But it’s not as though God’s word has failed. Not all who are descended from Israel are part of Israel. Not all of Abraham’s children are called Abraham’s descendants, but instead your descendants will be named through Isaac. That means it isn’t the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children from the promise who are counted as descendants. The words in the promise were: A year from now I will return, and Sarah will have a son. Not only that, but also Rebecca conceived children with one man, our ancestor Isaac. When they hadn’t been born yet and when they hadn’t yet done anything good or bad, it was shown that God’s purpose would continue because it was based on his choice. It wasn’t because of what was done but because of God’s call. This was said to her: The older child will be a slave to the younger one. As it is written, I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau. (Romans 9:6-13, CEB)
What did the word say?
And what did it mean?
You see when we read things we get the meaning based on our upbringing and the community that surrounds us. We use the influences on our lives to help us understand the meaning of what we read. And someone who had a different set of influences would possibly get a different meaning and that meaning could be different than the one of the person who wrote the thing in the first place. So which meaning is correct?
You could say the person who wrote the text, and that would be correct, and yet others who read it who have influences the original author never had get a new/different meaning and that doesn’t mean it is wrong, not what was intended, but not wrong.
So how are people of the promise not of the promise, or not included? Who makes that choice? The only answer that matters is not us.
We need to say everyone is in and hope that we are a part of that when it all shakes out in the end. And I believe the promises that all means all and God is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Loving People. Loving God.
aSacredRebel 