For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. Romans 10:12
The Israelites, making their way through the wilderness from Egypt to their promised land, arrive at a mountain called Sinai. As they camp at the foot of the mountain, Moses is given a special message from God for these descendents of Israel. This message includes a wonderful promise: ‘Now therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine’ – Exodus 19:5. Hearing this great promise, and its conditions, the Israelites accept God’s offer. So, for awhile, there was a difference between the Jew and Gentile. And it was not a small difference! In return for their obedience, God would fight their battles, lead them into possession of a rich land, guarantee the success of their crops and enterprises, and even protect them from all of the diseases that afflicted the nations around them (Exodus 15:26). Borrowing words from today’s text, the Lord was rich unto them. Sadly, the Israelites failed to live up to their side of that bargain. But during the times that they did, they experienced great blessings and great victories. God made sure that His earthly people were different from the other nations in their times of obedience. Ultimately, Israel failed, and they paid heavily for their failure. But in this day of grace, God is still offering special status to a special people, while making no difference between Jew and Gentile.
Many of those who first read Paul’s epistle to the Romans were actually Jews who had trusted Christ. They broke bread, fellowshipped, and witnessed for Christ along with the Gentile believers in those early-days Assemblies. As far as God was concerned, and as far as they were concerned, there was no difference. They had all responded in the same way to the same Gospel message, proving the truth of today’s text. In our day, we find very few Jewish believers among our Assemblies, compared to those early days. But there is still no difference, nor should there be. But God is still interested in having a special people for Himself, even in this day of Grace.
Listen to the words of 1 Peter 2:9: ‘But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him Who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light’. There is a difference today, but it is not between the Israelite and the Gentile. Today, God marks the difference between the Christian and the non-believer. He pours out His riches on those who call on Him for salvation. Unlike the earthly blessings He promised to Israel, God offers us today rich spiritual blessings. And these are far greater blessings, because they are eternal. Many of these blessings are unconditional and are ours because of our salvation. But many of the blessings God offers us are conditional on our obedience to Him and His Word. And that obedience marks us as different from the world around us.
God has removed the difference between the Jew and the Gentile. But He still desires a difference between His children and the children of disobedience. – Jim MacIntosh