really? this sounds like something Scofield would say
LOL EG!
nobody denies God set aside national Israel
the point is when the Promised Messiah came and Pentecost came, those who believed remained in the olive tree.
those who didn't were cut off.
God made a special point of sending Jonah.
they wouldn't have known anything without His Intervention.
and interesting that that episode is recorded as a type of the Gospel...
Or King davids grandmother or the many other gentiles who came to the knowledge of God during the time of Isreal?
God-fearers / strangers?
ya....they were included.
and? point being they were included in the multitude....the commonwealth of Israel.
only a remnant of the multitude has ever been saved.
Ok. now this I can see. But that is not the point. the point is God is telling unbelieving carnal isreal, who are not saved, to return to him. He is given them a choice. Is this not free will??
i don't deny we have a will, EG.
read or listen to Bondage of the Will.
and i don't deny God has provided evidence of Himself in creation, and His Scriptures have been with us for a long time.
The Holy Spirit is in the world, working.
but it says the god of this world has blinded the perishing! and the Cross is foolishness....did i set out to believe foolishness?
what i am saying is that, for ex....when God is pleading with
Israel to return to Him, what is He always mentioning? He is continually sending them prophets, continually threatening, but always with the Promise attached. He is resaying stuff He already said...maybe we all heard it like they did...i don't think i did. i know i didn't. Lord's Prayer maybe?
Zechariah 7:12
They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the LORD Almighty was very angry.
what is He referring to here? look how far into these major prophets we are:
Ezekiel 36:26
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Jeremiah 24:7
I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.
Isaiah 32:15
till the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest.
Joel 2:28
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions
Acts 2
The Coming of the Holy Spirit
1When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and resteda on each one of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
Peter’s Sermon at Pentecost
14But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.b 16But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
17 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
18 even on my male servantsc and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
20 the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
22“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. 25For David says concerning him,
“‘I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
my flesh also will dwell in hope.
27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One see corruption.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’
29“Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit at my right hand,
35 until I make your enemies your footstool.’
36Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
37Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
The Fellowship of the Believers
42And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43And awed came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
^^ that was a long time ago, EG.
He was evidently a follower of God. thats why God went to him. God would not have gone to an idol worshiper.
Matthew 12:39
He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
Matthew 12:41
The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
Mark 4:11
New International Version (©1984)
He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables
New Living Translation (©2007)
He replied, "You are permitted to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables for everything I say to outsiders,
English Standard Version (©2001)
And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables,
New American Standard Bible (©1995)
And He was saying to them, "To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables
??
do we understand the parables?
i think so...Jesus interpreted them all!
did we set out to even care about Him and His parables?
i don't think i did.
all i knew was this:
even that got lost along the way.
i dunno EG.
i didn't free-will my way to the Cross...i just didn't.
