The Roman’s Road to Righteousness (Chapter 11:25-36)‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏

Hello Friends!

Welcome Back! Let’s continue our journey through the book of Romans – “The Romans Road to Righteousness.”

The Roman’s Road to Righteousness (Chapter 11:25-36)

 
This week we will conclude our reading of chapter 11, verses 25-36 as we consider The Salvation of Israel for the Glory of God…

The Prophet Isaiah reminds us concerning the mind of God:

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts – Isaiah 55:8-9

Here the prophet Isaiah is saying that God has an incomprehensible mind. No man however astute, intellectual or spiritual can fully plumb the depths of the infinite mind of God! He indeed works in ways which are mysterious to man. And nowhere is this truth more graphically illustrated than in relationship to the history of “Israel” which demonstrates to us the incomprehensibly magnificent mind of God and the wonder of His unique plan for the “Jewish” people.

 

As we conclude this tremendous treaties, we learn that three truths take up the Apostle Paul's thoughts in this chapter – “Israel’s” rejection by God is partial, passing and purposeful. 

 

First ~ Israel’s rejection by God is partial (verses 1 to 10)

Second ~ Israel’s rejection by God is passing (verses 11 to 24)

Third ~ Israel’s rejection by God is purposeful (verses 25 to 36) 

This week will consider the Third and final section (verses 25 to 36) of Paul’s exposition of God’s future plan for the “Jews” and the “nation” of “Israel” in His prophetic time table of events… 

 

Israel’s rejection by God is purposeful:

 

Here Paul finishes his thoughts with a “mystery” promise – the “blindness” of “Israel” is only temporary:

For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in – Romans 11:25

We are not to be “ignorant” or “wise” in our “own opinion” – arrogant – of this “mystery” pertaining to the “blindness in part” of “Israel” which will finally come to an end when the “fullness of the Gentiles” has arrived. And then will come the “grafting in” of the “Jews.” The “fullness of the Gentiles” is referring to the true church – the Bride of Christ!

 

When “Jesus Christ” has “gathered” together all His redeemed “elect” to Himself at the Rapture, He will again “graft in” the “nation” of “Israel” during the Great Tribulation. Then after those seven frightful years, “Jesus Christ” the “Deliverer” out of “Zion” will physically return to earth – His Second Coming – and will establish His literal 1000-Year Millennial Kingdom… And then finally – “all Israel will be saved”:

And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “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” – Romans 11:26-27

And here again, Paul goes back to the Old Testament for support:

“A Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” declares the Lord. “As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring’s offspring,” says the Lord – Isaiah 59:20-21

The time will come when “all” of “Israel” will be “saved” and “grafted back in” by the “Deliverer” and “Redeemer” because God has made a “covenant” with “Jacob” – the “nation” of “Israel” to “take away their sins.” That's the whole point of Paul’s analogy of the “olive tree” that he has been describing throughout this chapter. However, this does not mean every individual “Jew” alive at that time will be “redeemed” – there will be many who refuse to “believe” on Jesus Christ and thus be “saved.” But at this time, a great mass of “Jews” will “turn from transgression” and “believe” on Him – Praise the Lord!

 

The next two verses reinforce Paul’s point “concerning” God’s “gospel” of “election”:

Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable – Romans 11:28-29

Presently, during this Age of Grace, the “Jews” are the “enemies” of God for our “sake” – the “Gentile” believers. However, “concerning the election,” the “Jews” are “beloved” of God. What is this seeming dichotomy saying? On the one hand based on their rejection of the “gospel” message, the unbelieving “Jews” are “enemies” of God. But based upon God's “promise” when He “called” them through the “fathers” – “Abraham,” “Isaac” and “Jacob” – they are His “beloved.” When “God” gives His “gifts” and His “calling” they are “irrevocable” in nature. We cannot earn God’s “grace” and we certainly cannot forfeit it either! We did nothing to receive His “grace” and we can do nothing to lose His “grace” – That's God’s eternal promise!

 

Another reason that is cause for us to “praise” and “glorify” God is His generosity. The key word Paul uses several times in this next section is "mercy":

For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all – Romans 11:30-32

The word "mercy" speaks of God's generosity and implies that “Salvation” is not something we deserve but something we don't deserve  – this is the undeserved goodness of God! “Mercy” is God withholding “judgment” when it is deserved and His granting of “forgiveness” when it is not deserved. “Mercy” is God’s tender “compassion” and “love” for us – Thank you Lord!

