Weekly readings: Exodus 1:1-6:1; Isaiah 27:6-28:13, 29:22-23; Acts 7:17-35; 1 Corinthians 14:18-25

Through these six chapters of Exodus we trace the astonishing journey of Moses from Hebrew baby in the bulrushes, discovered by Pharaoh's daughter and raised as her own son, to exile in a foreign land, to anointed leader sent by God to lead the Israelites out of slavery.

Behind the Story

It is easy to read these chapters in view of the next phase of the story: God's miraculous interventions and Israel's grand release from captivity. There is nothing wrong with this perspective, but with it, it is easy to miss the substance of what came before this divine rescue plan – the horrific reality of years of grinding abuse and oppression for God's people. Shifting focus to this for a moment, and re-reading the narrative, it becomes apparent that the slavery which defined both nations during this era was both preceded and pervaded by a spirit of fear.

What led the Egyptians to enslave the Hebrews in the first place? Fear – fear that they would grow too numerous and too strong and eventually rebel against them (Ex 1:8-12). What kept the Israelites in bondage for so many years? Fear of their dreadful masters. What led to Moses running away to Midian? Fear for his own life, after he had murdered an Egyptian (Ex 2:14). What led him to argue against God so many times before eventually accepting the call to go back? Fear - of the reception he would get, or perhaps of his own inadequacies.

Another Kind of Fear

But there is also another kind of fear demonstrated in this passage by two rather obscure, unlikely characters. Shiphrah and Puah were midwives instructed by Pharaoh to kill all the newborn Hebrew sons. But fearing God more than they feared the king, they refused to be the tools of infanticide – and God richly blessed them both for their faithfulness (Ex 1:15-21).

In Shiphrah and Puah we glimpse what God intended fear to be: an attitude of deep reverence and humble submission that leads us to honour and obey his ways above all others, no matter what the cost. We also see this fear at the site of the burning bush, where Moses hides his face in awe of God's presence.

From Fear to Freedom

God designed fear to be a good thing, which – just as the natural fear we all experience warns us of imminent threat – warns and protects us from spiritual danger. But as with every other Godly emotion and attitude, the fallenness of this world and the designs of satan have together twisted and perverted fear into a whole host of new, grotesque forms, which are daily used to steal, kill and destroy human life. And from fear precipitates control – attempts to bind, oppress and enslave, just as the Egyptians did.

For every Christian, of course, a blessing of being saved is liberation from all these kinds of fear through the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We have been given both the tools and the calling to recognise and deal with all forms of unGodly fear – and to be ministers of a new and better kind, which was intended from the beginning. It is this better kind of fear that leads to life (Pro 22:4), wisdom (Pro 9:10), peace (Ps 112:8), intimacy with God (Ps 25:14) power, love and sound mind (2 Tim 1:7).

It is one of the many paradoxes of our faith that those who fear God rightly will have complete security and no fear at all (Ps 112:7-8). As this new year begins, let us each not shrink back and accept the kinds of fear common to the world, but instead take hold of that which is offered to us in Christ Jesus – the perfect love which casts out all fear (1 Jn 4:18).

Author: Frances Rabbitts

Explanatory Note: the Torah Reading Schedule

For many hundreds of years it has been the custom in Jewish homes and synagogues to study the Scriptures in portions week by week, so that the entire Torah is studied over a year (with additional readings for the Feasts). This coming year, we have chosen to follow this pattern in our 'Thoughts for the Week', building briefly on the weekly Scripture portions, seeking to inspire and encourage.

We invite readers to study the entire portions of Scripture for themselves, and give full permission for our studies to be used in prayer groups and prophetic hubs.

You can find all the back issues of this series by following this link.

Britain is in the midst of a mental health crisis, with as many as 1 in 4 suffering from some kind of mental affliction, including depression.¹ How on earth have we got here? What is at the root of our troubled minds? Is there any way back?

Hardened hearts

It is now clear that we are beginning to witness the effects of God handing our nation “over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done” (Rom 1:28). Tragically yet wilfully, our nation and its leadership have hardened their hearts towards God and his laws of love, and God is now hardening hearts further. We must understand that this process of hardening is part of God’s sovereign will, being designed to encourage repentance, though it is currently difficult to see any signs of godly sorrow.

The hardening of hearts has mental repercussions- the darkening of the mind. As I have prayed over the last year, one of things I feel that God has revealed to me as being part of his manifesting wrath is the spreading of a plague of mental illness. I believe we are seeing- and are about to see -an unprecedented rise in mental affliction, particularly depression.

