What did God intend to do by sending Israel among the Gentile nations?
God intended to use Israel to bring salvation to the Gentiles. He wanted to funnel Israel into the pagan, polluted stream of humanity and thereby purify it. Although Israel dropped this prospect in unbelief, God still intends to use Israel to bring salvation to the Gentiles.
Les teaches that God's original intent for Israel was to funnel the nation back into the pagan, polluted stream of humanity and thereby purify it. Israel's prospect was to be used by God, but Israel dropped it and blew it through unbelief. Even so, God still intends to use the nation of Israel to yet bring salvation to the Gentiles. Because of Israel's unbelief, they still went into the stream of Gentile humanity, but in a complete opposite role of what God intended. Les also notes that these Old Testament verses contain no hint of the Church Age; God was dealing with Israel.