Grafted In Theology is the concept that Gentile Believers are now a part of Israel. Not that they replace Israel or are a 'new' Israel, but that gentiles are accepted and adopted into Israel as seeds of Abraham.
First, we really do need to define Israel, among other things. To first tackle this we need to first make it clear that at no point during this post will I be discussing National Israel, as in, the promised land as it is right now with governing officials. What we will be discussing between is Spiritual Israel, the main focus of this post, and the Bloodline of Israel, which extends beyond the Jewish People who are only of the tribe of Judah with some of Levi and Benjamin. We see that there is a separation here in Romans 9:6, 6 But the present condition of Isra’el does not mean that the Word of God has failed. For not everyone from Isra’el is truly part of Isra’el; In this, we see that the bloodline is not the most important factor, some of them are not a part of the core, the foundation, Spiritual Israel.
I would hope we don't need to define church in this segment, going into the Greek. For the purposed of this post please understand that we are speaking of the people who make up the body of the Messiah, the believers, and not any congregation or denomination.
Next, let us look at some passages which speak of spiritual unity within believers. Starting with Ephesians 3:6, 6 that in union with the Messiah and through the Good News the Gentiles were to be joint heirs, a joint body and joint sharers with the Jews in what God has promised. And Galatians 2:28-29 doesn't just speak of unity, but that we are spiritually equal and all "seeds of Abraham", 28 there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor freeman, neither male nor female; for in union with the Messiah Yeshua, you are all one.29 Also, if you belong to the Messiah, you are seed of Avraham and heirs according to the promise. Now, we could go into a whole post about the seed of Abraham but for simplicity sake please understand that it is uncontested that there are two versions throughout scripture, the Messiah himself, and Abraham's heirs be they spiritual or physical. We know this for certain based upon Galatians 3:16, 16 Now the promises were made to Avraham and to his seed. It doesn’t say, “and to seeds,” as if to many; on the contrary, it speaks of one — “and to your seed”[a] — and this “one” is the Messiah. I think we can currently agree that Galatians isn't speaking of us being equal to Christ in this passage, and instead that we are now among the spiritual heirs of Abraham. Matthew 20:1-16 makes it clear that even among our differences we come to the same end, forming equality, here is the end of the parable, 11 On receiving their wages, they began grumbling to the farmer, 12 ‘These latecomers have worked only one hour, while we have borne the brunt of the day’s work in the hot sun, yet you have put them on an equal footing with us!’ 13 But he answered one of them, ‘Look, friend, I’m not being unfair with you. Didn’t you agree to work today for a denarius? 14 Now take your pay and go! I choose to give the last worker as much as I’m giving you. 15 Haven’t I the right to do what I want with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’16 Thus the last ones will be first and the first last.”
Which brings up a whole other segment to consider here. Abraham was not an Israelite! Israel was not founded until two generations later, in his grandson Jacob who was renamed Israel. Abraham instead was a Hebrew, after being a Chaldean by nationality. Genesis 14:13 says, 13 Someone who had escaped came and told Avram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks of Mamre the Emori, brother of Eshkol and brother of ‘Aner; all of them allies of Avram. Now, this may seem disconnected for a moment, but bear with me. The factor here is what is a Hebrew. At the base level, it means "One from beyond" or "The region beyond" but in the more direct terms it is because he "crossed over". In the physical sense he crossed over the Jordan river in his travel, but in the spiritual sense what he did was cross over from the ways of the Chaldeans when Elohim called on him and turned to following Elohim. The same form of crossing over from our old ways that we all do when we become a believer in the Messiah. To become a seed of Abraham, within the very definitions of who Abraham was, is to be a Hebrew. Born blood of Israel or not.
From there the line goes directly to Isaac and Jacob. Who we all know from there had twelve sons, who became the twelve tribes of Israel. But as time continues only the tribe of Judah becomes the ones to become the Jews, the others dissipate throughout history for various reasons. (But are joyously being located even today) I am clearing this up so that nobody here mistakenly thinks that I am saying we must all be Jews, because the truth is, we are not of the tribe of Judah - unless you are actually born with this bloodline. Side note for you to think about, why think of Mosaic Law as Jewish when it was all of Israel, and even some Egyptians and others, who where at Sinai?
