March 1, 2013

Romans - Lesson 11


Text
3. The righteousness of God is upheld by his forbearance:
Israel’s rejection 11:1-24

a. Did God cast off his people?
11:1-10

Chapter 11
1 I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?
3 "Lord, they have killed Thy prophets, they have torn down Thine altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life."
4 But what is the divine response to him? "I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal."
5 In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice.
6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.
7 What then? That which Israel is seeking for, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened;
8 just as it is written,
"God gave them a spirit of stupor, Eyes to see not and ears to hear not, Down to this very day."
9 And David says,
"Let their table become a snare and a trap, And a stumbling block and a retribution to them.
10 "Let their eyes be darkened to see not, And bend their backs forever."

b. Did they stumble that they might fall forever- No! 11:11-36

11 I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.
12 Now if their transgression be riches for the world and their failure be riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!
13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. I much then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,
14 if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them.
15 For if their rejection be the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
16 And if the first piece of dough be holy, the lump is also; and if the root be holy, the branches are too.
17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree,
  1. do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.
  2. You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I might be
grafted in."
20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear;
21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you.
22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.
23 And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in again.
24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more shall these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive
tree?
25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles has come in;
26 and thus all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob."
27 "And this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins."
28 From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God's choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers;
29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
30 For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience,
31 so these also now have been disobedient, in order that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy.
32 For God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
34 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor?
35 Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again?
  1. For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

Thought questions for chapter 11

  1. Why do some Christians fall away?
Their heart. See Lk 8:5-15
  1. Why are some saved ( the remnant) and others not?
Belief in Jesus.
  1. What is God’s part in salvation, and what is man’s?
To provide the way of salvation
I should accept by faith and not be arrogant about it for I am just being grafted in.
  1. How does verses 11-24 encourage a Jewish evangelistic mission?
Because some may believe see vs 23
  1. What relationships does Paul see between the Gentiles and the Jews in verse 11?
If God brought in the gentiles by faith, then they were to be an example to the Jews as to how they were to act towards God.
  1. What characteristics of God does Paul emphasize in chapter 11?
The kindness and severity of God are shown to be true wisdom and beyond human understanding. See vss. 22 with 33-34
For Further Thought

What lessons can we learn from God’s dealings with Israel? See 11-24

God is both kind and severe. God will provide a way. If I change, God will accept me.


What three reasons are given in verses 1-10 to show that God did not cast Israel away?
God would not 1a
God has not rejected me vs 16
God did not reject Israel in the time of Elijah

What reasons does Paul give in verses 11-24 to show that Israel’s rejection of God is not final?
They were made jealous
Some may accept vs 15
If they believe, they will be grafted in vs 23

What is God’s ultimate purpose for Israel, and how do the scriptures cited confirm that purpose?

Sanctification vs 26 Paul refers to the covenant made in the latter days.


How does the content of this chapter relate to what Paul says about the true Jew in 2:28-29?

God has chosen the Jew who is a true Jew.



What benefits and blessings do the Jews and Gentiles derive from one another? See verses 28-32
Enthuaism of faith
Knowledge of Jesus


In verses 25-32 does Paul mean that every Jewish person will ultimately be saved, or that the nation as a whole will experience the salvation of those who believe in faith?
The Jewish nation will be exposed to the concept of salvation by (through) faith. The deliverer will remove sin from Israel and segregate unto God a remnant that will be saved by faith.

How might Paul’s comments in 9:25 and 10:21 lead someone to as the question in verse 1?
If the gentiles are to be selected for inclusion and the Jews rebuked, it would be natural to ask this question.

Israel’s fall
  1. The salvation of the Gentiles provoked Israel to jealousy
  2. The hope of Israel was being fulfilled in the Gentiles Eph 2:12; 3:6
  3. The promise given to Israel was now being fulfilled in the Gentiles
  4. The God of Israel was now being believed upon by the Gentiles


By way of illustration


Hardness of heart
I knelt to pray when day was done,
And prayed, "Lord, bless everyone;
Lift from each heart the pain,
And let the sick be well again."
And then I woke again one day,
And carelessly went on my way;
The whole day long I did not try
To wipe a tear from any eye.
I did not try to share the load
Of any brother on the road;
I did not even go to see
the sick man just next door to me.
Yet once again when every day was done,
I prayed, "Lord, bless everyone."
But as I prayed to my ear
Came a voice that whispered dear,
'Pause, hypocrite, before you pray;
Whom have you tried to bless today?
God's sweetest blessings always go,
By hands that serve Him here below.'"
And then I hid my face and cried,
"Forgive me Lord, for I have lied;
Let me but live another day,
And I will live the way I pray." The Bulletin

Darkness stands for the Christless life
Darkness is hostile to the Light
Darkness stands for the ignorance of life apart from Christ
Darkness stands for the chaos of life without God
Darkness stands for the immorality of the Christless life.
Darkness is characteristically unfruitful.
Darkness is connected with lovelessness and hate
And darkness is the abode of the enemies of Christ and the final
goal of those who will not accept him.


Wisdom
All is best, though we oft doubt
What the unsearchable dispose
Of Highest Wisdom brings about.
John Milton (1608-1674)
Chapter Outline: Hope for Israel
1. I am not cast away 1
2. The scripture testifies that all are not cast away 2-4
3. There is a remnant by God’s grace 5-6
4. There is a remnant by God’s design 7-12
The character of God shows that He will be kind
To those He is please with: The remnant 13-24
  1. God’s remnant is a part of the revelation His
Mystery” 25-32
  1. God’s magnificient ways are beyond ours,
and thereforewe should trust in His judgments. 33-36

Rom 11:23 - Do again
We should
1. Be revived by God Psa 85:6
2. Turn to God Ez 33:14; Jas 5:19-20
3. Turn from evil Jer 25:5; Ez 18:27
4. Believe in Christ (and be
Grafted into the vine) Rom 11:5-23
5. Be made over Jer 18:1-4; 2 Corth 5:17
6. Be born again Jn 3:3-7; 1 Pet 1:3

We should not
1. Turn from righteousness Ez 3:20
2. Rebuild the Law Gal 2: 15-19 (esp. vs 18)
3. Turn back to slavery Gal 4:9; 5:1
  1. Become dull of hearing and
Need to be retaught Heb 5:11-6:1
5. Turn back to folly Psa 85:1-8
6. Become entangled in sin 2 Pet 2:20

Rom 11:25 “The mystery” -- was hidden, but is now revealed
God’s
1. Wisdom 1 Corth 2:1-7
2. Will Eph 1:9
3. Graftings Rom 11:22-25
4. Kingdom Matt 13:11; Mk 4:11; Lk 8:10
5. Dealings with Bablyon Rev 17: 5-7
6. Seven churches Rev 1:20
Christ’s
1. Gospel Eph 6:19; Rev 10:7; Rom 16:25-26
2. Church Eph 3:1-9; 5:32
The Holy Spirit’s
1. Gift of knowledge 1 Corth 13:2
2. Gift of tongues 1 Corth 14:2
Our
1. Obedience of faith Rom 16:25-26
2. Rapture with Christ 1 Thess 4: 13-16
3. Being in Christ Col 1:26-27; Eph 1:1-13
4. Faith 1 Tim 3:9

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