Welcome Back! Let’s continue our journey through the book of Romans – “The Romans Road to Righteousness.”
The Roman’s Road to Righteousness (Chapter 11:11-24)
This week we will continue reading chapter 11, verses 11-24 as we consider Israel’s Rejection is Not Final…
All
throughout history “Israel”
has lived with an incessant conflict with her “Ishmael”
and “Esau” Arab neighbors. In
the Twentieth Century, the Nazis as well as the Communists wanted to eliminate
the “Jews.” Even today, much
of the Middle East wants to eliminate these precious people of God. As these
major threats are mounting by the day, will any of the enemy “nations” of “Israel” ever succeed with the total elimination of the
“Apple of God’s eye?“ The
Prophet Jeremiah answers that question this way:
Thus says the Lord, “If the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out below, then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done,” declares the Lord – Jeremiah 31:37
In
other words – No! According to the “Lord” Himself,
these enemy “nations” have no
more hope of eliminating the “Jews”
than they do of “measuring”
the infinite “heavens” or “searching out” the “foundations of the earth” – It is simply impossible!
As
we continue our study, we see three truths take up the Apostle Paul's thoughts
in this 11th 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 we will consider the Second
section (verses 11 to 24) 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 passing:
Paul
has been teaching us that at the present time, God is only “chastening” the nation of “Israel” for their “unbelief” and they have been “set aside” for a period of time by Gods’ Sovereignty and for their willful
“sin” of “disobedience” to Him. Here Paul begins
with a question by asking if since the “Jews”
have “stumbled” will they “fall” forever?
I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles – Romans 11:11
Again,
what is Paul’s answer? “Certainly
not!” – God forbid! The verb “stumble” – ptaio – means to “fall” into a situation where one could never
get back up again. And “through their fall”
– paraptoma – (“sin”) –
God will “provoke them to
jealousy” because “salvation” has also come to the “Gentiles.”
That's Paul's main message in this excellent chapter! He then continues:
Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness! – Romans 11:12
This
is a terrific point, Paul! Their “fall”
– paraptoma – (“sin”) is the rejection
of “Jesus Christ” and has
resulted in the “riches for the world”
– which is the same “failure”
that is “riches for the Gentiles.”
As a result, the whole “world”
has been enriched by their “fall”
as well as the “called out”
presence of the redeemed church through “Salvation”
in “Jesus Christ.” In other
words, if the “Jews” have
accomplish so much in a negative way concerning themselves, it's hard to
conceive of what will happen in a positive way for them in the future –
“how much more their
fullness!”
Based
on that exciting news, Paul gives his personal testimony to the “Gentile” church at Rome:
For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them – Romans 11:13-14
Here's
a very interesting transition of which gives us deep insight into Paul's
servant heart. He says "I speak to you
Gentiles" because the Roman church was predominantly of “Gentiles” and so he particularly addresses
them since they make up the majority of the congregation. Paul says "I magnify my ministry" – doxozo
– I glorify my office as an “apostle
to the Gentiles.” It is a high, holy and glorious
privilege to bring the “Gospel”
to the “Gentile” believers!
So, what Paul is saying is "I'm committed to the plan of God the way He
laid it out! This “Gentile” salvation
is to “provoke” Jewish “jealousy” which leads to “world” blessing and “riches” in the coming of the Millennial
Kingdom." And he recites that same idea again:
For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? – Romans 11:15
Here
the term “life from the dead”
refers to the rebirth of the “nation”
and of the “world” in the “glory” of the Millennial Kingdom when they will finally be
delivered from their spiritually dead state. In other words, the “Jews” have been “cast away” for this purpose: That
they might bring about “Gentiles”
to “salvation” as well as
their own “acceptance”
of the “Gospel” which is the “reconciling”
of the “world”… Both “Jew” and “Gentile”
– Thank you Jesus!
However,
Paul soundly warns the “Gentiles”
against Pride:
For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you – Romans 11:16-18
Here Paul is saying that if the “first fruit” is “holy” then the whole “lump” is consecrated and if the “root” is “holy”
so are the “branches.” In
other words, if one portion of the “Jewish”
people are consecrated to the Lord, then the whole “nation” must be also. Who were the “firstfruits” in the Bible? They were “Abraham,” “Isaac,”
“Jacob” and “Joseph” – the Old Testament patriarchs!
And if God set apart His “firstfruits,”
then He was setting apart the whole “lump.”
Therefore, if God set apart the “root”
– “Abraham” – He is
setting apart the “branches”
as well.
