Scripture
25 As he says in Hosea:
“I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people;
and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one,”
26 and,
“In the very place where it was said to them,
‘You are not my people,’
there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’”
Reflection
Following yesterday’s passage, Paul employed very strategically a passage from the Old Testament (Hosea 2:23) in a response to the Jews’ obvious claim that salvation in the Old Testament (OT) isn’t inclusive of Gentiles. Since Paul knew they would make such a claim, he purposefully quoted Hosea to show that it was God’s plan all along to include the Gentiles into his salvation plan. Paul used the very same medium they would’ve used to counter his argument to support his claim. One can just imagine what a great wave of freedom and hope this message must’ve brought the Gentile readers upon hearing this statement. Not only did God have them in mind from the very beginning, but us also living in Shanghai in the 21st century (Con).
Thoughts for the day
- After reading these passages what emotions or feelings are you left with? Is it feelings of hope or joy and why?
- Based on the previous question, is there anyone whom you can share your insight to?
- Knowing that Paul strategically used an OT passage to counter and support his claim at the same time, what thoughts come to mind regarding such a clever usage of writing?
Prayer
Flick on a news site on your phone or computer and pray for a situation that is evolving today and the people involved.
