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Please turn to Romans 11. We’ll be considering verses 11-24. That is on page 1125.
Last week, we focused on the remnant of Israel, chosen by grace. We learned that even though Israel as a whole, rejected God and his promises, yet God in his mercy has always had a remnant of his people who did and do believe.
This week, the apostle Paul shifts to talk mainly about the Gentiles. He answers the question, why did God ordained that Israel would not believe. Why? So that the Gospel would go to the Gentiles. That is the main focus of our sermon text this morning. And, as we’ll see, it will relate back to Israel.
Reading of Romans 11:11-24
Prayer
In 2008, art professor Sam Van Aken did something very unique. He grafted in 40 different kinds of fruit branches into a single tree. He called it the Tree of 40 Fruit. And it is quite spectacular.
The tree is still alive today, 16 years later. It’s planted on the campus of Syracuse University where Van Aken teaches.
Every spring, buds will blossom into a beautiful array of pastel colors with shades of white and pink and red and purple. It looks fairy-tale-like but it is real.
But what’s more amazing is what happens in the summer. It produces all kinds of fruit including peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines, cherries, and almonds. Basically different kinds of stone fruit -different heirloom and native varieties.
Interestingly, Van Aken began producing multiple Trees of 40 Fruits and you can actually buy one. Several museums and universities now have them on display. There are about 20 of these beautiful trees around the country.
It's a picture of what is described in Romans 11:11-24. People from all over the world, being grafted into the tree of faith in Christ. Each with different blossoms and fruit and each displaying the wonder and glory of God in Christ. He is the root and the source of life and the one who sustains and is cultivating this amazing tree.
This idea of grafting is the apostle Paul’s main analogy in these verses. And it’s very helpful. Paul uses it to help answer an important question. His question is right there in verse 11. “Did Israel stumble, in order that they may fall?” In other words, is the reason that Israel stumbled in their faith because God wanted to reject them forever? And his answer is, “By no means.” There it is again.
And actually for the rest of the verses today, he explains his answer, and he uses the grafting illustration to help.
Before we dive into these verses, let me point out there are two main parts to the answer. And what we will see is that Paul actually circles back to those two answers three different times.
The two parts to the answer are right there in verses 11 and 12. So, let me first highlight what he says there, and then we’ll take them one at a time and see them worked out in these verses.
So, why did Israel stumble in unbelief?
1. The first part of the answer is right there after the question. “through their trespass [Israel’s trespass], salvation has come to the Gentiles.” The first reason for Israel’s sin of unbelief is so that the Gospel would go to the Gentiles.
2. And that leads right in to the second part of the answer. It’s the next phrase in verse 11. “So as to make Israel jealous.” And a little bit later Paul adds, and “thus save some of them.” In other words, one reason that salvation has come to the Gentiles is so that Israel will see what God is doing and be jealous – jealous in a good way. They will want to be a part of what God is doing and that will cause some to believe.
So, that is the summary. Part #1 – Israel’s unbelief has resulted in salvation going to the Gentiles. Part #2 – the Gospel going to the Gentiles will make Israel jealous, so that more will come to believe.
And we see those very same two points in verses 13-16 and then again in verses 17 to 24. It’s that last section of verses where apostle Paul talks about branches being cut off and also grafted in.
Main Point #1. Israel’s Unbelief -> Salvation to the Gentiles
So, let’s take those one at a time. Again, point number 1 - Israel’s rejection has resulted in salvation for the Gentiles. And to support his point, in verse 13, Paul highlights his own ministry to the Gentiles.
It’s like he’s saying, “look at what God is doing among the Gentiles, to whom I am called.”
Paul’s own ministry testifies to how the Jews rejected Jesus which caused him to go to the Gentiles. In fact, it’s the pattern in almost every city he went to. The first thing Paul would do is find the Jewish synagogue and speak to them about Jesus. But every time, the Jews, by in large, would reject the Gospel. So, what would he do? Paul would go to the Gentiles. Sometimes he would even be so bold and tell the Jews. If you are not going to believe, then I am going to them. That happened in the city of Antioch. It happened in Corinth. And it happened again in Ephesus. All of those are recorded in the book of Acts. In Corinth Paul said. “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
And, as we considered before, it’s not as though every single Jew rejected Jesus. Some believed. Paul, himself, and others were an example of this. But it was a small number compared to God’s work among the nations. Faith in Christ was exploding among the Romans and the Greeks and those in Asia minor and in North Africa and it was beginning to spread to all non-Jewish people groups, all Gentiles, to the ends of the earth. And as we talked about before, the Gospel is continuing today to expand to all nations, peoples, and languages.
