Divine Traps

 Divine traps. by Donna Diorio October 14, 2025 Paul could see what was coming next when he was writing his letter to the Italian Christians about their relationship to the Jews, the book of Romans especially chapters 10-11 and although it is not considered part of Paul's explanation of the relationship of Jewish and Christian believers. chapter 12 is! Because it explains how the body fits together - both Jew and Gentile believers, bringing different things to the table just as surely as husbands and wives bring different things to the table of marriage.

But don't let me get off track here with my real purpose: Paul was telling the Italian Christians (representing ALL peoples in the the body of the Lord internationally), not to start thinking they were so righteous compared to the Jewish people who God was about to send into an almost 2,000 year exile.

Christians don't realize it, but scripture points out in at least 3 places that God made it so Israel could not recognize their Messiah when He was walking the earth with them. People don't get this because it makes no sense to us. It makes sense to us that people can be so self-righteous that they fail to recognize His very likeness in a man, but it makes no sense to us that God would make the Jews unable to recognize the Messiah. I mean you have to be really bad for God to do something like that, right?

God's ways are higher than our pea-sized human brains and hearts. He lays out in His word that He has done this to the Jews so He could open the door to all nations for salvation by faith in Israel's Messiah - that Messiah that most Israelis rejected - however there was a Remnant of faith even then. It was God's plan from the beginning. I have never found the man who could adequately explain that to me, but I accept it because it is God's Word that says it is so.

Christians have always been tested by how they treated the Jews. Even in exile in the nations Jews have been run out of one country to the next for 2,000 years. That is what the word "pogrom" means. Jews have words that that express what has been done to them - words like "blood libel" and "holocaust" and rare is the Christian who knows what those words really mean, and just shrug it off as meaningless to a Christian. Not so. Very relevant to Christians in the nations.

For one thing because of what God says in Zechariah 1:15

"I am very angry with the other nations that are now enjoying peace and security. I was only a little angry with my people, but the nations inflicted harm on them far beyond my intentions."

The nations inflicted harm on the Jews from one nation to the next, and very soon God said He would draw all nations to Israel for the purpose of wiping out all Jews once and for all. Of course there is a remnant of faith in each nation what will oppose that - but let me ask you, how many of your Christian friends will be all for wiping out Israel even to this day? Can we put Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens in that group? At this time, absolutely we can.

But I also want to say that like God blinded Israel to her Messiah 2,000 years ago, Christians should not think they are above also being blinded to God's ultimate purpose in now restoring Israel. You are going to find that even many Christians who support Israel and are known for it, do not have a clue how Israel is being spiritually restored right now through the body of believers in Israel.

These Christians toss the body of believers aside as if they are nothing because in their minds they have a fixation on a verse they do not even understand properly. They think Christians are the only ones that can make Israel jealous of the faith in Jesus, so they court the rabbis and the politicians and treat the Remnant of Israel as if they are totally irrelevant to the spiritual restoration of "all Israel" that Paul refers to in his book to the Italian Christians.

Romans 11:25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will remove godlessness from Jacob. 27And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins."

Christians are just as "conceited" about their special status with God as Israel was back in the day. This conceit is exactly what allowed them to be blind to the presence of their Messiah in the days of His human Prescence among them. And we should all take MAJOR WARNING of that conceit factor! God WANTS us to know the mystery He is working to make us all one in His Son. In Matthew 3:9 Yeshua/Jesus addresses His people of the flesh, Jews, of such conceit: "And think not "to say within yourselves," G1438 We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham."

He said that the Jews, and Paul said that to the Italian Christians. Avoid thinking we are the only one God is favoring with redemption because God says He plan is for all the nations - Israel included. AND IF you being a Christian exclude Israel in God's redemptive plan, then you are as on the wrong path as all of Israel that went into exile 2,000 years ago. . . .only now we are at the end of the age and exile now means, if you reject Israel, God takes that as rejecting Him. Of course it is a rejection of God if you are among those who are ready to let Israel be wiped off the map. That is just the spiritual reality.

Lastly. I want to say this about the wide gap between how Jewish believers think and how Christians think, because there is a lot of conceit in both camps, in my opinion. Places where both sides say, My way or the highway! Both at wrong in that. Both have things to bring to the table to share with each other, not to lord it over each other. Just like husbands are not to lord it over their wives, and spiritual leaders are not to lord it over their flocks. We all serve at God's pleasure. Full stop.

Earlier I extended the traditional view that Romans 9, 10 and 11 are Paul's address to the all Christians about what their relationship is to the Jews. I extended it into Romans 12 because from breaking out in his praise at the end of chapter 11 "35“ Who has first given to God, that God should repay him?” 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen."

In verse 12:1 Paul moves right into the proper understanding of all of us believers - Jews and Gentiles - of what it means to be a well functioning SINGLE body of the Lord.

1 Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. . . .

keep reading it is all relevant to us becoming the well and holy body of the LORD in ALL the earth.

FYI: I write this in the midst of a breech between IHOP and Tikkun. I believe my Messianic friends in Jerusalem are blind to how they have been "conformed to this world" in adopting worldly standards of judging what happened at IHOP immediately after the Hamas attack on Israel. If you don't think a spiritual attack was launched on IHOP at the same time, then I think you must be blinded as Israel was blinded 2,000. I believe it is a temporary blinding, but it must be broken for all of us to move forward. What does God's judgment have to do with the standards of Woke/Jezebellian women's movement edicts about justice?

The finger of God on the scales of justice is always redemptive, and the gifts and callings of God are always irrevocable. It is true of the Jews, and it is true of ALL of us.