Israel was uniquely chosen to serve in this context. Israel was the Lord's selected heritage, as stated (Deuteronomy 32:9). But when they turned against our Lord Jesus Christ and committed grievous acts, they forsook their status as God's heritage and lost their communion with Him. Conversely, the Gentiles were embraced and took the place of Israel, despite their own extensive superstitions and deep-rooted impurities that were challenging to cleanse. I mentioned that the Egyptians were notable and powerful, especially renowned for their idol-making and skilled in false worship, inventing futile rituals in reverence to their idols and their names. Thus, in lieu of you, dear one, who was designated as my inheritance, I have chosen Egypt and Ethiopia, since sacred scripture often refers to the Egyptians as Ethiopians. Therefore, through one of the holy prophets, I have declared: And you Murini shall be afflicted with my weapons (Soph. 2:12). Instead of you, I accepted those steeped in dreadful impurities, marked by uncleanness that seemed incurable. Yet you have been esteemed in my sight, you have been honored: for Israel is not destined for everlasting rejection and disgrace, but shall ultimately be called through faith in Christ, becoming a co-laborer and sharer in the glory of the saints. You have been glorified, He says, and I will cherish you. The phrase, ‘I will give many men for you, and princes for your benefit,’ suggests that in the appointed time when the Israelites come to acknowledge Christ, numerous wise and honorable leaders will guide them privately. In your favor, He states, I will provide many individuals; I will also present princes advocating for your interests. However, Christ is the head of the believers, signifying the unraveling of every mystery among the nations, directed at the appropriate time according to His will. Hence, for you may signify: for the benefit and service of your good, as they come to understand the noble and profound mystery of your Head, that is, Christ. Another interpretation of the phrase, I will give many men for you and princes for your benefit, may assert that you have become rejected, distant, and completely estranged from communion with me; thus, in your place, I have embraced the nations, which have reached the lowest depths of deception. Yet, because you have been esteemed in my eyes through your evident faith and thereby received glory, I have also loved you so deeply that had it been necessary at the right time to provide many men and princes for your sake, I would have done so. This assertion is significant, reflecting the honor with which God regards Israel, instilling in them a steadfast hope, for in all endeavors, God will be with them: with you I am. This sufficiency ensures their wellbeing, for if God is with us, afflictions will vanish, yielding instead a bounty of comfort, delight, and joy.
THEOSIS