Romans 11 Part A

There's a God joined, there's with Jesus. Long a time, this race began. To his name eternal praise he says.

Oh, what wonder that love has done. One with Jesus, one with Jesus, one eternal union, one. One with Jesus, one with Jesus, one eternal union, one.

On such love my soul shall ponder. Love so great, so rich, so free. Saved while lost in holy wonder.

Wise, O Lord, such love to me. Alleluia, alleluia, grace shall reign eternally. Alleluia, alleluia, grace shall reign eternally.

Now our reading is chapter 11 of the Romans. Read the chapter, Romans chapter 11. Verse 1, I say then, hath God cast away his people? God forbid.

How often the apostle uses those words, he asks a question, and then he infers absolutely no. God will never cast away his people. For I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

God doth not cast away his people, which he foreknew. Watch ye not what the scripture saith of Elias, or Elijah, how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars, and I am left alone, and they seek my life. 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.

Even so then, at this present time also, there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then it is no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it works, then it is no more grace, otherwise work is no more work.

What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for, but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded. 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. And David said, Let their table become a snare, and a trap, and a stumbling block, and a recompense unto them.

Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back all way. I say then, Have they stumbled, that they should fall? God forbid. But rather, through their fall, salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

Paul's going back again to what he said in verse 19 of chapter 10. 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? For I speak to you, Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office, if by any means I may provoke to emulation, and again the word is jealousy, them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. 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? For if the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy, and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graft in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree, boast not against the branches, but if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graft in. Well, because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith, be not high-minded, but fear.

For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed, lest he spare not thee. Behold, therefore, the goodness and severity of God, on them which fell severity, but toward thee goodness, if thou continue in his goodness, otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still on belief, shall be graft in, for God is able to graft them in again.

For if thou come out of the olive tree, which is wild by nature, and wert graft contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more shall these which be the natural branches be graft into their own olive tree? For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits, that blindness in part is happened to the Gentiles, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in, 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, for this is my covenant unto them, whom I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes, but as touching the election, they are beloved for the Father's sake.

For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. For ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief. Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. 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! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been his counselor? Or who hath first given to him, and shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him are all things, to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

And we know God will bless the religious word. Now chapter 10, 9, and 10, and 11 that we've been looking at, we come now to chapter 11. In chapter 9, Paul is reminding us of God's sovereignty and picking up the nation.

His sovereign electing purposes and lifting up people and bringing them into a place of blessing. Receiving what he calls his mercy. And then as we're reminded from chapter 10, in spite of all of that, they continue in their rejection.

And we're reminded of the value of the word of God that by faith reaches the heart. And so now, Jew and Gentile are brought together. And as Paul reminds us in the epistles, it's no longer Jew or Gentile, but the church of God.

They're one. Now in chapter 11 that we're looking at now, we learn something of the purposes of God that have been complete. Again, the nation is brought into a place of full restoration.

They're enjoying God nationally. If you went back to Zechariah, you'd be reminded, as in chapter 12, he says about that day when they'll say, What are these wounds in thy hand? And there'll be a fountain open for sin and for uncleanness. And again, the nation of Israel will be brought into a place of favor.

They're God's chosen people, and God again will take them up. They'll recognize their Messiah. They'll repent of their sin, and they'll receive Him.

Now as Brother Sandy reminded us, they're back in the land partially, but they're there in unbelief. But the day is coming when there'll be a returning to the land, and again, they'll be the head and not the tail. Now, I've looked at the chapter very simply in this way.

And we'll go down the chapter verse by verse as my style is in a Bible reading. I appreciate what our brethren have done following that procedure. In chapter 11 from verses 1 to chapter 6, we're reminded that temporarily the nation of Israel is rejected.

It's not a permanent thing. It's only temporarily. God has not cast away His people.

In the purposes of God, they'll be recovered. That's verses 1 to 6. Then further down the chapter from verse 7 down to about verse 16, he reminds us of the true riches for the Gentile. All of the blessings that they're going to be brought into, no longer stumbling at the grace of God as Israel did.

They'll be rejoicing in a newfound joy. He talks about the riches of the Gentiles in verse 12, and they're going to be brought into that place of blessing. Then from verse 17 through verse 24, we have the result of unbelief on the part of the nation again.

God tells us what will mark them, some of the characteristics. And we'll be looking at that lovely section that tells us that although they were broken off, branches broken off from that olive root, the day is coming when they're going to be grafted in again. And we'll likely have a bit of interesting discussion about this process of the wild being grafted in again.

That was the nation of Israel. They were privileged, and yet now God says, you Gentiles, you were the wild olive, the wild branch. You're brought now into a place of blessing.

