fall of Israel in their proving faithless and their consequent setting aside, became the riches o£ the world, as thus a door was open for the preaching of the Gospel to the Gentiles. But as their fall was “riches of the world,” the restoration and salvation of the whole nation, i.e. “their fulness,” will much more prove the riches of the Gentiles. The salvation of Israel will be
saying people, even according to their own Scriptures. But how patient God was, all the day long He stretched out His hands “unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.” And just so God is patient with disobedient and gainsaying America and England today. But as Israel would not hearken they were set aside for a time that God might pro voke them to jealousy “with that which is no nation,” and that He might stir them up by a “nation void of understanding.” He “was found of them that sought Him not,” and He manifested Himself “unto them that asked not of” Him. Monclay, August 6 . Rom.' 11 : 1 - 4 . While God set His people aside He did not cast them off. He has still plans and purposes of life and redemption for Israel. The Apostle Paul could not bear to think of God as casting Israel off for he himself was an Israelite, he was “of the seed of Abraham,” not only that he was “qf the tribe of Benjamin.” God did not cast off all Israel, there was a part of Israel who were really His people, the ones whom He foreknew. Elijah lived in a day of apos tasy and it seemed to him as if the whole people had gone astray. He. fancied that he, he “only " was true to God (1 Kings, 19:10), and he pleaded with God against Israel. He told Jehovah how they had killed His prophets, digged down His altars, and how that he was left alone faith ful, and how they sought his life. But though Elijah could not see them, God had his eye on the faithful remnant, and He rebuked Elijah for thinking that he alone was left. He said, “I have left for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” Oftentimes faithful men of God are tempted to think, as they look around upon the general faithlessness to God, that they stand alone. Many a man 81 his Pharisaic self-sufficiency is tempted to say to God, “I alone am left.” But God answers, Not so, there are thous ands of others faithful as well as you. When a man thinks that he stands abso lutely alene, he is very near to being set
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker