Text- Romans 11:1-36
Title- The Fate of Israel
I. The Remnant- 1-10
II. The Replacement- 11-24
III. The Renewal- 25-36
Since it is Father’s Day I wanted to do something that needs to be done. There are things that we men have always wanted you women to know, and it just seems like Father’s Day is the safest day of the year to say those things without getting in to much trouble. This is really more of a public service for you ladies. Please don’t be offended. We mean this in the nicest way possible way. Here are the top ten things that we men want you women to know…
#10 Whenever possible, please say whatever you have to say during commercials.
#9 Shopping is NOT a sport, please don’t make us stand by a dressing room holding your purse.
#8 If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing," we will act like nothing’s wrong.
#7 “Yes” and “No” are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.
#6 You can remind us to trim our nose hair and our ear hair, but leave the back hair alone… it isn’t hurting anyone.
#5 Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all past comments become null and void after 7 days.
#4 If something we said can be interpreted two ways, and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one.
#3 Sunday = sports. After church we plan on spending a few hours watching something involving some kind of ball, or in extreme cases a puck.
#2 ALL men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings. Peach, for example, is a fruit, not a color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have no idea what mauve is.
#1 Christopher Columbus did not need directions, and neither do we…
Just FYI, next week Camille and I are going away for our anniversary so Henry will fill in for me. I will be finishing the theological section of Romans this week and next week Henry will start in on chapter 12 which begins the transition into the more practical application and exhortation stuff.
I asked Henry to preach the next section out of Romans for me so we could keep things moving and hopefully finish up the book sometime before the end of summer and then move on to something else. He was gracious enough to help out there. I asked him how far into chapter 12 he planned to go… I figured maybe 5-10 verses. No He says he’s just going to preach up through verse 2. So today I’m going to cover 36 verses and next week Henry will cover 2.
But look over at chapter 12… That’s one of those sections of scripture where you could almost preach a whole sermon on each word. It requires careful consideration and extra time. Make sure you don’t miss next week.
Today I plan on tackling all of chapter 11. This is a big chunk of scripture to bite off in one sermon, but I think we can handle it. Chapter 11 is really just an extended culmination of the themes that Paul was teaching about in chapters 9-10. Here in chapter 11 Paul sums up for us the fate of the nation of Israel. In doing so he teaches some important lessons that we need to learn.
Like I’ve mentioned before, the first 11 chapters of Romans are more of a theological discourse and the next 5 chapters will be more practical application of those truths. Today we are going to review that theological house that Paul has been constructing for us and we are going to add another wall to it.
Let’s start with a review… I gave you a little picture of a theological house on the back of your sermon note guide so that you can fill in the blanks. Don’t worry, this isn’t a pop quiz, I’ll help you with the answers.
First of all we began with our foundation which is the doctrine of r…evelation. Under the doctrine of revelation in your notes we have general revelation and special revelation. General revelation is creation and providence. It is not sufficient to bring us to a saving knowledge of God.
Special revelation is the Bible and Jesus. This is sufficient to bring us to Christ.
All that we know about who we are and who God is and how salvation happens is found in God’s revealing Himslef to us through His Word. That’s why it’s our foundation for our theological house.
The first wall was is the doctrine of Man, or the doctrine of Sin. Man is completely dead in sin and unable to save himself.
A clear understanding of the nature and extent of our own sin leads us into the next wall- the doctrine of salvation. Salvation is not found in works, or heritage, or being good. It is only found through faith in Jesus Christ.
The roof of our theological house is the doctrine of God. For the past few weeks Paul has been defending God’s honor and explaining that God is perfectly justified in choosing to bless the gentiles over the Jews. He highlighted God’s justice, His power, His sovereignty, His holiness, His grace, and a bunch of other attributes.
The next theological wall that Paul briefly touches on in the passage today has to do with the doctrine of last things. I figured the best place for that was the back wall. While this passage isn’t as overtly focused on the end times as other passages of scripture, it still teaches us some important lessons about things to come. So as we interact with the text we will see that God has a plan that will be completed some time in the future.
This passage deals with what happened to Israel and what will happen to Israel. Israel had rejected Christ. They had turned their backs on Christianity. They had persecuted the church. Does that mean that God is completely done with Israel?
Within the different schools of thought there is a large difference of opinion concerning the state of Israel. There is the liberal view that doesn’t think there will be any future for Israel at all. They are basically out of the picture.
Then there is the covenant view of Israel that believes that the church replaced Israel. That all of the promises that God made to them in the OT now apply to the Church. The church is now the “Spiritual Israel”.
And then there is the view that Israel has entered into a period of rejection by God because of their disobedience, but there is a believing remnant and there will be a day when national Israel will be restored. All of those promises will be ultimately fulfilled.
As we read through this passage a couple of things seem clear:
1. National Israel and the church are two different things. The church hasn’t swallowed up Israel and there will be a time when Israel will be restored.
