“Romans 11:1-24”

Monday, March 05, 2018

“I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? ‘Lord, they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.’ But what is the divine response to him? ‘I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.’ In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.

“What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; just as it is written, ‘God gave them a spirit of stupor, Eyes to see not and ears to hear not, Down to this very day.’ And David says, ‘Let their table become a snare and a trap, and a stumbling block and a retribution to them. Let their eyes be darkened to see not, and bend their backs forever.’

“I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.

“But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, ‘Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.’ Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?”

---End of Scripture verses---

Today’s verses contain both a ray of hope and a word of warning. The good news is that God has not completely rejected His former covenant people, Israel. They will always hold a special place in the Lord’s scheme of redemption for all humanity, so He will always love them. Furthermore, there has always been a faithful “remnant” of them (verse 5), and there always will be. If some of them have been saved, then there is hope that any of them can be saved (verse 16). If any of them choose to pursue God’s grace by their obedient faith (9:32), they will be “grafted back in” to the original “root” of God’s chosen, holy people (verses 17-24). Part of Paul’s desire in preaching to the Gentiles was to move his fellow Israelites to obedience by jealousy so that some of them would be saved (verses 11-15).

Now for the warning. The bad news is that if the converted Gentiles fall into the same trap that the Jews succumbed to and become “arrogant” (verse 18), then God will not “spare” them either (21). If God removed the “natural branches” then He can and will remove the “wild” branches from the root as well. In other words, just as God’s grace did not guarantee eternal salvation to all the Jews when they were His chosen people, it does not guarantee it to the Gentiles either. If we do not remain faithful then we will force God’s hand and we will be “broken off” as well (verse 20).

We see here a very balanced view of the holy God of heaven. We see His “kindness and severity” (verse 22). 1 John 4:8 tells us that “God is love”, but the Bible also depicts Him as “a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29). God’s love and grace provide a means for us to escape the eternal damnation that we deserve because of our sins. But His holiness will not allow Him to leave continued sinfulness and rebellion unpunished.

Paul put it this way in 2 Timothy 2:11-13: “For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He also will deny us; if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” We simply must “continue in His kindness” (verse 22) if we want to see heaven. We must remain faithful until death if we want to receive the crown of life (Revelation 2:10).

Please read Romans 11:25-36 for tomorrow.

Have a wonderful day!

- Louie Taylor

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