Romans 11:33-36

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33 Oh, 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 has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?”

35 “Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him?” 36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. ~ Romans 11:33-36

Today, we conclude our study of Romans 11 which is the third part of three chapters where the Apostle Paul is establishing the sovereignty of God by using the nation Israel as an object lesson. In Romans 9 the emphasis is on God's past election of Israel and the emphasis in Romans 10 is on Israel's present rejection of the Gospel and Romans 11 is on Israel's future restoration.

In v.33 of today's passage we read, "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!"

The deep riches that the Apostle Paul highlights here is that which causes us the most difficulty in life, yet the more difficult the situation the more deeply we go in our walk with God. In fact, let our lives take a serious turn for the worse and we find ourselves struggling to trust God, only to discover the serious turn for the worst is His way of deepening our faith in Him. 

We struggle to grasp the immensity of God! We can understand what He tells us about Himself, but we struggle getting beyond that. This is why the Christian life is such an adventure, we are always being surprised by God. And, yes it is scary at times, but since when have we enjoyed a boring life here on earth. He is always enriching us in ways that we don't anticipate. And, the greatest part to our personal relationship with Him is that we are getting to know Him who is the consummation of everything we have ever longed for all of our lives. Every desire we have finds its fulfillment in Him.

The Apostle Paul writes: "How unsearchable are His  judgments" which means He is beyond accountability. No man can call God to account and say, "You have no right to do that!" We do it all the time, but we have no right to do it. For God is beyond us; He knows so much more than we do. As John Nelson Darby once wrote, "This passage is darkness to my intellect, but light to my soul." 

In v.34 of today's passage we read, "For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?"

We don't know God's mind, but we have become God's counselors. We often think that God has made a mistake in certain cases in our lives, especially when it is not going well for us. But, since God operates on such a different level than we, His ways are way past ours. And, it explains why we struggle so much.

I love the story of the woman caught in adultery. From her vantage point I can only imagine how difficult it was to trust the Lord Jesus. It was obvious that she had been set up by the religious leaders. And then, the religious leaders take her to the up and coming religious teacher who had recently burst on the scene.

Her self-righteous accusers were ready to put her to death. So, the religious leaders brought her to the Lord Jesus. He said to her accusers, "He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone." Soon the woman's accusers were all gone, and no one was left with her but the Lord Jesus. "How unsearchable are His judgments!" His ways are so different than ours and if we just give Him time, He will position us to see the brilliance of the way He does things.

We do not know God deeply unless we go through the deep waters. Over and over in my life, I have discovered the firmness of God amidst the weakness in my soul. We often have great difficulty allowing people into our lives because we’re afraid of what they will discover. We’re afraid of what others will think of us. But, as I have discovered, God already knows what is in the broken recesses of my jumbled up and messed up soul. And, I am discovering that He still likes me. He likes you. I've thought, "He has to love me for He is God." But He also likes me even though He really knows who I really am. He even knows things about me that I do not know about myself. You see, as we delve deep into the caves of our souls, we discover Him there. And, He is always there speaking His blessing to us. The question is this: will I allow Him to define me?

In v.35 of today's passage we read, "Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him?"

God is self-sufficient, sovereign, and free from any obligation to anyone. He doesn't owe the Jew or the Gentile anything because of merit. God is indebted to no man because He has given to us all things through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. And, there is nothing we could give to God that He doesn't already own or have in abundance. God is the originator of all things; all things come from Him. And, He is the sustainer of all things; everything depends upon Him. C. S. Lewis once said, "To argue with God is to argue with the very power that makes it possible to argue at all!" 

In v.36 of today's passage we read, "For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen."

The Apostle concludes with this great outburst of praise. This makes sense when we have come to see our great God as He is. He is the end purpose of all things and all things will find their culmination in Him. He is the reason why all things exist for He is the originator of all things. And, the final take away for us is will we allow Him to define us? Our existence really comes  down to our daily choice to trust Him or not. I am learning the more I trust Him the more I discover that He is trustworthy. In addition, the closer I walk with Him, the more I discover He knows much better than I.

Roman 11:28-32

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28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, 31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all. ~ Romans 11:28-32

Today, we return to our study of Romans 9-11 where the sovereignty of God is accentuated. From the day that God changed Jacob's name to Israel, Jacob represented the true Israel of God, those who have placed their faith in the God of the Bible. Whereas in Romans 9, we learn of God's past workings with the nation of Israel, in Romans 10 we learn of God's present workings with the nation of Israel. And, in Romans 11 we learn of God's future dealings with the nation of Israel. 

In v.28 of today's passage we read, "Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers."

In context, the Apostle Paul has been discussing how God can be sovereign and yet have the nation of Israel, as a whole, reject God's promised Messiah. The fact that man has a free will underscores the sovereignty of God because control is not involved. The choice always underscores the main topic of the heart and that is love. Without choice their is no love. 

Due to the choice of most Jews to reject the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they treat Christians like we are their enemies. Through their rejection of the free gift of being made right with God through Christ's sacrifice, they lack a personal relationship with God. They lack a personal relationship with God due to the fact that their sin has yet to be atoned for. So, presently the unbelieving Jews are the enemies of God; Right now, due to their lack of faith in Him, they are not God's friends. As a result, they have been cast away.

