“…Gentiles will hope in Him.” Romans 15:12d
/The life and death of our Savior confirmed the promises made to the patriarchs of Israel that the Gentiles (non-Jews or other nations) would join Israel in worshiping God for His mercies (vv. 8 – 9). To press the point, God led Paul to the inspired ancient texts, where he cited:
2 Samuel 22:50, “…I will praise you among the nations…”;
Deuteronomy 32:43, “Rejoice, O nations, with His people…”;
Psalm 117:1, “Praise The Lord, all you nations; extol Him, all you peoples.”
Isaiah 11:10, “…the Root of Jesse will spring up, one Who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in Him.”
As God breathed into Paul the hope of inclusion for the Gentile nations, Paul was led to another moment of worship which offered this benediction:
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
The hope Paul is referring to is found in the power of God to remove the barriers separating mankind. He removes the barriers of race, creed, wealth, education, sex, and geography. People from every tribe and tongue will lift up Jesus before the world as the Savior and Redeemer of mankind. Some translations of the Isaiah eleven passage above read like this:
“In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples…”
Many of you know I live just eight miles from our nation’s capital. The Marine Corps War Memorial, also known as the Iwo Jima Memorial, stands just to the north of The National Cemetery at Arlington. The memorial is an oversized sculpture of the now famous picture taken near the end of the battle for the island 750 miles south of Japan. The picture was taken during a re-enactment of the US flag being raised as a standard atop Mount Suribachi because the original flag placed there was much smaller. The iconic photograph captured the moment six marines were brought together to lift the standard of freedom. Three of those marines were killed in action just days after the photograph was taken. It is the only photograph to win a Pulitzer Peace prize award the same year it was taken.
In a similar fashion, Jesus is the banner being lifted up for all the world to see. Jesus stated that if He were lifted up from the earth, He would draw ALL men unto Himself (John 12:32). Jesus was lifted up on a cruel cross as He took the sins of man upon Himself, which is why all nations lift Him up as the standard of righteousness and love, to which we pledge our allegiance.
Aren’t you glad God included us – who were far from Him – to be included with His chosen people (Ephesians 2:13-14)? There is no one so lost that God cannot find; no one so utterly hopeless, that God cannot restore; no one so wicked, that God cannot redeem. He is calling you to Himself. Open your mind and heart and surrender to His love.
When you see the picture of the flag being raised at Iwo Jima, do you see how those six soldiers were brought so close together for their common purpose? Will you join those raising the standard of love by lifting up Jesus as the Savior?
Have a blessed day…