God Hasn’t Totally Rejected Israel
Romans 11:1-18
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Romans 11:1-6
“I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, 3 “LORD, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”? 4 But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.”
In our previous study we had seen saw how Paul said that God had stretched out his hands to the Israelites all day long but they were a rebellious and contrary people who rejected Him. Paul then asks a very valid question. “Has God cast away His people?” And he answers with a resounding “Certainly not.” He goes on to explain why not. He reminds his readers that he himself was one such Israelite – a descendant of Abraham, and of the tribe of Benjamin, indicating that he too had initially rejected God’s plan of salvation. He goes on to say that God has not cast away His people, whom He had foreknown a long time back. God knew that some people would believe, and be saved.
He then goes on to remind his readers about God’s election (how He chooses people whom He wants to serve as channels, through whom He seeks to fulfil His purposes for mankind). He reminds them from Scripture about Elijah, who thought that he was the only prophet who remained alive, while all the other prophets has been killed. All the altars had been torn down, and they were seeking to take his life as well. He tells how God had responded to Elijah by saying that He had reserved for Himself seven thousand, who had not bowed their knee to Baal.
Paul uses this reminder to illustrate the fact that even at the present time, God had chosen a few people, purely based on grace. He then clarifies that the choosing by God had nothing to do with the persons’ works, but was purely by God’s grace. God showed His unmerited favour to people and it was therefore not dependent on their works in any way. He reiterates that if it was based on works, then grace can’t be called grace. He further states, that if God’s choice were based on works, then it wouldn’t be by grace, and in that case, works can no longer be called works. What Paul seems to be saying is that God’s election has nothing to do with people’s good works but is purely based on His grace or unmerited favour.
Roman 11:7-10
“What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. 8 Just as it is written: “God has given them a spirit of stupor,
Eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear, to this very day.” 9 And David says: “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a recompense to them. 10 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see, and bow down their back always.”
So here’s what’s happened; the Jews did not receive the righteousness they were searching for, but just like in the times of Elijah, where God had reserved for himself seven thousand people who had not bowed their knee to Baal, today the Lord has chosen those Jews who believe in Christ, to receive this gift of God’s own righteousness. The other Jews who did not believe were blinded. Paul then quotes from Isaiah 29:10, when he says that God has caused the Jews to fall into a deep sleep, so that they were not aware of what was happening around them. They have eyes but they don’t see the truth of God’s Word, they have ears but they don’t listen to God’s word and get saved. That’s how it was, not only until when Paul wrote this letter, but it’s still true of most of the Jews even today. Most of them continue to reject the gospel, and remain waiting for the Messiah to come and save them.
Paul goes on to quote from Psalm 69:22, where David is praying to the Lord about his enemies, and Paul makes reference to this passage to mean that the Jews are celebrating their get-togethers, and enjoying life to the max, not realising that they are entrapped and blinded to the truth, and will have to face the consequences of their unbelief. God is promising freedom and righteousness free of cost, but if people choose to reject that offer, then they are pronouncing judgment on themselves.
There comes a time when God will cause those who know the truth, and yet rebel against God, to become blinded spiritually, and live in darkness. Then, instead of walking tall in God’s goodness, they bend their backs in toil and misery – all because they rejected God’s gift of righteousness through faith in his Son Jesus Christ.
Romans 11:11-15
11 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. 12 Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness! 13 For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them. 15 For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
Paul then asks a very valid much-debated question – even today – “Have they stumbled that they should fall?” meaning, “Have the Jews been so rejected by God that they cannot be restored back into a relationship with Him?” He goes on to answer his own question by saying that their fall has resulted in the Gentiles being saved, and this has caused the Jews to become jealous of them. All along they thought of themselves as God’s chosen, special people, but now they’ve been deprived of that status, owing to their own disbelief in Jesus.
He goes on to say that if their temporary falling away has resulted in the world of Gentiles being enriched with the knowledge of God, how much more would the world be blessed when the Jews put their faith in Jesus, and are restored into a relationship with God once again.
He then tells his readers that he focuses on, and talks much about his ministry to the Gentiles so as to provoke the Jews to put their faith in Jesus, just like the Gentiles did, so that thereby, some of them might also be saved. Once again he reiterates: If the casting away of the Jews resulted in the world being reconciled to God, once they are accepted again by God, they will be revived as from the dead, to live a new life in Christ.
Romans 11:16-18
16 For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.
Paul then makes a reference to the practice of the Jews to offer up as a heave offering the firstfruits of their harvest to the Lord, and this was done by giving a loaf of bread to the Lord as an offering. He says that if the firstfruits of the harvest is holy (set apart to God), then the lump of dough made from that wheat is also holy. He goes on to say that if the root of a tree is holy, then the branches too will be holy.
What he’s trying to convey from the above two illustrations of the lump of dough, and the root of a tree is this. If the Jews, who are like the lump, and the root are holy, then the branches (the believing Jews and now the Gentiles) are also holy.
But the problem is that though they were holy, many of the Jews chose to not put their faith in Jesus and so were cut off from the olive tree (referring to the God’s people), but the Gentiles who were actually wild olive branches (not God’s people), were grafted into the natural, cultivated olive tree. Now these wild branches (referring to the Gentiles) have become one with the olive tree (referring to the Jews) and enjoy all the nutrition of the natural olive tree that came forth from the root. Now the Gentiles also enjoy all the blessings that the Jews enjoyed earlier.
He reminds his Gentile readers to not boast against the branches (referring to the Jews) and reminds them that just as the branches don’t support the root, but instead the roots support the branches, so also, the Gentiles are not the foundation as the people of God, but the Jews are. The Gentiles have only been included among the chosen people of God.