Paul
also reminds the “Gentiles”
not to “boast” in this
blessing. Do not say “"Hey, the “Jews” were “broken
off” and we've been “grafted in”
as a “wild olive tree”
so we are superior!" Paul says “don't say that!” But rather “if you do boast”
remember that “you do not
support the root” but “the root supports you.” In other
words, “You and I are an act of God's “grace”
because of the necessity of chastening “Israel.”
God has humbled the “Jews” by
making them “jealous” of what
the “Gentiles” possess.
However, the “Gentiles” were “grafted in”
as a “partaker of the root”
and must not “boast” of this
blessing from God. The “Gentiles”
cannot think they are better than the “Jews”
nor can the “Jews” think they
are better than the “Gentiles.”
All true “believers” are one
in “Jesus Christ” our “Messiah” – Praise the Lord!
And
then God reminds us again by saying:
You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either – Romans 11:19-21
We
“Gentiles” must not become “haughty” nor “boastful” as if we are better than the “branches” that were “broken off” due to “unbelief” – it was nothing
we did! We cannot allow pride to rule our lives… “Do not be haughty, but fear”
because if “God did not
spare the natural branches” of “Israel” then He “He may not spare you either” as “Gentiles.” Paul then continues with
another warning to “consider”:
Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again – Romans 11:22-23
The
“goodness” of God is reserved
for the “branches” who are “grafted in”
and “continue” in His mercy.
And for those who “fell” will
“continue” in “unbelief” and thus receive God’s “severity” – apotomia – to be “cut off” quickly. To be in the place of “blessing” we must “believe.” And when “Israel” as a “nation” ceased to “believe” God, they were “cut off” – and only a small “remnant” of “Jews” remained. Paul continues this line of thinking:
For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? – Romans 11:24
Here
Paul closes these thoughts by simply stating that if we “Gentiles” who were “cut out” of the “olive tree” which is “wild by nature” and “grafted in” by God, how much more is it
probable that the “natural branches”
should be “grafted into their own olive tree?”
It's not only possible, it's prophesied by
God Himself!
In
fact, the “mystery” promise of
God is that the “blindness” of
“Israel” is only temporary… And we’ll finish our
investigation of this truth in our next study of Romans – Halleluiah!
In
closing:
From
the 70 A.D. desolation of “Jerusalem”
by the Romans right up until modern times, the “Jews”
have been a people under tremendous “persecution”
through all these centuries. The “Bride of
Jesus Christ” has been the blessed
and “Israel” has been the chastened.
This is to “provoke” the “Jews” to “jealousy”
that they might be drawn back to God through “Jesus
Christ” – The Root of blessing!
IMPORTANT NOTE: God had to “break off” the “nation” of “Israel”
because of their “unbelief.”
Therefore, we can be quite certain that in the future He's going to do the same
thing to the “professing” church…
The
time is coming when the apostate church will also be “cut off” and there will be no more “goodness” of God’s “mercy” available to them. False
“Christianity” is going to proceed just as apostate Judaism. This is the promise
of Scripture. We have the same “sins”
of “Israel” in the church
today – self-centeredness, pride, idolatry, adultery and “unbelief.” And like apostate Judaism, much
of the visible church today is completely apostate and headed for the same “severity of God”
and His righteous judgment.
The
“organized” church's days as we know them are numbered – God will literally destroy
it. Sadly, the price this apostate system will have to pay is described in the seventeenth chapter of Revelation.
But not until He has “redeemed”
and removed the “remnant” of
true “believers” that are in
it through the Rapture of the Church.
The remaining “church” will then be devastated in an act of God’s divine “judgment” – just as “Israel” was devastated for its apostasy.
The
warnings that are given throughout the Scriptures to the “Jews” and “Gentiles”
will indeed come to pass. When the true church was born in the book of Acts, it was as pure as the driven snow. But today
it is apostate because of liberalism – a rejection of the truth of
Scripture and through direct attacks on the deity of Jesus Christ. These evil
lies take precedence in most “seminaries” and “Christian” institutions across
our country. All of the “unbelieving,”
liberal Protestant churches, “religious” groups and cults that deny the deity
of Jesus Christ and His all-sufficient “salvation”
sacrifice for “sin” consider
themselves a “church” unto themselves. However, there is a true “remnant” church – The Bride of Jesus Christ!
The
branch that was “broken off” –
the original nation of “Israel”
– will be “grafted back” in to
the glories of the Millennial Kingdom.
And we believing “Gentiles”
will rejoice to be blessed with “Israel”
on that awesome “Day” – AMEN!
Please continue reading verses 11-24 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!
If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com
I love hearing from you. Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!
Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><
Encouraging Concepts
Truth for Today
"Living Life From a Biblical Worldview"Lighthouse Publications <><
