“And They Shall Be a Sign”

This very interesting phrase comes from Deuteronomy 28:46:

“And they shall be upon you for a sign and a wonder, and on your descendants forever” (Deut 28:46).

When God would bring His judgment on His disobedient children, it would serve as a sign to succeeding generations of His children—being those who would choose to heed that sign.

So spoke Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:11, using the synonymous word “example” rather than “sign”, and yet picking up the word “forever” from Deuteronomy 28:46:

“Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (1 Cor 10:11).

Most interesting in this application of the example of the people of Israel, is that Paul applied it to Christians in general, and therefore also to Gentiles. Paul used the plural of the possessive, “our”, writing “for our admonition.”

Paul clearly wrote in 1 Cor 1:24, “but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

So, we upon whom “the end of the ages” has come must receive the lesson to be included in the citation.

So in this very interesting phrase, “And they shall be a sign,” not only did Paul use the concept of example, but perhaps picking up on the phrase “end of the ages,” he included heeding Gentiles as those who receive the example. And when he did this, Gentiles were included in the phrase, “on your descendants.” Gentile Christians as descendants of the Jews! Gentile Christians as descendants of Abraham!

Praise the Lord, Gentiles were grafted into the vine through the New Covenant by the blood of Christ! And this grafting in hinges on their taking heed to the judgment of God, as was exemplified through the past example of its coming upon the Jews.

So the question becomes, have you allowed sure God’s judgment of disobedience and sin, as exemplified by His judgment of the people of Israel, to bring you to repentance and faith in Christ? If so, you are included as a descendant of Israel:

“And they shall be upon you for a sign and a wonder, and on your descendants forever” (Deut 28:46).