Introduction:
Over the years, “The Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch” has sponsored an annual contest for the most absurd warning labels. Among the top winners have been: "Do not use this snow blower on the roof." "Do not allow children to play in the dishwasher." A Clothes Iron had this advice: "Warning! Never iron clothes while they are being worn." On a Superman costume: “Warning: Cape does not enable user to fly.” On a bottle of hair coloring: “Do not use as an ice cream topping.” On a cardboard sunshield for a car: “Do not drive with sun-shield in place.” On a toner cartridge: “Do not eat the toner.” On a portable stroller: “Caution: Remove infant before folding for storage.” Finally, one that is a real eye opener - In a microwave oven manual: “Do not use for drying pets.” As we arrive at the middle section of Romans 11, Paul uses Israel’s example as a warning label. The label might say something like this, “Don’t take your faith for granted” or possibly “Don’t think you’re God’s gift to God.” The Jewish people had become arrogant to the point that they believed they were right to the point that there was no room for anything including the Messiah. This willful rejection of God’s plan opened the door for the Gentiles to come to salvation. Apparently, Israel failed to heed the warning label. Our goal today is to work to draw a final conclusion on if Paul is talking about ethnic Israel or spiritual Israel and what God’s plan is.
I. The far reaching effects of Israel’s rejection of God’s plan.
A. Understanding Paul’s enthusiasm for His ministry.
1. Although Paul’s heart was broken over Israel’s rejection of God, it made it possible for the rest of the world to hear the Gospel and be brought back into the right relationship with Him.
2. Verse 15 actually reaches backward to explain more clearly what Paul was saying in verses 12-14 giving a reason for his enthusiasm.
3. Paul’s ministry causes him excitement because the opportunity that the Lord has presented him with to reach the Gentiles with the message of salvation.
4. Paul’s heart yearns for His people to return to God and accept His great gift of salvation but so many of them have become so hardened that they stubbornly persist in their unbelief.
B. Understanding God’s response to the Jewish unbelief.
1. Paul works to explain beginning verse 15 how God responded to the Jews rejecting Him.
2. The key is found in the Greek word apobolē which is translated rejection. The word can literally be translated “to throw away.” The tense of the word reflects a deliberate action.
3. So the correct way to understand Paul’s words is that some of the Jews deliberately threw away their hope of salvation when they chose to reject the Messiah.
4. As a result God responded by cutting these spiritually dead branches from the tree and grafted in the Gentiles who by faith accepted His gift of salvation.
5. Although Paul sees hope that some of the unbelieving Jews will join the believing remnant and come to faith in Jesus Christ, he realizes that ethnic Israel will no longer have a significant part in God’s plan.
6. To Paul the unbelieving Jews joining the remnant of believing Jews would bring great blessings they would spiritually move from death to life.
II. Two word pictures that help make Paul’s point.
A. Making sense out of the baking metaphor.
1. Under the Law God required the first portion of any product to be presented to Him as an offering establishing His ownership of everything.
2. In his first letter to the Corinthian church Paul used the same Greek word aparchē which is translated first fruits to refer to the first converts in the context in which he was speaking.
3. So one would expect Paul to use the word in a consistent manner here in Romans 11.
4. The first fruits are the early Jewish Christian converts and the batch refers to all Jews especially the unbelieving ones.
5. Paul’s point is that if some of the Jews can come to salvation then the same opportunity is available for each and every Jew.
B. Making sense out of the gardening metaphor.
1. The root system is the equivalent to our circulatory system. The roots makes sure that water and nourishment make it to every part of the tree.
2. This second metaphor includes not only the patriarchs but the entire Old Testament ethnic Israel.
3. The branches refer to believing Jews living under the new covenant and the idea of holiness reflects the idea of being set apart.
4. Jack Cottrell in his commentary on Romans explains it this way: “Even though he no longer has a special purpose for Israel as a nation, nevertheless the love and concern he had for “his people” in OT times carries forward into the gospel era. Every branch, every individual Jew, is just as personally precious and special to him today as was the root, the nation of old. Thus the door of salvation is still open even to the hardened, unbelieving Jews. God is waiting to add them to the remnant.”
