The Mystery of the Olive Tree

Did you know that the olive tree has something important to tell us about God’s people?

Last month, I had the blessing of being a part of the 2019 Israeli Advocacy Tour organized by Comfort My People, a ministry of Advancing Native Missions—two ministries I highly recommend! Our last full day in Israel was easily my favorite, and I’ve been wanting to share some highlights with you ever since.

We started off that sunny Friday morning having a group devotional in the hotel’s courtyard. Comfort My People director Paul Robbins began with these verses from Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 31:31-37
31 “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
35 Thus says the LORD,
Who gives the sun for a light by day,
The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night,
Who disturbs the sea,
And its waves roar
(The LORD of hosts is His name):
36 “If those ordinances depart
From before Me, says the LORD,
Then the seed of Israel shall also cease
From being a nation before Me forever.”
37 Thus says the LORD:
“If heaven above can be measured,
And the foundations of the earth searched out beneath,
I will also cast off all the seed of Israel
For all that they have done, says the LORD.

There is one chapter in the Old Testament (Jews call it the Tanakh) that is “forbidden” in the Jewish culture, Paul explained: Isaiah 53. (Jews who do read it sometimes recognize Yeshua—Yeshua is Jesus’ name in Hebrew.) He continued: “I believe there are chapters in the New Testament that are forbidden chapters.”

Recalling two examples from history of Satan trying to destroy Jews—the siege of Masada (which we had toured the day before) and Hitler’s brutal Holocaust (before which he neutralized Christians by taking Scripture out of context), Paul asked us why Satan is so motivated to obliterate them. One man replied how if Satan were able to destroy Israel completely, it would call God’s character into question, since He promised it would never happen. Bingo.

Paul shared parts of his testimony before we turned again to Jeremiah 31 and read the first six verses.

Jeremiah 31:1-6
31 “At the same time,” says the LORD, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people.”
2 Thus says the LORD:
“The people who survived the sword
Found grace in the wilderness—
Israel, when I went to give him rest.”
3 The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying:
“Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.
4 Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt,
O virgin of Israel!
You shall again be adorned with your tambourines,
And shall go forth in the dances of those who rejoice.
5 You shall yet plant vines on the mountains of Samaria;
The planters shall plant and eat them as ordinary food.
6 For there shall be a day
When the watchmen will cry on Mount Ephraim,
‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion,
To the LORD our God.’ ”

He focused us on verse 6: “For there shall be a day when the watchmen will cry on Mount Ephraim, ‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to the LORD our God.’ ” The word “watchman” is notzrim (נֹצְרִ֖ים). Netser (נֵ֧צֶר) means sprout, shoot or branch. Here are two examples:

Daniel 11:7
But from a branch of her roots one shall arise in his place, who shall come with an army, enter the fortress of the king of the North, and deal with them and prevail.

Isaiah 60:21
Also your people shall all be righteous;
They shall inherit the land forever,
The branch of My planting,
The work of My hands,
That I may be glorified.

Upon reading a draft of this blog post, Paul wrote: “The Hebrew word for ‘watchmen’ in Jeremiah 31 is ‘notzrim.’ It is the only time it is used to describe watchmen. When the modern translators of Hebrew in the newly formed nation needed a word for Christians, that is what they chose. No one I know or researched seems to know why, other than in relationship to Nazareth. I believe God had something else in mind, because the watchmen of the New Covenant chapter have a much deeper and powerful role to play in these ‘modern’ days. Christians are supposed to be ‘watchmen’ in the fullest sense.”

He believes Romans 9-11 are the “hidden chapters” for much of Church culture. It is where God affirms His covenant with Israel in the New Testament. The Lord also affirms the Gentile believers’ role in Israel’s salvation—to humbly call Israel into a relationship with Yeshua, the Messiah of Israel and the whole world.

Romans 11:11-15
11 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. 12 Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!
13 For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them. 15 For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

Paul told us when there is a sick olive tree, gardeners collect offshoots from wild olive trees, wrap them around the base of the sick tree and cover it with dirt. In time, the wild offshoots are grafted into the root and heal the sick olive tree, making its fruit sweeter than it has ever been. Olive trees grow differently than most trees we are familiar with. New sprouts grow out of trunks—not only from the branches. In a cultivated tree, these are usually pruned, which is why a wild olive tree is the source for these healing offshoots. Also, if branches are not producing fruit, gardeners cut off branches from a wild olive tree and graft it into the cultivated tree and it causes the tree to begin to produce fruit again. What a great picture for Romans 11!

Romans 11:16–32
16 For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.
19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” 20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
27 For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”
28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, 31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.

How can the natural branches who appear as dead be made jealous if the wild branches regard them with contempt or apathy? That’s the effect of replacement theology, which has sickened the tree and grieved the Lord Jesus.

Replacement theology comes in different forms. It’s easy for people to reject one and embrace the other.

Soon after the apostles died, people began to teach the heresy that the Church replaced Israel. The idea was that Israel’s sin in rejecting the Messiah was so great, that God was finished with them forever, and made the Church the new Israel. The covenants He made with Israel would then be applied to us, Abraham’s sons in faith. Often this thinking accompanies Amillennialism, an eschatology which took root in the second century and has been popular ever since. They don’t believe Jesus will literally reign from this Jerusalem over all the peoples of the earth, or that all the survivors of Israel will worship Him.

