Who Is Israel

 DEVOTION

THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS

WHO IS ISRAEL

Rom 2:25-29

25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26 If those who are not circumcised keep the law's requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? 27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker. 28 A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God.

NIV

Basely, this all boils down to whether or not we have had our hearts circumcised by God. Of course, we know that circumcision of the flesh is done by human hands. We also know that this rite or ritual was a sign of the covenant God made with Abraham and that it was to include all of his descendants. At first, it was just Abraham and his son Ishmael who were circumcised as Sarah had yet to bore Abraham’s son Isaac. However, when Isaac was born, and when he was eight days old, Abraham circumcised his son. It has been the sign of the covenant with God throughout the ages and all the Jews have held to that right of circumcision. However, Paul makes this very clear that this physical circumcision does not qualify a person to be a Jew. Within this context of a covenant with God, Paul says that just because a man has been physically circumcised it does not mean he is one of God’s chosen people, the ones who are the true descendants of Abraham. Abraham could not make himself righteous before God or find righteousness in the covenant of circumcision. We know that because Abraham believed God, it was accounted unto him as righteousness, and he did not have any law to abide by, for the law had not yet been given to Moses. Faith, therefore, is the key to finding righteousness. The works of the flesh including that rite of circumcision have no value toward righteousness, nor being the chosen people of God. It is all about this circumcision of the heart. But what does that mean? First, we note that this can apply to women as well,  as they were precluded from that covenant of circumcision God made with Abraham. However, male circumcision does reveal a truth about how God circumcises our hearts. As there is a covering over the most sensitive member of the male body, there is a covering upon our hearts. As the removal of that coverage in the flesh exposes the most sensitive member of the body, God removes that hardened cover we have had over our hearts thus exposing our inner self to him. What was overshadowing our hearts, no longer is there and so the tender inmost part of our heart beats throughout us in true spiritual covenant with God. This would make us the chosen people of God, the true Jews and we somehow cannot help to think that when Paul, in his letter to the Romans, said that after the full number of Gentiles come to Jesus, then all of Israel will be saved. This cannot apply to all the nation of Israel, because Israel in this context includes the full number of Gentiles. Therefore, those circumcised of the heart are the true Israel, the people of God, those of the covenant through faith in Jesus Christ.