Breathingbook

Greetings. I am still preparing for the Heb 1:5 Bible study by laying down preliminary concepts. One of the immediate topics which need to be addressed, before entering into the study, is what is meant by the term “Gentile?”

Those of us who are not Jewish and yet are believers in Jesus Christ, come initially to Christ from the group known as the Gentiles (we did not know God before Jesus Christ came into our hearts). Through the power Jesus’ blood, He makes us One with Him:

Eph 2:11-14 …being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, …ye were without Christ, …having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye… …are made (near)… …For He… …made both One… .

Even though saved Christians who formerly were Gentiles are not Jewish through bloodline, we become One through Jesus Christ with them and are transformed into fellow citizens of the household of God (Eph 2:15-19).

Eph 2:15-19 Having abolished in His flesh the (hostility), …to make in himself of twain one new man, …that he might reconcile both unto God… …by the cross… …For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are … …fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God.

Now, there is great biblical distinction between those “Gentiles” that truly know God and walk in His sanctification process, and those “Gentiles” who do not know God (Eph 4:17-21; 1Th 4:4-5) and subsequently, act against Him.

1Th 4:4-5 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God.

Even Israel has been referred to before as is gowy. In Deut 32:28, Moses writes referring to Israel,

Deu 32:28 For they are a nation (gowy) void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them.

We know that Israel is God’s chosen people. Through Israel we have received knowledge of God through the scriptures, and most important, we received Jesus Christ our Savior, who was, is and will always be a Jew, and of Israel.

Understandably, this scripture is OBVIOUSLY NOT REFERRING to those who DO receive counsel and obtained understanding from God, because Jesus IS God.

What is clear is that it is critical to “know God” for without Him there is only death.

In Heb 1:5, we come upon the key phrase,

Heb 1:5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?

This is referring back to Psalms 2:7,

Psa 2:7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

In order for us to understand what is being said in Psa 2:7, we need to look at Psa 2:1-3.

To paraphrase this,

Why do those who do not know God – who are void of His counsel and understanding – imagine vain, empty purposed things? Those who are their leaders counsel with one another against God and the Messiah, saying, let’s break their hold on us, and get rid of their leashes.

The Hebrew definition of gowy” can be summarized as a foreign nation; a massing which is on par with animals or insects. The Greek definition for “ethnos” can be summarized a foreign non-Jewish tribe. By implication these are also known as pagans.

In Acts 3:1-4:1-31, the story is told about Peter and John going into the temple and seeing forty year old man (vs 4:22) who was lame from birth (vs 3:2), raise him to walking and leaping health, full of strength (vs 3:7-10). As Peter and John respond to the people’s amazement of this miracle, the temple guard comes upon them (vs 4:1-3), throws them in a holding area and the next day they go before the Sanhedrin who threatens them not to speak in any further in Jesus name (vs 4:17-21). So Peter and John return their people (vs 4:23), report what’s happened, and then, with one accord, they all praise God, and quote a key phrase from Psa 2:1-3

Acts 4:25-28 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against His Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

Here, Israel is placed in league for the fulfillment of this scripture along with Herod, Pontius Pilate and the Gentiles. They ALL worked together against the Lord and against His Christ.

So the term “Gentile” means those who do not know God, because they are void of counsel and neither is there any understanding in them.

Lastly, to substantiate this a bit further, notice in Rev 11:1-2, the gowy or ethnos (Gentiles) are prophesied to trample the holy city under foot for forty and two months.

Rev 11:1-2 and there was given me a reed likes unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

This trampling is done by those who do not know God. They are void of counsel and is there no understanding in them.

I just want to close with a reminder of our shared humanity.

It’s not that Abraham was special, but that God made Him Special. Not only is God Creator of all things, but God imputed righteousness to Abraham even as He imputes it to believers through Jesus Christ our Lord. It is not something that is earned. It is a free gift.

God can do anything with anybody, because through Him nothing is impossible (Mk 10:27).

God can take even the most wretched person and turn them into a clean vessel for Him to do His work through. It’s when God “does His work” that we all stand up and take notice of it. Whether it’s the birth of a child, the creation of a world, a miracle like God filling some simple servant with His Holy Spirit and delivering a stirring speech just like He did with Elisabeth to Mary (Lk 1:41), Zacharias when John the Baptist was named (Lk 1:67), Simeon when he first set eyes upon Jesus (Lk 2:27), or the entire gathering at Pentecost (Acts 2:4), the thing is, It’s all about Jesus…

All of creation has always been all about Jesus. It’s not about you, or me, or Israel, or the elect who by nothing of themselves obtain a single thing. No… It’s all about Jesus and when this life or anything we’re involved with becomes NOT all about Jesus, then you, me, Israel or the elect better watch out, because God IS GOING TO MAKE IT ALL ABOUT JESUS and you and I need to be on the right side of His nature when He does just that.

Phil 2:9-11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Thanks be to God! Though we once were lost… now we are found. Though once we were a people who did not know God, void of His counsel and understanding, now we are His children, saved by His Grace and wholly snatched, as it were, out of the fire which burns everlasting.

Selah