 

IMPORTANT NOTE: The “mercy on all” here does not teach Universalism. Paul simply means “all” in the sense of the “Gentile” church and the “Jewish” nation respectively. It is the ethnic and spiritual “all” that is the thrust of what Paul is saying here. God brought equal “unbelief” and “disobedience” to both “Jew” and “Gentile” for His own “glory!” – "For in Christ there's neither Jew nor Gentile" and “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” No one is “good” – “no not “one.” This is the loving “mercy” of God!

 

The truth of the matter is, instead of despairing on the “Jews” because of their “unbelief,” in a sense we can be thankful because we were then “grafted” into a special place of blessing. By the “hardness” of their hearts, God has “committed them all” – locked up in prison – to “disobedience” and we “Gentiles” were then brought to the “gospel” of Jesus Christ.

 

Finally, Paul closes these wonderful thoughts with a beautiful doxology “song of praise” in where we see one other characteristic of God – His incomprehensibility:

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 – Romans 11:33-36

Even when God reveals Himself and His wonderful redemptive plan – His “depth,” “riches,” “wisdom” and “knowledge” – all we really know is just how “unsearchable” the “mind of the Lord” truly is… Which often leaves us with more questions than we had before He revealed anything to us in the first place!

 

So, in purposeful Pauline style, the Apostle once again fashions his final thoughts in the form of three questions taken from the beloved Old Testament Scriptures:

Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has taught Him? – Isaiah 40:13

For who has stood in the counsel of the Lord, and has perceived and heard His word? Who has marked His word and heard it? – Jeremiah 23:18

Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him? Everything under heaven is Mine – Job 41:11

Here, the wonder in Paul’s mind is the inconceivable and “unsearchable” eternal “glory” revealed in the “Lord” Jesus Christ – Oh, the incredible wisdom of God!

 

THEOLOGICAL THOUGHT: Theologians through the centuries have struggled with what is known as the problem of Theodicy – The origination of “sin” and why God allowed it. God has in His nature the attribute of “mercy” of which He must reveal that He might be fully “glorified.” The only way God’s “mercy” can be exercised is when there exists “sin” and “evil” in the world. Therefore, in order to fully reveal Himself as a “merciful” God, He must permit “evil” to exist so that by His “judgment” and “wrath” He can offer His “mercy” toward the lost “sinner” through “faith” and “repentance” of “sin” and thus receiving the full “glory” that is due His Name “forever” – A very essential truth!

 

For these past eleven chapters, the Apostle Paul has been giving great examples of the infinite, “unsearchable” and incomprehensible “knowledge” & “wisdom” of God’s redemptive plan for mankind. And because the whole plan of “Salvation” is filled with such grandiose and wonder, we can see that Paul is absolutely overwhelmed by it… And we should be too!

 

In closing:

 

In the culture and time of “Abraham” all “covenants” were cut by “blood.” When a “promise” was made to someone, an animal was cut in half and each participant walked together between the two pieces. They were cutting a “covenant” by “blood” and swearing to keep their “promise” each other. 

 

When God set to make His special “covenant,” He didn't allow “Abraham” to walk between the pieces. Rather, God put “Abraham” to “sleep” and walked alone. Why? Because God was making a “covenant” not dependent upon “Abraham” but dependent solely upon His own unchangeable nature. Therefore, when God “predestined” to redeem “Israel,” it was to fulfill the “covenant” which He made with – Himself!

In terms of God’s “election” purposes, the “Jews” are still His “beloved” – even though at the present time they are His “enemies.” The “nation” of “Israel” is in a very peculiar position. When we look at “Israel” and the “Jewish” people, we may have that same sense of dichotomy that Paul shares. The “Jews” are the “beloved” enemy of God concerning the “Gospel” and the “election” of God “promised” to the “fathers” will one “Day” be “fulfilled” in their Messiah! While for the moment there is a sense of hopelessness, we look to the future when God’s “beloved” people will totally “repent” in that predetermined time…

And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn – Zechariah 12:10

The “house of David” and the “inhabitants of Jerusalem” will indeed “look” upon their “salvation” in Jesus Christ. So, when God makes a “covenant” with God, no one is going to break it! The “redemption” of “Israel” is based upon an ”unconditional” and eternal “covenant” promise that God would bless the “people” who came out of the loins of “Abraham” – the “Jews.” The Abrahamic Covenant eventually passed into the New Covenant of Jesus Christ which is equally ”unconditional.” It is based upon the Sovereign “purposes” and “promises” of the eternal God Himself who is unwavering in His ability and intention to keep them all – Halleluiah! 

Please continue reading verses 25-36 of the eleventh chapter of Romans

We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!

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