Jew and Gentile in the Bible

The Old Testament was (for the Jew) God’s prophetic message of redemption and
restoration to Israel as a Kingdom of priests. It was God’s plan for Israel to become a holy nation to then go and reconcile the rest of the world to God. But they, with exceptions, rebelled continually against God’s Sovereignty. They never had the faith in God that He would accomplish what He promised. Israel repeatedly rejected God’s rule over them in their sin of unbelief. The Old Testament record is of God dealing primarily with the Jews only. In the 2000 years from Abraham, Gen. 12, to Acts 7, few Gentiles were saved, Eph. 2:11-12.

THE SALVATION OF THE LORD

"Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord."-Exodus 14:13

Most all of us know the story of Moses and the Israelites at the Red Sea. 

With the whole army of pharaoh pursuing them, and their backs to the Red Sea, God parted the waters so that they crossed on DRY land. But later, when all the Israelites were SAFE across, the waters came back and utterly destroyed pharaoh’s army.

“So the Lord SAVED Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Thus Israel saw THE GREAT WORK which the Lord had done in Egypt; so the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord and His servant Moses.” -Exodus 14:30-31

THE VEIL HIDES THE GLORY

But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.

Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech— unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless, when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Cor. 3:7-18