Rom 11:1-36, God is not finished with his people

Rom 11:1-10 (NIV) I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don't you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah — how he appealed to God against Israel: 3 "Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me"?  4 And what was God's answer to him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal."  5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.


7 What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened, 8 as it is written:


"God gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes so that they could not see
and ears so that they could not hear,
to this very day."  9 And David says:


"May their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
10 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
and their backs be bent forever."


• What is Paul's argument about God's rejection of his people?
• God's rejection is not total.  God rejected the nation in Matt 12:22-24, 41-42, because Israel rejected the Messiah
• Matt 12:22-24 (NIV) Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. 23 All the people were astonished and said, "Could this be the Son of David?" // 24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons."
• The people recognized the Messianic miracle, but the leaders reject it
• The Pharisees and Teachers ask for a sign, although they already had all three Messianic miracles  (healing of leper (investigated); healing of a blind man (Pharisees reject the individual involved) and healing and casting out a dumb demon (Pharisees reject claims of Christ)
• Matt 12:41-42 (NIV) 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here. 42 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here.
• From this point in Jesus' ministry, the term "this generation" is a very specific term to the nation and people who lived during his visit.  Note that individuals still come to the Lord, but the nation has been rejected because they rejected God first
• Paul is an example of a saved Jew
• Elijah also thought that the entire nation had deserted God, which God clues him in was not true
• So why is Israel hardened? They rejected God
• Can Jews still come to the Lord? Yes
• The next question to understand is: what does it mean to be called the "elect?"


Rom 11:11-16 (NIV) Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. 12 But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!


13 I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry 14 in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy 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 part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.


• First, what does God called Israel's rejection? They stumbled
• Who stumbled? Israel
• If God caused them to stumble then they could not recover.  Can they recover? Yes
• If God sovereignly prevents them from understanding the gospel, why try to make them jealous?  What is the purpose?  What is Paul's purpose?
• Paul is using envy to save some of them (that remnant)
• So then, it still depends upon man's choice even though they have been rejected and God has given them a spirit of stupor (at least as a nation)
• Constable suggests that the "part of the dough" or "firstfruits" are the believing remnant in Israel now.  The lump or batch is the whole of Israel.  The roots are the Abrahamic covenant.  The branches are believing and unbelieving Jews and Gentiles
• It is important to note that he has been talking about groups of people and not individuals up to this point
• That will be important as we move into the next section


Rom 11:17-24 (NIV) If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18 do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in." 20 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.


22 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. 23 And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!


• Constable argues that the natural olive tree is a symbol for Israel used in the scriptures. The wild branches are Gentiles.  They benefit by now being part of the olive tree and from the blessings that come through Israel (Messiah, scriptures, …)
• Key point is that Israel is not replaced as reformed theology would argue
• Also, Gentile believers should not feel superior to Jewish unbelievers (broken branches)
• As Gentiles, we have done nothing to deserve our status except believe
• What could God do?
• He could reverse it
• He could break off the wild branches (Gentiles)
• He could restore the natural branches (Jews)
• And they will naturally graft back in, much more so than the Gentiles did before
• Technically, this is exactly what will happen in the millennial kingdom, especially the last half
• It is the Gentiles who rise up against the Jews.  It the Jews who come to the Lord and defeat the Gentile armies at Armegeddon
• There will be a remnant of Gentiles and a remnant of Jews that arise after the rapture
• Finally, note that the status of the branches is not dependent on God's whim but on a group's unbelief, thereby nullifying some aspects of Calvinism


Rom 11:25-36 (NIV) I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:


"The deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
27 And this is my covenant with them
when I take away their sins."


28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29 for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable. 30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you. 32 For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
34 "Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?"
35 "Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay him?"
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.


• We are now at the climax of chapters 9-11
• What is a mystery in biblical terms?
• It is a truth not previously revealed in the scriptures, although it could be hinted at
• What is this mystery? (note that there are seven mysteries mentioned in the NT)
• The mystery is that there is a partial hardening of Israel until the program for the Gentiles is complete
• So, God knows how many Gentiles will be saved.  That is different from saying that God has already chosen who will be saved
• Interestingly, who has God shown mercy to?
• God has shown mercy to all men
• Does God have to show mercy to all meant?
• No, the previous argument stated that God will have mercy on who he wills
• So, the previous statement which included the theoretical "if then" does not necessarily imply that God has limited the gospel
• So, how do we understand all this? How do we fit it together?
• We can't
• Our finite minds cannot comprehend the mind of God
• APPLICATION:
• We need to have a right attitude toward Jews (and to Israel)
• I think it is wise to support Israel
• I think we need to be thankful for our salvation, because we did not deserve anything but Hell
• Finally, we need to realize that God has not forgotten Israel.  He still has a plan for Israel, and in the end, all Israel will be saved