"The hardening of hearts has mental repercussions- one I feel God has revealed to me is a plague of mental illness."

When I first thought I heard the word ‘plague’ from God I drew back with horror, but I have learnt to understand that the plague is not God-inflicted, but rather a natural result of the rejection of God and his love. I think that many of those who will be touched by it will be those who have been gravely sinned against in the past, but there will also be others affected who have wilfully chosen a path of disobedience.

150 Die in Plane Crash

I had been wondering and praying about whether or not to share this word, when the shocking news about the co-pilot Andreas Lubitz and the Germanwings flight disaster hit the international headlines. This pilot, who deliberately took all his passengers and fellow crew members to their deaths in the Alps, had a history of mental illness. I felt this was a confirming sign from God, one that should make the world sit up and think.

Root causes

In the UK, so much of the rise in mental illness comes as a result of family breakdown and its subsequent fallout. The breakdown of marriages, and the even higher rate of breakdowns between co-habiting couples, causes untold damage to mental wellbeing, especially where children are involved. Statistically, children from 1-parent families are twice as likely to have a mental disorder as children from 2-parent families,² and 72% of children in care have a diagnosable behavioural or emotional disorder.³

What God has made plain about the true nature of marriage, family wellbeing and sexual ethics has been shunned, rejected and even overturned, and the consequences for the nation’s mental health are very serious. God’s heart truly grieves.

The negative and damaging effects that this has had on at least two generations of young people and children is now beginning to emerge. We are witnessing rises in:

• Self-harming amongst children and young adults. Between 1 in 12 and 1 in 15 young people actively self-harm,⁴ and the UK has one of the highest self-harming rates in Europe, at 400 per 100,000 of the population.⁵
• Serious eating disorders. Hospital admissions due to eating disorders rose by 8% in 2012/2013, with the biggest rise being amongst young people.⁶
• Suicides and attempted suicides, overdoses etc (including high-profile celebrities regularly reported in the media). The NSPCC has reported a 117% rise in ChildLine counselling sessions about suicide between 2010 and 2014.⁷
• Bullying in schools and online, causing much anxiety and depression. 70% of young people have been victims of cyber-bullying.⁸
• The need for counselling (putting mounting pressure on counsellors, who end up suffering themselves).
• Intense feelings of loneliness and, consequently, depression, the severest form of which affects 80,000 young people in the UK.⁹

In addition to this, and often connected into the issue of family breakdown (though not always), we are seeing rises in depression relating to:

• Huge financial debts.
• Homelessness and poor housing.
• Horrendous child neglect and child sexual abuse.
• Sexual immorality, perversions and the struggles over sexually transmitted disease.
• Devastating addictions, particularly to pornography, alcohol, drugs and gambling.
• Poverty and gross inequality.
• Crime and being the victim of violence, including domestic violence or cruel financial scams.
• Low self-esteem and self-worth; this affects hundreds and thousands of young people daily.

Much of the above I have come into contact with in my work as a local pastor and university chaplain. But I sense it increasing significantly, with more and more people being affected, which is why I sensed the Lord speaking from his grieved heart about “a plague.”

Looking forward

Currently, it is estimated that as many as 1 in 4 of the adult population will suffer some kind of depression or mental illness during the course of a year.¹⁰ The mental health of our nation will become an almost daily topic and I feel the Lord is revealing that our NHS services will be completely overwhelmed (mental health care already costs the NHS and social services £21 billion a year¹¹). Much of it is already at breaking point- 74 out of 96 NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups have cut or frozen their Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services budgets since 2013.¹²

Please pray about this. NHS staff themselves will likely become victims of depression due the immense stresses and strains of their workloads.

"Can a brave prophetic voice rise up from the Church urging the nation to return to God?"

The hardening of the heart towards God is clearly having significant mental repercussions upon the wellbeing of our nation. What is the solution? Can a brave prophetic voice rise up from the Church urging the nation to return with repentance to the God whose first commandment is to love him with all your heart, mind, soul and strength (Mark 12:30)?

The Solution

The healing from such a plague comes through being reconciled to God through Christ- this is what the Church must implore upon the nation. With God it is possible to know “the peace that passes all human understanding [which] will guard your hearts and minds in the knowledge of Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:7). The mind can be lovingly renewed and healed by the Holy Spirit and lives can be made whole, so that they start to correspond to the mind of Christ. What an offer- and how much we need it!

Healing is possible, but so is further hardening (remember Pharaoh in Exodus 7-14). Lord, in wrath, remember mercy.