On the one hand, they are enemies, but, based upon God's promise that He gave to the fathers, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, they are beloved of God. Unbelieving Israel is God's beloved enemy. Concerning the gospel, they're enemies. Regarding the choice of God, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. This means that the unsaved Jews are loved by an unchanging God. God loves every Jew, without exception. In fact, He loves everyone; He is by nature love. No matter how stubborn or resistant they may be, He has set His love upon them. 

In v.29 of today's passage we read, "For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable."

This verse explains the previous verse, why Israel is the beloved enemy of God. In the end, many in Israel will have the story with God that you and I now have; Once the enemies of God but now beloved of God through Christ. God's calling will in the end be irrevocable or He does not withdraw the promise of eternal salvation that He has given to anyone willing enough to believe in Him. And, since we did nothing to earn His salvation, we could do nothing to lose it. This is the nature of grace. Grace is like water, it always runs downhill.

In v.30-31 of today's passage we read, "30 For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, 31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy."

The reason the gospel went to the Gentiles was because the Jews rejected it. So in a sense we owe our salvation to Jewish unbelief. But, we have no reason to boast or to be proud because we were once strangers to the promises of God. We had none of the privileges that God gave to Israel. But because of their unbelief we have been brought in and the gospel turned to the Gentiles. We Gentiles have come into the place of God's blessing because of His grace. And if we did not believe in the Lord Jesus, we would be cast out as well.

The key word in this section is the word "mercy" which speaks of God's generosity. It implies that salvation is not something we deserve but something we don't deserve. It is the mercy of God that withholds His punishment even though it is deserved by us.  Mercy is God granting forgiveness when it is not deserved.

God allowed sin because He has in His nature mercy.  And because God is a God of mercy, He has to exercise that mercy.  And the only way that mercy can be exercised is where there is sin. So in order for God to reveal Himself as a merciful God, He had to permit sin so that He can show His mercy toward the sinner. So, God allowed the whole world to be enveloped in unbelief and sin. He didn't make man sinful, He allowed us to be so. As a result, He shut us up in the prison of His judgment so that He might demonstrate His mercy to us. 

In v.32 of today's passage we read, "For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all."  

Israel was set aside by God temporarily because of their unbelief. Presently, the nation of Israel is not God's special people to take the gospel of the Lord Jesus to the world. They have been set aside because of their unbelief. And the Gentile church has been brought in to replace them. 

Our salvation is never gained by our merit, it is gained by us through God's mercy. In fact, it is not because we are worthy but rather because we are unworthy. And the day will come when God will grant His mercy to the believing Jew and the Jew will be grafted back into the place of God's blessing. The issue in both cases is mercy and nothing beyond mercy. It is mercy to the Gentiles. It is mercy to the Jew. It is merited in neither case by either.

At the end of this verse we read, "that He might have mercy on all." That does not teach universalism or the salvation of the whole of mankind. It simply means "all" in the sense of the Gentile church and the Jewish nation have the chance to experience God's mercy. God has allowed us all, Jew and Gentile to be imprisoned by sin so that "we might become the righteousness of God in Christ."  

I'm so grateful to the Lord for the rough times in my life because they have served me in crying out to the Lord. He has strangely been incredibly merciful to me. And, I have always known that in me no good thing dwells. That is, there has never been in me anything that could have made me right with Him. He had to cause and allow certain things in my life, most of which were very painful, to position me to see my need for Him. For so many years I was shut up in the prison of myself, unable to be persuaded by the truth. My darkened mind could not see, that is until the God of the Bible awakened me to Himself. And now, I am free to live this incredible life He has called me to where I see Him at work in this fallen and needy world. And, I am in wonder! 

Romans 11:25-27

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25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; 27 For this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.” ~ Romans 11:25-27

Today, we return to our study of Romans 9-11 which has as its overall theme: the Sovereignty of God. Underscored in this section is the fact that the people of Israel, by and large, have chosen to not place their faith in God's Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. This means that Israel forgot God, not that God has forgotten Israel. No, Israel forgot God and turned away from Him. And, they chose to reject the free gift of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ.

In v.25 of today's passage we read, "For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in."

There are times when believers in Christ experience ignorance with regard to God's will. In this case, our ignorance is caused by the lack of revelation on a given subject, namely here the blindness of the Jews regarding the identity of their Messiah. It is quite obvious in the Gospels and in the New Testament that some Jews did believe on the Lord Jesus as their Savior. In fact, such Old Testament passages like Daniel 9:24-27 revealed when the Messiah would come to the earth the first time. 

In Daniel 9:24-27 God gave us a 490 year prophecy concerning Israel. According to the prophecy there were three divisions. The first was the rebuilding of Jerusalem. The second would be the coming of the Messiah. The third was to be a seven year period at the end of time that many call the Tribulation. When we do the math and we multiply seventy times seven we have a total period of 490 years which are decreed for Daniel's people which are the Jews.

According to Daniel 9:25 from the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild the temple, the first period of time in this prophecy it would be a period of 49 years. The issuing of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem came in Nehemiah 2:1-8 which was 444 BC and the completion of the rebuild of Jerusalem was in 395 BC. That is a 49 year period of time that the Lord told Daniel in advance would happen.

The second part of the prophecy also found in Daniel 9:25 where we learn that from the issuing of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem to the coming of the Messiah there would be 62 sevens. When we multiply 62 x 7 we get 434 years which was the many years later that the Lord Jesus arrived in Jerusalem as her King riding on the donkey. God had given Israel the precise dates to know the first coming of the Messiah but since the Lord Jesus did not fit their definition of a political messiah, they rejected Him. This underscores the utter necessity of God defining things for us.

