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| Chapter 11 |
| Bible Text | Notes and Thoughts |
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1 ¶ I ask then: Hath God cast away His people? God forbid! For I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God hath not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Know ye not what the Scripture saith of Elijah, how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, 3 "Lord, they have killed Thy prophets and torn down Thine altars, and I am left alone and they seek my life"? 4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? "I have reserved to Myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal." 5 Even so then, at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it be by works, then it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work. 7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded, 8 according as it is written: "God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, unto this day." 9 And David saith, "Let their table be made a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a recompense unto them. 10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their backs always." 11 I ask then: Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid! But rather, through their fall salvation has come unto the Gentiles to provoke them to jealousy. 12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fullness? 13 For I speak to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my office, 14 that by any means I may provoke to emulation those who are my flesh, and might save some of them. 15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? 16 For if the first fruit be holy, the whole lump is also holy; and if the root be holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree, 18 boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. 19 Thou wilt say then, "The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in." 20 Thou sayest well! Because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high minded, but fear; 21 for if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest He also spare not thee. 22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in His goodness. Otherwise, thou also shalt be cut off. 23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more shall these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? 25 For I, brethren, would not have you be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits: that blindness in part has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved, as it is written: "There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. 27 For this is My covenant unto them when I shall take away their sins." 28 Concerning the Gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But concerning the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. 29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 30 For as in times past ye have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief, 31 even so have these also now not believed, that through the mercy shown to you they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all. 33 ¶ O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out! 34 "For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been His counselor?" 35 Or, "who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?" 36 For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things, to whom be glory for ever. Amen. |
God wanted a special people which He could use to show, to reveal Himself to the world, but the Jews had not taken the message to the world as God had wanted, in fact they wanted to keep it to themselves. Paul had been questioned when he had taken the message to the Gentiles, Act 15. The Jews had failed in their task and worship, so God had set them aside for a while and was now taking the message directly to the Gentiles. However the Jewish nation will be restored in God’s programme, this is what Romans 11 is about. v1 Paul asks a question, has God rejected His people? Paul now shows that: 1) there is a present election (group) showing they are not set aside v1-10. 2) There will be a future turning back, v11-24. 3) There will be a final salvation of Israel, v25-32. There are many passages and stories in the Bible which show just how determined God is to keep His chosen nation and people, e.g. Jeremiah 31. If you look at the history of the Jewish nation they have been scattered, persecuted, murdered. Nations have done their best to destroy them yet still they exist. This goes back to Gen 12:2, the original covenant, God promised a nation, if they ceased to exist God has failed. God knew how Israel, as a nation, would reject Him, but also that many individuals would still seek Him. v1-5 Paul reminds us of the story of Elijah where even under those conditions God still had people who loved Him, and still now there is "a remnant (small group) who by grace" are mine, 1 Kings 19:8-18. There is now neither Jew or Gentile under Christ so these Jewish believers have become part of the Bride of Christ, Eph 2:14-18. v1 Reminds us that the Jewish nation are "still His people." There are some people who believe that the Jews have been replaced as God’s chosen people, that the Church will inherit Israel’s promises, scripture does not agree with this. v5-7; Rom 11:25,26; Zechariah 13:8,9. What is happening to the Jewish nation in the world does not show this either, since 1948 the nation has returned to the promised land, not because of a turning to Christ but because they wanted their land as God promised. Result of unbelief. v7-11 A turning away from the truth. They rejected God’s Son, so God ‘set them aside’ to work with the Gentiles. v11 Rom 11:25; John 1:11-13. Because the Jews rejected Jesus and crucified him salvation was offered to all the world. v11,12,15. Make Jews jealous. When Israel sees what God is doing with and through the Gentiles who are seeking Him they will turn to Him. Does your life reflect the Love of God? v15-21 Paul uses an olive tree as an example to send a warning to the Gentile believers. Because of the rejection of the Jews, the Gentile believers (wild olives v17) have become grafted into the main tree, but they must not become arrogant (think they are more important than they are) towards the natural branches (the Jew), Look at John 15:1-5 Israel is still the ‘root.’ The Gentile believer has now been given the task of spreading the Gospel, do not fail. Note v20,21 they were ‘set aside’ because of unbelief, be careful we do not fail the same way. Read what Jesus said about the churches in Revelation Chapter 3, especially the Laodicean church which is thought to represent the church of today.Rev 3:14-22. "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot;" v22 God’s severity against Israel. God has done this, He allowed the temple to be destroyed so stopping them worshiping and then scattered the nation around the world until 1948. v23,v24 If they believe, then God will graft them back into His ‘root’ and they will become very fruitful. v25-32 Blindness of Israel is for a period, "for the time of the Gentiles," Luke 21:24-28 but they will be restored at the return of Christ, (Deut 30:3-8). This is all future, but the return of Christ could be today!! v33-36 This is a wonderful prayer of thanks to God for what He has done. v33 Who knows the mind of God? Who helps guide Him? v35 Who gets more from God than he gives to God? v36 Glory to God by everything. |
Easy English Translation
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