seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Romans 11:1 I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”[a]? 4 And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”[b] 5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.
7 What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened, 8 as it is written:
“God gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes that could not see
and ears that could not hear,
to this very day.”[c]
eyes that could not see
and ears that could not hear,
to this very day.”[c]
9 And David says:
“May their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
10 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
and their backs be bent forever.”[d]
a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
10 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
and their backs be bent forever.”[d]
11 Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. 12 But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!
13 I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry 14 in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18 do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” 20 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
22 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. 23 And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!
25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, 26 and in this way[e] all Israel will be saved. As it is written:
“The deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
27 And this is[f] my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.”[g]
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
27 And this is[f] my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.”[g]
28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29 for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. 30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now[h] receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. 32 For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and[i] knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?”[j]
35 “Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?”[k]
36 For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?”[j]
35 “Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?”[k]
36 For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.
- Romans 11:3 1 Kings 19:10,14
- Romans 11:4 1 Kings 19:18
- Romans 11:8 Deut. 29:4; Isaiah 29:10
- Romans 11:10 Psalm 69:22,23
- Romans 11:26 Or and so
- Romans 11:27 Or will be
- Romans 11:27 Isaiah 59:20,21; 27:9 (see Septuagint); Jer. 31:33,34
- Romans 11:31 Some manuscripts do not have now.
- Romans 11:33 Or riches and the wisdom and the
- Romans 11:34 Isaiah 40:13
- Romans 11:35 Job 41:11
Is he done? Anyone fall out the window yet? Is he done telling the Romans that they, like the Jews [descendants of Jacob], can receive Salvation too? This is from the easy English site.
Paul shows in two ways that God has not ended his relationship with the Jews.
1. Paul is a Jew himself. He is a descendant of Abraham. He is from the family called Benjamin. This was a small family, but the first king of Israel came from it. Paul had acted against God in the past before he became a Christian. God had forgiven him. So God could forgive other Jews as well.
2. Paul reminds the Jews about the answer that God gave to the prophet Elijah. The queen made plans to kill Elijah. He knew that the people no longer worshipped God. They had destroyed God’s altars. Prophets had died because of their Faith. Elijah thought that he was the only person in Israel who was still loyal to God. God told him that this was not true. There were still 7000 people who were loyal to God. They had not worshipped the false god, Baal (1 Kings 19:14-18).
Paul also uses words from Psalm 69:22-23. The writer of that Psalm asks God to act against his enemies. His enemies are like people who sit at a feast. They feel happy and safe. But enemies could attack them before they realise it. Paul associates that passage with the Jews who refused to believe God’s good news. Paul suggests that they feel happy and safe. But their selfish satisfaction is like a trap that will cause terrible pain. The day will come when they cannot see (know) the truth at all. Then, they will suffer. They will be like blind people. Or, they will be like a person who bends over with a great load on his back. Their wrong attitudes will cause them great trouble.
Many Jews refused to believe the gospel. Paul has explained about the terrible punishments that those people will suffer because of their unbelief. But that is not the end of God’s relationship with the Jews. God still has a plan for their families. Paul emphasises that the Jewish people will recover from their troubles. They will again be the people whom God has chosen. But in the meantime, God offers salvation to everyone who will accept it. Because Israel has sinned, salvation has come to the Gentiles. In the Book of Acts, Luke records 4 occasions when Paul began to preach to Gentiles. But those Jews refused his message of salvation. So Paul offered it to the Gentiles. The Jews would see how God had brought blessings to the Gentiles. So the Jews would be jealous and they would turn to God themselves. Their sin had brought blessings. So there will be an even greater blessing for everyone in the end. The Jews will return to God. The number of Jewish believers will be complete. And Jews and Gentiles will be glad together because of what God has done.
Paul describes a technique called grafting. Farmers and gardeners world-wide still use grafting today. The problem is that a strong tree does not always yield good quality fruit. A weaker tree might yield better quality fruit. But because that tree is weak, it cannot yield much fruit. If both trees are of the same kind, the gardener can try grafting. He removes the branches from the strong tree. Then he binds a small branch of the weaker tree to the stem of the strong tree. This is a difficult task. Only a skilled gardener has a good possibility of success. But if the gardener succeeds, he will have a much better tree. It will be a strong tree that yields good fruit. And the fruit will be plentiful.