Due to Israel's rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah, blindness in part has come upon Israel until the full number of Gentiles have come in. During this period that we know as the church age that we live in now, the emphasis of the gospel ministry has been mostly to Gentiles. When the number of the Gentiles is full, and only God knows what that is, at that point the church age will be over. The rapture of the church will take place at that point. Because of this, there is a clear distinction throughout the Bible between Israel and the Church. And, good biblical hermeneutics begins with keeping these two entities separate when we are making proper interpretation of the Scriptures.

In v.26-27 of today's passage we read, "26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; 27 For this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins."

Note that some time in the future, the deliverer will come and turn godlessness away from Jacob who was renamed Israel. The significance of this is that Jacob is Israel in unbelief. I find Jeremiah 30:7 helpful because it describes the 70th seven of Daniel 9:27 as a time of Jacob's trouble. So, the point of the 70th seven is that God will deal with the unbelief of Israel during the Tribulation. You will also note that the first 69 sevens of Daniel 9 have been fulfilled, but the last seven has not. Most commonly call this last seven the Tribulation. The Lord Jesus refers to the last 3.5 years of the seven year tribulation as a time of great tribulation. 

I find it quite fascinating that the people group we know as the Jews perpetuate. Over and over throughout human history, the Jewish people have been the object of annihilation, yet, they perpetuate. And, it is clear, according to this passage, God has a clear plan for the people of Israel in the future. I find this comforting. God is sovereign over the will of anyone else. God, even though man resists His will, keeps His promises. And, the purpose of the Tribulation is to bring those Jews of Israel who will be living on earth during the Tribulation back to God. God will do this by the arrival of the Deliverer who is none other than the Lord Jesus Himself. When the Lord Jesus arrives on earth at His second coming, He will take Israel's sins away. This will happen because they will see Him come to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem and they will recognize their Messiah as the crucified Lord Jesus. They will know that it will be Him due to the nail prints in His hands and in His feet.

Let me close by centering in on a thought that I brought up earlier. God is true to His promises. When our lives seem to be on life support, the word of God and my experiences have shown that God is true to His word. God promised the children of Israel a promised land, and, as the book of Exodus notes, God delivered. Promised Land people choose to trust God’s promises. They choose to believe that God is up to something good even though all we see looks bad. When the sky looks threatening, always respond with this thought: "But God said..." Whenever our lives do not go the way we desire, when doubts arise, we must remember the statement, "but God said…" We must be in the habit of searching the Scriptures like a miner digging for gold and trust the promises we find therein that are applicable to us. When we do this, we will be defined by God. This is how we navigate through this woeful world which seems to be spiraling out of control. This is how we navigate ourselves into the exciting adventure of a personal relationship with God.

Romans 11:22-24

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22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? ~ Romans 11:22-24

Today, we return to our study of Romans 11 where the will of man has challenged the will of God. And, as we will see, the will of God always triumphs over the will of man. Most believe freedom is the ability to do what we want to do when we want to do it how we want to do it. The problem with this is that man is fallen from his original design. God designed us to operate in true freedom which is the ability to operate according to His design because His design is not only the best for us, it is also known as the truth. Anything other than God's design is sin and is steeped in rebellion which invites chaos and destruction.

In v.22 of today's passage we read, "Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off."

When we trusted in Christ's sacrifice for the penalty of our sin, we were gifted with His righteousness and salvation. We were given an inheritance, a heritage of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, the patriarchs. In context the Apostle Paul has referenced the olive tree which describes those who have placed our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. These are those who are of the faith of Abraham. These are those who have been made right with God through sheer grace, without any merit of our own. 

On center stage in today's passage are the kindness and the severity of God. Our posture towards God is determined by these characteristics and our understanding of them. We have all heard it said that a loving God would not send anyone to hell. This is a true statement. In fact, anyone who ends up in hell will be there because of their choice to go there. If we come to God needy and repentant and acknowledging that we need help, we will always find Him to be loving, gracious, open-armed, and open-hearted. But if we come to Him complaining, excusing ourselves, justifying our wickedness, we will always find that He is as hard as iron, and as merciless as fire, and as stern as a judge. 

That phrase: "if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off," gives many much difficulty. That would make sense if we did not understand that in order to be the recipients of God's blessing we must believe in Him. And, when Israel ceased believing, they were cut off and only the remnant remained. It doesn't mean we could lose our salvation because we never earned it in the first place. When some come to the point that they no longer believe, they no longer have access to the goodness of God. In affect, they chose the severity of God over the goodness of God.

In v.23 of today's passage we read, "And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again."

To be in the place of God's blessing we must believe. And when Israel ceased believing, they were cut off. Because of this, there is no place for boasting. The secret of the mystery of the people of Israel and their blindness is this: as long as they come to God in arrogant self-justification, they will always find a hard, iron-willed, stern God. This is true for anyone, not just the Jews. But, when the day comes when they come to Him acknowledging their need for the Savior God who shares His righteousness with broken sinners, the He will be to them as loving, gracious, open-armed, and open-hearted. Is not this our story with Him?

