In Romans 9-11 we see into the heart of the evolution of Paul’s thinking from that of a Pharisee to one who saw – by divine revelation – into God’s true purpose regarding a people for Himself. As we saw in Part 5, he started out with an anguished look at the unbelieving Jews of his day. From a fleshly standpoint they were his own people. They were descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God had given them His laws through Moses and filled Solomon’s temple with the glory of His presence. They were heirs of awesome divine promises of blessing. What was wrong? Why were they in the condition they were in? Were they not God’s own people?

As God opened his eyes Paul began to see in Abraham’s children two very distinct kinds. One kind consisted of “natural children” who were actually “objects of his [God’s] wrath—prepared for destruction.” The other kind were “children of the promise,” “objects of his [God’s] mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory.” As Romans 9:8 says, “…it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring.” Expressions such as “Abraham’s descendants” and “Israel” took on very different meanings to Paul from what they once did. He discovered to his amazement that unbelieving Jews were not God’s people at all and that most of them were spiritually in the same category as Ishmael and Esau, both of whom were rejected by God. See Romans 9:1-23.

Paul was even more amazed to learn that not only were most Jews not God’s people but that many Gentiles were (verse 24)! What a radical idea! Gentile dogs preferred by God above religious Jews?! And so it is in the light of this revelation that Paul continues to explore many of the questions regarding the Jews.

We concluded Part 5 at the end of Romans 10 where Paul quotes from Isaiah 65:2 – “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.” In the light of God’s reaching out to Gentiles this seems like a pretty ominous thing to say of the Jews. This leads us to the question Paul raises as Chapter 11 begins.

“Did God Reject His People?”

Paul’s immediate answer is, “By no means!” The continuation of the answer is very revealing: “I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.” Romans 11:1. Obviously God had not rejected all Jews since Paul himself was a Jew.

Verse 2 continues, “God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew.” The very question “Did God reject His people?” begs the question: “Who are His people?” The fact that God did reject some people clearly implies that those He rejected were not, in fact, His people at all. Out of all of Abraham’s descendants God “foreknew” those He regarded as His. So the answer to the question Paul raises is simply that God did not reject His people because those He rejected were not His people!

Remember Romans 9:27 where Paul quotes from Isaiah 10:22 – “Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved.” God had promised Abraham that his descendants would be like the sand by the seashore but He did NOT promise that they would all be saved. Only the “remnant,” a very small portion of the nation as a whole, would be saved. Now in chapter 11 we see Paul enlarge on the truth about the “remnant.”

He refers to Elijah who cried out to God to take his life since he believed himself to be the only one left among Israel who served God. What was God’s answer? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” (From 1 Kings 19:18.) The sheer number itself would have been a great encouragement to the discouraged prophet. He thought he was the only one. But there were actually 7000 others!

But more than the number, God’s answer reveals once again His sovereign hand in the process. His answer begins, “I have reserved for myself….” How is it that 7000 remained faithful? God reserved them, supernaturally intervening to preserve a people He regarded as His own. Has it ever been any different? Would any of us have hope were it not for the grace of God bestowed upon undeserving sinners?

That is why Paul continues in verses 5 & 6: “So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.” Expressions like “chosen,” “grace,” and “no longer by works” totally remove human merit from the equation. Self righteousness – the hallmark of the Jews’ religion – sets multitudes on the road to being rejected by God.

Israel, that is, the nation, earnestly sought acceptance by God yet failed because they went about if all wrong: they sought their goal through their works. In verse 7 we see again the two kinds: the “elect” who did obtain what they sought; and “others” who were hardened.

That is a sobering truth. But there is more. Not only did they become hard, it was actually God Who hardened them! In verse 8 Paul quotes from Deut. 29:4 – “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear, to this very day.”

How could such a thing be? Does God just reject some people for no reason at all? Remember that Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. Abraham’s belief was a choice on his part to put his trust in God and therefore to obey whatever He said. It is this that God seeks in men.

