The Jews were cut off because of unbelief, Romans 11:20, when their law of ordinances was removed and nailed to the cross, Colossians 2:14. David said, “According as it is written, God has given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear. Unto this day, “Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompense unto them: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their backs always, I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come to the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.” Romans 11:8-11
The “spiritual death” came to old Israel at the cross. This was followed by the pouring out of the Holy Spirit which brought the everlasting gospel. Her house was forsaken by the Son of God to whom she was married and now divorced. She had no writing of divorcement and could never again be the wife of the Savior. Desolate, she ran to the open arms of comrades she had long been courting, waiting for the time when she could stop the rouse and live with them satisfying the appetites of debauchery and licentiousness she had come to prefer to her Lord. Then in A.D. 70 her physical death came. She died two separate deaths, spiritual and physical. She suffered two plaugings. Once when her law of ordinance was nailed to the cross and she was cut off from God and the other when the Spirit of God rent the veil in the Temple from top to bottom. Her nation was destroyed by Him they had rejected: “Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; that made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of His prisoners?” Isaiah 14:16-17 When He ‘opened not the house of His prisoners’ He had prepared her no way to ever, again be rejoined to the fellowship she had for ‘lintel soup’ rejected. “For Agar is mount Sinai, in Arabia, and answers to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children…nevertheless, what says the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.” Galatians 4:21-33 The casting out the children of the kingdom of Israel and the receiving of the children of God in Christ is the whole theme of Christ’s message. Matthew 21:33-44 For one there would be rejoicing and a new life. For the other, there is lamentation and death. When the divorce papers were served on Israel in Jerusalem AD 33 at the first offering, fellowship with those of the nature called God was forever shattered and could never be restored. Israel, as a physical nation, was NOT invited to the table of the Lord!!
Eating of the bread and drinking of the cup is the fellowship reserved only for the Lamb’s bride and began to be observed when “all things could be made ‘new.” When, on the first day of the week, we remember the Lord, we declare the “dispensation of the fullness of times” has come. We declare the invitation which was given to the wedding guests when the marriage supper of the Lamb was made ready has come. We declare, as Christ had appointed a table for His disciples at which to eat and drink, Luke 22:24-30, this has come. And we assert the blessing reserved for the members of the Church of Christ (to eat and drink at the table of the New Covenant) has come and this blessing is the fellowship we have with the nature called God!!
The Church of Christ speaks but one language that is universal to every land. We may preach, pray, sing in a native tongue; but we partake in one language, that being the Lord’s Supper. In this language, we fellowship they who are beyond our nature, and we do this every first day of the week!! Shall we partake??
