Previously in Romans 11, Paul explained that God has not cast off His people, but has saved a remnant according to the election of grace. The rest have been blinded and been given a spirit of stupor because of their rejection of Jesus as their Messiah.
In light of this, Paul asks if they have stumbled that they should fall? In other words, have they been entirely given over to judgment and condemnation? Certainly not! He reiterates that through their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles in order to provoke the Jewish people to jealousy. If God was done with them, He would not even bother provoking them to jealousy. The fact that He does so is proof He wants them back. In fact, the Lord wants both Jew and Gentile to be saved, and in his letter to the Ephesians, Paul states that the Jewish and Gentile believers are now made into one new man, meaning there is no longer any difference or separation between them as it relates to the Kingdom of God.
If their trespass and failure have been the riches of the world and of the Gentiles, how much more their fullness? Paul was an apostle to the Gentiles, and he viewed his ministry as part of that provocation in hopes that it would save some of them. If their temporary casting away is the reconciling of the world, their acceptance will be life from the dead.
Next, Paul transitions into an agricultural analogy to help explain what is going on. He says if the first fruit is holy, then the lump is also holy. This is the first of two illustrations: In the Old Testament, the Jews were to make a cake from the first of their ground meal, and offer it as a sacrifice to the Lord Numbers 15:20). The second is that of an olive tree. If the root is holy, then so are the branches. There are different interpretations of this passage, the most common view being that the root is God’s covenant through the patriarchs. However, I also see some similarities between this passage and John 15 where He tells His disciples after the Last Supper, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” In this interpretation, the root spoken of by Paul would be Jesus Christ. The natural branches (the unbelieving Jews) were broken off, and we Gentiles, as wild olive shoots, have been grafted in, being partakers of the root and richness of the olive tree. Because of this, we should not boast against the Jews, for we are not there by our own doing. We are only there because we are supported by Jesus Christ.
The Jews were broken off because of unbelief, and we are only there by faith. We should not be arrogant, but have a healthy fear of falling into the same trap as they. The Jews took great pride in their keeping of the law in order to be right before God, and this caused them to be blind to their own sin and subsequently reject Jesus. If God did not spare the natural branches, then why would He spare us for making the same mistake?
In this we see both the goodness and severity of God: on those unbelieving Jews, severity or harshness, but on us, goodness or kindness if we continue in His goodness by our faith in Christ. If not, we too will be cut off. The word for cut off means to cut out or cut off, and fits with Paul’s analogy of the branches being broken off.
As I stated previously, I do not believe a Christian can lose their salvation, but it does appear from these passages and other similar ones that a Christian can leave it through arrogance and unbelief. I do not believe this is an occasional struggle with doubts, but a deliberate choice to leave the faith and become an apostate. There are good Christians who would argue that not even this is possible, that once you accept Christ, you can renounce your faith and still be a Christian; however, a straight-forward reading of these passages seems to disagree with that position. Most willingly accept that the grafting in again of the Jews is them coming to faith in Christ, but we cannot take this part literally and not the warning of God cutting off the Gentiles for unbelief. If anyone does not agree with me on this, that is alright. I believe it is one of those topics for which we can have what we call an “in-house” debate.
Those unbelieving Jews, if they do not remain in unbelief, God is able to graft them in again, and He has already done so. Normally, wild branches would not be grafted into a cultivated olive tree, so it was considered contrary to nature. The same is generally true with other fruit trees, because the wild branches do not produce fruit with the qualities we typically desire. So then, if we, being branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted into the cultivated olive tree contrary to nature, how much more will God graft in the natural branches again if they choose to place their faith in Christ for salvation?
