But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul. Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us: 'I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.' " Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. Acts 13:45-48

Last time we said God was doing a new thing, by including the Gentiles in His kingdom. But was it really “new”?

Understand that God was not replacing Jews with Gentiles. He was adding Gentiles to the Kingdom—an expanded kingdom made of people from every tribe, tongue and nation.

And it wasn’t new. At least it shouldn’t have been regarded as new because God spoke repeatedly throughout the Old Testament about how He was going to use the nation of Israel as a light to the Gentiles to bring them to the knowledge of God.

“I will make you as a light for the nations, that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
Isaiah 49:6

Sadly, Old Testament Israel missed this obvious point. They not only excluded Gentiles, they rejected their Messiah (John 1:11-13).

Praise God that we Gentiles are no less “chosen” by God than Israel. And let us not miss the fact that we are to take Christ and the gospel to the nations as well (Matthew 28:18-20).