And so, then from verse 25 down to verse 32, we'll read about the blessing for the nation again. He talks about the fullness of the Gentiles, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And likely we'll look at the three untils of Israel's blessings that the Word of God reminds us of.

This one here, the fullness of the Gentiles. Chapter 21 of Luke's Gospel, the times of the Gentiles. And we'll see something about what the differences are.

And then at the very end, there's that lovely doxology. Paul breaks out and he says, Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and the knowledge of God. Who hath known it? Who hath found him out? And now we see the nation brought into a place of restoration.

They're brought back in favor with God. Now, as I've said, this chapter is quite lengthy. He begins by mentioning these witnesses that prove that there's a future for the nation.

Paul mentions himself in verse 1. Then a little further down, verses 2 and 5 through verse 8, he talks about the prophet Elijah. He brings him in again. Then he mentions David in verse 9. Then in verse 11 through 15, he talks about the Gentiles.

And then again, he talks about some of the patriarchs, the Old Testament prophets, Abraham and others. He brings them in to prove that there's going to be blessing for Israel. And then at the end, down in verses 25 and what follows, he mentions that God himself has put his stamp of approval on the restoration of the nation.

Now, having said that, I think we'll open up the chapter for discussion. He begins by saying, I say then again. In other words, there's a definite future for the nation of Israel.

As God cast them away, there were people saying, there's nothing for Israel. God says, absolutely no. And Paul refers to himself, an Israelite of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin, that seed that went right down through until Christ came.

And so the apostle links himself with his ancestors. A godly heritage. Now, I think that's all I'll say at the moment.

We'll look for brethren for help. And again, if there's any in the audience that have questions, I wonder about some on the back rows, if they're able to hear what some of us say at times. It's not very loud.

So do your best, brethren, to speak up, so that everyone will benefit from our coming together. Paul is telling us that he is living proof, in his position now, that God has not cast away his people. That is the proof, he says, first of all.

And then he'll go later on, and he says, and he will go on into explaining it. But the first and foremost reason is Paul's existence as a believer. Exactly.

And it's interesting how he links himself with a nation. He says, I'm and I was just like they are. Remember, he tells us what he was when he writes to the Corinthians.

So he is ethnically linked with Israel and is the seed of Abraham in that sense. Is that correct? Yeah. In the best of senses.

He fulfills all the things we've had before, as being an Israelite by ethnicity, but also fulfilling by faith the other things as well, because he's at the seed of Abraham. But he fulfills the criteria that he himself sets down earlier. What do you have in mind, William? Go ahead.

I can see your mind moving. No, I'm just a little confused as to, well, our identity then is of the seed of Abraham by faith. There's four different ways, though.

Yeah. The expression of the seed of Abraham. So that's why I thought that here was the ethnic end of it.

It was what he is by the flesh. Well, of course, he expands on it in Philippians chapter three. Yeah.

Where it is seven full boasts of what he is. And these follow the same things. And he says, circumcise the eighth day, stock of Israel, tribe of Benjamin, Hebrew of Hebrews, et cetera.

And here is, I think, an expansion of the same thing. So are we learning here that at the end of chapter 10, someone may say to Paul, well, if that's the case, if all these things, the result is God has finally dispensed with Israel, he has cast them away permanently. Is that the argument he's taking up here? No, he's saying I'm an example that he picked me up.

And he hasn't cast them away permanently. And he'll do the same with them. True.

That's it. I think that's the idea. I think, too, brother, that even what our beloved brethren have been bringing out in the previous chapters, God is establishing his character in all his dealings, both with Israel and also with Gentiles.

I like the verse that's mentioned and Samuel mentions. He says, the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name's sake. And that is his backing up of his own promises and of his own nature.

And as you mentioned already, Paul is proof of it because he says, I persecuted the very thing that caused. Remember, after Stephen was martyred, they were not called manslayers anymore. They were called murderers.

And so there is, by grace, Paul is brought in and he's the example of it in this passage. He was a prime example of Israel's own belief in his own saved days. But God took him up in spite of his ignorance.

That's right. And so God can take up Israel nationally again in spite of their unbelief. So, brother Eric, he's not saying that God didn't cast away his people, but the casting away was neither total or final.

Temporary and partial. That's right. Because in verse 15, they are cast away.

Verse 19, they're broken off. Verse 19 again, they are judicially blighted. But he's saying this is not total and final, and I'm the example of that.

A temporary thing. That's right. What is the foreknowledge in relation to? What did he know about them? Obviously, this is in the past, past tense.

God didn't cast them away, whom he foreknew. What is he speaking about? Is he going away into the future? Or is he in the now? Or where is he? And that's a genuine question. I have no answer to it.

I think he's going back to Romans chapter 8 again. Whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate. He knew.

