It is because of this that an understanding of God's promises to the Jewish fathers is vital for our salvation: so much so that Paul reminded the believers in Ephesus that before they knew these things, they "were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world" (Eph. 2:12) - although doubtless they had thought that their previous pagan beliefs did give them some hope and knowledge of God. But this is the seriousness of not knowing the Old Testament promises of God - in reality "having no hope, and without God in the world".
Ni kwa sababu hii ya kuwa kutambua ahadi za Mungu kwa mababa wa Wayahudi ni za muhimu kwa wokovu wetu: zaidi hapa Paulo aliwakumbusha waaminio katika Efeso ya kwamba kabla ya kujua mambo haya, "hawa kuwa na Kristo wakiwa wamefarakana na jamii ya Israeli, wageni wasio wa ahadi ile, mlikuwa hamna tumaini, hamna Mungu duniani" (Efe. 2:12) - ingawa pasipo shaka walidhani ya kuwa imani yao ya awali ya kipagani iliwapa tumaini lingine na maarifa ya kumjua Mungu. lakini hili ni jambo la kufikiria sana kutokujua ahadi za Mungu katika Agano la kale -kwa ukweli "ni kutokuwa na tumaini,na pasipo na Mungu duniani’.