Here is where we get to the grafting metaphor. Verse 17, which is the third time that Paul explains how Israel’s unbelief resulted in the Gentiles’ belief. He writes in 17, “branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in.”
Let’s go back to the Tree of 40 Fruit…. In order to accomplish all the grafting, Professor Van Aken would begin by carefully notching the tree trunk. He would then insert new freshly cut branches from other fruit trees and align the grain so that the sap could flow into the branch. And actually, he couldn’t do it all at once. it took 10 years to graft the 40 different varieties into the tree. But that wasn’t the only thing he had to do. He also pruned off many of the natural branches. The reason is, pruning redirects more nutrients to the grafts. It would also allow for more sunlight and airflow. The end result is that the grafts would take and become part of the tree.
Unbelieving Israel was pruned away, and the believing Gentiles were grafted into the trunk. All the promises of God for Israel of old would become promises for us. All the blessings and benefits of true faith given to them, Israel, would become blessings and benefits for us. Those benefits include communion with God and one another as we are all united to Christ. Through that union, we have been reconciled to God. We have peace with him. We now have the source of nutrients through God’s Word and in his Spirit. All those things and more are now available to the branches that have been grafted into Christ.
So, why did Israel stumble in unbelief? The part 1 answer is so that believing Gentiles would be grafted into the tree of life.
Now, before we move onto the part 2 answer, which is about Israel’s jealousy, I want to take two tangents – two side comments. There are two other important things related to the Gentiles being grafted in.
Tangent #1: Humility
The first tangent is a tangent that the apostle Paul takes. Did you notice that he warns the Gentiles? Right after he says that branches have been cut off so that you can be grafted in, look at what verse 18 says. “Do not be arrogant toward the branches… it is not you who support the root but the root that supports you.” Let me ask, who are the branches that he is referring to? It’s the branches that were cut off. Paul is referring to unbelieving Israel. Do not be arrogant towards them. If you are arrogant, as verse 19 says, you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” The emphasis there is on “I.”
To be sure, that statement is true. Branches were broken off so that you could be grafted in. And the apostle Paul validates that in verse 20. “that is true,” he says. However, he adds, “you should stand fast through faith.” Paul is saying, remember, you are a product of God’s grace which you received through faith. It is not you who grafted yourself in. “Do not become proud,” he says. No, you’ve received God’s kindness and not his severity. Rather than being prideful, we need to understand that we’ve been grafted in by faith according to God’s grace.
We don’t know the reason that Paul includes this. It’s possible the church in Rome was experiencing persecution by unbelieving Jews. It’s possible the church was acting out against the unbelieving Jews. We’re not sure. However, they and we are given a clear directive. We, as branches grafted into the root, are to treat unbelieving Jewish people with respect and love. We should have a desire for them to believe in Christ and be grafted back into the tree of faith.
There is a lot of antisemitism in the world today (racism against the Jews). In fact, since the Holocaust, some have argued that the New Testament is the reason. People have even said that the apostle Paul and Jesus himself are guilty of causing antisemitism. Friends, that belief is a perversion of what the New Testament teaches. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. We are called to love our neighbors – that includes any and everyone. And there should be a unique place of respect for our unbelieving Jewish neighbors. We’re called here to be humble and loving toward the branches that have been cut off, because we have been grafted in.
So that is the first tangential comment.
Tangent #2: Who is true Israel?
The second comment also relates to the grafting. It’s an important question. Who are God’s true people? Who is true Israel? I want to answer that by considering all of history.
And let me start with the easy part of the answer. God’s true people include people from all nations who truly believe by faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. In other words, Gentiles who have been grafted in by faith. That is one group that is part of God’s true people.