References

1 Mental Health Statistics: UK & Worldwide, Mental Health Foundation.

2 Sedghi, M, 2015. What is the state of children's mental health today? The Guardian, 5 January.

3 Mental Health Statistics, Young Minds.

4 Ibid.

5 Mental Health Statistics: Self-Harm, Mental Health Foundation.

6 New agencies, 2014. Eating disorder increase among young people, The Telegraph, 30 January.

7 Huge increase in suicidal feelings amongst young people. NSPCC, 31 October 2014.

8 The Cyber Bullying Report 2013, Ditch the Label.

9 See note 3.

10 Ibid.

11 Yew, M L, 2010. Cost of mental ill health soars to £105bn per year. The Guardian, 4 October.

12 See note 2.

In his letter to the believers in Rome the olive tree is Paul’s chosen metaphor for the covenant family of the God of Israel. We have considered the metaphor itself, so now let us study more fully what Paul wrote in the letter.

A balanced understanding is of great importance here. As we discussed in the previous article, imbalance has contributed to replacement theology and its consequences. Imbalance of other kinds is possible too in our quest to understand the relationship between the Christian Church and Israel.

The God of Israel remembers his Covenant promises to Israel, but these promises are only fulfilled through faith in Jesus the Messiah (Yeshua HaMashiach). There is one way to salvation for both physical descendants of Israel and those called to faith from the Gentile world. This too must be kept in balance.

Romans 11: a picture of the Covenant family

Paul’s letter to the Romans has been held up as his theological masterpiece. In it, he sets down a comprehensive understanding of God’s Covenant community fully and finally revealed in Jesus. In Chapter 11 Paul explores the way God is drawing together his Covenant family from all nations. However, this chapter does not stand alone - we must consider it in relation to the previous chapters of Romans.

The key issue in Paul’s day was a new move of God, whereby Gentiles, through faith in the Son of God, were included in the Covenant family. Chapters 1 to 8 are used by Paul to bring understanding to what God has done through the New Covenant. In chapters 9 to 11, Paul then balances this focus on the Gentiles by exploring God’s continuing purposes for Israel.

In Romans 11, believing Jews and Gentiles are seen as branches of the same body. Paul shows that God had already called many Israelites to faith and also has plans to call others in the future.

The ongoing plan, according to the promises given to Abraham, is that through grace there will be some from every nation in that family and an ongoing inclusion of some from the Tribes of Israel.

God’s timing

Since the time of Jesus there has been a partial blindness on the nation of Israel regarding God’s purposes in and through Jesus the Messiah, yet God still has a plan and a purpose according to all that he has promised. Paul asks:

I say then, have they [Israel] stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness! (Rom 11:11-12)

Paul sees a door of opportunity for the Gentile world opened by God. He is clear that he has been called as an Apostle to the Gentiles, but the Gospel to the Gentiles is not at the expense for God’s ultimate plan for Israel.

Paul’s ongoing love and concern for his physical family, the biological descendants of Jacob (Israel), is also very clear.

Paul’s ongoing love and concern for his physical family, the biological descendants of Jacob (Israel), is also very clear. He looks forward to the time when God will restore believing branches of Israel to himself, and though branches were cut off like branches cut from a tree, they can be grafted in again.

Believing Gentiles join, not replace, an existing family

Those who have been brought from the Gentile world into the family of God must realise they were brought into an existing family, just as a branch is grafted into an olive tree. They must recognise fully what God has done by their inclusion and not think that they have become a new family. Rather, they are a new part of an old family.

Particularly, by knowing this they must not boast but be aware of their position. They must in all humility understand that God has ongoing plans for the Israel. An implication is that Christian branches can also be cut off unless they are drawing the true life of the olive tree and producing true fruit, becoming what the deep soil and nourishment of Covenant history intended them to be.

Application

When Paul first used the metaphor of the olive tree there were misconceptions about the relationship of the new Christians in Rome to the roots of their faith. This may have been the reason for the clear exposition in his letter to the Romans. Be that as it may, the letter has also been bound into our Bible as a teaching for all generations.