God had been firm with the Jews who refused to obey him. He had been kind to the Gentiles. So the Gentiles must remain loyal to God. They did not deserve salvation. They only received salvation because of God’s kindness. But long ago, God chose the Jews to be his own special people. He made his covenant with them. And his promises still stand today. Paul eagerly expected a time when his own people, the Jews, would believe the gospel. God can make this happen.
Did I see something about Elijah? I went to Bible-studys.org......
After Elijah had finished killing the 450 prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:40), Ahab had told Jezebel all that Elijah had done and she sent a message to Elijah saying that she would take his life by the next day. He fled for his life and ended up in the wilderness under a broom tree and prayed for death.
It was at this point he was so discouraged and didn’t want to go on. Elijah thought at this point that he was all alone. As he slept, an angel touched him waking him up. God had provided food and drink for Elijah in the midst of his distress and the surrounding famine. That’s when God told him:
I Kings 19:18 "Yet I have left [me] seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him."
Paul points to himself , as an example that God did not make a blanket rejection of the Jews. He then proceeds, to draw a parallel with Elijah and the 7,000 from among the millions of Israel, who had not served Baal.
Paul had been jailed for talking about a dead man...... That's what they originally got him for.... He was telling people that Jesus was the Messiah and on top of that he was telling people that Jesus had walked out of the tomb..... and on top of that..... he was telling people that Jesus was raised up to heaven.... like the prophets before...... and it caused a riot. Riots were not allowed in under the Roman watch. Riots were put down as quickly as they would rise up..... there were no rubber bullets or tear gas..... there were chariots, horses..... swords..... it could be bloody. In the case of Paul's riot.... they just arrested Paul and got them out to the crowd. But Paul insisted on spreading that same story.... that a Jew [descendant of Jacob] had been declared dead on the cross but somehow cooked a fish dinner and was taken to heaven..... in front of a lot of people..... Originally.... Paul would have been "put down" because they couldn't have him spreading rumors..... "dead men walking indeed" they would say... I bet.... But then Paul threw a monkey wrench into the event.... He told him he was a Roman citizen.... His mom was a Jew but his dad was a Roman..... so after years and years and years and years in prison in Jerusalem..... he was allowed to go to Rome to testify.
For almost eleven chapters Paul has been going on and on and on about how the Jews weren't the only ones who God wanted to save..... the Gentiles were invited into the family again too..... remember.... there was Noah and three sons on that Ark...... so everyone on earth can trace their roots back to Noah..... a predecessor of Abraham [Abram], Isaac, and Israel [Jacob]......
Paul told the Romans it was true that Jesus was the Messiah..... and on top of that.... that Messiah is not just for the Jews.... He's coming for the whole world. And those Jews jumped up and said.... "He can't be saying that.... that guy Jesus was from Nazareth, not Bethlehem.... and He was all talk, food, and healing..... He didn't even begin to try to rid us of conquerors...... and now he's claiming that guy Jesus was lifted up to heaven, a prophet.... come on... get real" So Paul had to tell them in long long long long words.... so they would be swept by his knowledge..... that not only did Jesus come to save the Jews.... as promised.... but the Gentiles as well...... "Romans were welcome in Heaven with those Jews...... who would have thunk!"
In every church I have ever gone to.... preachers and teachers have a hard time with the grafting in stuff...... they always explain it.... but not so anyone can understand it...... I've even seen preachers who brought in a grafted plant hoping seeing it would make it clear..... but it doesn't make sense.....
NOW.... here's my attempt..... God put us all on earth.... so humans are all trees in the same garden.......
Some of the humans are original to the garden.... 'chosen".... descendants of Israel [Jacob].... Jews
The rest of the humans are from the cuttings and pruning off of the original tree.... not as "chosen" but willing.... very willing to love God and grow great plump fruit..... but not "chosen" like the originals....
So.... God... who created gardening in the first place..... took all the trees and combined them all into the best orchard there could possibly be..... rich, plump fruit on every bow.... bows so full of fruit they are weighted down..... ready for the picking..... bowing under the fruit..... beautiful.... as only God knew they could do once combined.....
Remember God created everything.... including grafting..... God knows a good piece of fruit when He sees it....
