Romans chapter eleven is a continuation of chapter ten.  In chapter ten Paul mentions a remnant of both Jew and Gentile.  In chapter eleven, Paul will explain the remnant from within Israel.  This remnant is of Israelite blood, of which he is part of.

God Has Not Cast Israel Away: (Romans 11:1-8)

          Paul starts chapter eleven by answering the question, "Hath God cast away his people?" (Rom. 11:1-2).  The answer is clear and emphatic, for he himself is an Israelite.  How can God have cast away Israel since he is an Israelite.  Paul's salvation is proof that Israel has not been cast away.  Any Israelite can come to God through faith in the Messiah.  Even when Elijah spoke against Israel, God did not cast them away.  Elijah pleaded, "Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life" (Rom. 11:3), but God answered, "I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal" (Rom. 11:4).  It appears that God always has a remnant of those who serve Him.  Just as their was a remnant in Elijah's day, so to there is, "a remnant according to the election of grace" (Rom. 11:5).  This remnant is according to grace.  Since salvation is of grace, it is not of works because grace and works are opposites (Rom. 11:6).

          "What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded" (Rom. 11:7).  This is a fair question.  Why has Israel rejected their Messiah, since they are those whom the Messiah came for?  This can cause confusion, but God answered this question hundreds of years earlier.  "(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" (Rom. 11:8).  God blinded Israel way back in Isaiah's day so that they would not see their Messiah.  Keep in mind, this blindness was part of their covenant.  In the Mosaic law God warned Israel what would happen if they did not keep His commandments (Deut. 28:15).  One of the curses they will receive is blindness (Deut. 28:28).  Israel's blindness is a just punishment for their sins.  However, just as easily as they can be punished, God can also forgive them (Lev. 26:41-42).  What has happened to Israel is a result of them breaking their contract/covenant with God.  They are receiving their just punishment for their sins.  Even King David agrees when he said, "Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:  Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway" (Rom. 11:9-10).

Salvation For the Gentiles: (Romans 11:11-24)

          Paul now points out the purpose to the Israelite blindness.  They have not, "stumbled that they should fall."  Instead, through their fall, "salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy" (Rom. 11:11).  This is proof of the Israelite pride.  Why else would God need to provoke them to jealousy?  The Jews were prideful of being the chosen people.  This pride came from their lack of understanding as to why they were chosen.  They were not chosen to salvation, but chosen to bring forth the scriptures and the Messiah (Rom. 3:2, 9:4).  God now has provoked them unto jealousy by the salvation of the Gentiles.  Paul makes the point, if their fall has brought so much good (salvation of the Gentiles), "how much more their fulness?" (Rom. 11:12).  Paul even, "magnifies" his ministry to the Gentiles in the hopes that he may, "provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.  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?" (Rom. 11:13-15).

          Though the fall of the Israelites brings good news to the Gentiles, Paul now turns this into a warning.  "For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches" (Rom. 11:16).  The firstfruit reference is to the patriarchs of faith like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  They were, "holy" because of their faith.  Since they were holy, so to are those who follow after them in the manner of faith.  Here then is the warning, "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;  Boast not against the branches.  But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee" (Rom. 11:17-18).  The Gentiles should not become prideful like the Israelites did.  They need to remember that the root bears the branches, the branches do not bear the root.  The Israelites, "were broken off, that I might be graffed in" (Rom. 11:19).  Why?  "Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith.  Be not highminded, but fear.  For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee." (Rom. 11:20-21).  We need to remember the, "goodness and severity of God" (Rom. 11:22).  We hear often about the, "goodness" of God, but rarely do we hear about His, "severity."

          The goodness and severity of God is a reference to the Mosaic law penal clause.  God warned the Israelites that, "If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;  Then I will give you" many blessings (Lev. 26:2-3).  This is the, "goodness" of God, but He also warned, "But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments;  And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant: I also will" bring many curses upon you (Lev. 26:14-16).  This is the, "severity" of God.  The Greek word for, "severity" is apotomia which means, "decisiveness, that is, rigor: - severity" (Strong's Concordance - G663).  God's decisiveness and severity in His judgment is according to His law.  The end result is the grafting out of a nation, for the last curse mentioned in the Mosaic law penal clause is, "And ye shall perish among the heathen, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up.  And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies' lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them" (Lev. 26:38-39).  Israel as a nation was cast away from God.  They fell to their enemies and were cursed, but the true people of God still exist for they have always existed by faith.  However, the law continues to say that, "If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me;  And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity:  Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land" (Lev. 26:40-42).  This is what Paul means when he says, "if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again" (Rom. 11:23).  God is clearly executing the blessings and curses of His covenant.  Remember, as James said, "faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone" (James 2:17).  Faith is always the start for we are justified by our faith, but to, "continue in his goodness" requires the practice of God's law (works).  The nation of Israel has reached the end of the line as far as God's curses go.  They started with faith (Gen. 15:6), but their faith did not continue in good works.  However, they can, "be graffed [back] into their own olive tree" (Rom. 11:24) if they, "shall confess their iniquity" (Lev. 26:40-42).

The Mystery of God: (Romans 11:25-36)

          Paul now tries to explain a mystery of God.  The Greek word for mystery is mustērion and means exactly that, it is a, "mystery" or a, "secret" (Strong's Concordance - G3466).  This is referring to something that was hidden in the scripture.  Paul says, "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" (Rom. 11:25).  This is the mystery, that Israel was blinded while the Gentiles received salvation.  This would have been a mystery during Paul's day for all believed the Jews were the chosen people.  How could it be possible that God would cast them away in favor of the Gentiles?  This is clearly stated nowhere in the scriptures, though it is implied (Hos. 1:10).  The result is that, "all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob" (Rom. 11:26).  This is a reference to those who practice faith.  Remember, the physical descendants of Abraham are not the Israel of God, but those of the seed are the Israel of God.  Those who practice faith like Abraham are of the seed.  This is not a reference to physical Israel but spiritual Israel.  "For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins" (Rom. 11:27).  Clearly God is speaking of the covenant of the Messiah.

          There is a difference between spiritual Israel and physical Israel.  Physical Israel is the physical nation that resides where Jerusalem is.  Spiritual Israel is a people who practice faith in the Messiah of Israel.  "As concerning the gospel, they [physical Israel] are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they [physical Israel] are beloved for the fathers' sakes" (Rom. 11:28).  Though Israel is an enemy of the gospel because of their unbelief, because of the fathers' sakes [Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob] they are beloved (Rom. 11:28).  Why?  "For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance" (Rom. 11:29).  God invites Israel to partake of His salvation, and this is without repentance.  Though they have been grafted out, they can always return if they, "shall confess their iniquity" (Lev. 26:40-42).  This has always been true, but we have to make the decision.  God does not force anyone to receive His salvation.  The Jews that stumbled because of their pride and the salvation of the Gentiles can receive salvation as well, but they have to believe.  Just as the Gentiles in the past did not believe God, yet have received salvation, so to the Jews have not believed that through the mercy of the Gentiles they might be humbled and receive mercy as well (Rom. 11:30-31).  "For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all" (Rom. 11:32).  This is the result of their fall, that all may obtain the mercy of God.

          This leads Paul to his conclusion.  "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!  For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?  Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?  For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen" (Rom. 11:33-36).  To continue this study in Romans chapter twelve please click here.

By Steve Siefken
 

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