Carrying on track now that we have some basic foundation out of the way and the seed of Abraham discussed, And what bears seeds? Trees. Or more specifically for the purposes of this post, the Olive Tree. Jeremiah 12:16 says, 16 Adonai once called you an olive tree, beautiful, full of leaves and good fruit. Now with the roar of a violent storm, he has set it on fire; and its branches will be consumed. Now, I want you to notice a few key details here. First, in context this is part of a warning to Israel for idolatry, that in the future branches would be removed from her, some versions even say the branches will be broken, not consumed, albeit consumed by fire seems fitting in depth when it you give it some thought to the future. More importantly here I want you to notice something else, the verse specifies the damage to some of the natural branches, not the core tree itself! And why is that small bit so integral? Because we then see that olive tree get some work done to it in Romans 11:16-24, 16 Now if the hallah offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole loaf. And if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you — a wild olive — were grafted in among them and have become equal sharers in the rich root of the olive tree, 18 then don’t boast as if you were better than the branches! However, if you do boast, remember that you are not supporting the root, the root is supporting you. 19 So you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 True, but so what? They were broken off because of their lack of trust. However, you keep your place only because of your trust. So don’t be arrogant; on the contrary, be terrified! 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he certainly won’t spare you! 22 So take a good look at God’s kindness and his severity: on the one hand, severity toward those who fell off; but, on the other hand, God’s kindness toward you — provided you maintain yourself in that kindness! Otherwise, you too will be cut off! 23 Moreover, the others, if they do not persist in their lack of trust, will be grafted in; because God is able to graft them back in. 24 For if you were cut out of what is by nature a wild olive tree and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree! Let's break this down then. We see our olive tree, with a Holy root, the foundation of Spiritual Israel. Again referring to how natural branches, some of the people of the bloodline of Israel, have been broken off and removed, making spaces for the gentiles to be grafted onto this tree of Israel. A key here is that branches is also plural, this isn't speaking corporately of Gentiles and Bloodline Israel, that would make the tree fork in two separate ways and in essence be grafting On to the original tree an entirely separate tree. Instead we see multiple branches where others where broken off. Mingled in, and grafted in as the passage says to be a part of that tree, not living off of it. It goes on to say do not boast, do not think gentiles are better than the natural branches when the root that birthed them is what is now supporting gentiles, and that you stand the same chance of being cut off as they did if you do not remain trusting in him, and that those removed are able to return to Spiritual Israel at any time they believe in the Messiah.
Seeing that we are not a part of the Olive Tree, the very core of Israel, seeds of Abraham, how can gentiles and natural born Israel be anything but a part of the same Spiritual Israel.
However! This does not mean we have the same jobs, or roles, necessarily. Like we see with Galatians 2:28, already shown, just because we are of Spiritual balance does Not mean that we have the same job. As men and women are spiritually equal as heirs we are still given different roles to fill, for example that men are the leaders of the home and the church body. So too, we see a difference n roles between Israel, the Jews, and the Gentiles. That's right, there's even differences Biblically within roles of Israel and the Jewish people! Don't think I state this to separate the necessity of both ends, even men and women hold separate roles and we all have our own personal callings. This is simply another form of what branches of the tree are called to do what jobs.
So then let us look at some of these differences. Romans 11:25-27 says, 25 For, brothers, I want you to understand this truth which God formerly concealed but has now revealed, so that you won’t imagine you know more than you actually do. It is that stoniness, to a degree, has come upon Isra’el, until the Gentile world enters in its fullness; 26 and that it is in this way that all Isra’el will be saved. As the Tanakh says,“Out of Tziyon will come the Redeemer; he will turn away ungodliness from Ya‘akov and this will be my covenant with them, when I take away their sins." Showing that the bloodline of Israel, as spoken of here, has temporarily been hardened until nearing the end of days. This is not a removal of them, we see Jewish people being saved daily, and in larger and larger numbers now. But that Generically they are hardened to the Messiah to allow more Gentiles to come into the fold.
Likewise with Mark 12:1-11, Yeshua began speaking to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the wine press and built a tower; then he rented it to tenant-farmers and left. 2 When harvest-time came, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the crop from the vineyard. 3 But they took him, beat him up and sent him away empty-handed. 4 So he sent another servant; this one they punched in the head and insulted. 5 He sent another one, and him they killed; and so with many others — some they beat up, others they killed. 6 He had still one person left, a son whom he loved; in the end, he sent him to them, saying, ‘My son they will respect.’ 7 But the tenants said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!’ 8 So they seized him, killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come, destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others! 10 Haven’t you read the passage in the Tanakh that says, ‘The very rock which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone! This has come from ADONAI, and in our eyes it is amazing'?'' So we see here Yeshua is removing the tenants of the vineyard. But is that all of Israel? Glory no! As we already saw, many branches are broken off but that doesn't destroy the tree. Instead, applied with what we have already reviewed, we see again that natural born Israel is majority hardened to the Messiah for a time, for the Gentiles to come more into the fold. This is not a replacement, as we have already discussed how we are a part of the Olive Tree, but that the olive tree would for a time have, and currently has, more wild branches than natural ones. Both this and Romans 11:25-17 showing a distinction between the branches, not a separation of the Tree.
We do see distinct differences in roles in scripture. One large one for all of Israel, beyond the Jews, is found within Revelations 7:5-8 where it speaks specifically of all the tribes of Israel having a specific calling. In Zachariah 8:23 it speaks of future times when we will cling to the Jews specifically, saying, 23 Adonai-Tzva’ot says, ‘When that time comes, ten men will take hold — speaking all the languages of the nations — will grab hold of the cloak of a Jew and say, “We want to go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.”’” So each of these do still have separate roles in future times, or nearby times based on your eschatological view. This does not mean that they are separate entities.
Like in a marriage, united we are One, Echad. But we each have separate rolls and jobs to do as one to complete the goal of marriage.
In conclusion, Galatians 6:15-18, 15 For neither being circumcised nor being uncircumcised matters; what matters is being a new creation. 16 And as many as order their lives by this rule, shalom upon them and mercy, and upon the Isra’el of God! Shalom to you, Israel of Elohim!
