Bible Study 6/14

Proverbs 13:1-12

A few new proverbs about wealth:

v.11 - Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.

v.7 - One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing. Another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth. (living a simple lifestyle)

And more about speech;

v. 3 - Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

Romans 11

God has not rejected ethnic Israel. Christianity began with many ethnic Jews, and many more had been included since that time. There is a remnant, just as in the time of the prophets, who remains faithful and stands by grace through faith. But, he says, the rest were hardened.

God's purposes in this were to bring in the Gentiles and so make Israel jealous, so they would return to him. We stand on the foundation of the people of Israel, the root of the tree, even though some of their branches have been broken off by God and new ones, the Gentiles, grafted in. This is no cause for arrogance toward ethnic Israel or boasting.

Some people see in this passage a message that there will be a time when all of ethnic Israel is once again included as the people of God, but there is not really enough evidence to support that claim at least in this passage. When he says in v.26 "and in this way all Israel will be saved" it is in the context of the fullness of the Gentiles coming in. Ethnic Israel will be welcomed and included in God's salvation, but there will be some who don't believe. As in v.32, "for God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all."