Paul is not saying that anyone who is truly a member of the family of God, based on faith in His Son, can then lose their place in the family of God. Nevertheless, his warning should not be taken lightly because some think they are part of God’s family but, in fact, are not. Paul’s point, even if the particulars of his argument may be difficult for us to follow, it is clear enough: Jews can join the family of God, even though they have in the past rejected entry through the Lord Jesus.

In v.24 of today's passage we read, "For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?"

In the same way that branches receive nourishment from the root system of any tree, the believer in Christ receives nourishment from the Lord Jesus who came to us through the promises given to Abraham. When the believer in Christ delights in the Word of God, the culture of God will flourish in his soul. The key to this process is faith placed in the Lord Jesus. And, it's not the amount of our faith that is the key, it is the object of our faith that enables us to flourish in the truth of God. The smallest bit of faith in the God of the Bible is worth infinitely more than the greatest bit of faith in ourselves. But, our faith counts for nothing unless its object is the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Hebrews 11:1 informs us that "faith is the confidence in what we hope for and the assurance in what we do not see." 

Faith in the God of the Bible begins with "what is hoped for," that is, it starts with a sense of discontent. We can never have much faith unless we are dissatisfied with the way we are now, and are longing for something better. If we do not feel dissatisfied with the way we are, it will be impossible for us to exercise any faith in the Lord. That is why, all through the Bible, the great enemy of faith is a complacent spirit, an attitude of self-satisfaction with the status quo. But if we are dissatisfied, if we are looking for something better, then we are positioned to exercise faith in Him.

Our faith in the God of the Bible grows when we invite "the conviction of things not seen" into our lives. This is not only a desire for something better, but an awareness of something else. This is what makes up biblical faith. It means we become aware that we are surrounded by a God whom we can not see with our eyes. Oh, we can see His handiwork all around us but to see Him, our hearts must be engaged. God is most made real to us when we engage Him with our hearts. And, when our hearts are added into the equation of what we can see about Him through His creation, then we will get somewhere in our pursuit of Him.

Charles Spurgeon once said, "Our life is found in 'looking unto Jesus,' not in looking to our own faith. By faith all things become possible to us; yet the power is not in the faith, but in the God upon whom our faith relies."

Romans 11:19-21

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19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” 20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. ~ Romans 11:19-21

Today, we return to our study of Romans 9-11 which has as its main theme the sovereignty of God. As we have pointed out before, Romans 9-11 are about God's dealings with the people of Israel in the past, in the present, and in the future. Emphasized in this passage is the fact that God is true to His promises, and, there are many promises that have yet to be fulfilled that He has made with Israel. Largely, this is the purpose of the Millennial reign of Christ which will happen after the Tribulation.

In v.19 of today's passage we read, "You will say then, 'Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.'"

It is sad that the failure of Israel to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ resulted in our success in believing in Him. It did not have to be this way. Everyone has the same opportunities to believe in the God of the Bible. And, I am sure it is true that some have received more revelation than others. The principle: The more truth we respond to will result in the more truth being given to us, is definitely true and that principle explains why some get more revelation than others. This is why no one can blame God for one's damnation. God has gone way overboard to win the rebellious heart of man back to Himself.

One of the greatest effects in our lives, having come to faith in the Lord Jesus, is that we see more widely. My dad used to say, "Son, some people are so narrow-minded they could look through a keyhole with both eyes." From the viewpoint of the proud humility is not embraced. When we gain God's heart for the lost we will experience broken heartedness over their unwillingness to believe in the God of the Bible. We Gentiles are in God's family largely because Israel rejected the Lord Jesus Christ, and, this should break our hearts for the Jews.

In v.20 of today's passage we read, "Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear."

Israel was broken off from the tree of biblical faith due to their unbelief in the Lord Jesus as their Messiah. They missed Him because He did not match their definition of what they thought the Messiah should be. This has always been our problem, we always prefer our definition of something over God's definition of it. In this case Israel misdefined their Messiah. We are defined by God as a result of our fear or respect of Him. It is out of our respect of God that we bow our will to Him, allowing Him to define us. Pride has no room to exist amid such a posture.

Here, the Apostle warns us of the age old problem of unbelief and arrogance. And, like I said before, arrogance or pride or the self is our greatest enemy. So, there is no room whatsoever in the heart of the believer in the Lord Jesus for "looking down our noses" toward anyone, including the proud Jew who has yet to trust in the Lord Jesus as Savior. Plus, if we do give safe haven in our souls for pride, we undermine God's working in our lives.

In v.21 of today's passage we read, "For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either."

God did not spare unbelieving Israel due to their lack of faith in Him. This is a daunting thought. And, have you ever wondered why you believe as you do? I have done the same. I believe that my faith in the God of the Bible is the result of the many blessings that God brought into my life. He allowed me to be born in a land which valued the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He allowed me to be born to parents who valued the Gospel of the Lord Jesus. These blessings broadened my understanding that I now see the blessing of losing my parents when I was young. I am truly blessed and because of this I am so very grateful. 

The key to all of this is to maintain a "thankful" heart. Biblical gratitude is grounded in God’s love for us who are unrighteous. The English word “gratitude” derives from a Latin word which means “grace, graciousness, or gratefulness.” The term most often translated “thanksgiving” in the Bible is the Greek word eucharistos, which comes from two Greek roots: eu meaning “good” and charizomai meaning “grace.” It isn’t a coincidence that the terms “grace” and “gratitude” come from the same Greek root word. According to the Bible, at the heart of gratitude is a response to the overwhelming grace of God.