Another group are Jewish people who believe by faith in Jesus as the Messiah and as their Savior. I’m talking about messianic Jews today and going back to the time of Jesus. They were not grafted in. Rather, they were and are the natural branches that have not been cut off. That is the second group.
There’s also a third group. The third group are the Israelites before Jesus came, who believed in God’s promises by faith. They did not have a clear picture of how salvation would be accomplished, but they looked to God for salvation and hoped in the coming Messiah. These are the remnant of old of which the beginning of Romans 11 speaks. They did not look to the law for their salvation, but neither did they reject God’s law. Rather, they trusted in God’s covenant promises by faith and sought to honor him as a response of faith. Romans chapter 9 also spoke about them. Remember what the apostle Paul said? Not all Israel are Israel. A subset of Israel was true Israel – children of the promise. Those are the remnant in the Old Testament times… and they are part of God’s true people.
And finally, I don’t want to leave out the non-Israelites in the Old Testament who also believed in the God of Israel, like Ruth and Rahab. They are also among God’s elect.
All of those groups are part of God’s true people. We sometimes say spiritual Israel or as I mentioned true Israel. All those groups are branches of the tree, either natural branches that have not been cut off or grafted-in branches. They have all received God’s grace and mercy. Or to use the words here, God’s kindness. And they all have true faith in Christ - either hoping in what God would do to bring salvation, or believing in Jesus and what he has done. And none of those groups are saved by their works. Rather we are all saved by Christ’s work and his righteousness.
In one sense, that’s a summary of these three chapters in Romans.
Ok, I hope those two side comments are helpful. First, the call to humility and love for unbelieving Israel in hope that they may believe. And second, addressing the question, Who are God’s people?
Main Point #2. Salvation of the Gentiles -> Israel’s Belief
Let’s come back now to the main question of these verse. Why did Israel stumble in unbelief? The first part of the answer was so that salvation would come to the Gentiles. It has and continues to today.
That brings us to the second part of the answer. Israel’s stumbling will lead to more Jews coming to faith in Christ. Here’s the logic: Unbelieving Israel will see what God is doing throughout the world. Some will be jealous of it and subsequently come to believe. That word jealous is in verse 11 as we already considered. It is also there in verse 14.
One reason that Paul highlights his ministry to the Gentiles is because he wants his fellow Jews to also believe in Jesus. He says, “I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous and thus save some of them.” Do you see that? By the way, this is the third time in these three chapters that the apostle Paul opens his heart. He so desires that the unbelieving Jews would believe.
Why? He answers that with a rhetorical question in verse 15. “…what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?” He knows that they are branches cut off without Christ.
But, God can graft them back in. It’s right there in verse 23. “And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in.” He’s talking about unbelieving Israel coming to believe. Do you see that double negative? “If they do not continue in their unbelief.” In other words, if they turn to believe, they will again be grafted in. He’s referring to current generation or future generation unbelieving Jews who come to faith in Jesus. They will be grafted back into the tree.
You know, I was curious which root stock was used in the Tree of 40 Fruit. I was hoping it was an olive tree… but actually, it’s a plum tree – technically a Myrobalan Plum. Maybe some of you know what that is. It has a hearty root system. It’s resistant to many diseases. It can grow in different soil types. This kind of plum tree can also receive grafts from many other kinds of stone fruit trees. For all those reasons, it was used as the main root system and trunk for the Tree of 40 Fruit. But do you know what kind of branch can most easily be grafted into this kind of plum tree? A Myrobalan plum branch. I know that’s probably obvious.
As verse 23 say, “God has the power to graft them in again.” And if God has grafted us in, from a wild olive tree… “how much more,” he says, “will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.”
God chose to reveal himself to Abraham and his descendants, who would become the people of Israel. It was not because of anything they did, but it was because of his purposes. Through them, he revealed himself. He revealed his character. He revealed his promises and law. God revealed the nature of his creation and the call for each of us to know him. He revealed the sinful heart of mankind. He revealed redemption. And it is Israel, physical Israel, through whom God sent his very son. Jesus himself was Jewish. And it is through him, that the world, the Gentiles, would come to know and believe in the God of Israel. He is the one true God of the universe.