Despite this, however, there has been neglect of chapters 9-11 of Romans (even in some Bible schools), so that the tendency of Christians through the centuries has been to misunderstand the roots of their faith. As a result, issues like the following are often side-lined or poorly understood:

• The Middle Eastern background of Christianity: Christianity developed out of Israel at the time of Jesus, and was founded on the long history that had paved the way to the coming of the Messiah. God’s covenant was made with Abraham; this is the foundation for all who come to the Father through faith in Jesus the Messiah.
• The Hebraic roots of Christianity: The language of Israel was Hebrew and the culture was Hebraic. This context became the foundational setting for the Christian faith. To study the Hebraic nature in the background to Christianity one should study the cultural and historical settings of the patriarchs and the Israelites through Old Testament times, and also study the Hebrew language to gain insights into Hebraic thought processes.
• The influence of Greek culture on the Christian faith: The Gospel went out to the Gentile world in the framework of the Greek language. This encouraged the Hellenisation (Greek emphasis) of the Church and the infiltration of Greek philosophical ideas that in turn caused separation from the true roots of the faith. The more meaningful approach has always been to trace back the Hebraic background to better understand the Gospel message as an invitation to join the Covenant family of God.
• Paul’s Jewish background: Paul came from a Torah-based, Rabbinical community. One should look into both his biblical and cultural roots to see the background from which he conveyed his message to the Gentile world.
• The Gospel call: The Christian Church emerged from a pagan world, but the Gospel message came from the nation of Israel, which was where God had made himself known by revelation. The call was to join God’s Covenant people through faith in the Messiah, not to interpret the Gospel message into the practices of the pagan world.

For Study and Prayer

Read the entire Letter to the Romans and consider the balance of Paul’s message. How might we ensure that we have the balanced perspective on our place in the Covenant family of God?

Next time: We will consider how aspects of ancient Middle Eastern culture help us understand the background to the Bible.

These studies are developed from the course 'Christianity’s Relationship with Israel and the Jews', first prepared for Tishrei Bible School.

Prophecy Today’s role has traditionally been to watch what is happening in the nation and on the international scene and give advance warning where we see trouble ahead.

Today we foresee dark clouds ahead, but bright light breaking through the clouds.

We do not have to rely upon the accuracy of polls to know that there is trouble ahead following the General Election. The plain fact is that as a nation we have turned our backs upon the word of God: we have rejected truth, we have spurned all the warning signs and now the great shaking of the nation is about to hit us with unrelenting fury!

What can we expect to see? The Bible has plenty of examples of what happens when a nation rejects God’s moral and spiritual standards of truth. Deuteronomy 28:20 says “The Lord will send on you confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to.” The leaders of our nation will not know how to deal with the shaking of the political system that will affect us all. The social stability of the nation and the economy will be shaken.

What can Christians do? Yes, of course, we must pray for the Lord to exercise mercy in the midst of judgement. But we believe God is calling for action as well as prayer!
Christians are being presented with the greatest opportunity for evangelism we have had for many years. God is calling for the church to be the Prophet to the nation: to be active in bringing help and stability to the nation in a time of turmoil.

God is calling for the church to be the Prophet to the nation.

What can Christians do?

First, we have to explain what has gone wrong. This was always the task of the prophets in biblical times and it is the task of the church today. As a nation we have turned truth upside down, calling good evil and evil good. Isaiah 5:20 says “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.”

As a nation we have turned truth upside down, calling good evil and evil good.

We have grossly failed to teach our children right from wrong, so that most of them are sexually active by the time they leave school and there is an epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases among young people.

We have undermined and destroyed stable family life. The lives of millions of children have been shattered by family breakdown, which has also caused massive mental health problems (eg depression and suicide among adults) and has had a disastrous effect upon the economy.

Each family breakdown triggers a demand for another house, so we have a housing crisis: and family breakdown causes more people to be supported by the state. The Centre for Social Justice estimates the cost of family breakdown at £44 billion a year¹ – a huge drain on the nation’s wealth.

What are Christians doing?

Christians are already active in supporting their local communities through Food Banks, Street Pastors, Mums and Toddlers Groups, Senior Citizens Lunch Groups and in hundreds of other ways. This needs to be increased and used positively to help people to understand what’s gone wrong in their lives and what to do about it. One-to-one sharing of our faith with our neighbours in the community will have a transforming effect.

New Unity

The social situation we are about to face will demand new unity among churches and Christian groups across the country. Fresh vision and action will not only transform local situations but it will transform relationships between churches which will command a blessing from God.

Day of Opportunity

A day of great opportunity lies ahead. God is shaking everything and Christians need to understand what he is doing. Already there is widespread disillusionment among Muslims in the wake of the Islamic State. Reports from Egypt and other parts of North Africa and the Middle East speak of large numbers of Muslims accepting Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.

Here in Britain many Muslims are turning to Christianity in cities like Leicester where churches are active among them. But the whole population in Britain is going to be shaken by the political and social upheaval on the horizon.

If Christians will rightly respond to what God is saying to us today this could result in a great spiritual awakening and transformation in the nation.

