Inside of the hearts of the people of Israel is a God-centered, God planted tender root. Once this nation comes to the realization that Jesus is their promised Messiah then we will see amazing things come as a result. Right now they are blinded to the truth of Jesus because of hardness of heart ( Romans 11:8 ), but a time is coming when they will look upon his fullness and accept him for who he is. In today's passage, Paul gives us hope for this very thing.
Paul said, "If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches" ( Romans 11:6 ). Do you wonder what firstfruits he is referring to is? The first fruits that he mentions are Abraham and the patriarchs. With Abraham began the nation of Israel and he was also the father of many nations because of his faith. He believed God when circumstances seemed impossible and that faith was credited to him as righteousness ( Romans 4:3 ). This faith and this righteousness that was credited to him is the root that is holy and all of Israel's natural line descended from these things.
Israel has an incredible heritage of patriarchs who trusted God and as a result God moved on their behalf. This legacy is part of what makes them so special. So "if the root is holy, so are the branches". God has planted himself in their hearts and although they do not yet understand that Jesus was their Messiah, this heritage of faith has sustained them throughout the centuries.
Just like a child when they are of age will sometimes go their own way, they experience the world and forget the teachings in which they were brought up. However, those things have been planted in their hearts and have taken root. After a while when the lure of this world fades away and that child see it for what it is, they will return to the Lord and start walking once again in His ways. This is similar to what Paul is saying here, Israel will remember the Lord and what He has done. They will recognize that their Savior has come and he is Jesus. They will leave the way of the Law so that they may partake in God's divine glory through Christ Jesus.
Today, I am thankful that God's word is a root in my life that cannot be removed. I am rejoicing in the fact that we will witness Israel returning to the Lord in the days to come. May you understand this message and be blessed and encouraged by it, amen.