About two hundred years ago, a new doctrine broke out and grew, particularly in America: Dispensationalism. They rightly accept how God is not finished with Israel, yet effectively, think they’re on a different tree. Once the last Gentile to accept Christ believes does so, Dispensationalists believe Christians will be caught up to meet the Lord, leaving unbelieving Israel alone to go through “Jacob’s Trouble” (the Tribulation). They say we are in the “Age of Grace” or “Church Age”, and that when it ends, we’ll be taken out and He’ll go back to dealing primarily with Israel. Some even teach that Israel will be saved during the Tribulation by a different gospel! The Bible is often partitioned into passages that supposedly apply only to Israel or only to the Church. For example, I’ve seen people say that Matthew, Hebrews, and Revelation 4-19 are written to Israel and not to us. They wrongly call this, “rightly dividing.”

Both ways of thinking are spiritually divisive (between Israel and the Gentiles) and contrary to sound doctrine.

Though we didn’t read it that morning, during our devotional time Paul also encouraged us to look at Ephesians 2-3, which speak of the one Jewish/Gentile body of Christ. For example:

Ephesians 2:11-18
11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 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, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

Ephesians 3:1-6
3 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles—2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, 3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 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: 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel…

Ephesians 3:14-4:6
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
4 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Less than three hours after our devotional, the LORD gave us a poignant real-life picture of this one-body reconciliation and brotherhood between Jews and Gentiles in Christ.

Ilya stood on a hill overlooking the Gaza Strip–141 square miles of real estate home to 1.8 million Arabs. Two dozen believers—mostly Americans—gathered before him.

“Nobody taught me to hate the Arabs,” he began. It just kind of happened, particularly as he got into his mandatory service in the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). Serving in IDF can be a very stressful time for many young Israelis, especially the ones involved in combat or intelligence. They experience hate from those who physically attack them. Also, they deal with contempt from the international media, which tends to vilify Israeli soldiers and side with the Palestinian terrorists. With few exceptions, non-Arab Israelis are summoned to active duty in the IDF at eighteen years old. Men serve 2.8 years (when Ilya was active duty, it was 3), while women serve 2. Afterwards, the men (and women, until they bear their first child) are switched to the reserves until they are in their forties (depending on job).

Ilya is a Jewish Israeli who was raised to worship Yeshua as Messiah. He is an engineering student and a reservist in the IDF.

Where Ilya lives in Ashdod, people have about fifteen seconds to seek shelter when the air raid sirens go off—typically when terrorists from Gaza Strip launch rockets into Israel. Less than two weeks after that peaceful Friday meeting, the latest conflict between Islamic Jihad and the IDF would begin suddenly on November 12. “It’s a normal thing,” another Israeli brother explained in a voice message to the Americans, who had a new sense of concern when they saw the news. He added that most homes in Israel are equipped with a bomb shelter, and pointed out how God was protecting Israel.

While on a break during his active duty service, Ilya told us, he attended a conference in Haifa for young people who were followers of Yeshua. When he arrived, he was shocked to find both Jewish and Arab Israelis at the conference. He was fearful someone would try to kill him. As worship began, Ilya positioned himself with his back to a wall, from where he could maintain situational awareness at all times—ready to fight if he had to. When they finished their set, the Jews who had been leading worship in Hebrew left the stage. Then Arabs took their places and began to sing. Ilya thought, “They can’t praise God in Arabic!” That’s the language of, “Allahu Akbar!” But in his spirit, Ilya also wanted to dance, because he knew it was a spiritual thing. There was a big war going on in his heart. After worship, the pastor encouraged Jews and Arabs to pray together. Ilya stayed where he was and didn’t do anything, but an Arab approached him nervously. This girl prayed in Arabic, and he prayed together with her in Hebrew. Supernaturally, God took the hate out of his heart and replaced it with love. “We can worship God together!” he realized.

As he shared this story, Ilya glorified God for His impeccable timing. Shortly after he attended the conference, the military transferred him into the West Bank. Because of how the Lord changed his heart, he was able to be more human to the Arabs and show them God’s love. He recalled, for example, when he shared water with a little girl. The guys in his unit, observing him, also began to treat the Arabs with dignity themselves. So, the LORD changed a whole Army unit, and no doubt affected the hearts of many Arabs who experienced kindness from the soldiers.

Today Ilya is passionate about the reconciliation of Arabs and Jews in Yeshua. He helps lead worship at conferences which exist to promote that vision. When attending these conferences, he’s particularly interested in connecting with his Arab brother and sisters.

When it was almost time to leave, a few of us gathered around. Probably reflecting on the joy in our faces as we listened to his story, Ilya said he didn’t fully realize how his testimony isn’t just for him (remembering what God has taught him)—it’s meant for others, too!

The Word, the olive tree, and saints like Ilya testify: Yeshua has one body! His power to reconcile us is meant to bring glory to the Father. Amen!