This is a day of good news as the storm clouds approach. We should keep our eyes fixed upon what God is doing – the fields are white for harvest!

References

1 Family Breakdown, Centre for Social Justice

Our first installment on 'Changing Britain?' looks at the rise of secularism in the UK. Following the statistical analysis is a biblical comment from Monica Hill.

YES, I have NO Religion

Re-printed from Brierley Consultancy's FutureFirst, June 2014 Issue, with kind permission.

In the 2011 Population Census, a quarter (26%) of those living in the UK said they had No Religion, a percentage made up of 25% of those in England, 32% of those in Wales, 27% of those in Scotland and 10% of those in N Ireland. The overall percentage varied by age as shown in the graph.

Percentage of each age-group indicating they had No Religion

It is clear that the majority with No Religion are those under 40, the high percentage of those under 10 presumably being because their parents, who will be mostly those in their 30s, completed the form on their behalf and followed their own lack of belief. The highest percentage is among those in their 20s, some of whom are overseas students (over half the Chinese in the UK, 56%, for example, said they had no religion, although this was by far the highest percentage). A third, 32%, of those who have a “mixed” ethnicity also see themselves as having No Religion.

More men than women say they have no religion – 29% men but 23% women, a disparity seen across all four countries in the UK and greatest in Scotland (39% men, 34% women).

Prof Linda Woodhead in her surveys for the Westminster Debates found that “No Religion is the New Religion”, especially as it has grown substantially in the inter-censal decade – only 16% of the UK population said they had No Religion in 2001.

The No Religionists grew by 77% in these 10 years from 9.2 million to 16.2 million. However, the Muslims grew by virtually the same percentage, 75%, to a 2011 total of 2.8 million, and all the other religions by 40% in the same period. The Christian percentage dropped 11% in the same period.

The growth rate of No Religionists therefore is not unique to them and reflects in part the fact that a number of immigrants have No Religion (a fifth, 21%, when measured in 2000, and it may be higher now).

This rate of growth is similar to that seen in the United States where No Religionists have increased from 15% of the population in 2007 to 20% in 2012, an increase in numbers of 33% in these 5 years, and which could be 66% over 10 years if the increase was the same in earlier years.

Linda Woodhead’s YouGov survey found that 16% of those with No Religion believe in God, although by far the majority, 84%, are either agnostics or atheists. A few read the Bible (2%) and a few pray (3%). A sixth, 18%, meditate. She found that 13% of those with No Religion were positively hostile to religion, three-fifths, 62%, of these being men.

The British Social Attitudes survey has shown that the growth of No Religion is mostly at the expense of those who formerly belonged to the Church of England, as did Linda’s study. She comments, “Whilst it’s always possible that this trend could be reversed, it gets less and less likely as the chain of memory connecting young people to religion stretches and snaps.”

Sources: Census statistics from UK national statistical offices, quoted in UK Church Statistics No 2; press release by Lancaster University for the Westminster Debates, Dec 2013; Religion Watch Vol 29, No 1, Nov 2013; www.bsa-30.natcen.ac.uk.

Biblical Comment

Monica Hill

Britain has been known as a ’majority Christian’ country for centuries. It can come as a shock to find that there are increasing numbers who are actively rejecting the faith that has been an essential part of our culture. So why has it happened?

There are various answers and reactions: One is to lay the blame at the door of others and to say that much of it is the fault of immigrants. This can also be read into the survey results above- particularly in the student figures. However, it is also true that of the many new churches that have saved the nation from even more falling away, ethnic majority congregations birthed by permanent immigrants lead the way, and form some of the largest churches in the country.

Another common reaction is to think that this is the final falling away spoken of in Matthew 24 and that the end is near. But this fails to acknowledge that the gospel is spreading rapidly elsewhere in the world, and it is the Western nations who may be experiencing the end of an age.

As Christians, instead of trying to put the blame elsewhere, it is important to reflect on our own responsibility in creating our current society. Have we just stood by while it has happened? Or, even worse, have we contributed to the problem?

Here we are, in a time when “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor 4:14). We can agree with Proverbs 28:26 when it says “Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe” (this perhaps gives the ageing church attenders a feeling of security). We can also heartily agree with the Psalmist when he says “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1).

But as Christ’s Ambassadors, if we do nothing to change the situation or to help new believers mature, we are just as much to blame. Our attempts to introduce others to the Gospel rarely enable them to put down deep roots, without which they inevitably fall away: “But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away” (Matt 13:21).

Romans 1:21-22 warns us that “although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools.” In order to see a change in our nation, the Church must lead the way in repentance and turning back to God.

