Beware of Arrogance!
“Do not be arrogant toward the Jewish branches that were cut off; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the [Hebrew] root supports you” ”
In Apostle Paul’s mandate to the Gentiles he refers to Israel as a “thriving olive tree” (see Romans 11 and Jeremiah 11:16). This tree is of a holy Hebrew root, having originated with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. “Saul also known as Paul” (Acts 13:9) writes: “… if the root be holy, the branches are too. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you [the Gentiles], being a wild olive, were grafted in among them [the Jews] and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree [the nourishing sap], do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the [Hebrew] root supports you [the engrafted Gentile branches].” You will say then, “Branches [the Jews] were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; for if Yahveh God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you” (Romans 11:16-21).
“ As a result of ignorance and Gentile pride and supremacy, many of the “engrafted Gentile branches” have become detached from the ancient biblical Jewish root system””
These scriptural mandates to believers from Gentile backgrounds are foundational and not optional for all who truly seek to be obedient, holy, and pleasing to the Most High God and Messiah. The apostle’s warning to Gentiles against self-righteousness and conceit is not to be taken lightly. Many Christians throughout the centuries have not known these fundamental truths concerning the Hebrew root. The Mighty One of Israel warns, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). As a result of this ignorance and Gentile pride and supremacy, many of the “engrafted Gentile branches” have become detached from the ancient biblical Jewish root system. They have not received the spiritual vitality of its original nourishing sap. Consequently, much of Gentile Christianity, is producing unholy fruit that has detracted from the glory of the holy olive tree. This is a defamation to the outpoured blood of our Savior who died that the foreign Gentiles, together with beloved Israel, would become the redeemed righteous remnant called “one new man”, rooted and established on the Biblical holy Hebraic root (Ephesians 2:14-16). Only then, can the God of Israel receive praise, honor, and glory for the immeasurable sacrifice of His Son’s life that purchased the two to become united as one in Messiah, “a mystery revealed” (Ephesians 3:3). The Holy Spirit is urging the redeemed “wild” olive branches to attach themselves to the holy root. Any branch not directly attached to the holy root will not receive the fullness of its nourishing sap and will inevitably dry and wither. Such a branch will never bear sumptuous spiritual fruit that glorifies the Creator and attracts perishing souls.
At the close of the Gentile age, many engrafted wild olive branches are in jeopardy of being cut off. Paul warned that arrogance would be the fatal blow to these engrafted Gentiles, who haughtily believe that they have replaced the natural Jewish branches.
Ruth is a praise worthy and exemplary Gentile highlighted in the Scripture. She stands as an example to all non Jewish people who come to faith in the Jewish Messiah. As a young Gentile widow her famous words to her Jewish mother-in-law were, “where you go, I will go … Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God” (Ruth 1:16). Because of that heartbeat, she became one with Israel, the great grandmother of King David, and part of the recorded lineage through which our Jewish Messiah was born (Matthew 1:5). This is a perfect biblical example of the righteous heartbeat of a Gentile for the God of Israel and His chosen Jewish people. This humble attitude, like Ruth, is required in order for the Gentiles to truly “worship in spirit and in truth”, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob together with redeemed Israel on the holy Hebraic root (John 4:24, Romans 11:17-18).
“Paul warned that the engrafted branches that do not take their nourishing sap from the holy root will eventually become withered; they will be fruitless branches, destined to be cut off as the natural branches (the Jews) are grafted back into their holy olive tree””
The great Hebrew apostle Paul, continues his admonitions to Gentile believers with a double warning against pride. “Behold then the kindness and severity of Yahveh; to those [the unbelieving Jews] who fell, severity, but to you [Gentiles], Yahveh’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness [toward the chosen Jewish people, guarding your heart against Satan’s hatred towards them]; otherwise you also will be cut off. … For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more shall these [the Jews] who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?” (Romans 11:22-24) Working in an olive grove, the practice is to graft cultivated olive branches into a wild olive tree, in order to improve the fruit of the wild olive. If the wild olive is grafted into the cultivated olive tree, the effect is reverse; the cultivated olive will run to wildness. Paul was well aware of the risk of grafting the Gentiles into the holy olive tree because it was “contrary to nature.” Paul warned that the engrafted branches that do not take their nourishing sap from the holy root will eventually become withered; they will be fruitless branches, destined to be cut off as the natural branches (the Jews) are grafted back into their holy olive tree. To the church at Galatia, Paul wrote, “There is neither Jew nor Greek [Gentile], there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Messiah Yahshua (Jesus)” (Galatians 3:28). This passage does not negate the fact that Paul wrote of specific roles for males, females, Jews, and Gentiles within the body of Messiah. The Gentiles have been given a specific biblical mandate that is a safeguard against anti-Jewish attitudes, as well as a debt of obedience owed to their Jewish Savior.
