God Speaks
I ask, then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 No, God has not rejected his own people, whom he chose from the very beginning. Do you realize what the Scriptures say about this? Elijah the prophet complained to God about the people of Israel and said, 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”
4 And do you remember God’s reply? He said, “No, I have 7,000 others who have never bowed down to Baal!”
5 It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God’s grace—his undeserved kindness in choosing them. 6 And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.
7 So this is the situation: Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have—the ones God has chosen—but the hearts of the rest were hardened. 8 As the Scriptures say,
“God has put them into a deep sleep.
To this day he has shut their eyes so they do not see,
and closed their ears so they do not hear.”
9 Likewise, David said,
“Let their bountiful table become a snare,
a trap that makes them think all is well.
Let their blessings cause them to stumble,
and let them get what they deserve.
10 Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see,
and let their backs be bent forever.”
11 Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. 12 Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it.
13 I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this, 14 for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them. 15 For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead! 16 And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy—just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too.
17 But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree. 18 But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root.
19 “Well,” you may say, “those branches were broken off to make room for me.” 20 Yes, but remember—those branches were broken off because they didn’t believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. 21 For if God did not spare the original branches, he won’t spare you either.
22 Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off. 23 And if the people of Israel turn from their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, for God has the power to graft them back into the tree. 24 You, by nature, were a branch cut from a wild olive tree. So if God was willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting you into his cultivated tree, he will be far more eager to graft the original branches back into the tree where they belong.
25 I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ. 26 And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say,
“The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem,
and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness.
27 And this is my covenant with them,
that I will take away their sins.”
28 Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 29 For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn. 30 Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead. 31 Now they are the rebels, and God’s mercy has come to you so that they, too, will share in God’s mercy. 32 For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.
33 Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!
34 For who can know the Lord’s thoughts?
Who knows enough to give him advice?
35 And who has given him so much
that he needs to pay it back?
36 For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: Has God given up on His people? By no means. God has retained and is expanding His remnant, whether they are Jews by heritage or Gentile Christians. As proof, Paul, the author of this letter to Jewish background believers in Rome, listed his Jewish pedigree. The Lord has too much invested in His people to give up on them. He has always preserved a remnant, like the 7,000 who had not submitted to evil forces in Elijah’s day. The free gift of salvation is not by people being good enough but because of their response in faith to God’s kindness expressed in Jesus Christ. At this point in history many people (even God’s special people, the Jews) are sleepwalking through life unable to see, hear, or understand all that God has done for them. Even Moses and King David cautioned people not to let the abundance of God’s blessings lull them into complacency in their relationship with Him. Did God reject the Jews? Of course not. God intended for His offering salvation by faith to Gentiles to cause the Jews to rethink their attitudes and come back to right standing with God through trusting Him again. How wonderful it will be when the Jews come to believe Jesus really is their promised Messiah. Gentile believers must not be proud, but humble, grateful, and careful in how they treat Jews, God’s beloved people, because of His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God only temporarily set aside His work with the Jews in order expand His work on behalf of all people. God has left His people to their sinning until He has drawn to Himself everyone who is willing to receive His mercy and grace.
Consider the following questions regarding Romans 11:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. “God has imprisoned everyone [including His chosen people, the Jews, for a time] in disobedience so that He could have mercy on everyone [including the Gentiles].” (Romans 11:32 NLT)
2. People need to know by experience that “everything comes from Him and exists by His power and is untended for His glory. All glory to Him forever! Amen” (Romans 11:36 NLT)
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Romans 11? [I could form no better prayer for this chapter than a modification of verses 33-36 (TLB).] Dear Gracious God, I cannot begin to fathom the depths of Your mercy and grace to the Jews first but also to Gentile believers. Oh, what a wonderful God You are! How great are Your wisdom and knowledge and riches! How impossible it is for us to understand Your decisions and Your methods! For who among us can know Your mind, O Lord? Who knows enough to be Your counselor and guide? And who could ever offer to You, Lord, enough to induce You to act? For everything comes from You alone. Everything lives by Your power, and everything is for Your glory. To You be glory forevermore. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Romans 11? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will research a summary of God’s work on behalf of the Jewish people in the Old Testament.
- I will research a summary of God’s work on behalf of the Jews from New Testament times until today.
- I will investigate and decide on which ministry to Jewish people God wants me to support with the time, talents, and treasures He has given me.
- I will pray for the peace of Jerusalem, all of Israel, and individual Jewish people.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.