Romans11

Paul asserts that God has not cast away Israel, highlighting a faithful remnant chosen by grace. He explains that Israel's partial blindness and stumbling led to salvation for the Gentiles, intended to provoke Israel to jealousy. Ultimately, this partial blindness is temporary, and "all Israel shall be saved" through God's unchangeable mercy, demonstrating His profound wisdom and sovereignty.

God Has Not Rejected Israel

“In that case, I say, isn’t it that God has repudiated his people?” Heaven forbid! For I myself am a son of Isra’el, from the seed of Avraham, of the tribe of Binyamin.

God has not repudiated his people, whom he chose in advance. Or don’t you know what the Tanakh says about Eliyahu? He pleads with God against Isra’el,

“Adonai, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars, and I’m the only one left, and now they want to kill me too!”

But what is God’s answer to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not knelt down to Ba‘al.”

It’s the same way in the present age: there is a remnant, chosen by grace.

(Now if it is by grace, it is accordingly not based on legalistic works; if it were otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.)

What follows is that Isra’el has not attained the goal for which she is striving. The ones chosen have obtained it, but the rest have been made stonelike,

just as the Tanakh says, “God has given them a spirit of dullness — eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear, right down to the present day.”

And David says, “Let their dining table become for them a snare and a trap, a pitfall and a punishment.

Let their eyes be darkened, so that they can’t see, with their backs bent continually.”

Israel’s Stumble and Gentile Salvation

“In that case, I say, isn’t it that they have stumbled with the result that they have permanently fallen away?” Heaven forbid! Quite the contrary, it is by means of their stumbling that the deliverance has come to the Gentiles, in order to provoke them to jealousy.

Moreover, if their stumbling is bringing riches to the world — that is, if Isra’el’s being placed temporarily in a condition less favored than that of the Gentiles is bringing riches to the latter — how much greater riches will Isra’el in its fullness bring them!

However, to those of you who are Gentiles I say this: since I myself am an emissary sent to the Gentiles, I make known the importance of my work

in the hope that somehow I may provoke some of my own people to jealousy and save some of them!

For if their casting Yeshua aside means reconciliation for the world, what will their accepting him mean? It will be life from the dead!

Now if the hallah offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole loaf. And if the root is holy, so are the branches.

The Olive Tree Analogy

But if some of the branches were broken off, and you — a wild olive — were grafted in among them and have become equal sharers in the rich root of the olive tree,

then don’t boast as if you were better than the branches! However, if you do boast, remember that you are not supporting the root, the root is supporting you.

So you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.”

True, but so what? They were broken off because of their lack of trust. However, you keep your place only because of your trust. So don’t be arrogant; on the contrary, be terrified!

For if God did not spare the natural branches, he certainly won’t spare you!

So take a good look at God’s kindness and his severity: on the one hand, severity toward those who fell off; but, on the other hand, God’s kindness toward you — provided you maintain yourself in that kindness! Otherwise, you too will be cut off!

Moreover, the others, if they do not persist in their lack of trust, will be grafted in; because God is able to graft them back in.

For if you were cut out of what is by nature a wild olive tree and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree!

The Mystery of Israel’s Restoration

For, brothers, I want you to understand this truth which God formerly concealed but has now revealed, so that you won’t imagine you know more than you actually do. It is that stoniness, to a degree, has come upon Isra’el, until the Gentile world enters in its fullness;

and that it is in this way that all Isra’el will be saved. As the Tanakh says, “Out of Tziyon will come the Redeemer; he will turn away ungodliness from Ya‘akov

and this will be my covenant with them, . . . when I take away their sins.”

With respect to the Good News they are hated for your sake. But with respect to being chosen they are loved for the Patriarchs’ sake,

for God’s free gifts and his calling are irrevocable.

Just as you yourselves were disobedient to God before but have received mercy now because of Isra’el’s disobedience;

so also Isra’el has been disobedient now, so that by your showing them the same mercy that God has shown you, they too may now receive God’s mercy.

For God has shut up all mankind together in disobedience, in order that he might show mercy to all.

Doxology: Praise to God’s Wisdom

O the depth of the riches and the wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments! How unsearchable are his ways!

For, ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord? Who has been his counselor?’

Or, ‘Who has given him anything and made him pay it back?’

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

Study Notes for Romans 11

Verse 1

Paul addresses the question raised at the close of chapter 10. His own identity as an Israelite of the tribe of Benjamin serves as immediate proof that God has not utterly cast off His people.