And the very clear sense we get from these verses is that God is not done with unbelieving Israel. Back to verse 12, “if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean” From the context of chapters 9-11, I believe Paul is referring to all the remnant of Israel, whom God has ordained to come to know Jesus. How amazingly rich will that be!
Let me note, lots has been written about that one verse, verse 12. Particularly the phrase “their full inclusion.” I do want to spend more time on that phrase. But you’ll have to come back next week. There’s a similar phrase at the end of chapter 11 in verse 26. It says there that “all Israel will be saved.” What does that mean? We’ll work through both of those next week.
The main point of these verses is clear. God has grafted us, the gentiles, into the nourishing olive tree that is true Israel. If you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, you are part of God’s people saved by grace through faith. We’ve been united to him, to Christ, by faith. And God will use that amazing grace, which is going forth all throughout the world, to bring about a godly jealousy in unbelieving Israel.
As we come to a close, let’s go back to what it means to be grafted into the root. Remember, Paul was writing to the church in Rome. A majority of the Christians in Rome were Gentiles. They didn’t have the background of the Jewish people. Before coming to Christ, they didn’t know the law of Moses. They didn’t have the Psalms or the Prophets. They never read the historical account of Israel as a nation nor the wisdom literature. Yet, they believed. And when they were grafted into Christ, all of that history became their history. In the book of Romans there are about 60 Old Testament references. In writing to the church in Rome, Paul is drawing them into the full counsel of what God has revealed in his Word.
And it’s not just for the believing Gentiles in Rome. No, this is our history. Abraham is our father by faith. We are not natural descendants, but we are now spiritual descendants by faith. We have been grafted into what God has done in Israel and what he is doing now around the world, as people from every tribe, and tongue and nation who have been grafted into him.
May that give us a passion to see more Gentiles grafted into the tree by faith in Christ. And may God give us a similar passion and humility, desiring to see the natural descendants of Israel come to know Jesus as their Messiah and Savior and be grafted back in.
May it not just be a tree of 40 Fruit, but a tree with branches from the 17,000 people groups in the world including believing Israel in her fulness.
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Please turn to Romans chapter 10. Our sermon text begins in verse 18 and goes to chapter 11 verse 10. You can find that in the pew Bibles on page 1125
Last week we considered two main ideas from the middle of chapter 10.
· First – faith is simple. It is confessing Jesus as Lord and believing in his death and resurrection.
· Second – In order for people to know about saving faith, they need to hear. And in order for people to hear, believers need to be sent to proclaim the good news.
And that brings us to our verses this morning. The question is, what about the people of Israel? Why do most not have this saving faith?
That is the main question to which the apostle Paul now turns.
Reading of Romans 10:18 to 11:10
Prayer
Back when I was in the business consulting world, I worked with lots of people with different beliefs and backgrounds – that include a few Jewish people. With two of them, in particular, I had multiple conversations about God and faith. Both of these guys had a very strong Jewish identity. Both of them would celebrate Jewish holidays. Both of them knew what those celebrations were about. However, neither of them believed in God at all. And that is pretty typical. I suspect some of you have had the same experience.
Albert Einstein, the most famous scientist in US history who was also Jewish, wrote this: "The word god is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses,” Einstein furthermore said, “the Bible [is] a collection of honorable, but still primitive legends... No interpretation no matter how subtle can (for me) change this." That is a hear heart.
Many Jews, today, are very secular like Einstein was. Not only do they reject Jesus, but many reject the existence of God.
To be sure, orthodox and other conservative Jews certainly do believe in God. However, they reject Jesus as the Messiah. One of the most well know Rabbis in history described Jesus as the failed Messiah…. He wrote, “Rather than redeeming Israel Jesus caused Jews to be killed and exiled, changed the Torah and led the world to worship a false God.”
All of that is sad to consider. As the apostle Paul wrote in the beginning of chapter 9, “to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all.”
And we ask, why? Why, Lord, do they not believe? After all, they have the promises and patterns and prophecies of the Messiah. And the New Testament has about 1000 Old Testament quotes and allusions. They reveal how Jesus fulfilled those promises and patterns and prophecies.