Who God Hardens

It is in the context of teaching about the spiritual blindness of some that we find Jesus in Luke 8:18 saying, “…consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.” The key is simply how men listen when God speaks. Persistent resistance and unbelief leads to God removing from men even the very ability to hear and understand truth. Those who listen with believing hearts find their capacity increasing. The hardness and blindness of so many in Israel came about because they had chosen to reject God’s word when it had come to them.

Paul applies the words of David in Psalm 69:22-23 to unbelieving Israel of his day in verses 9 & 10: “May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them. May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.” That sounds pretty serious. Further, it reveals the danger of man-made religion. Such religion is expressed as “their table,” that is, the source of their spiritual food, what they embrace and believe in. But this table actually is a “snare and a trap.” Instead of bringing enlightenment and freedom it brings darkness and bondage. A lot of religion is actually God’s curse upon unbelief. It serves to seal men in a state from which few escape.

Is There Hope?

In the light of what he has just said Paul asks in verse 11: “Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery?” In other words, “Is there any hope for Jews?” “Are they all damned?” “Is God through with them?”

Paul is quick to answer: “Not at all!” Of course there is hope! He goes on to say, “…because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!” Romans 11:11-12.

They fell. God turned to the Gentiles. The hope is that Jews would be envious and repent. Paul speaks of “their fullness” and “now much greater riches” that would bring. “Their fullness” certainly conveys a sense of hope for Paul’s earthly brethren that God would indeed continue to save Jews.

But what was that “fullness”? Paul continues in verses 13 & 14 by speaking of his calling to preach to the Gentiles. He says, “I make much of my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them.” What was Paul’s hope? That someday all Jews would be saved? No! He hoped to save some of them.

This is entirely consistent with God’s promise to save the remnant, those He foreknew. Paul understood that while some were God’s elect who would believe the gospel, others were objects of God’s wrath who would never believe. And so he faithfully preached and trusted God to save those who were His. Israel’s “fullness” is simply the remnant God has promised to save.

As we continue to consider these things I would suggest something to ponder. If you were to ask Paul the question, “Are the Jews God’s chosen people?” how would he answer? That’s something to think about.

One Tree

In verses 17-24 Paul uses an interesting and revealing illustration. He speaks of an olive tree, and not just any olive tree, but one that is cultivated. We see that some of the branches on this tree are “broken off.” Other branches are “cut” out of a “wild” olive tree and grafted into the cultivated olive tree among the remaining branches. Finally we see some of the natural branches that had been broken off grafted back into “their own olive tree.” What is this about?

What a marvelous picture this of the truths Paul has been presenting. In the context of Romans 9-11 as a whole it is obvious that the tree itself represented God’s people beginning with Abraham. A nation – Israel – was born and cared for – that is, cultivated.

The branches represent people. Many of the branches on the olive tree were broken off. Note that those broken off were no longer part of the tree. This is significant. The reason they were broken off is unbelief. A clear implication of this olive tree illustration is that being a part of this tree is not a simple matter of a biological relationship. This olive tree was spiritual in nature. It grew out of Abraham’s faith and not just his body. It wasn’t enough to be a natural branch of this tree if that branch didn’t share in Abraham’s faith. This was a cultivated tree and the One doing the cultivating pruned it by removing those branches that did not fit into the tree He desired.

What follows the breaking off of the unbelieving branches is very significant: branches cut from a wild olive tree are grafted in. But where are they grafted? Are they grafted into a new tree designed to replace the first one? No! They are grafted into the same tree!

God’s Israel

When the nation God brought forth through Abraham was overtaken with unbelief God did not reject the tree itself and plant another. The fault was not with the tree but with many of the branches. Nor did He set the first tree aside for 2000 years while He did something else. Unbelievers were broken off BUT the tree itself remained. Only the believing remnant of Israel remained as branches – the only ones considered by God to be Israelites. Romans 9:6, 27. The olive tree is simply true Israel. What God planted through Abraham was alive and well in Paul’s day – in spite of the general unbelief among Abraham’s natural children. It continues on in our day as well. God is still tending and cultivating the tree He planted in Abraham. There is only one tree!

