God and His Chosen People

“Sing for joy, you Gentiles, with his people!” Paul is quoting this from Deuteronomy in Romans 15:10, but it is always a wise idea to go look at the whole passage and see the context. Turns out this is from Deuteronomy 32 (play Beethoven's Fifth Symphony in your mind) such a powerful chapter. Deut. 32:40 “Yes, I lift My hand up to heaven
and say, ‘As I Myself live forever,
41 when I sharpen My lightning sword
and My hand seizes it in judgment,
I will return vengeance on My foes,
and those who hate Me I will pay back.
42 I will make My arrows drunk from blood,
and My sword will devour flesh—
the blood of the slain and the captive,
the head of the leaders of the enemy.’
43 Make His people rejoice, O nations,
for He will avenge the blood of His servants.
He will return vengeance on His foes,
and atone for the land of His people.” WOW, Paul chose a very interesting passage to highlight to the Jewish people who would be reading the letter to the Romans that the Gentiles were entering into the commonwealth of Israel according to the plan of God. The HCSB puts it this way, "Rejoice, you nations, concerning His people, for He will avenge the blood of His servants. He will take vengeance on His adversaries; He will purify His land and His people." Paul has been driving home the point all through Romans that Gentiles need to come in as servant's of the Jewish people. We (Gentiles) are called to be a people who rejoice when people who kill Jews suffer the vengeance of God, we are called to rejoice when Jerusalem and the surrounding lands are purified along with the purification of the people. We need to pray for the heart of God for this people and their land.

Recently I heard it said that the Name of God, the reputation of God, the faithfulness of God is all tied to fulfilling the promises about the chosen people and their chosen land.