Hi, and welcome back. In the last two chapters of our study we started out looking at chapter 9 which dealt with Israel’s past and then in chapter 10 we looked at Israel in the present tense, and now we look towards Israel’s future.
Romans 11:1 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
As we said in the previous chapter, Israel was God’s chosen people.
But not all of God’s chosen people would enter into the kingdom. Only those who have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior could find favor in God’s eyes. So by no means has God totally rejected all of Israel. Paul makes that clear by stating that he himself was a descendant of Abraham and a member of The tribe of Benjamin.
Romans 11:2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel?
During the time of Elijah Israel had become morally bankrupt.
The Israelites worshiped idols and offered sacrifices to them. They had turned their backs on God. It was so bad that Elijah prayed against his own people. I’m sure there are people in our own country who are praying that God will unleash his wrath upon us. I can understand Elijah’s frustration with his people. The moral compass in this country is headed south. It seems at times like all is lost. But there is power in prayer. God hears our prayers whether we ask for an end to our civilization or if we pray for his compassion and mercy upon those who remain steadfast in their faith.
Romans 11:3 Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.
Elijah felt abandoned and alone in his walk.
His frustration had overwhelmed him and blinded him to reality. Even in our present time it is hard not to feel like Christianity is being dismantled. Slowly over time the gospel is being twisted and corrupted into something it was never intended to be. Yet, there is a steadfast remnant who are resolute in their faith.
Romans 11:4 But what is God’s reply to him? I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.
But God let Elijah know that there were seven thousand who refused to worship baal.
It was true then and it is true now that there are a chosen remnant who have not succumbed to other gods.
Romans 11:5 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.
Romans 11:6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
Paul is just underscoring what he has said back in chapter 3 verse 10. That it is impossible to gain salvation by your good works.Adherence to the law, undergoing rituals, performing sacraments, or good deeds—is a rejection of grace.
Romans 11:7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened,
What was Israel seeking?
If we look back at Romans 9:31 it makes it crystal clear what they were looking for and how they were going about it.
Romans 9:31 but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law.
Romans 9:32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works.
A good example of the contrast between good works and righteousness can clearly be seen in the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector.
Luke 18:10 Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
Luke 18:11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
Luke 18:12-14 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get. 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, a sinner!
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.
If we take pride in our accomplishments and boast about all that we’ve done for God then we are no better off than this Pharisee.
We need to humbly come before the Lord like this tax collector and seek Him by faith. Let’s look back at Romans 11:7 again.
Romans 11:7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened,
We only have two spiritual states, we are either seeking God or our hearts are hardened.
Romans 11:8 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.
Because they refused to see the Messiah as their Lord and Savior they became deaf and blinded in their spirituality. They no longer were able to have that close relationship with Him that they once enjoyed.
Romans 11:9 And David says, Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them;
Paul is quoting from Psalm 69 verses 22 and 23.
The table in this passage refers to all of the blessings and privileges that flow through Jesus Christ.
Even with the table that was laid out before them they were tripped up or stumbled over God’s desire for them. What should have been a blessing became a curse.
Romans 11:10 let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever.
As a result their eyes were darkened to the truth and they were unable to see the freely offered gift that was set before them. With bent backs they endured the shame and suffering forever.
Romans 11:11 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.
What I’m about to say might be totally out of context but I think it can make it a little easier to understand the Jewish mindset.
Israel was really set in her ways and those of us before we came to Christ were very much set in our own ways. Before we came to Christ the crowd we hung out with might have enjoyed getting drunk and carrying on like there’s no tomorrow. Then something happens to us, we feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit and we stop hanging out with the old crowd and we change for the better. We come to Christ Our old friends look at us and say what happened to you? They try to get us to go back to our old stomping grounds. They can’t understand us anymore. Moreover, as they see that this change is not temporary they may long for what we have. They become jealous in their own hearts for what God has done for us. Maybe, just maybe that jealousy might lead them to the cross.
Are others jealous of what you have?
Is Christ being exhibited in your daily life? You may not have the opportunity to share the gospel with everyone you meet, but everyone you meet should see the gospel written on your heart. So we’re going to stop for today, but I encourage you to live your life so as to provoke others to desire the freely available gift that was bestowed upon you. Now get out there and with Christ-like humility and make em jealous.
As always I’d like to thank you for listening and may you have a week full of opportunities to share this good news with those that need to hear it.