It is a must that we understand God's grace because this kind of gratitude most often arrives in our lives on the heels of something tragic that has happened in our lives. God was most gracious to me when the doctors told my dad that he had five months to live due to the cancer that was overtaking his lungs. And when he died, it was, at that time, the most difficult thing that I have ever had to deal with. But, the shattering of my world through my dad's death, especially since my mother died when I was five years old, was the greatest moment in my life. Why, you might ask? Well, it was through my dad's death that I came to faith in the Lord Jesus. And, all of my life's experiences to that point directed me to placing my faith in the only One who could help me, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

Romans 11:13-18

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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? 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. ~ Romans 11:13-18

Today, we continue in our study of Romans 9-11 where the main theme is the sovereignty of God. Due to the fact that Israel, for the most part, rejected the Lord Jesus as their Messiah, it only makes sense that we would question the will of God. By virtue of the fact that Israel exercised their will seemingly over God's will, it appears that God is not sovereign. But, He has never forced His will on man. This is the nature of love, and at the end of the day, love is demonstrated by our choices.

Whereas Romans 9 is about God's past dealings with the nation of Israel, and Romans 10 is about His present dealings with Israel, Romans 11 is about the future God has in store for that seemingly insignificant country in the Middle East. In the context of today's passage we have seen that Israel's rejection of the gospel resulted in salvation for those Gentiles humble enough to place our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. And, as we continue through this chapter, we will see that at the end of time, all of Israel will be saved.

In v.13-14 of today's passage we read, "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."

God gave the Apostle Paul the primary responsibility to take the gospel to the Gentiles in order to provoke the Jews to jealousy. This is what a personal relationship with the Lord God does to us; it causes us to gain His heart for the lost. Before his conversion on the road to Damascus, the Apostle Paul would have never been caught ministering to the lowly Gentiles. Yet, here he is ministering to us because God had called him to it. Evidence of the Father's heart is often seen in our love for the lost, no matter their pedigree.

In v.15 of today's passage we read, "For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?"

The Greek word translated "being cast away" here is a description of unbelief, and it literally means "to throw away." That’s what Israel has done with the gospel; they have discarded it into the trash. God put the gospel in front of them, they pick it up and just discard it and put it in the trash can. 

But, as we see over and over throughout the Bible, a remnant from Israel always returns to the Lord. This verse highlights the fact that even the failure of Israel to believe the Gospel brings about the victory and the triumph of the gospel in greater ways in the world. God’s love turns the enemies of God into sons of God. The word "reconciling" means to bring the two back together so that the worst of the worst could be at peace with God.

Israel's eventual acceptance of the gospel will lead to the reverberation of God's life throughout the world. So, even though Israel has rejected the gospel for now, one day they will believe and they will be used of God to perpetuate the gospel resulting in eternal life for all who will believe. Long before the Lord Jesus walked this earth, this was described for us in Ezekiel 37. When Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime arose the process described in Ezekiel 37 was put into motion. In order to get the Jews out of Europe back into their homeland, God allowed Hitler's Germany to assign the Jews to concentration camps. And, even though they executed literally millions of them, the remaining Jews streamed into their homeland at a rapid rate. This was the beginning of the fulfillment of Ezekiel's prophecy.

Like many Old Testament prophecies, this prophecy has a double fulfillment. The fulfillment of the remainder of this prophecy is yet to come. In a day soon to come the people of Israel, a remnant not all, will come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The remnant is referred to in Revelation 12 where we read in v.10, "I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and of supplication so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son; and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn." 

This passage corresponds with Zechariah 12 where we read of the remnant from Israel who will see the Lord Jesus Christ as He descends from heaven to the Mount of Olives. In Revelation 13:1 we read, "In that day, a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for impurity." Further down in Revelation 13:9 we read, "I’ll bring the third part through the fire, refine them as silver is refined, test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name; I will answer them. I will say, 'They are My people,' and they will say, 'The Lord is my God.'" 

In v.16 of today's passage we read, "For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches."

Here Paul quotes Numbers 15:17-21 through which God commanded Israel to give to Him the "firstfruits" of every crop harvest. This practice reminded Israel how everything belongs to Him. The idea of giving the "firstfruits" to God was a way of saying to Him, "Thank you for this provision." The "first fruit" was a subtle indication that just as God has already saved a small remnant of Jews, there will still be the rest of the lump of dough that He would save later. 

Then, the Apostle wrote: "if the root is holy, so are the branches." This means there is an inseparable connection between the branches and the root. The "first fruits" in this case were Israel's patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. And since God set apart the first fruits, then He was setting apart the whole lump.  And if God set apart the root, who was Abraham, then He's setting apart the branches who are believing Israel.

In v.17-18 of today's passage we read, "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."

In these verse Paul continues with the figure of the previously mentioned olive tree. Here he mentions the grafting process. It was customary in that day to give new life to an old olive tree when it ceased to bear fruit. They would cut off the unproductive old branches and in the process graft in a shoot from a wild olive tree that would end up being productive. The mingling created new life resulting in productivity. The wild olive tree branches represents the gentile believers in the Lord Jesus.

Then the Apostle writes, "Do not boast against the branches." This means don't be proud as if we gentiles are better than the Jewish branches that were cut out. They were cut out due to their unbelief. His point is that the gentiles can't boast because we're not the source of your own blessedness. We are blessed of God through the promises given to Israel through the Abrahamic Covenant. Salvation, said the Lord Jesus in John 4:22, is of the Jews. 