Is it because they have not heard? Or is it because they have not understood what they heard? Lord, have you rejected your people?
These are important questions. And those are the three main questions in these verses.
In one sense, the apostle Paul has already answered the question. Do you remember from chapter 9 that God in his sovereignty has mercy on those whom he choses to have mercy and he hardens whom he chooses to harden? That answer is from the divine perspective. It’s from the perspective of God’s purposes, which are for his own glory. Remember, it’s about God’s mercy.
Well, today’s verses answer the question from the human perspective. We learned last week that the means through which people receive the righteousness of God (the means through which people are saved) is through faith in Christ. It’s professing Jesus as Lord. It’s believing him as the promised Messiah. That is how we come to know that God has been merciful to us.
So, from a human perspective, why do more Jewish people not believe by faith in Christ? Did they never hear? Or is it that they do not understand?
Well, those first two questions are answered at the end of chapter 10.
Let’s take those in order. First, did unbelieving Israel never hear? Is it possible the problem is they have not been told?
Well, the apostle gives an answer right there in verse 18. “I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for ‘Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.’”
That is a very interesting quote. It’s from Psalm 19. It’s actually one of my favorites. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.” And then the words quoted in Romans 10 “Their voice has gone out to all the earth…”
The reason this reference is interesting or curious is that the beginning of Psalm 19 is speaking abut God’s character and nature revealed in creation. The verse that Paul quotes is not talking about God’s Word and the promise of redemption going forth. But Romans 10 is. It’s about God’s Word (his special revelation) and about salvation in Christ. So, there is a seeming disconnect.
Now, there have been different interpretations as to why Psalm 19 is referenced. Let me give you two possibilities which I think best answer the question.
· First, Psalm 19 actually does talk about God’s special revelation in the second half. The Psalmist writes later in the Psalm, “the law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.” And it goes on to talk about God’s “testimony” and “precepts” and “commands.” So one possibility is that Paul is alluding to the whole Psalm. He’s saying, yes, Israel has heard. They have the Scriptures, which includes the law. And remember from up in Romans 10:4. Christ is the end of the law – he is its purpose and fulfillment. Bottom line, yes, they have heard. So that’s one strong possibility.
· A second possible reason is this: Since the whole creation testifies to God’s character and everyone in the world has therefore witnessed it, how much more so has Israel heard. Israel has both the witness of God’s general revelation all around them and they have the special revelation of God’s revealed Word. Yes, they have heard.
Whatever the reason for the Psalm 19 reference, the point is clear. As Paul says, “Indeed they have [heard]”
Which brings us to the next question. Ok, well, if they indeed heard, is the reason they did not believe because they did not understand? You see that question right there in verse 19, “Did Israel not understand?”
And Paul answers that with multiple Old Testament references. In fact, in our verses today, there are 7 Old Testament quotes – that’s 7 in just 14 verses. That is a lot. As he has done that throughout these chapters, Paul answers the questions by going back to the Scriptures.
Alright, I want you to look down at our text in Romans 10 and 11, you’ll see some of those quotes. In the English Standard Version, which is what we use for our readings, you’ll see three indented quotes at the end of chapter 10. And if you look over in chapter 11, you’ll see two more indented quotes in verses 8 through 10. We already discussed the first reference - Psalm 19. The other four Old Testament quotes are all related.
They all answer the question, why didn’t Israel believe?
I like the way that one commentator summarized it. He says that these verses reveal “that not ignorance but unwillingness was the cause of Israel’s lack of faith.” (Hendrickson)… not ignorance, but unwillingness. They understood the words, but they ignored or disregarded them.
Sometimes, I’m sitting on the couch or I’m sitting in my recliner, and Amy will ask me a question. Now, I may be present in the room (well, at least my body is), but my brain is somewhere else. I could be thinking about my sermon or thinking about a house project or thinking about something related to church. And I’ll instinctively respond to Amy’s question with “sure” or “that sounds good.” All the while, my mind is not there.
And then every once and a while, she ask, “any thoughts on what I just asked?” My first thought is, “wait, what did she ask me? is this a trap?” No, she’s sincere… and I have to quickly come back to reality and pretend like I was always there. But she knows. Her words came in one ear and went out the other.