C. Putting the two metaphors into proper context.
1. In the Greek verse 16 is actually a part of the paragraph that begins in verse 11.
2. The main point is that there is still hope for each individual Jew even those who have stubbornly rejected the Messiah. Salvation is still available if they turn from their unbelief.
3. In no way is Paul implying that the unbelieving Jews will receive special treatment in regard to salvation. He meant that God still loves them and will provide them with every opportunity to be saved.
4. These metaphors are not promising the restoration of ethnic Israel to world prominence nor will all the Jews be saved. Simply that salvation is available to each and every Jew.
III. A Warning that must not be ignored.
A. The danger of becoming arrogant about one’s standing with God.
1. The warning is for the Gentile Christians not to look down their nose at the Jews and begin feeling spiritually superior because the same pitfalls are ahead of them.
2. Ethnic Israel felt that they were superior to all other races on the earth and that nothing could remove them from their standing with God.
3. The nation of Israel had been given blessing after blessing by God and yet they still fell away.
4. The Gentile believers need to understand that the same fate could be a very real possibility for them.
B. Paul uses the illustration of the olive tree to show how the unbelieving Jews could be saved.
1. Several places in the Old Testament, God’s people are likened to an olive tree. The olive was familiar because it was the most common fruit tree in Paul’s area of the world.
2. Paul is expanding the earlier metaphor by turning his focus to the tree as a whole rather than just the branches.
3. The tree represents God’s people: ethnic Israel in the Old Testament and the church in the New Testament.
4. The branches represent those who have come to salvation through Jesus Christ which is Spiritual Israel which descended from Ethnic Israel.
5. The bottom line is that the branches of the New Covenant would not have existed if it wasn’t for the Old Covenant root.
a. God pruned off the dead branches and added some other branches to make sure that the tree was healthy and productive.
b. The Gentiles or wild branches can be removed as easily as the natural branches or Jews were removed.
IV. Bringing a difficult text into focus.
A. The same salvation that God has made available to us is still available for all Jews.
1. Jesus came into the world to pay the penalty for the sins of every person both Jew and Gentile.
2. God makes His grace and salvation available to anyone who by faith comes to Jesus Christ.
3. Remember that we have already learned that that salvation is based on faith not ethnicity.
4. We can remain a branch of the olive tree as long as we choose to follow Christ.
B. Logic dictates that all Jews will not be saved.
1. There are two serious flaws in the logic that all the Jews will be saved in the end.
2. There have already been Jews who have died in unbelief without Jesus Christ.
3. Salvation is only available through Jesus Christ, God has made it clear that these rules apply to everyone.
4. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12—NIV 2011)
5. Paul makes it clear that if the Jews do not continue in unbelief they will be grafted back into the tree.
C. Regardless of what we do God never stops loving us.
1. Despite their unbelief God has not stopped loving the Jews. In fact, He is still ready to welcome them back if they will turn from their unbelief.
2. It is God’s will for no one to be lost, Jew or Gentile. He loves us unconditionally and is giving us every opportunity to turn back to Him.
3. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9—NIV 2011)
4. Don’t think you have fallen too far for God to save you…He is patiently waiting for you to return to Him.
Closing:
Randy Alcorn, in his booklet 50 Days in Heaven writes: God has never given up on us. And the Bible is filled with a unique biblical vocabulary that makes this point clear. Reconcile, Redeem, Restore, Recover, Return, Renew, Regenerate, Resurrect. Each of these biblical words begins with the re- prefix, suggesting a return to an original condition that was ruined or lost. Redemption means to buy back what was formerly owned. Reconciliation means the restoration or re-establishment of a prior friendship or unity. Renewal means to make new again, restoring an original state. The main message out of Romans 11 is just that: God is constantly trying to restore us to the condition He originally created us to have. We are so important to Him… that even if we fall away into sinfulness He always waits to restore us, renew us, and return us to His love.
