(Bible study)
The English word
gentile comes from the Latin word for “people”. In the Bible, Gentiles are all
the peoples who are not Jews. The descendants of Noah and his family spread out
over the world and became divided into many different nations or peoples (Gen.
10). God divided these nations by giving
them different languages, because they had acted in evil ways (Gen 11). But
then God chose Abraham and Sarah and told them that he would use them and their
descendants to bring God’s blessing to “all the familes of the earth” (Gen
12:1-3).
Later, israel’s
king Solomon urged the people to be kind and open toward those of other
nations, so that they would come to honor the LORD God (1 Kings 8:41-43).
The prophets of
Israel kept telling the people that God was eager to have other nations honor
him (Jer 4:2) and that they wanted to know the God of Israel (Isa 42:1-4;
51:4-5). If the people of God were obedient, they would be a model and witness
to all the nations of the world (Isa 61). The story of Jonah shows how God reached
out with mercy to a nation that was Israelis enemy. God will one day be the
single ruler over all nations, and they will join to honor God (Ps 47:8-9,
86:8-9). In the kingdom that God will establish, “people of every nation and
race would serve him” (Dan 7:14).
The Book of Hosea
Steps to knowing
God:
Hosea, perhaps
more than any other prophet, reveals the loving heart of God. God desires to
bless, not to chastise His people. The Lord puts a premium value on His
relationship with us.
1
Corinthians 9:22
“To the weak I became weak,
to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible
means I might save some.”
Christ left heaven and came
to earth to save us. Paul sacrificed everything to share the Gospel with both
Jews and Gentiles. What have we done... what have we left... what have we given
up... what have we become... to share Jesus with those we love, know, or
influence?
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