Meet Jon King

I drink water every day. Hopefully we all do, right? During a run, I often add electrolytes to my water. It doesn't make my water light up, but it does give me the energy to get through the workout. It comes in all flavors (anything lime is best). And even though I only pour a small portion into my water bottle, the whole bottle tastes “electrolyzed.” It’s amazing how one ounce of this substance can make 16 ounces of plain water taste so refreshing!

In Romans 11:16, Paul uses an analogy of the dough and first fruits. In Israel’s system of worship, no one could eat from the harvest until the first fruits had been offered (Leviticus 23:14). After they were offered to God, the entire harvest was blessed. Here, the first fruits of dough (like my electrolytes) are the small percentage of Jews who had accepted Jesus. The whole batch (water bottle) is the entire Jewish nation, which is set apart for God because of the belief of the first Jewish believers.

However, because the whole nation (water bottle) didn't accept Jesus, God used the Gentiles' belief to provoke envy and to bring repentance of Israel. “For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?” (Romans 11:15) If the failure of Israel to believe brought salvation to everyone else, won’t it taste even better when all Jews finally accept the gospel?! Oh, happy day. (See Ezekiel 37 about dead bones coming to life!)

Drink plenty of water today, and if you’re feeling adventurous, add electrolytes. Use it as a chance to remember how the first Jesus-believing Jews brought a chance at life to the whole Jewish nation and also provided an opportunity for salvation to us all. Now that is some quality H2O.