Over the next few weeks we will use some recent surveys from the Brierley Consultancy to delve further into what God is saying to Britain. Each instalment will feature statistics on a different set of trends, followed by biblical analysis from Monica Hill.

Hard factual evidence drawn from different kinds of surveys can help Christians to ascertain exactly what, where and how our society is changing, and can equip them both to pray and to take action where necessary.

Christians should be alert to current trends and be prepared to act to bring things into alignment with the ordained will of God. While nothing can take place outside the sovereign will and knowledge of God, not all activities are God-ordained.

This week: The Rise of Secularism: YES, I have NO religion!

What has Christianity got to do with olive trees? Clifford Denton opens up this important metaphor from Romans 11, in this second installment of our series on Christianity's relationship with Israel and the Jews.

In Romans 11, the Apostle Paul uses the metaphor of an olive tree to teach about God's Covenant family. In the preceding chapters of the Book of Romans, so strong is Paul’s message about inclusion of believers from the Gentile world, that one might consider that the Christian Church has replaced Israel. Hence, from chapters 9 to 11 there is a re-balancing of the picture. This confirms the continuing place of the physical descendants of Israel in the Covenant purposes of God.

Replacement Theology

Replacement Theology is the term that is given to the view that Christians replaced Israel as God’s Covenant People. Replacement Theology teaches that the failure of Israel has resulted in their total rejection - so that God could make a fresh start on a New Covenant plan. This is very subtle and has contributed to the loss of the Church’s deeper identity and an unnecessary rift between Christians and Jews. A study of Romans 11, therefore, helps us in the quest to restore an understanding of the relationship between Israel and the Christian Church.

The Olive Tree in Scripture

The olive tree is a familiar sight in the Middle East and, because of its character, is a very appropriate symbol to teach us about God’s Covenant family.

The first mention of the olive tree is in Genesis 8:11, where a dove brought back an olive leaf to Noah as the floodwaters receded. There are also a number of times when the olive is mentioned as a tree cultivated for its fruit in the Land of Israel (eg Deut 8:8).

It is a tree that has many uses, both every day and sacramental. Olive wood is a hard wood used for construction and ornaments. It was also used for parts of the construction of the Temple of Solomon, and was one of the trees specified for the construction of a Sukkah (Tabernacle) at the Feast of Sukkot at the time of Ezra.

The olive tree is first used as a metaphor in Psalm 52, where David compares himself with it. Prosperity for Israel is often linked to the health of the olive and the goodness of its fruit. The fruitful olive is often used to indicate health and wealth, whether in relation to the family (eg Psalm 128), or to the nation of Judah (as in Jeremiah’s warning, see Jeremiah 11:16). It is an eschatological symbol (that is, a symbol of end-times significance) in Zechariah 4:3 and 11-12. All of these scriptures come before Paul’s the use of the metaphor in Romans 11.

The Olive Tree and God’s Covenant

By using the symbol of the olive tree in Romans 11, Paul shows that the destiny of the faithful of Israel and of the Gentile world is bound together. The Christian Church has emerged from the same background as the faithful remnant from Israel.

The olive tree has some remarkable characteristics that remind us of God’s Covenant family:

• It is not an especially beautiful tree, but has nevertheless received much admiration from artists. Its roots are strong and can survive in a hot, dry climate and in rocky soil.
• Olive trees are well-known for their long life, more so than most fruit trees. Centuries-old olive trees can still bear fruit, and produce tender shoots around their roots.
• The fruit of the olive is either eaten or pressed to make olive oil. It is interesting that the word ‘Gethsemane’, the name of the garden where Jesus went before His betrayal, means ‘olive press’.
• Olive oil has, for thousands of years, been considered a source of wealth. It is useful for cooking, lighting lamps, ceremonial anointing and for medicinal purposes.

We can assume that, in the choice of the olive tree for the metaphor in Romans 11, Paul knew his readers would draw associations between these characteristics. This would help them understand about the root and branches of Israel and the whole Covenant family of God joined together as one body with one heritage, one character and one fruit.

For Study and Prayer: Consider the characteristics of the olive tree and discuss why Paul chose this metaphor to represent the covenant family of all believers.

Next time: Further studies on the olive tree metaphor.

These studies are developed from the course Christianity’s Relationship with Israel and the Jews, first prepared for Tishrei Bible School.

Revolutionary winds of change are beginning to blow across Europe. CLIFFORD HILL asks: Are we heading for a new social revolution?

There is a groundswell of protest from ordinary people who are fed up with politicians who have held a stranglehold on power for decades. New political movements are spawning and growing fast. People are tired of the political establishment and are looking for alternatives - any alternative!