In the book Genesis long ago God said to Abraham, "I'm going to redeem all the nations through you." And only through the Lord Jesus who came out of the loins of Abraham, are we blessed of God with salvation. It would be ridiculous if we were to boast because pride is what lured us away from God in the first place. It was the poison of self that enticed us away from the very One who has our best interest at heart. To those who would give pride access into their hearts we say, "If you uproot the idol and fail to plant the love of Christ in its place, the idol will grow back."

Romans 11:11-12

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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! ~ Romans 11:11-12

Today, we return to our study of Romans 9-11 where the Apostle Paul is underscoring the sovereignty of God. Amazingly, God's sovereignty is accentuated in these verses through what seems to be an affront to His sovereignty; the free will of man. Man's free will is this: God gives fallen humans the opportunity to make choices that genuinely affect our destiny. Of course, this does not mean that we can do whatever pleases us. Our choices are limited to what is in keeping with our fallen nature. We cannot choose to make ourselves righteous because our sin nature prevents us from canceling our guilt. This is why we desperately need the Lord Jesus.

In this chapter we are learning that God disciplines unbelieving Israel. It is not that He has rejected them; it is that He is disciplining them. Though Israel believes not in the Christ, through their unbelief the Gospel has been extended to Gentiles. And, though Israel is going through a time of discipline from God right now, they have not be utterly destroyed by Him. Israel's perpetuation is a great argument for the promises and existence of God. Israel has merely been set aside because of their choice to reject Christ for now.  

In v.11 of today's passage we read, "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."

This verse has as its subject the unbelieving nation of Israel. It is never God's design that any human miss Him. He is not the cause of any human going to hell. In fact, God is clear that He wishes that no one perish in their sin, and, it is His great desire that all come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In context, the Apostle Paul gives argument to prove that Israel will come to faith in Christ in the future. His argument is that the salvation of the Gentiles was and will be useful to reach Israel with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Throughout the book of Acts, we see that everywhere the Apostle Paul began his ministry with the Jews first. It was only when the Jews rejected the message that the Apostle turned to the Gentiles with the good news of salvation through Christ. As a result, the Gentiles were blessed and we believed because the Jews had refused the Gospel. At the moment of salvation the Gentiles became different people which made the Jews jealous. The Jews stumbled and the result is that the Gentiles were given salvation which in turn provoked Israel to jealousy. The point of the jealousy was that they too might be saved. The purpose of God, then, was to save the Jews ultimately through their stumbling, not to destroy them. 

The word "jealousy" is used here in the positive sense. The Greek word used includes the idea of admiration. The hope is that Israel would be drawn to God through the redemption of the once far off Gentiles. God humbled Israel so that the Gentiles would be redeemed, and, as a result, the Gentiles became the testimony to the Jews. God works in our lives in such a way that our trust in Him grows causing the unsaved world to desire what we have with Him. By blinding Jewish eyes and hardening their hearts, and deafening their ears, God opened the way of salvation to everyone.  

In v.12 of today's passage we read, "Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!"

"Their fall" here is the Jews rejection of Christ which resulted in "riches for the world." This means Israel's rejection of Christ resulted in the Gospel being delivered to the rest of the world. And, if Israel's rejection of Christ resulted in the salvation of many in the Gentile world, how much more will their eventual faith in the Lord Jesus accomplish? The book of the Revelation at the end of the Bible reveals the results of their faith in the Lord Jesus, and, it will be incredible. 

We are told in Zechariah 12, "when they look on Him whom they pierced," they will believe. At His Second Coming, the Lord Jesus will descend to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, and, at that very moment the convicted Jews will recognize the Lord Jesus as their Messiah. This is the "how much more" in Romans 11:12. The result will be the redeemed nation of Israel will reign with their Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, during the Millennium. During that time which will be a period of 1000 years, Satan will be bound and the justice of God will rule the earth. It will be a time of unparalleled blessing and peace on earth.

Israel did not stumble that they should permanently be destroyed, they stumbled so that the salvation of the Gentiles would provoke them jealousy and a then their salvation. All of this will usher in Christ's Messianic millennial kingdom. And then, there will be no mistaking who the Lord Jesus is because we will experience His reign which will be consistent with His words which are: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Romans 11:7-10

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7 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.” ~ Romans 11:7-10

Today, we continue our study of the sovereignty of God in light of Israel's rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ. In Romans 9 we learned of God's past workings with the nation of Israel, while in Romans 10 we considered God's present workings with Israel. Today, we continue our study of Romans 11 where we will consider God's future dealings with His chosen people. But, before we consider God's future dealings with Israel, we must consider why most of them missed their Messiah when He came to this earth.

In v.7-8 of today's passage we read, "7 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.'"

The people of Israel did not recognize their Messiah because their hearts had wandered from the God of the Bible. When we hear truth, it is always very important that we respond to it. When we hear the truth and we do not respond affirmatively, we lose our capacity to recognize truth. Our hearts must be engaged. I find it quite instructive that the word "heart" is used 725 times in the Old Testament and 105 times in the New Testament. The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart.

God actually hardens hearts. People don't refuse to believe in Him because they are hardened by Him; rather they are hardened because they refuse to believe. They willfully and persistently reject God's grace, so He allows them to go their own way, and eventually confirms them in their unbelief. Israel, as a whole, had made their own volitional choice. And it was their poor choice that made it look like God had not kept His promises. Yet God continues to be at work, doing what He promised He would do, even when it looked like He was being unfaithful to His Word.