Verse 2

God’s foreknowledge refers to His prior, sovereign choice of Israel. Paul references the story of Elijah (1 Kings 19) to show that even in times of national apostasy, God always preserves a faithful remnant.

Verse 4

The seven thousand men represent the remnant chosen by God’s grace, illustrating that the preservation of Israel is dependent solely upon God's faithfulness, not human merit.

Verse 5

The existence of Jewish believers in Paul’s day confirms the pattern established in Elijah’s time: a remnant exists, chosen not based on works of the Law, but purely by God’s electing grace.

Verse 6

This verse is a crucial theological statement asserting that grace and works are mutually exclusive principles for obtaining salvation. If works are involved, the gift ceases to be grace.

Verse 7

The term 'the election' refers to the faithful remnant who obtained righteousness through Christ. 'The rest were blinded' refers to the majority of the nation who rejected the Gospel.

Verse 8

Paul quotes from the Old Testament (Deut. 29:4; Isa. 29:10) to affirm that the spiritual hardening of the majority of Israel was a judicial act of God, fulfilling prophecy.

Verse 11

Paul strongly denies that Israel’s rejection of Christ was intended to be final or result in their complete ruin. Instead, their temporary 'fall' served the divine purpose of extending salvation to the Gentiles.

Verse 12

Paul uses economic language: if Israel’s unbelief brought spiritual riches to the world, their future conversion ('fulness') will bring an even greater blessing and revival.

Verse 13

Paul explicitly addresses the Gentile believers in Rome, reminding them of his specific apostolic mission to them, which indirectly serves the purpose of provoking his own people to jealousy (v. 14).

Verse 15

The 'casting away' (the temporary hardening of Israel) led to the reconciliation of the world. The future 'receiving of them' (restoration) is described hyperbolically as a spiritual 'life from the dead,' suggesting immense blessing.

Verse 16

The 'firstfruit' and 'root' refer to the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) and God’s original covenant with them. Because the foundation is holy, the future destiny of the nation remains set apart by God.

Verse 17

The cultivated olive tree represents Israel, the people of God. The 'wild olive tree' represents Gentile believers, who have been 'graffed in' to share in the spiritual blessings of the Abrahamic covenant.

Verse 18

Paul warns Gentile believers against spiritual arrogance. They stand not by their own merit, but by participation in the covenant history and promises originally given to Israel (the root).

Verse 20

Israel was broken off because of unbelief; Gentiles stand only by faith. The warning to 'Be not highminded, but fear' emphasizes the conditionality of remaining in the covenant community through ongoing faith.

Verse 22

God's character is demonstrated by both His 'severity' (justice against unbelief) and His 'goodness' (mercy toward faith). The Gentile position is not eternally secure apart from continued submission to God's goodness.

Verse 24

This verse concludes the analogy, arguing that it is far more logical (and 'natural') for God to restore the original, natural branches (Israel) than it was to graft in the wild, unnatural branches (Gentiles).

Verse 25

The 'mystery' is a divine truth newly revealed: the blindness of Israel is only partial and temporary. This hardening will last 'until the fulness of the Gentiles' (the full number of Gentile converts) is achieved.

Verse 26

'All Israel shall be saved' refers to the future corporate, national salvation of the Jewish people, when they turn to Christ at the end of the age, fulfilling the covenant promises cited from Isaiah and Jeremiah.

Verse 28

In relation to the Gospel, the Jewish nation is currently 'enemies' (in opposition), yet 'as touching the election' (God’s ultimate purpose), they remain 'beloved' due to the covenants with the patriarchs ('the fathers').

Verse 29

The covenant promises and divine calling given to Israel are irrevocable. God will not change His mind concerning the ultimate destiny and restoration of the Jewish people.

Verse 32

God has sovereignly orchestrated history, allowing both Jews and Gentiles to experience periods of 'unbelief,' so that He might ultimately demonstrate His universal mercy to all.

Verse 33

Paul concludes his profound argument (Romans 9-11) with an outburst of worship. God’s plan of salvation, incorporating both temporary hardening and ultimate restoration, demonstrates wisdom that is beyond human comprehension.

Verse 36

This powerful statement affirms God as the ultimate source (of him), means (through him), and ultimate purpose or goal (to him) of all existence, creation, and salvation history.

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Romans11

God Has Not Rejected Israel

Israel’s Stumble and Gentile Salvation

The Olive Tree Analogy

The Mystery of Israel’s Restoration

Doxology: Praise to God’s Wisdom

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