As the gospel reached out to Gentiles in the wake of natural Israel’s unbelief they were grafted into Abraham’s tree. Paul says that these newly grafted in branches “now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root.” Romans 11:17. Whatever spiritual nourishment had formerly been available to Israel was now nourishing Gentile believers as well. They became a part of God’s Israel. His Israel has nothing to do with natural descent but includes believing Jews as well as believing Gentiles from every nation. Remember, God has no favorites. Romans 2:9-11. There is no difference. Romans 10:12.

When unbelieving Jews “do not persist in unbelief” they are grafted “into their own olive tree” among all of the branches already there, both Jew and Gentile. Romans 11:23-24. Paul describes this in verse 15 as “life from the dead.” Think what that implies for those who are not restored to the tree. Simply put: spiritually, they are dead. They are “objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction.” Romans 9:22.

There is no other hope for anyone, Jew or Gentile. God only has one tree. Those who are part of that tree alone are His people. All “stand by faith.” Verse 20.

A Mystery

In verse 25 Paul describes all he has been speaking of as a “mystery.” A mystery in the scriptures is the kind of thing that can only be known as God chooses to reveal it. It cannot be dug out and understood by “study.” It is part of the unfolding of God’s eternal purpose. He alone determines time, place and person to grant understanding. The person He chose was Paul. The mystery God revealed to Paul completely upended his view of everything and defined his life’s calling from that time forward. It is worth noting that all of Paul’s former diligent study of Old Testament scripture had left him in total ignorance – until the Author opened his eyes.

Armed with this revolutionary knowledge Paul wanted the Roman believers to understand the things God had shown him. He tells them why: “so that you may not be conceited.” There is something in our nature that tends to pride whenever God shows us favor. We vainly imagine that the reason He shows us favor is because of some commendable thing He finds in us.

The Jews were puffed up with pride because of their heritage and looked down their noses at Gentile “dogs.” Now the tables were turned. Israel as such had been rejected and God was reaching out to Gentiles. Was that a basis for pride? Never! Not if you understand the ways of God. Paul is leading up to another declaration of equality in verse 32: that all men are equally in need of God’s mercy and have no grounds for pride or boasting.

Paul then declares in the last half of verse 25 a time period: “until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.” He tells us that “Israel has experienced a hardening in part” that will last throughout this period of time. He is referring to the hardening of the non-elect, those not chosen by God, spoken of in verse 7. Verse 26 begins, “And so all Israel will be saved….”

All Israel

How people understand these verses depends greatly upon the theological “glasses” they are wearing. Those who believe that God’s main business is blessing and favoring the descendants of Abraham, that He has made unconditional promises “forever” (as we use the English word) to the earthly nation called Israel tend to see in these verses a separate and distinct future for Jews after the so-called “church age.” This idea does not come from this passage but is rather read into it because of prior beliefs.

Is this what Paul is implying? Does a hardening “until the full number of the Gentiles has come in” imply that those hardened will be “softened” after that? Consider who it is he is talking about. In the context of what Paul has been saying those hardened are the non-elect, objects of wrath prepared for destruction. For God’s purposes they are not even Israelites (Romans 9:6). Will that change at some future time? Will God stop preparing them for destruction and suddenly save them? What does a promise that all Israel will be saved have to do with those who are not Israelites?

When Paul says, “And so all Israel will be saved,” he is stating a conclusion to the discussion he began in chapter 9. That is why he uses the word “so” and not the word “then.” He begins by lamenting the terrible spiritual state of Israel and ends by saying “all Israel will be saved.” This conclusion cannot be divorced from all he has said about who Israel is. All Israel will be saved because Israel only refers to the elect remnant, the objects of mercy prepared in advance for glory so far as Abraham’s natural descendants are concerned.

Paul has spent the better part of three chapters telling us who he is referring to in 11:26, but when are they saved? Is it at some time in the future? Not according to verse 5: “So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.” When? At the present time.