The expression of Israel's hardheartedness here was their blindness. Their eyes were so blinded, that even when they saw the truth, they could not see it. They weren't even able to hear the truth due to the stupor that God had given them. The word for "seeks" in v.7 of today's passage means "to diligently seek."  But, Israel's zeal was not according to biblical knowledge. They were ignorant of God's righteousness and they therefore went establishing their own self-righteousness. They lived for their own righteousness; they kept all the rules, ceremonies, rituals, and the laws of the Torah in order to establish their own self-righteousness. And, due to that, they missed the God of the Bible.

In v.9-10 of today's passage we read, "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."

These two verse are quotes from Psalm 69:22-23. The Lord caused "a spirit of stupor" to come upon Israel in response to their rejection of Him. When we do not open our hearts to the Lord, something else will influence them. This is the case here. The word "stupor" means a bewilderment from being struck or like being in a deep sleep that you can't wake up from and thus you can't see or hear. It is a dangerous thing to ignore the wooings of God to follow Him.

On one hand, the Bible makes it clear that God loves us with an everlasting love, and He stands ready to forgive anyone who sincerely turns to Christ in repentance and faith. The Bible also warns that when we repeatedly turn away from God, we can reach a point of no return. The reason isn’t because God won’t forgive us, but because our hearts have grown so cold and hardened because of sin. God still calls us but we are too insensitive to hear His voice. 

In 2 Corinthians 6:2 we read, "Behold, today is the accepted time; behold, today is the day of salvation." God's time is always today. Today is the only time we have got. We do not have yesterday; it is gone. We may not get tomorrow. Therefore, God always addresses us in this existential fashion. And His appeal to us is this: "Don't wait! Believe in me now! Don't wait share the Gospel with the lost! Do it now!" It is a sad moment when we do not obey the leading of God in our lives. But, it is the greatest blessing when we obey Him. Every time that I have ever obeyed Him in this way, He had something incredibly great waiting on me on the other side. So, my friend, let me encourage you to take that step. You will be glad that you did.

Romans 11:5-6

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"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." ~ Romans 11:5-6

Today, we return to our study of the chapter in Romans that reveals the future dealings of God with the little nation of Israel. From the very beginning, Israel was chosen of God to reach the whole world; God not only wanted to redeem Israel to Himself, He wanted to redeem the whole world to Himself. In this chapter the idea of the remnant is accentuated. The Apostle Paul quotes the Bible book that mentions this idea of God's remnant the most, the book of Isaiah. 

The book of Isaiah has been called "the miniature Bible." There are 66 chapters in the book of Isaiah, just as there are 66 books in the Bible. The first 39 chapters of Isaiah are representative of the Old Testament which is largely chapters of woe and judgment. The last 27 chapters of Isaiah are much like the New Testament with its promise of salvation to all of those who are willing enough to believe in the God of the Bible. The prophet Isaiah had a son named “the remnant will return,” highlighting the fact that a remnant of Israel will in the last days return to the Lord God.

In v.5 of today's passage we read, "Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace."

Throughout the Bible there has always been a remnant who were positioned to see the goodness of the God of the Bible. In fact, the first century church in Jerusalem was primarily led by the formerly unbelieving half brother of the Lord Jesus. James, along with his siblings came to faith in their brother as the Messiah after the Lord Jesus overcame sin and death through His resurrection. 

This merely underscores the main point of Romans 11, that there has always been a remnant of believers and in the future there will be a remnant of believing Jews. There will be those who reject the activity of the antichrist during the days of the Tribulation. According to the book of the Revelation, there will be the 144 thousand Jews who will be sent out as missionaries to reach the world with the gospel during the Tribulation. There will always be a remnant. And ultimately, "All Israel shall be saved."

The remnant underscores that the Apostle Paul is proof positive that God has not gone back on His promises to Israel. The God of the Bible continues to perpetuate through the remnant a godly seed so that ultimately He will redeem a remnant from the whole nation. God has set aside Israel, yes, but only for a short while. There has always been a remnant of those who trusted in the goodness of the God of the Bible.

In v.6 of today's passage we read, "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."

The biblical equation for our salvation is not grace plus something else equals forgiveness of our sin. This can not be because as soon as our salvation requires our good behavior, it is no longer by definition by grace. Grace alone means that God loves, forgives, and saves us not because of who we are or what we do, but because of the work that the Lord Jesus did on the cross on our behalf. Our best efforts will never be good enough to earn for us God's favor. But God declares us righteous once we activate our faith in Him and we choose to believe that Christ Jesus died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sin. 

If we choose to approach God on the basis of our good behavior, we approach Him in self-righteousness. The essence of sin is the self whom we were conceived with on the throne of our lives. It was the disease of self that alienated us from God in the first place. The unsaved self has been and always will be opposed to the righteousness God, but our unsaved selves have been graciously overcome by the God who graciously gives redemption to the broken sinner. In Isaiah 64:6 we learn that our righteousness is like nasty female menstrual rags. Everything seemingly good and right that we could do all adds up to that kind of nastiness in the presence of the Lord. And, it is out of this doctrine of self that we will always be tripped up in the presence of God, even as believers in Christ. 

