To the Jew First

 

 

In two Bible references

You will find this phrase,

Go to Romans 1:16 and 2:10

And thereupon gaze.

 

To the Jew first

But what does it mean?

When examined in its context,

What can we glean?

 

Quite a lot, you’ll see
If you but take a look

But it is important my friend

To read the whole book.

 

Therein is the context

Re the saints at Rome

Made up of Jews and Gentiles

As a diverse one.

 

 

Distinct, yet unified,

By faith in Jesus Christ:

Both Jew and Gentile redeemed

For the same price.

 

And this is critical

As we look to the future,

For we must examine this past

To get a right picture.

 

To the Jew first:

Chronological or priority?

A study of the book of Romans

Will help you see.

 

Who’s more important:

The Gentile or the Jew?

Neither of them is more important;

I thought you knew.

 

 

For in Father Abraham

Both were to be blessed

And in the Lord Jesus Christ only

Both find their rest.

 

Not one way for Jews

And another for Gentiles,

The contrast, I will dare say,

Is one of Satan’s wiles.

 

It’s one of Satan’s tricks

For which many still fall

Believing that Israel’s ethnicity

Is Israel’s all in all.

 

A special gathering in

Is yet reserved for them

Since God did make a promise

Re Abraham’s children.

 

Every promise of God

God does indeed fulfil

And He does so in accordance

With His divine will.

 

 

Some have been fulfilled

And some are ongoing

Like the millions of souls saved

Through evangelizing.

 

And what is more

As I am hoping you see,

This is the promise to Abraham

Given in prophecy.

 

Yes, to the Jew first:

The very first evangelists,

Also, the Gentile, no after thought

But always on God’s list.

 

For in Abraham

All nations are blessed

And their faith in Jesus, the Christ,

Is the utmost test.

 

For since Pentecost

Christ has made all one

And the dividing wall of partition

Is eternally gone.

 

 

 

No difference now

Between Gentiles and Jews

Though it was to the Jew first

That carried the news.

 

 

The blessed news

Of the glorious gospel:

The gospel of so great salvation

Which they did tell…

 

To the Gentiles afar off

Who were brought near

And now before the throne of God

We can all appear…

 

With our sins forgiven

And all iniquities pardoned

And God’s law written on hearts

That were once hardened.

 

 

To the Jew first

Was inclusive by intent

In that the first gospel message

Was for all to repent.

 

The early church

Was both Jew and Gentile,

No afterthought as some esteem

But prophecy all the while.

 

To the Jew first

Was merely the beginning

Of God’s glorious salvation to all

Without ending.

 

One salvation and baptism,

All one in Christ!

No two peoples, as some believe,

No dividing splice!

 

No ethnic division

In the kingdom of God,

All heirs and joint-heirs in Christ!

Shout this abroad.

 

 

To the Jew first

And also to the Greek,

Is the power of God unto salvation

Even as we speak.

 

To the Jew first

And to the Gentile also,

To every man that worketh good

And God’s mercy show.

 

To the Jew first

And to you and me,

Sealed by the blessed Holy Spirit

For all eternity.

 

Stewart Russell © July 11, 2025

 

The War in Heaven

 

 

 

The war in heaven

Took place at the cross,

All Satan thought he had gained

Was suddenly lost.

 

This might be difficult

To conceptualize

But cogitate upon its truth

Before you despise.

 

He once was the prince

Of the power of the air

But now the children of God

Have nothing to fear.

 

We sit in heavenly places

With Jesus the Christ

And Satan has lost his power

Since Jesus’ sacrifice.

 

 

It was war in heaven

But was visible on earth,

Jesus was earmarked for this

From the day of his birth.

 

For this cause

Came he into the world

As recorded in John 3 verse 16

In the Holy Word.

 

Satan’s last effort

To pull Christ Jesus down

Concluded in absolute failure;

Satan was the clown.

 

Fought in the heavens

Where Satan once was

Now he is permanently disbarred,

Eternally judged.

 

 

Once a daring prosecutor

Of notorious fame

Now he has been taken down,

Bless Jesus’ name!

 

It is finished

Was not a cry of defeat

But Satan was to be crushed

Under Jesus’ feet.

 

Three days hence

And Jesus would rise

And as prophesied in Genesis,

Satan’s demise.

 

Death is dethroned

The grave has no sting,

Satan is virtually powerless

And Jesus is king.

 

 

All Satan has left

Is a weapon of deception

Which is completely neutralized

By our great salvation.

 

He may war on earth

But not in the heavens

And all he can do to the believer

Is merely threaten.

 

Fear him not,

Neither his bark nor bite

For he merely thrashes around

Having lost the fight.

 

 

 

Jesus delivered to him

That fatal blow

That crushed his head indeed;

We assuredly know.

 

As in the fulfilment

Of Genesis 3 verse 15

Jesus is the blessed hope

Of the redeemed.

 

Stewart Russell © March 2, 2025

 

Melchizedek: A Type of Christ

 

 

There is some uncertainty

Regarding who really was Melchizedek,

Whether a type of, or Christ himself,

Need not be a fret.

 

I have had my own struggle;

Sometimes I am not too sure

But I am becoming increasingly settled;

Much more than I was before.

 

Devout Christian commentators

Have argued both positions

But understanding or accepting either

Does not influence salvation.

 

Of critical importance, though,

Is that one accepts Jesus Christ,

He is the only mediator between God and man

And it is he who paid sin’s price.

 

That Melchizedek is a type of Christ,

I absolutely have no doubt,

As one studies Hebrews chapter 7

This is clearly borne out.

 

Christ is after the Melchizedek order

Even though he was before,

Hence, he is greater than Melchizedek

Being our High Priest, for sure.

“After the order” seems to suggest

Two distinctly different persons,

A priest after the order of Melchizedek

But differently from after Aaron’s.

 

There are instructive similarities

Not least, that of king and priest

And with Jesus coming on the scene

The Aaronic priesthood ceased.

 

Melchizedek was the priest of Salem

A priest of the “most high” God,

That made him a priest of Jesus Christ

The one who issues the call.

 

He was also King of Salem

King of righteousness and of peace,

He was set in the way of Abraham

And on him a blessing released.

 

Jesus also combines both offices

But is forever both King and Priest,

A priest forever unto God

And his kingdom shall never cease.

 

Neither King David nor Aaron

Could ever interchange their role,

They dealt with the concerns of their offices

And stuck to what they were told.

 

King Saul was somewhat different

And refused to wait on Samuel,

In his impatience he offered sacrifices

On behalf of the Israelite people.

 

 

Throughout the Old Testament

There is a myriad of shadows and types,

These were all instituted by God

To foreshadow the coming Light.

 

So that with the advent of Jesus,

There is no longer a need for these,

Jesus is the fulfilment of every iota

And he is become our central creed.

 

We are constituents of his kingdom

Meaning all of the born-again,

He is our High priest and coming King

And at present in heaven he reigns.

 

Neither his reign nor priestly role

Will ever come to an end,

He has made us saints and priests

And yet he calls us friends.

 

Out of the royal tribe of Judah

And of the order of Melchizedek

Came our kinsman priest-king redeemer,

The Christ who has cancelled our debts.

 

Stewart Russell © June 2020