Israel heard the words, but they didn’t really hear. They understood but they really weren’t listening. No, their mind was on other things. In fact, their mind was on other gods, not on the one true God.
And that’s the point of the Moses reference in Romans 10 verse 19. It’s a quote from Deuteronomy 32. God was angry because Israel was pursuing false gods. They knew God’s law, that they should have no other gods before him, but they disregarded it.
And so, what did God do? Well, he went to a people who were not his people and he made them his people. That’s the “jealous” reference in verse 19. And actually, verse 20 mentions the same thing. This time it’s a quote from the prophet Isaiah, chapter 65. “I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.”
In other words, since you ignored and rejected my words, I’m going to reveal myself to the Gentiles in order to make you jealous.
By the way, next week we’ll get into the jealous theme a little more because Paul comes back to it in the middle of chapter 11, so stay tuned for that.
The point here is that God clearly revealed himself to them, but they ignored him. The next quote in verse 21 is actually the very next verse in Isaiah 65. “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.” God had been gracious to them, but they rejected him. Again, not because of ignorance (not knowing), but because of disregard.
Now, jump over to chapter 11 verse 8. It’s related. It says, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.” And that continues to today. God closed the eyes of Israel’s hearts. Chapter 11 verse 10 is similar. “let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever.”
You see, it’s both their responsibility for not listening and believing…. and it is God who hardens them. That is the tension in these three chapters and really in all of scripture – man’s responsibility and God’s sovereignty.
It goes back to something we considered in chapter 9. Every single one of us was dead in our sins and trespasses – our unbelief. Every single human being is responsible for his or her unbelief and sin. It goes all the way back to the tragic results of the fall. But God in his mercy chose some to receive his grace. And that is part of the answer to the question here. And it is an important question.
Did God reject his people, Israel? That’s the question in chapter 11 verse 1. After all, Israel rejected him, so does that mean, given God’s sovereignty, that God rejected them?
What is Paul’s response? Well, it’s one of his many emphatic responses. “By no means!” Absolutely... positively... unequivocally, God did NOT reject his people!
And he gives two examples followed by a reason.
The first example is very very personal. Paul gives the example of himself. He was an Israelite to the core – a Hebrew of Hebrews. He had been a pharisee! In fact, Paul was persecuting and killing Christians before Jesus himself appeared to him. But then he fell on his knees and believed in Jesus as Lord – as the promised Messiah. Do you see how Paul is answering the question? Look at me. I am an example of the fact that God has not rejected his people.
And you know what, Paul is writing to the church in Rome. Several in the church to whom he was writing were also Jewish. Paul mentions the most well-known ones in chapter 16 - Priscilla and Aquilla. They were Jewish, originally from Rome. About 25 years earlier they had to flee Rome because of persecution against the Jews. That’s when they moved to Corinth and met Paul. Somewhere in there they became believers in Jesus. After Corinth, they were sent to Ephesus to help the church there. And now they were back home in Rome.
And besides Priscilla and Aquila, in the book of Acts, we learn about several Jews coming to faith in Christ including a Jewish synagogue leader. Paul’s point is that God had not rejected his people. There were in fact, many Jews, including himself, who believed.
Did you know that today, there are about 350,000 Jews who believe in Jesus. Multiple organizations have done surveys in the last several years including Pew Research. That is 350,000 out of about 15 million Jews in the world. That is a small number, but it is not insignificant. There are Messianic Jewish congregations in Atlanta that believe in Jesus. There are about 300 congregations in the modern nation of Israel who believe in Jesus. You see, the remnant not only existed in Paul’s day, but a remnant of Israel exists today.
Ok, let’s go way back. Paul gives another example. This time he goes back almost 900 years from his day. He reminds his readers of the prophet Elijah. Back in Elijah’s day, many in Israel followed the false god Baal.
Some of you remember what happened. King Ahab called the prophets of Baal and the people of Israel to convene on Mt Carmel – 450 false prophets showed up. Elijah was there by himself as the sole prophet of Yahweh.