It is true that biblical faith produces good works as James tells us in his epistle. But, if faith were a work, then the grace bestowed upon us would not have been grace. Instead it would be payment for the work. Our salvation would be of works and no longer grace; "otherwise grace is no longer grace." Our good works are the grateful response of a once hardened and cold heart that has been touched and broken enough to believe in the God of grace.

The entire Bible is the story of God meeting rebellious man with rescue, our sin with His salvation, our guilt with His grace. The overwhelming emphasis in the Bible is the work of the redeemer rather than the work of the redeemed. The Bible is not a set of guidelines that when followed earns us access to God. No, the Bible is the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ who is the answer for our damned condition in sin. Once the crushing blows of God's perfection has done its work in us, we cry out to God for mercy and grace which unbinds us from the shackles of self. Once we are connected to God through His indwelling Spirit, we are enabled to be honest about who we really are: those who are weaker and more afraid than we could have ever imagined. This is why the biggest lie about grace is that it must be held in check. His kind of grace frees us to be the people He created us to be, people who are wildly learning to run into His scary, crazy yet rewarding will for our lives.

Romans 11:1-4

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1 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.” ~ Romans 11:1-4

Today, we transition into Romans 11 where the Apostle Paul is expounding on the wonderfully reassuring subject of the sovereignty of God. In Romans 9 we learned of God's past workings with the nation of Israel, while in Romans 10 we considered God's present workings with Israel. Today, we transition into Romans 11 where we will consider God's future dealings with His chosen people.

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "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."

The Apostle Paul begins this chapter with the question, "Has God cast away His people?" The answer to this question accentuates the Apostle Paul's origin: the tribe of Benjamin. Benjamin was the smallest tribe among the twelve tribes of Israel. God doesn’t see as men see, for He sees what we can not see. In addition, God looks at our hearts. In the case of the Old Testament character, Benjamin, God saw a warrior inside of him. Outwardly, others saw him as the youngest son and his tribe as the smallest tribe. But God saw more, a man who would be strong. 

In the Bible there are two Sauls who came from the tribe of Benjamin. King Saul, the epitome of the sin nature and its war against God. Then there is the Apostle Paul who was Saul before God renamed him after his conversion. The Apostle Paul was changed by God from a murderous Pharisee to the Apostle of grace. Paul is the example of what God does for those who come to Christ in faith. Over and over throughout God's word, He reminds us of the importance of being small in our eyes, and the Apostle Paul clearly understood this principle. 

We all know the danger of thinking too much of ourselves. Of course, it was pride that inaugurated sin and it is pride that is our greatest enemy. In Zechariah 4:10 we are reminded to not despise the day of small beginnings. Israel, largely missed God because they were not looking for Him. They were too enamored with themselves. They forgot somewhere along the way their smallness which enables us all to understand that we desperately need God. They forgot that when I am weak He is strong. The way to know the strength we all desire is by being embraced by Him through our weaknesses.

In v.2-3 of today's passage we read, "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?'"

For God to "foreknow" basically means He predetermined to love His people. To foreknow, we think of it as knowing something before it happens. That's not the idea of the word used here by the Apostle. It doesn't mean to know something before it happens, it means to determine it. It's a guaranteeing word. It means that He has not cast away His people, even though they have cast Him away.

The existence of the nation Israel is tied to the promises of God without question. These people were elected by God as His chosen nation and by His own sovereignty, unconditionally, He promised to bless them. The blessing that came to them in the Abrahamic Covenant was not even conditioned upon them. In fact, God determined to be faithful to them whether they are faithful to Him or not. God has caused Israel to perpetuate because He has yet to fulfill all of the promises that He made to them. Since God's character and integrity depends upon it, the remaining promises that God gave Israel that have yet to be fulfilled will be realized by them before the end comes to this earth. This is why Romans 11 is all about God's dealings with Israel in the future.

The Apostle Paul refers to himself as one of those foreknown by God, one whom God had set aside for His purposes. In every one of his letters the Apostle marvels at the grace of God that took him, a blasphemer and persecutor of the church, and drew him to Himself, changed his heart, and made him into a new creature in Christ. He is but one example of the many millions of Jews through the centuries who have believed in Christ.

There has never been a whole nation who has followed God wholeheartedly, including Israel. But, down through history, there has always been a remnant of people who have given safe haven in their souls for the truth. There has always been a remnant even though Israel as a whole killed the spokesmen whom God had sent to them in the past; people like Zechariah who was stoned to death and Isaiah who was sawed in half. 

In v.4 of today's passage we read, "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.'"

The Old Testament prophet Elijah felt he was the only faithful prophet left, but there was a remnant of seven thousand who were faithful to God. These few souls were those who had "not bowed the knee to Baal." Baal is a word which simply means "master" in Hebrew, but it was used as the name of one of the idol-gods of the godless Canaanites. Baal was actually referring to the sun, and, at times the moon.

As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are part of God's remnant that He has reserved for Himself. A remnant is a leftover. We are a part of God's remnant because He orchestrated the events of our lives in such a way that we eventually came to faith in the Lord Jesus. God knows of our faith in His Son, and, as He has promised, He has welcomed us into His family. As God's remnant, we perpetuate in our faith in the God of the Bible because He has placed His Spirit within us to forever abide within us. He, the Holy Spirit, is the secret behind our success as believers in the Lord Jesus. He is the reason we have not and will not thrown in the towel and give up on our faith in Him.