Page:Studies in the Scriptures - Series I - The Plan of the Ages (1909).djvu/305

 The Kingdom of God,

chosen (according to the fore-knowledge of God) through san&ification of the spirit and belief of the truth. 2 Thes. 2: 13; i Pet. i: 2.

But though, through the rejection of Messiah, Israel did lose all this special favor, yet Paul shows that this did not prove them entirely cut off from favor ; for they still had the same privilege of being grafted into Christ and the spirit- ual favors which the rest of mankind enjoyed, if, during the time that call was being made, they accepted in faith j for, argues Paul, God is as able to graft them in again as to graft in wild branches, and as willing, if they continue not in unbelief. Rom. n : 23, 24.

Moreover, Paul argues that though Israel lost the chief blessing, "which heseeketh for," the chief place in God's kingdom, yet it remains that great promises are still due to be fulfilled toward that people ; for, he reasons, God's gifts, callings, covenants and promises are not to be turned aside unfulfilled. God knew the end from the beginning; he knew that Israel would rejedl Messiah ; and his unequiv- ocal promises to them in view of this knowledge give us assurance that Israel is yet to be used of the Lord in service, as his agency in blessing the world, though " Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for ' ' the chief favor. Paul then proceeds to show that God's covenant promises to Israel were of such a nature as to leave it open and indefi- nite whether as a people they would be the heavenly or the earthly seed whether they would inherit and fulfil the higher or the lower service mentioned in the promises. God kept secret the higher spiritual favor until due time, and the promises made to them mentioned the earthly favor only, though he favored them by the first offer of the spiritual favors also, and so offered them more than he had ever prom- ised. In a word, the heavenly promises were hidden in the earthly. These promises, says Paul, cannot fail, and the

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