And Elijah called on the prophets of Baal to build a structure of wood and a sacrifice on top of it and to call on Baal to bring down fire to consume the sacrifice. So that is what they did. They built it and called on their god. But, of course, nothing happened. So Elijah then mocked them. Where is your god? Perhaps he is busy or perhaps relieving himself in one of the porta-potties… or maybe he’s on vacation, or asleep.
And this went on.
Finally, Elijah had a structure built and a sacrifice prepared – it included 12 stones to represent the 12 tribes of Israel. And not only that, he sent for water and had the whole structure doused in water so that the wood was saturated and the trenches around the altar were full. And Elijah prayed. And immediately, fire came down and consumed the sacrifice. It consumed the stones, the wood, the sacrificial bull, and the water in the trench. The people then bowed down and worshiped the Lord God.
But their belief was short lived. King Ahab and Queen Jezebel put immense pressure on the people and again their hearts turned away from God. Earlier in our service, we heard the account in 1 King 19. The king and the queen also threatened to kill Elijah.
And so Elijah goes off into the wilderness. He’s overwhelmed. He feels like a failure. He feels like his ministry is all for nothing. He feels like he’s the only faithful one. And what does he say to the Lord? It’s quoted there in Romans 11 “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life!” He actually says that twice back in 1 Kings! That’s how strongly he felt.
But then the Lord God reveals his glory to Elijah and responds.
And God gives Elijah a very surprising answer. It’s not the answer that Elijah was expecting. He thought he was alone in the world. But God said, “I have seven thousand in Israel who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” You are not alone! There are those who heard and who believed!
Let’s go back to Romans. After referencing God’s response to Elijah, Paul writes … “So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.”
God had not rejected his people Israel, because he has always had a remnant of his people Israel who are his true people. Earlier in chapter 9, Paul identified them as descendants of the promise. And here Paul writes they are chosen by grace.
Grace, by the way, is the Greek word Xaris. It means an undeserved gift. Grace is not something we can earn by works, rather it is a gift of God.
That is why verse 7 says, “But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.” You see, it cannot be both works and grace that make God’s remnant of Israel be his true people. No, those things don’t go together. The very essence of grace is that it is undeserved – works cannot save you.
Let me ask, was there ever a time when salvation was achieved through our works? The answer may surprise you. Yes, but you have to go all the way back to Adam and Eve in the garden before the fall. Since the moment they ate the forbidden fruit… the only work that could achieve salvation is the work of God in Christ for you. That is God’s grace. It is for all who believe by faith. That includes Israel of old who believed by faith in the savior to come… and it includes Jews today who believe by faith in the savior who has come.
It is all a gift of grace.
Now, in verse 7, Paul does say that Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. What he is saying is that Israel, as a whole, the natural descendants, failed to believe. By in large, that’s true. However, as he puts it next, “the elect have obtained it.” Those are the remnant of Israel, which God ordained before the foundation of the world, to believe in him. It is they who are chosen by grace.
Here’s the summary:
Did Israel hear? Yes, they all heard with their ears, but only the remnant heard with their hearts. Did they understand? Yes, they all understood the words, but only the remnant truly listened. The rest were hardened by their own unbelief and hardened by the Lord. But God, in his sovereign grace, ordained some to everlasting life. God has therefore not rejected his people.
I want to end with a brief word of application. Let me first say that this application is not directly present in these verses. However, it is a necessary response. Last week, we talked about proclaiming the good news – blessed are the feet of those who bring the good news. Well, besides that responsibility… there’s only one other thing that we can do… one other thing that can affect change in someone’s heart to hear and believe.
We can pray.
God is the one who opens ears to hear and opens eyes to see. Yes, he uses his people to proclaim but it is his Holy Spirit who changes a heart of stone to a heart of flesh. When we pray, we recognize that. We recognize that it is those chosen by grace who will believe.
And so we boldly pray that God would open the eyes and ears of all to hear his word – just as he did ours. And our prayer should include Jewish unbelievers – the secular ones, the orthodox ones, any and all who reject God and his Son, the Messiah and Savior of the world.
May God remind us of his grace in our lives… And may we pray that he would expand the remnant of Israel, that many more would believe in Jesus.
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