In Greece a protest party came from nothing in a little over five years and are now ruling the nation. Could a similar thing happen in Britain? Could UKIP, SNP and the Greens break the stranglehold of the two-party system that has ruled Britain for 100 years? People are looking for change.

Grassroots Unrest

The social unrest at the grassroots has been sparked by unemployment, the credit crunch, austerity measures; and the corruption, lies and deceit that are being exposed among politicians. People no longer trust their leaders.

But there is something deeper going on, similar to a kind of ‘Peasants’ Revolt’ spreading across Europe. Widespread immigration has led to rapid cultural change. On 15 April this year it was reported that 8,000 migrants had crossed the Mediterranean from Libya to Italy in the past week, some of whom will no doubt head for Britain. Such influxes often lead to fear that precious social heritages are being lost. At the same time freedom of speech is being strangled by so-called Equality Laws. But the challenge to the political establishment from the grassroots is beginning to impact political and cultural leaders as demonstrated in two significant events.

Unrest from the top down

Two significant events have occurred in the past month that may signal change from the top down as well as from the grassroots up!

The first is a resolution passed by the Council Assembly of the European Parliament entitled "Tackling intolerance and discrimination in Europe with a special focus on Christians". Its object is to draw attention to the fact that the "expression of faith is sometimes unduly limited by national legislation and policies which do not allow the accommodation of religious beliefs and practices”. In plain language – we are losing our freedom of speech! Christians can’t talk about their faith for fear of offending someone and losing their job! Most significantly, the resolution calls for member states to “uphold freedom of conscience in the workplace” (Section 6.2.2).

It is in the workplace where many Christians have fallen foul of British equality laws. There have been reports of Christians being entrapped by hostile colleagues who ask questions or pretend to want advice or prayer and then complain to the authorities that they have been offended. Many Christians have lost their jobs and reports of these dubious practices created by the equality laws have been highlighted in the press and have outraged public opinion. At last, the European Parliament is getting the message! The so-called “tolerant society” has become a monster of intolerance!

"It is in the workplace where many Christians have fallen foul of British equality laws. But at last, the European Parliament is getting the message!"

The second significant event is the action of Trevor Phillips, the former Chair of the Commission for Racial Equality. He has made a groundbreaking exposure of the multicultural mess that exists in Britain created by the social engineering of idealistic politicians pursuing Utopian dreams based upon their secular humanist principles which ride roughshod over centuries of Judaeo-Christian tradition.

The Racket of Multiculturalism

Trevor Phillips has attacked what he calls the ‘racket of multiculturalism’ sparked during the Blair Government era, that led to the silencing of debate on racial issues and the intimidation of anyone who dared to question the action of those in authority in society. The so-called ‘hate’ and ‘equality’ laws have been responsible for enormous harm in our national life.

"The 'racket of multiculturalism' has led to the silencing of debate on racial issues and the intimidation of anyone who dares question the action of those in authority."

Thousands of girls in Rochdale, Rotherham, Oxford and other cities have had their lives ruined by gangs of Pakistani men who have systematically groomed and sexually abused them. Although many people in authority in the so-called 'caring professions' as well as the police were aware of this abuse, they were afraid to speak out in case they were accused of being racist or Islamophobic or some other modern invention of secular sin.

The height of stupidity in our multicultural mess was surely when the actor Benedict Cumberbatch was immersed in a barrage of criticism for using the word 'coloured' instead of 'black' when making an important point about the lack of employment opportunities for young people.

Election Challenge

Now is the time to challenge politicians and would-be politicians in the run-up to the General Election. We have the chance to put on the political agenda all these issues that affect our freedom of speech.

Christians should be taking every opportunity of raising these issues in local newspapers, in hustings, on chat shows, local radio and social media. It is not enough to say “a plague on all your houses!” to the politicians; we have to make the voice of sanity heard in the nation or we will lose our freedom of speech forever.

'Storytelling – sharing the gospel with passion and power', by Martin Goldsmith (Inter Varsity Press, 2014, 185 pages, RRP £8.99).

Everybody loves a good story – and the Bible has so many of them which have stood the test of time and are loved by believers young and old. Jesus often used stories to relay deep biblical truths – his parables spoke about everyday events but gave them a new meaning and purpose.

This is an exciting and easy-to-read book from Martin Goldsmith who has been a missionary in many different cultures in South East Asia and who has been involved in teaching others on mission at All Nations Christian College from its inception. He is passionate about evangelistic outreach – and wants to help others reach out too wherever they are.