Paul did not want his readers to be ignorant of the mystery, lest they be conceited, another admonition for Gentiles not to think themselves better than the Jews. Blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. This blindness is in part because it is temporary and does not apply to every Jew (there is a remnant according to the election of grace). Again, there are varying views on what the fulness of the Gentiles is, most believing it to be a set number of Gentiles coming to faith, followed by the rapture. However, the one hang-up I have with this view is that no event has to proceed the rapture; it is imminent. The word fulness means completion or filled up, thereby giving us the idea of a set number. However, it can also mean fulness of time, and if so, would coincide with the times of the Gentiles spoken of by Jesus when He said Jerusalem would be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled in Luke 21:24. This is probably referring to the end of the seven-year tribulation when Jesus sets His kingdom up on Earth for one thousand years Daniel 2:44-45)
During the Tribulation, otherwise known as the 70th week of Daniel, the Jews will be deceived into signing a seven-year peace treaty with the antichrist. Half way through, the antichrist will put an end to the daily sacrifice and set up an image in the temple to be worshiped Daniel 9:27). At this point, the Jews will realize they’ve been duped, and flee into the wilderness for safety. This is described as a place prepared for them by God where they will be fed three and a half years, 1,260 days, (Revelation 12:1-6). The word for ‘prepared’ is the same word Jesus uses in John 14 where He says, “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (Jn 14:2-3) Just like Jesus has prepared a place for us, He has also prepared a place for the Jewish people during the latter half of the tribulation. This is thought by many to be the rock city of Petra south of the Dead Sea, where the descendants of Esau used to live. Interestingly enough, Christian businessmen have stocked the city with food and evangelistic tracts written in Hebrew in preparation for this time.
It is here where the Lord will begin dealing with them to show them He is their true Messiah. In fact, the Scriptures indicate Jesus will not return until they are ready to acknowledge Him as such. Jesus said, “for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” (Mat 23:39) He was quoting from Psalm 118:26, and this was sung during the Passover celebration by the congregation to welcome the vindicated King (how interesting). Each of the four Gospels records His triumphal entry, and the people spread their clothes and palm branches on the road, and cried out, “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” It is this Messianic passage that the Jews will quote from when Jesus comes the second time.
Zechariah also prophesies of this time, “And it shall come to pass in all the land,” Says the Lord, “That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, but one-third shall be left in it: I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; and each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’” (Zech 13:8-9) Apparently, not all the Jews will escape to the city of Petra, but two thirds of them in the land will be killed. However, the ones that survive will call on the name of the Lord, and will say ‘the Lord is my God.’
Coming back to Romans, Paul says, “And so all Israel will be Saved.” Two thirds of the nation will be wiped out, but the remnant of the nation that is left will turn to the Lord. Some like to make the case that this is spiritual Israel, but it is the same Israel as in verse 25 who were partially blinded to the Gospel. Also, we know this is not spiritual Israel because Paul says this is a mystery, and it is no mystery that spiritual Israel will be saved. He then quotes from Isaiah, “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.”
Paul said that concerning the Gospel they were enemies for the then Gentiles, and no doubt they were. The first wave of persecution for the early Church came from the Jewish leaders. Paul used to be one of them, but when he got saved, they turned on him too. However, concerning the election, they are beloved of the Father. In addition, God doesn’t change His mind regarding His gifts and calling, they are irrevocable. God has made specific promises to Israel regarding their redemption and the right to the land that He gave them, and He will not go back on them ( see Genesis 12:1-7, Genesis 15, and Genesis 17:1-8). As I stated in a previous study, if God does not keep His promises to the Jewish people, then what confidence do we have that He will keep His promises to you and me? So, to say that God is done with the nation of Israel is really an attack on His character. It makes Him out to be a liar when He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Just as we once were disobedient to God and have obtained mercy because of their disobedience, even so will they obtain mercy in their own disobedience through the mercy we have been shown. Eventually this provoking them to jealousy will work. God has concluded both Jew and Gentile in disobedience that He may have mercy on us all. As we saw back in chapter five, we have all inherited our sin nature from Adam, and are incapable of fixing ourselves. Therefore, our only hope is the Lord.
Paul ends this section with a marvelous doxology: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?’ ‘Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him?’ For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.”
In this topic of God’s election where He hardens some and has mercy on others, it can be difficult to understand or wrap our minds around it all. However, we are not called to understand it necessarily, but to believe it. The understanding may come little by little, but in Heaven it will be in full. In this we see the riches of God’s wisdom and knowledge, and we see the depths of His judgments and ways. No one knows His mind, neither has He come to any of us for counsel. No one has given to God and needs to be repaid. This is what makes Him God. A God small enough for us to figure out, take our advice, or enter into judgment with us is not God. Everything we have is of Him or through Him, and we give it back to Him with our praise and worship, now, and for eternity. In the next chapter Paul will shift his focus to giving more practical instruction for the daily lives of believers.
Additional Links
Middle East: War And Peace - Part 1 This is probably the best series I have heard on the whole Israeli/Palestinian conflict. It was given by Jon Courson at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa several years ago.
What is the fullness of the Gentiles (Romans 11:25)?
What Is the Rapture? - David Jeremiah Blog
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