He quotes from Isaiah and Jeremiah to support what he has been saying. The quotes begin with the words drawn from Isaiah 59:20, “The deliverer will come from Zion.” On the face of it this sounds like something Paul expected to happen in the future, BUT this was future to Isaiah NOT to Paul! Paul is quoting this in support of what he has been saying. The fact is the deliverer DID come. He did take away sins – but for whom? For those hardened in unbelief? No! For the true remnant. Paul is simply showing that what he has been saying is consistent with the prophecies of scripture. He is NOT talking about some future age but rather saying that the salvation of Jews at the present time is a fulfillment of Old Testament scripture.

When God spoke those words through Isaiah the fulfillment was in the future. Paul was saying that what Isaiah had prophesied would come had come. The gospel Paul preached proclaimed the resulting blessing for all who would repent and believe the message.

How Long?

The Deliverer, our Lord Jesus Christ, said in Matthew 24:14—“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” There is nothing in all the teachings of Jesus to remotely suggest that anyone would be saved after His coming. The period Paul declares extends “until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.” Does this not coincide with the “end” of which Jesus spoke? Surely it does.

Paul is not speaking of some future time after this when gospel-hardened unbelieving Jews will suddenly become believers and be saved! Rather he is speaking of God’s continued love and faithfulness to Jews in saving a remnant. As long as the gospel goes forth God’s love will reach out to Abraham’s descendants. The door of hope will remain open until He comes. But the hardening will continue to this time as well. No one will be saved after that. If the “full number” of Gentiles has come in it should be obvious that no more Gentiles are to be saved after that! And, again, those hardened are not even Israel!

The Irrevocable Call

In verses 28 and 29 Paul writes, “As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable.”

Remember that Paul is writing to Gentile believers about the Jews. These believers saw the Jews as enemies of the gospel. Paul wanted them to them to gain a different perspective. He wanted them to catch a glimpse of how God saw them.

The current state of affairs did not mean that God was through with the Jews. Rather He loved them “on account of the patriarchs.” The patriarchs were Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God had made great promises to them and He would not go back on those promises. His promises were being fulfilled through “election.” This is another reference to what had been said in verse 5: “So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.”

Paul wanted his readers to understand the truth he expresses in verse 32: “For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.” Mercy is the only hope any of us has. God saw to it that all those He would save occupy a place of “disobedience” so that their salvation would indeed be based on “mercy.” Thus Jews and Gentiles stood on exactly the same ground in God’s plan. Gentiles need to understand these things so they can have the proper attitude towards God and towards Jews.

Paul’s Outpouring of Praise

In his conclusion in verses 33-36 Paul pours out words of praise and exultation: “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?’ ‘Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?’ For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.”

Anti-Semitism?

In our day there is a sizable portion of the church world that does not seem to see things as Paul did. Anyone descended from Abraham and considered by the world to be a Jew is regarded as one of “God’s Chosen People,” in a different and higher category than Gentiles. In some, this regard could almost be considered a sort of “Judaeolatry,” the worship of Jews and all things Jewish. Just one result of this kind of thinking is when unbelieving, Christ-hating Jews are honored and favored over brothers and sisters in Christ who don’t happen to be Jewish – Palestinian Christians, for instance. And anyone who does not hold to their view is labeled “anti-Semitic” and put in the same category as those who have persecuted Jews over the centuries. Not to hold their view is to be against God!

I have read and heard some pretty impassioned words decrying the history of persecution against Jews by “Christians.” How do I begin to respond? In the first place, so far as I am concerned those who condemn the persecution of Jews are “preaching to the choir.” I utterly condemn any and all persecution of Jews – or anyone else, for that matter. No one from Christ’s day to this who has ever mistreated or persecuted a Jew has done so as an expression of the heart of God or of His Son, Jesus Christ. No one!

This is the devil’s work. He is well aware of God’s ongoing interest in His elect remnant among the Jews and this is one of his chief efforts to hinder Jews from being open to the gospel. Thank God, the devil cannot succeed in preventing Him from saving every one of His elect. That is God’s promise. However, I sure wouldn’t want to be one who cooperated with the devil in the matter.