Martin is a Jewish Christian who trained as a Russian interpreter before going onto the mission field with his wife, who is also a prolific communicator. He is well experienced in getting the message across in a variety of different ways and particularly when straight preaching of the Gospel is difficult – or may even be prohibited.

This book is full of stories from his own experience of evangelism, but he also emphasises the need to understand the purpose in telling these stories. Martin not only tells many personal stories but he also encourages the reader to delve into their own experiences so that they can pass on the deep messages of the faith to others. He helps the reader to communicate effectively with people who do not think in quite the same way as they do, and to build up fruitful relationships.

In this book he also takes the next step in helping anyone delve more deeply into the faith as he is a past master in encouraging people to think through the issues themselves. He learnt this from the methods of Jesus who often responded to a question from an enquirer by asking the enquirer a question – a very Jewish method of teaching.

Altogether an encouraging book which is a joy to read – not just once but time and time again.

It doesn’t take much serious Bible study to understand that Israel was chosen by Almighty God to be his Covenant Nation. But what should our relationship with Israel be? Clifford Denton opens up a new study series...

The Tanakh (Old Testament) bears witness to Israel's chosen status, and follows its history through all of its phases. When the Nation was divided after the time of King Solomon (2 Chron 10), and following the exile of the Northern Kingdom (2 Kings 17), Judah, just one of the Twelve Tribes, came into prominence.

Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah) came from this Tribe of Judah, and thus from the background of both Israel and Judah. When the Gospel went out across the whole world, Gentiles were called by faith into the Covenant family.

Parting of the Ways

For nearly 2000 years, since the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, the Jews have been dispersed across the world, but have not lost their national identity. Meanwhile, however, various Christian theologies have emerged which have re-positioned the Christian Church as a distinct entity from the Jewish world, severing links between them.

The faith of Jesus and the Apostles was solidly based on the Hebrew Scriptures and Second Temple Judaism. Earliest Christianity was one among the many Judaisms of the first century. Neither Jesus nor the apostles attempted to break away from their heritage and form a new, different, religion. Indeed, the break of the Church from its true roots has had immense consequences, as we shall see in future studies.

"Neither Jesus nor his apostles attempted to break away from their heritage and form a new, different, religion."

The end of the 20th Century and beginning of the 21st have marked a new era of re-discovery. Israel has become a territorial nation again and so Christianity’s roots are being re-assessed. Was the break from the Jewish world unnecessary? If so, in what way is the Church linked to Israel and the Jews?

It is the purpose of this study series to explore this issue, considering some of the reasons for the break and opening up the agenda for re-considering the relationship between Christians and the Jewish world.

Many Topics to Consider

The list of topics to study on this subject is wide-ranging. They include aspects of history, theology, inter-faith dialogue, Hebrew background to Scripture, Judaism through history, the history and consequences of anti-Semitism, the Jewish background to the times of Jesus and the Apostles, and the relevance of Christianity’s Hebraic heritage to family and community life.

God has preserved the Jewish people despite the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, and all the pogroms, anti-Semitism and even the Holocaust of recent history. God has been faithful to his Covenant promises, and biblical prophecies relating to Israel and the Tribe of Judah are being fulfilled before us today.

Now more than ever, we have both the need and the opportunity for Christianity to restore its true roots.

The Church was never intended to divorce itself from its roots, which go down deep into the biblical soil of Israel’s history and formative influences on its culture.

Return to Roots

In our weekly studies, the intention is to open out foundational issues relating to the restoration of the Christian Church to its true roots.

The departure of the Church from these roots has had serious consequences over the years. One is that distance has grown between Christians and Jews, so much so that, whether by default or design, Christians have contributed to the anguish of Jews over the centuries. One consequence of the Christian Church restoring its true roots is that Jewish/Christian relationships will be strengthened again. This is not the only reason for this course of study but it could be a major fruit.

When we study the separation of the Church from the Synagogue and enter into the issue of Jewish/Christian relations, many will find that their old assumptions and pre-conceptions suddenly need to be reconsidered.

For some it is a wake-up call, for others a prompt to repentance, but chiefly it is an opportunity to go forward more securely to the time of the Messiah’s return, conscious of our place in the Olive Tree of Romans 11 and the One New Man of Ephesians 2.

Next week we will look more fully at the metaphor of the Olive Tree.

For study and discussion: read Romans 11 and consider ways in which the Christian Church might be better identified with Israel.

These studies are developed from the course 'Christianity’s Relationship with Israel and the Jews', first prepared for Tishrei Bible School.