Day 15: God is unfolding His mystery

Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith – Romans 16:25–26 ESV

Marty Shoub, author of Return to Me, shares:

Isaiah 49:5–6 explains the two reasons the Messiah came to earth: to restore the tribes of Jacob and to be a light to the Gentiles so God’s salvation would go to the ends of the earth. Jesus did both—not just the second, but also that the tribes would be gathered. There is a spiritual component, not just geographical. Often people emphasize the last half of verse 6, but we need to take both verses together. Many of us haven’t connected to this other dimension of why Jesus came to earth. Paul said he didn’t want us to be ignorant about the mystery of Israel (Romans 11:25). Unfortunately, most of us are ignorant.

In these days, God is preparing us for the return of the Lord and we can no longer be ignorant of this mystery. These two purposes are not separate, but they are convergent and integrated. If you are all about God’s salvation to the ends of the earth, you must also understand about bringing Jacob back to him. The two go hand in hand. It’s a hopeful message. Salvation is connected. God’s purposes are connected to Israel’s restoration. They are not distinct and separate.

Meditate on and study Romans 16:25–26 (ESV): “Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith.”

• What does this say about the revelation of the mystery?
• What is the mystery?
• Romans 11:25 (AMP): gives insight into what this mystery is: “Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.”
• We studied Romans 11:25 earlier, but take time to meditate on it, asking God what He wants you to see in it today.
• According to Romans 16, how was the mystery disclosed?
• What was the purpose of the mystery being revealed?
• What is God saying to you through these verses?

What stood out to you from your study today?

A prayer to pray

Eternal God, You are the one who reveals mysteries, as You did with Daniel (Daniel 2:22). Thank You that You are revealing Your mysteries that have been kept hidden for long ages and I can understand them because of the prophetic writings. I confess that many times I have ignored part or all of the Old Testament, because I thought that because it was old that it was not for today. I’m so grateful that due to the partial hardening of hearts of Your people, You had mercy on us Gentiles, giving us an opportunity to know You and become part of Your family. I recognize that I have so much more to learn. Please teach me, Lord.

Prayer points for today

• Pray for the partial hardening to be lifted so they can understand the truth about their Messiah. Ask God to begin to open their eyes and hearts more and more.
• God is bringing many Jews to their Messiah. I heard recently that over one million Jews have accepted Christ. Pray for more of His precious children to come to Him.
• Pray for Gentiles who don’t yet have a revelation of God’s heart for Israel, that they will be open and begin to pray for Israel.

An action to take

Share what you are learning about God’s heart for Jews and Israel with Gentiles who may not yet understand.

If you would like to learn more about God’s heart for Israel, get a copy of Explore God’s Heart for Israel: Discover Israel’s Importance for the End Times. It is available in paperback or Kindle on Amazon.