“Remember! Remember! Remember! It is a safeguard against every evil tactic that wants to rob the Gentile believers of the holy “nourishing sap”, which is the fullness of the “riches of His glory” poured upon, in, and through the “one new man”, Jew and Gentile together, united as one in “the body of Messiah””
The “engrafted branches” are to remember their hopeless condition as aliens apart from the God of Israel and His promises (Ephesians 2:12). They are to co-labor humbly with Yahshua (Jesus), the Great Shepherd, who is gathering His “lost sheep of the house of Israel” back to their God (Matthew 15:24). The engrafted branches are to gratefully and lovingly provoke the Jews to envy as they wholeheartedly embrace the holy Hebrew root, receive its nourishing sap, and worship the God of Israel in the reverence and holiness due His name (Romans 11:11). The redeemed “wild olive branches” are to reflect Yahveh’s great mercy—the mercy He showed the Gentiles as He risked polluting the purity and strength of His holy olive tree when He grafted them in. To this point in Christian history, so many believers from Gentile backgrounds have neglected or ignored this vital mandate. It is time for a redeemed, humble remnant to tap into the biblically pure holy Hebrew root in order to become spiritually healthy olive branches. Let all Gentile engrafted branches “humble yourselves before God so that He can lift you up” (see James 4:10). You must prayerfully search and guard your hearts against any Gentile supremacy of pride, hostility, and inherited insidious anti-Semitism, which makes you an enemy to the God of Israel and the Jewish Messiah, the very God and Savior you profess to love and worship. Many of you will be in harm’s way, if you do not remember you came from an unholy root when you were foreigners apart from the God of Israel. Do not forget the warning of apostle Paul, “do not be arrogant [deceived to think that Gentile Christianity has replaced the Jews in God’s heart] … it is not you who supports the root, but the [Hebrew] root supports you” (Romans 11:18). To add to your list of remembrance it is written, “Now, therefore, you [Gentiles] are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints [the redeemed Jews] and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the [Jewish] apostles and [Jewish] prophets, Yahshua [the Jewish] Messiah Himself being the chief cornerstone, … in whom you also are being built together [with the redeemed Jews] for a dwelling place of God [who is the Holy One of Israel] … ” (Ephesians 2:19-22). This is the holy foundation. If you remove any of this, it is a distorted unholy foundation and it will not stand. “Judgment has already begun, as prophesied by Peter, at the household of God” (see 1 Peter 4:17). Remember! Remember! Remember! It is a safeguard against every evil tactic that wants to rob the Gentile believers of the holy “nourishing sap”, which is the fullness of the “riches of His glory” poured upon, in, and through the “one new man”, Jew and Gentile together, united as one in “the body of Messiah” (Romans 11:17, Philippians 4:19, Ephesians 2:14-16, 1 Corinthians 12:27).
Satan has strategically accomplished a mighty successful diabolical work by slyly moving the original Messianic faith off of it’s holy Hebraic root, the ancient foundation of Biblical truth. This most devious agenda opened the door for more and more deception to flood in and distort the truth, resulting in a hybrid mutated form of Christianity, that does resemble the true Messiah, the true gospel, or the original messianic faith. It is an unholy mixture of truth and falsehood. The apostles continually warned of deception and “the great apostasy-falling away” that would inevitably come and undermine the complete purpose for which Yahshua (Jesus) shed His holy blood on the “tree of Calvary” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, Luke 23:33). Apostle Paul was very specific in warning that there would be, “seducing spirits”, “salvage wolves”, “distorting the truth”, “doctrines of demons” bringing “another Yahshua” and "another gospel” “another spirit” and it is actually part of the anti messiah (antichrist) spirit that the apostles warned were working in their day (1 Timothy 4:1, Acts 20:29-30, 2 Corinthians 11:4). As it is written, “just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared” (1 John 2:18). At the close of the age this has left multitudes in Christianity, not only deceived but in a very precarious and vulnerable place of deception, that will dupe many “professing believers” into following the ultimate anti messiah spirit (anti-christ). His agenda is manifesting worldwide, setting the stage for his prophesied appearing and global rulership.