He knew the event of happening in the life of the apostle. And he knows the same with Israel, when they'll be taken up again. Is that what you had in mind? I don't know.

Is it that Paul is saying, he didn't cast away his people, because I'm a living example, that me as an individual, he has taken me, and he's made me his own. Is that what he's saying? Yes. That's what I think.

In spite of Paul's unbelief, he was brought into blessing. That principle applies also to the nation. In spite of their present unbelief, God will yet bring them into blessing.

And Paul is one. He's part of the remnant. And eventually all Israel will be saved.

God knew all that from the moment he said it. Everything in the future. Still not getting the answer to the foreknowledge.

Because we've agreed before that God doesn't save us because the foreknew we would be saved. It's not in that at all. So what is the foreknowledge in relation to? I'm not hearing that from you yet.

Is it possible that what he is saying is that God knew ahead of time that they would reject, and even knowing that, he took them up, knowing he would also bring them back again. So it was the foreknowledge of their rejection did not affect God's purposes for them. He's emphasizing really it is the people that he foreknew.

We knew that God foreknows all things, but it's the people. I think that's what it is, Brother Duncan. You're a Scotchman, and you think kind of different sometimes.

No offense. He's Irish. You're Irish, and you're always subservient to the Scots, so watch it.

I appreciate your thinking, put it that way. You're thinking in a different channel, perhaps. The right one or the wrong one.

Do you think that Paul is saying God knew just as he wasn't cast away and was an object of God's mercy, so the nation would be the same. He had foreknowledge of that, of the people. Israel is the Lord's earthly people, and God will take them up again in the future as his earthly people.

And God has determined that's going to be. In his foreknowledge, he has identified Israel as the object of that blessing. Is that right? That's right.

See, God's not going to change his mind. In spite of what he knew about what Israel would do, he's not casting them off because his promises are in them. Could that be behind that? So you do know the answer after all.

You're keeping it from us. You've persuaded me what the right answer is. I think you knew all along.

You're just testing us. You agree with that? Yes. And the fact that God will not repent.

That's the important thing. There is a timeline that runs through this chapter, isn't there? Yes. Foreknowledge in verse number 3. You come to verse 5. At the present time, verse 8. Unto this day.

Then you get the until. Then you get shall be saved. So you're getting a timeline, really, of activity.

And we're going to see different things along that timeline consistent with God's foreknowledge and purposes. So it's all purposes, isn't it? Does it not link? I know we're jumping way down the chapter, and I'm not going to do that. But does it not link with the verse that the gifts and callings of God are without repentance? That's absolutely the idea.

Question? Before we leave this, could I ask a question? Is there a specific time that God either began to or did cast away his people? Do you want to repeat the question? He's asking the question, is there a specific time that God knew or did cast away his people? Well, he's saying here that he didn't cast them away. Well, if the casting away, he's using it in an argument form. Well, he does say in verse 15.

Of course, you have to anticipate. I take it verse 15, if the casting away of them. But we understand that's temporary.

That's right. Temporary. So it's not stated.

It's understood. Verse 1, he has not dispensed with Israel finally. They're not finished with.

He hasn't cast them away totally. This partial and temporary blindness to Israel, whether you want to link it with the cross or the rejection of Stephen, but God then turned from the nation to the nations. So if you want to link it with that, if you need a point in time to link it with, it would be then.

Would you not link it with Acts 28, verse 28? You could link it there from henceforth. Or even Peter in Acts chapter 9. Yes. Well, we'll get to that again in verse 7 because he's saying their eyes were blinded.

They didn't know the purposes of God. Israel had not attained that what he was seeking for. They were blinded.

But the day comes when he made choice of them. And they were brought back again. This was only a temporary thing.

All right? Right. All right. Well, let's move on then.

In verse 3 or verse 2? Well, you know what the scripture says of Elijah. What he said to God, you remember that occasion when Israel had turned away and were linked with idolatry? And the whole nation was corrupt. And Elijah says to God as he's there despondent, There's no one but me.

I only am left. And the Lord has to tell him there were 3,000 still available that hadn't turned away from God. So when he says I alone am left and they seek my life, He didn't really know what God was doing.

So are we learning in this that we're going to be learning about a remnant according to the election of grace? Right. In the two statements here, one of Elijah and one of the tribe of Benjamin, He's pointing out that there has always been a remnant. The tribe of Benjamin was one of the faithful tribes.

Benjamin with Judah. In the days of Elijah, Elijah thought that he himself was the remnant, but God had more than him. That's right.

That's good, John. The Old Testament closes with a remnant. They that feared the Lord speak often one to another.

And then the New Testament opens with a remnant. So the shepherds and Mary and Joseph and the others named people. The old people, the poor people.