2. The Church has received many of the blessings of Israel. A lot of the promises of God to the Jews have been showered on the Gentiles. But as my theology teacher but it, God may do more than He promises, but He won’t do less.
3. Israel as a nation has a future.
Follow along with me as I read just the first 10 verses in chapter 11…
“1 I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3 "Lord, THEY HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE." 4 But what is the divine response to him? "I HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL." 5 In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. 7 What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; 8 just as it is written, "GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR, EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT, DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY." 9 And David says, "LET THEIR TABLE BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP, AND A STUMBLING BLOCK AND A RETRIBUTION TO THEM. 10 "LET THEIR EYES BE DARKENED TO SEE NOT, AND BEND THEIR BACKS FOREVER."
The question Paul asks is, has God rejected His people? And the answer is an emphatic no way. Even when Israel has been disobedient and unrepentant God has always provided a remnant. That was true in the OT and it was true in Paul’s day.
Paul offers a couple of evidences that God hasn’t given up on His people. The first evidence that there is a preserved remnant is Paul himself. Paul was a Jew, an Israelite through and through, yet God has saved him by grace.
In verse 2 it explicitly states, “God has not rejected His people.” Even though it might have felt like it, God hasn’t given up on them. Paul uses the story of Elijah to illustrate that point. Elijah was fleeing for his life from the prophets of Baal. He fled into the wilderness to hide and then said to God, “THEY HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE.”
But God’s answer was that He had preserved a remnant of 7,000. Elijah wasn’t alone. God had still preserved a few people who could carry on. God hadn’t failed His people.
This remnant isn’t saved because of their Jewish heritage, or because of the law or something. This Jewish remnant is saved in the same way Abraham was saved, by faith. They are saved in the same way that Paul was saved, through the atoning work of Jesus Christ.
This is good news for the Jews and good news for us. God has a plan that will not fail. God protects His people. No matter how bleak it might look.
The next thing we see in this passage is the replacement. Israel has rejected God and so God has poured out His blessing on the gentiles instead. That doesn’t mean the Jews are completely cut off, but it does mean that they have been replaced for a time.
Look at verses 11-24…
11 I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. 12 Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! 13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too. 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in." 20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; 21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. 22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?
Because of the transgression of the Jews salvation has come to the gentiles. The illustration here is of an olive tree. The natural branches, or the Jewish people, have been broken off and the wild olive shoot, or the gentiles has been grafted on. The root is still the Abrahamic covenant. The rejection of Christ by the Jews resulted in their being cut off and the gentiles being grafted in.
The transgression of the Jewish people has resulted in great blessing for the world. Look at verse 12… “12 Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!”
Their rejection resulted in great blessing for the whole world. Paul looks ahead and says, “If their disobedience brought about such a great blessing, just imagine what their obedience would do.”
This is a great example of the message of 8:28- God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love God. God can even take a curse and turn it into a blessing for others.
The hard-heartedness of the Jewish people and the decision to bless the Gentiles was a part of God’s divine plan of redemption from the beginning. God has a plan for all of us, Jew and gentile alike. It seems clear from this passage that God still has something great in store for national Israel in the future.
This truth is even more evident in the last few verses of chapter 11. In these verses Paul talks about the coming renewal for the Jews.25-32
25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery-- so that you will not be wise in your own estimation-- that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;
What exactly does that mean? This time of Israel being rejected will continue until the fullness of the gentiles has come in. I think this simply means that when this church age is reached it’s culmination, Israel will be on the scene again. God has a clear plan of redemption that is unfolding before us.
26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, "THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB." 27 "THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS." 28 From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; 29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. 32 For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.
What is the fate of national Israel? Well it is clear from Paul’s teaching here that they have entered into a period of time where they are cut off. Because of their unbelief and their refusal to accept Jesus as their Messiah they are experiencing God’s judgment.
But God is faithful to His word. There is still a believing remnant. There are still Jews who remain faithful to God even when the majority has turned their backs on him. I read one statistic that said that only 30% of Jews believed that there even is a God. It may seem bleak, but God isn’t finished.
Paul was filled with sorrow because of the state of Israel. Many today feel like Israel is completely abandoned or cut off from God now because of their disbelief. But there will always remain a believing remnant because God is faithful. There will come a day when Israel will be saved.
I know that one of the more popular biblical topics is the end times. There have always been many books written on the subject and there are a million different theories as to how things will come to an end. Honestly it has never been a topic that I’ve spent a great deal of time studying.
But as I read the Bible concerning end times it is clear that God has a plan. There is more to come. Jesus Christ is coming again soon. Any day now. And there will be great blessings and resurrection from the dead and renewal for Israel. I don’t know for sure what it will all look like, but I do know that it will be amazing.
Paul concludes this 11 chapter study in theology with this beautiful benediction:
33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? 35 Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.
