Romans 11:1 ¶ I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, 3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. 4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. 5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. 7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded 8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. 9 And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: 10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. 11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. 12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? 13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: 14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. 15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? 16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; 18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. 19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. 20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. 24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? 25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. 29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
Here again is proof that God is not done with the Jews. He started
His church on earth with Jewish men and women who knew and believed Christ or
were influenced by those who had. Paul himself had a supernatural meeting with
Christ. God used the Jews and Paul warns the Gentiles.
Read 1Kings 19 for Elijah’s talk with God and the promise of the
seven thousand. Paul says in verse 5 that even now, at the time he was writing,
God still had Jews He was using to forward His mission of reconciling mankind
to Himself. Israel as a nation was elected, chosen by God, those of Israel whom
God foreknew who would obey and follow and, most importantly, believe Him. They
were elected because God knew they would obey Him.
Even so in verse 5 connects it to verse 4. God selected 7,000 obedient men,
not including women and children so there were many more most likely, because
they would not bow the knee to the image of Baal and in Paul’s time there are
many Jews whom God has chosen based on their willingness to believe Him. But
not bowing did not save them specifically. It was the grace of God that came
upon those who would not bow to Baal and those who did believe in Christ and
God’s grace or unmerited favor, was the source of their salvation, not their
works.
There are three groups of people in verse 7; Israel as a whole,
the believing Jews, and the unbelieving Jews. The election got what it was
looking for. What were they seeking? They were seeking righteousness.
Romans 10:3 For they being
ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own
righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
4 For Christ is the end of the law for
righteousness to every one that believeth.
The election received Christ and His righteousness was imputed to
them.
Romans 3:20 Therefore by
the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the
law is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now
the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the
law and the prophets; 22 Even the
righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all
them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the
glory of God; 24 Being justified freely
by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation
through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of
sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his
righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth
in Jesus.
The rest were blinded because they rejected Christ. Verse 8 refers
to;
Deuteronomy 29:4 Yet the
LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to
hear, unto this day.
And consider this verse in Isaiah;
Isaiah 29:10 For the LORD
hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes:
the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.
It is re-emphasized that a willful ignorance results in delusions
and blindness from God. This is an important point. The person who goes against
God in his or her spirit will then find themselves closed off to God’s truth. Eventually,
there is no way back because of their own choice.
Isaiah
66:4 I also will choose their delusions,
and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer;
when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.
Mankind desperately needs God’s intervention but when they choose
so blatantly and willfully to rebel consciously He will permit them their
wishes and let those desires take them to their natural conclusion.
Romans 1:19 ¶ Because that
which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto
them. 20 For the invisible things of him
from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things
that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without
excuse: 21 Because that, when they knew
God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in
their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became
fools, 23 And changed the glory of the
uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and
fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of
their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and
worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for
ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave
them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use
into that which is against nature: 27
And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned
in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly,
and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
28 And even as they did not like to
retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do
those things which are not convenient; 29
Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness,
covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity;
whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of
God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers,
without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they
which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have
pleasure in them that do them.
Verses 9 and 10 are references to;
Psalm 69:22 ¶ Let their
table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their
welfare, let it become a trap. 23 Let
their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to
shake.
In verse 11 Paul makes the argument that we should be grateful for
the fall of the Jews in that through it we were made known of God’s plan of
peace with mankind. The gospel was preached to the Gentiles upon the Jews
refusing it as the parable recorded in Matthew 22 and Luke 14 shows regarding
the order to go out and gather people to come to the wedding. It is used to provoke
them to jealousy as in to excite them to seek that which they did not have,
which had been offered to the Jews. Paul then hopes to turn this to provoke the
Jews to emulation to desire Christ to save as many of them as possible.
Then, Paul warns the Gentile Christians not to do what they
actually did in history by being prideful and hateful against the Jews. They
should rather more be grateful for God’s mercy on them rather than looking down
their spiritual noses at the Jews. What happened to the Jews led to the
Gentiles’ blessing.
Notice verse 25 and what Jesus says in Luke;
Luke 21:24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword,
and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden
down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
Verse 26 refers to;
Isaiah 59:20 And the
Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in
Jacob, saith the LORD.
As this is clearly a reference to the end times it appears that
Jesus will appear to His Jewish people at the end and many will be saved. But
that topic should be left for the study on Revelation.
The people of Israel were and are precious to God but they are the
enemy of Christians. Still God is faithful and has not cast them off as a
people. Paul declares that we have obtained mercy through their unbelief and we
need to pay it back by preaching the gospel to them. God has not cast them off
and neither should we because many will be saved because of the faithfulness of
Christians.
Romans 11:33 ¶ O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Paul considers here how remarkable and amazing God is. I am
reminded of the sentiments expressed in Psalm 107. And here;
Psalm 92:5 O LORD, how
great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.
See also comments in Job.
Job 5:9 Which doeth great
things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number:
Job 9:10 Which doeth great
things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.
Job 11:7 ¶ Canst thou by
searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? 8 It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do?
deeper than hell; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?
Or Isaiah;
Isaiah 40:13 Who hath
directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?
Is not this last section of Romans 11 a great model for prayer?
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