And they weren't outstanding in this world, but they were God's people. So even in this dispensation of grace, there's a remnant of God's people Israel. They're there, ones who have been born again.

He hasn't cast them off completely. So they are in the church. Absolutely.

But that's not in this chapter. But they have to be in the church. Those who are saved today.

No, no, I was just going to mention that they have killed my prophets. And they seek my life. That would be true really of the apostles at that point in time.

So Israel at their darkest day, the days of Baal. And now Israel right now doing the exact same thing. Killing the prophets, pursuing them, putting them to death.

And yet despite that, God still has purposes of grace. Anyone else? Any comment on verses 3 and 4 and 5? From a practical point of view. Sometimes, and I've heard it from someone off the platform.

Almost intimidating. I'm the only one standing for God. You all get there? You've been holding truth and you see it being turned aside on every side.

And you say, I'm the only one standing for God. But it's interesting that you start looking around. And you find, oh, there's another.

There's another. And all over the place, God has got his own. However dimly or however strongly, they're holding the truth of God.

God's got his men. That's right. In spite of our fears and that.

You know, it's God's church. And God's holding it together. Not us.

I'm glad you learned that, didn't he? Absolutely. Brother Eric, would you agree that maybe that, just with what our brother is saying. That really that's what he is thinking.

I'm the only faithful one remaining. But then he adds two words when we come to verse 4. For myself. Any thoughts on that? I've reserved for myself.

To myself, rather. Verse number 4. Well, in other words, God knew about them. But Elijah didn't.

That's how I take it. You have another thought on that, Murray? Well, the thought of the remnant. Isn't that associated with verse 3? They've killed the prophets.

God says, no, no. There's people I have not allowed them to be killed. I've kept them alive.

I've reserved for myself. They're mine. And they're not being allowed to touch them.

That's good. So remember, in days of persecution, and we haven't known it. When there's martyrs, it's only as God allows.

So does verse 5 link with verse 2? Is the remnant, according to the election of grace, does that equate with his people which he foreknew? I think the whole section has included William from verse 2 through 5. He's dealing with Elijah who thought there was no one else but him. And as Brother Duncan has suggested, we should never get that idea because God has others who are faithful. It's dangerous to think that I only.

That's very, very dangerous. Because there are others that God knows about, and this verse would indicate that he has reserved them for himself. They're available.

The same is true today as in Elijah's day. 7,000 that he didn't know about. Why didn't he know about them? Where was he? What was he doing with 7,000 others around that he knew nothing about? I've often wondered.

He was hiding. You think Brother Barnes, he just wasn't too interested? In the other 7,000? The other 7,000. Why is there no indication that he knew about them? Well, he's just selecting these as the remnant.

I don't see any particular. I've reserved to myself, so he has God's reservation of these men. Do you have some thoughts behind that, Brother? So, believing Jews today are a remnant according to the election of grace.

And if a remnant, that's a principle that there is going to be a future recovery nationally. Is that the idea of verse 5? Is that why he brings it in? Well, it's at this present time. He's saying as a comparison with the future or as compared with past time at the time of Elijah.

At this time. Also this. It goes backwards.

He's drawing historically in the time of Elijah, there was a remnant. And so at this present time, there's a remnant. And they are described as the election of grace.

So that is believing Jews at the present time during the day of grace. They are a remnant. And that in itself is a testimony that there's going to be a future full harvest, if you will.

Yes. If there's a first roads crossing America. If they are today, they're also in the church.

Yes. But that's not in this chapter. No, no, no.

It is in the chapter. Right here. This present time in the church, there are believing of Israel.

There are believing Jews. And God is preserving through the church age. He will preserve a remnant of believing Jews.

That when we go into a tribulation scene and we go into a millennial scene, there will be of Israel. Not the nation as we discussed the other day, but individuals. And they will be preserved all the way through.

I understand that from here. Sorry, am I reading too much into it? No, I think you're right. You know, I'm all right.

There will be a remnant of Israel after the rapture, 144,000 at least. And that will guarantee that there's a future full harvest nationally in the millennium. Brother Barnes told us that in chapter 9 when he says, Their number is the sand of the sea.

A remnant shall be saved. It's the same people. I think, I don't want to get too confusing, but the point being made here is he's qualifying his statement.

God has not cast away his people. That's a national thing. He is not, I'm not going to say no more of Israel for me.

No. So he's still saving Jews. That's right.

So that's the point that's being made, really. We can get a little confused on many things. But one thing he's establishing is God has not cast away the Jew from any blessing whatsoever.

That's right. He's going to bring them in. And it's according, it's perfectly consistent with the election of grace.

That's it. Which is the same for us. Same for us.

Same for us. Yeah.