The Two Olive Trees Are Now One In Christ.
In the letter to the Romans, chapter 11, Paul writes of the olive trees. He see all the nations as olive trees, however God chose one to cultivate it, to show to the other nations that the one He is caring for is blessed above all nations. God first chose a person to bring him out of the nations. This was Abram who was obedient to God’s word. God blessed him and promised him the land as far as his eyes could see. His descendants (the Israelites) would be as the dust of the earth and would inherit the land promised to him (Genesis 13:14-18).
The Israelites were the nation, chosen through Abram, which God desired to bless above all nations, so that the nations might see and desire the God of the Israelites, that all nations might be blessed through Abrams seed.
Now when God gave the land to Abram for his descendants He told him that they would inherit it after they had been servants to a nation who would inflict them for 400 years.
After a famine in the land, the Israelites finished up in Egypt for 400 years.
The Israelites became slaves whilst in Egypt and eventually God raised up Moses to bring them out of Egypt to go to the promised land. God made a covenant with the Israelites concerning the law and the land. They would keep the law of God and God would bless their land and keep them secure in their land. The Jewish roots were in the law and the land, if they kept God’s law then God would bless them in their land, if they broke God’s law then they would be uprooted out of their land (see, 2 Chronicles 7: 19-20, 1 Kings 14:15).
They did break the law and served other gods and God cast them out of their land, but God was merciful and eventually brought them back into their land and established them there with a further promise that “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots” (see Isaiah 11.1-5). Jesse was the father of King David who were both long dead by now, but here God is promising them that out of the roots of Jesse and David would come a special Branch.
When the Children of Israel came back to their own land from Babylon, they were determined to keep the law, so made many additional laws to help them to keep Gods law, even though on the outside it appeared they were righteous and able to keep the law yet on the inside their hearts were far from God. Now God came to meet their need once again, their roots this time would not be in the Law but in a Person, a special Person. Isaiah 11:10 says, “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a banner to the people; for the Gentiles shall seek Him and His resting place shall be glorious.”
Jeremiah 23:5 says, “Behold the days are coming says the Lord, that I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper.”
In Jeremiah 33: 15-16 we read, “In those days and at that time I will cause to grow up to David a Branch of righteousness; He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell safely. And this is the name by which she will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Who is this Branch of Righteousness from the root of Jesse?
When we come to the New Testament, in Revelation 5:5 we read, “But one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep. Behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.’”
Jesus Christ is the Root of David, and in Revelation 22:16, we read, “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the offspring of David, the Bright and Morning star.”
So no longer is the Law the root of the Jewish nation but now a Person has been raised up and that Person is Jesus. However the Jewish nation rejected Him and were once more cast out of their land and broken off as branches from the cultivated olive tree.
The Gentiles who believe on Him are grafted into Jesus, joined with Him. Paul wrote to the Colossians, “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:6-7). So our roots are in Christ, just the same as the Lord intended for the Jews, but because the Jews, as a nation, rejected Christ, their branches were broken off. Not all Jews rejected Christ but most of them did, they did not believe on Him therefore they were broken off and the Gentiles who did believe on Him were grafted in. Eventually the Jews will believe on Him and be grafted into Him who is the root and offspring of David and we will be one in Christ. Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “How that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,” (Ephesians 3:3-6)
Also in Ephesians 2:13-18 we read, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.”
So to sum up, the Israelites whose roots were in the Law, were the cultivated olive tree, however because they kept not the law and turned to other gods then God uprooted them and cast them out of their land. However in His mercy He brought them back to the land, this time He didn’t promise them more laws (they gave themselves more laws) He promised them a person, a root and offspring of Jesse, a righteous branch, who they could put their roots in. When their roots were firmly in this person, they would produce the fruit of holiness and righteousness that God demanded. But no, they wanted their laws and not this righteous one to rule over them. They cast Him out, and so God cast them out of their land once again. God broke them off from being His people and went to the Gentiles, who believed on Him, trusted in Him and were grafted into God’s olive tree. They were now rooted into Christ Jesus who is the Person rejected by the Jews. They now produce the fruit that God demands from His people.
However, God has not forgotten the Jews and in these last days has brought them back into the land, even though they still have not accepted their Messiah (many are turning to Jesus, but not yet as a nation). All nations will come against them, but Christ shall return to fight for them and save a remnant. They shall look on Him whom they pierced and ask what His wounds are. They shall mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and thus all Israel shall be saved.
Now all those “in Christ” are one people, one nation. “There is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all” (Colossians 3:11, Galatians 3:28). We are one body; rooted and grounded in love, one people whose God is the Lord.
Mark Greenwood
August 2022