In the first place, in the overwhelming majority of instances of so-called Christians persecuting Jews, the “Christians” were not true followers of Jesus at all. What you’ve had rather was religious people inspired by the devil to persecute Jews supposedly in the name of Jesus. The obvious purpose was to drag His name through the mud and discredit the gospel.

I am aware that in some cases there have been some pretty hard things said and done by genuine Christians but where true Christians have been involved they acted in ignorance and in no way represented Christ. This is exactly the kind of ignorance Paul sought to prevent in Romans 9-11.

Look to the scriptures. The early church suffered greatly at the hands of Jews. Many were tortured. Many were killed. But who among them ever responded with a spirit of hate or advocated retaliation? None!

They told the truth – and loved and prayed for those who persecuted them. We also can tell the truth without being the least bit “anti-Semitic.”

Jesus told the truth about both their spiritual condition and judgment that was to come. However, He did not speak in anger or threats. He wept. His heart was broken over them. He longed to embrace them, for them to know the Father’s love – but they would not – and He wept. Luke 19:41-44. Matthew 23:37-39.

When they tortured and crucified Him with the help of the Romans Jesus asked His Father to forgive them because they didn’t know what they were doing.

Stephen told the truth before the council in ringing tones in Acts 7 but as they stoned him to death he likewise prayed for them (verse 60). History records that James, the earthly half-brother of Jesus and leader of the Jerusalem church, also prayed as he was stoned to death in the temple courtyard. Paul told the truth, suffered many things at the hands of his fellow Jews – and everywhere reached out to any among them who would hear the good news about Jesus. He advocated nothing but love in spite of their general condition. And so should we.

The Real Anti-Semitism

In a strange way the almost-worship of Jews we see so much of in our day by some is actually a very subtle but real form of anti-Semitism! In the face of all that the scriptures teach – particularly in the writings of Paul – a great difference is made between Jews and Gentiles. Jews continue to be regarded – and often told – that they are special, that they are favored by God above Gentiles simply because they are descended from Abraham. This contradicts everything Paul taught about the gospel and blunts its force.

One of the more extreme expressions of this I have encountered is the notion that we should not try to convert Jews to Christianity because “they have their own covenant.” What heresy! What utter rubbish!

I say that without apology or hesitation in spite of there being an element of truth in the idea. I have no interest in anyone – Jew or Gentile – being converted to “Christianity.” By “Christianity” I mean the religion that has arisen using Christ’s name. Jesus didn’t come to start a religion. That is man’s doing, aided and abetted by the devil. No one needs Christianity. Everyone needs Jesus Christ. God hasn’t given us a religion; He has given us a Person!

I know that most would condemn such an extreme idea as the one I noted above but any suggestion that Jews and Gentiles are regarded differently by God, that Jews are favored above Gentiles, is absolutely contrary to the revealed purpose of God. The people God is calling together in Christ transcend every earthly distinction. Being Jewish, or Gentile, Chinese, American, Indian, or any other category of humanity has absolutely no meaning in Christ. All are brothers and sisters. All stand upon the same ground: by grace through faith. All share the same destiny. God only has one people. Any other teaching gives false hope. Christ alone is the hope of all mankind and the gospel is the only message that can save. Today is the day of salvation.

I witnessed a beautiful scene just the other day. A follower of Jesus who happens to be Jewish was passionately expressing his spiritual burden, not only for Jews but also for Palestinians, Iranians, and all others in the Middle East. Before closing his remarks he invited a man he had recently met to the platform to speak for a few minutes. This man was a Palestinian who had been particularly raised to hate and fight against Jews. But Christ’s love had reached his heart and now he had become a follower of Christ as well. It was a moving moment as these two men embraced as brothers in Christ before those of us in the audience. What a wonderful testimony to the power of the gospel and the purpose of God to call from the nations a people for Himself! Do you really think that unbelieving Jews are “God’s chosen people” and others like this precious Palestinian believer are not?

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