A GLORY THAT IS FOREVER
#147 A GLORY THAT IS FOREVER
Scripture Romans 11:1-36 NIV Orig. 10/28/62
Rewr. 8/1/85
Passage: 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]
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]
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]
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.
Purpose: Continuing the series from Romans, here showing the wisdom of God in saving His people.
Keywords: Bible Study God’s Omnipotence Salvation
Timeline/Series: Romans
Introduction
It is interesting how prominently the Jews have figured in human history. Time does not permit but a casual telling of the story that, as often as not, their prominence was their undoing.
The presence of the Jews (Hebrews) galled the Egyptians during Moses’ time to the point that it became the practice of state to see them become slaves. This is similar to the intent of the Third Reich in our own century: The presence of wealthy Jews, and a race of people so content in their heritage, angered the German war lords to the point of holocaust.
Individually, the activity directed at them has not been much different. Do you remember Haman, the Agagite, and Mordecai the Jew? Mordecai was just trying to be faithful to his religious beliefs. He was not out to challenge anyone else, or to convert them. But he so galled Haman that he went to his death in a challenge of supremacy.
Every age has had its company of Jews who become prominent in their fields. You have heard about the farmer who was a man who excelled in his work. Well, Jews have a way of rising to the top, as cream over milk. Perhaps that is the characteristic that has labelled them and marked them for hostility and persecution.
Search any area of interest, medicine, government, commerce, industry, and you will note leaders in extraordinarily vaunted positions who are Jews. ***TEXT LOST AT END OF THIS PARAGRAPH***
I. The Glory of Grace. V1 “I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not!” The saved remnant appear in prior lessons: Romans 9 is about God’s sovereignty and election, and Romans 10 is about Israel’s failure and Gentile belief. The concept of remnant is not new. According to some accounts, Noah spent 120 years preaching and building. Only his family joined him on the ark. Genesis 6:8 “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.”
The New Testament accounting shows that even Jesus had many who heard who did not believe. Matthew 7:14 “Straight is the gate, and narrow the way, leading to life, and few there are that find it.”
At Kadesh-Barnea, 12 spies went out. Ten returned, reporting there was no hope of success; only two believed. The obvious illustration of Elijah shows a believing host. Paul considers himself as proof of God’s constancy.
It continues to Paul’s day and ours. Every Jew who believes is of the people of God. “Remnant” refers to true believers.
With a hardened heart, people can be earnestly and sincerely wrong. V7f “Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were hardened. It is not enough to be good. It is totally inadequate to claim sincerity.
The human heart is not dependable. The Hebrews prove it. Paul elsewhere has his own testimony. Acts 26:9 “Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.”
II. The Glory of Provocation. V11 “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.” Out of the Jewish failure, faith has come to the Gentiles. Romans 1:16, “For it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth: to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” The Gentile is given salvation. The Jew is incited to desire.
The nature of their problem is in Romans 10:3. “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God.” The source of this deplorable condition is in Romans 11:8. “God has given them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear, to this very day.” Here, Paul reiterates Deuteronomy 29:4 and Isaiah 29:10.
Did God want to destroy them? Such is unthinkable. Paul says “God forbid!” Isaiah shows that this stupor is in response to their unbelief.
Take care to note the end result. The Gentiles are saved. The Jews are provoked to believe.
III. The Glory of Ingrafting. V17 “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.” The imagery in Paul’s lesson is that Israel is the tame olive tree. Gentiles are the wild olive tree. On the trunk of the olive tree, split by limbs broken off, a piece of non-native material is broken off because of uselessness. In Romans 10:21 Paul recalls the words of Isaiah. “Concerning Israel he says, ‘All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.’”
IV. The Glory of Future Promise. V26 “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.” This says, “All of Hebrew stock will be saved,” or, it says that all Jews who come to accept this conditional right, in Christ will be saved.
V. The Glory of Praise. V33 “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.” The Jew with his strong position in regard to God finds himself disavowed. This total spiritual energy aimed at God’s people is to reach the unchosen. That energy is then turned from Israel to the Gentiles, which will ultimately be the means by which the Jew is attracted to his prior post.
***THE CONCLUSION TO THIS SERMON HAS BEEN LOST***