Romans 11:7-16 ESV
“What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, as it is written,
’God gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes that would not see
and ears that would not hear,
down to this very day.’
And David says,
’Let their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them;
let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,
and bend their backs forever.’
“So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!
“Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.”
Recap: Paul, in his writings, made clear that it is not the physical descendants of Abraham nor of Israel who are the children of God, but it is all who believe in Jesus as the Christ, the only begotten Son of God. For the Promise of God was to Abraham and to his seed (Jesus Christ). Thus, if we belong to Christ then we are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. For, via Jesus’ death and resurrection he made Jew and Gentile one people via faith in Jesus Christ, under one covenant, the New Covenant.
[Genesis 17:7-9; Genesis 18:19; Romans 2:28-29; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 9:4-8,25-28; Romans 11:1-36; Galatians 3:16,26-29; Galatians 4:22-31; Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:6; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:22; John 8:18-19,38-47; Jude 1:5; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-16; Hebrews 8:6-13; Revelation 2:9; Revelation 3:9]
Now, I know this passage can be a little confusing, but we must not interpret it according to tradition, but according to the Word of God, in context, under the New Covenant. For we live under the New Covenant God promised his people Israel. We do not live under the Old Covenant. That is gone. Done! So, Paul’s other teachings on this subject must be taken into account here when interpreting his words here in Romans 11, for they must all agree.
Now, as I read through these words here in vv. 7-16, a couple of phrases jumped out at me and called for attention. And this also fits with vv. 1-6. And this has to do with verb tense. Verse 7 begins with “Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking.” What was Israel seeking? They were waiting for the promised Christ (Messiah) who was to come. Right? But when he came, most all of them rejected him as their Messiah, and so Jesus told them that meant they also rejected God the Father, and so they do not belong to God.
And moving ahead for just a moment, in verses 17-24 of Romans 11 we read that God cut the unbelieving Jews out of Israel and he grafted in the believing Gentiles. But he stated clearly there that the unbelieving Jews can be grafted back into Israel via genuine believing faith in Jesus Christ.
“Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.” (Romans 11:22-23 ESV)
Okay, continuing on with verse 7, it says that the elect obtained what the Jews were seeking. And who are the elect? All who now and all who will yet believe in Jesus Christ. And then it says the rest were hardened. But through Israel’s rejection of Jesus Christ as the Messiah the Gentiles who believed in Jesus Christ were grafted into Israel and God made both Jew and Gentile one people who believe in Jesus Christ. We are not separate people if we believe in Christ, and there is only one Israel of God (Jew and Gentile).
But then it says, “and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!” And that is future tense, suggesting that unbelieving Jews are not part of biblical Israel at present but that they can be grafted back into Israel by genuine faith in Christ. And we read in v. 5 that there is a remnant of Jews, chosen by grace, who will be included in Israel when they believe in Jesus (see vv. 17-24).
And then Paul stated that he was speaking to the Gentiles in order to somehow make his fellow Jews jealous, “and thus save some of them.” That means not all of them, a remnant, those God foreknew, the elect of God who now believe in Jesus Christ as well as those who will yet believe in Jesus Christ. In other words, God has not cut the Jews out of Israel beyond recovery. If any of them cease in unbelief and if they receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, in truth, they will be grafted back into Israel.
For Our Nation
An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.
Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.
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