Tracing Your Heritage

 Hosea 2: 21-23
 “In that day I will respond,”
    declares the Lord—
“I will respond to the skies,
    and they will respond to the earth;
²² and the earth will respond to the grain,
    the new wine and the olive oil,
    and they will respond to Jezreel.^[a]
23 I will plant her for myself in the land;
    I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.^[b]’
I will say to those called ‘Not my people,^[c]’ ‘You are my people’;
    and they will say, ‘You are my God.’”

 On Tuesdays when I am not at a MOPS meeting or a MOPS play date, then I do my best to attend Dorothy Haine's Bible Study.  This year she picked a book called Wholly Devoted by Cammy Tidwell and Sheryl Vasso.  These two women spoke at one of our women's retreats and they were such a dynamic team.

One thing I love about attending any Bible Study is obviously the actual study.  And because of the geek that I am (or maybe it's the inner teacher in me) I love when the leader assigns homework.  I feel like the class is somehow more official if there is homework.  Our homework this week was to trace our heritage through the Bible.

We had to look up 7 passages from Scripture and try to "trace the thread that is beautifully woven through God's Word concerning those not born into the nation of Israel."  We all know that the Jews are God's chosen people.  Sometimes as I am reading through the Bible I even wish I was Jewish because of the love you can see between God and his people.  From the very beginning God made it clear that there was going to be a very special bond between Him and them.

As I looked up the following passages I began to find verses that included me (a non-Jew) into this awesome group!  I felt like the nerdy kid on the side lines being accepted into the cool crowd!  But obviously it's even more important than that.  This special group has eternal value.  God's relationship with His people is not superficial or temporary.  He is not a fair weather friend.  He is so faithful, loving and compassionate.

Here are the Scriptures:  (I paraphrased them as I did in my notes...but if you have time look up the whole passage because they are really beautiful)

Hosea 1:10 You are sons of the Living God

Hosea 2: 21-23 (see the above passage at the beginning of this post)...You are my people...and the people will say, You are my God!

John 10: 14-16  The other sheep which are not of the fold...will now be one flock and have one Shepherd

Romans 1: 16 The Jew first and also for the Greek...

Romans 3: 29 He is God of the Gentiles also...

Romans 9: 23-25  He will call us His people and beloved

Ephesians 2: 11-22  We have been brought near by His blood...we were once aliens from the commonwealth of Israel...strangers from the covenant of promise...but Christ has reconciled us both...we are now fellow citizens!

Isn't it amazing how God has made a way for even the non-Jew to be brought into the fold...He calls us His own...and it's all because of the blood of Christ on the cross.  Thank you Jesus for your sacrifice and for calling us your people!

Isaac Watts:  "Love so amazing--so divine, demands my soul...my life...my all."