Like Ruth, those of us partaking in the new covenant have the privilege, in Messiah Jesus, of saying to covenant Israel, “Your people are now my people. And, your God is now my God.” We have appropriated—not expropriated—the nourishing sap of the olive tree.

We have not become the people of God; we have been joined to the people of God. We are surrounded, in the words of the author of Hebrews, by so great a cloud of witnesses. Covenant Israel, beginning with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the faithful, are now our people. Abraham is my forefather and yours.

That is why, says Paul, it depends on faith. In order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the Law [Torah] but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (Romans 4:16).

It takes a new humility to embrace this truth, to the point that Paul has to remind Gentiles not to be arrogant toward the branches. How much more in our generation, when simply the existence of the State of Israel is fomenting virulent new forms of antisemitism—the archetypal lie spawned by that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world (Rev 12:9, see 10-17).

Without a doubt , antisemitism is a demonic attack on the character of YHWH.

That does not mean any honest critique of Israel’s politics is antisemitic. Let us not be simplistic. That being said, criticism of modern Israel can be a smokescreen for antisemitic words and deeds. Let us be discerning.

In humility, I should be able to say to covenant Israel, “Your people have become my people, and your God, my God.” To Paul, as it has increasingly become to me, we need to take this seriously. Exactly what are the implications of such an olive tree theology? Said another way, what would be the spiritual fruit of being grafted into and nourished by the holy root?

Here are four areas where spiritual fruit will flourish from being grafted into and nourished by the holy root.

1) It affects the way we view the God we worship and serve.

2) It affects the way we look at Jesus of Nazareth—his life, death, resurrection, and ascension with Spirit outpouring.

3) It affects the way we view the authority and inspiration of sacred Scripture.

4) It affects our understanding of the church.

It is well worth our time to explore each of these points in more detail.

First, if we take this olive tree theology to heart, it has a positive impact on our view of the God we worship and serve.

The Shema is the cornerstone of Jewish faith: Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might (Deut 6:4-5). It is also the cornerstone of our New Covenant faith. That is why Paul restates it: For us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist (1 Cor 8:6).

This is not some universal “God” Paul has in mind here; it is the God of Israel. In a way, it is regrettable that even before the time of Yeshua, a tradition arose not to pronounce the sacred name of God to avoid taking it in vain. Out of respect for its sanctity, Jewish people no longer used it in common discourse. Instead, the word Adonai (Lord) was substituted for the four-consonant name (Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh, YHWH, Yahweh).

In this day and age, saying “God” is just an abstract, universal term that few have a problem with. Almost everyone believes in “God.” There are, in fact, many gods, such as the God of Islam, the God of Buddhism, the gods of Hinduism, and the God of the New Age. The word “God” can betray us if we fail to realize that we are talking about a specific, particular God. One who revealed himself by giving his name and joining himself to a people whom he engraved upon the palms of his hand.

The Shema is more than a creedal affirmation; it is a summons to the service of the one, true King.

The Hebrew word echad is often translated as “one”. But the better interpretation is “alone.” YHWH alone shall be your God. He is the one you shall love with your all. One way to look at this is that Israel—saved out of Egypt—was gathered at Mt. Sinai as God’s betrothed. The covenant was renewed in blood, the terms of the wedding contract were read, and the people readily entered into it: All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient (Ex 24:7).

They said, in effect, “We take you as our husband and as our king.” YHWH says, “Very good. We are going to walk hand-in-hand. But I am holy, and to walk with me, you must remain holy. I have set you apart, but you have to walk in that set-apartness. So let me give you instructions, guidance, and direction so we can walk together. I have redeemed you in order to reign over you. And through you, to bring my presence into the world.”

God saved Israel, not just for their sakes, but to bring them to himself in order that they would receive him as King. And that can only happen when you have the revelation of his instruction. Olive tree theology teaches us that YHWH redeems in order to reign. And he reigns by bringing revelation, and the revelation eventually will lead to the final restoration of the creation itself.

As it was with the Father, so it is with his Son: If you love me, you will keep my commandments (John 14:15).

Redemption, reigning, revelation, and restoration. One God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. As you can see, answering the questions ‘Who is God?’ and ‘What is he like?’ matters. Deeply.

Just one final observation on how the holy root affects the way we view the God we worship and serve. It restores to our souls an understanding that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is a Father to his people. The Son teaches us to pray and to live with this singular orientation, Our Father in heaven. May we sanctify your holy name in all we think, speak, and do.