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 is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! 13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch 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 is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.
Paul was appealing to the Jews jealous nature and pointing out that God provided salvation to the Gentiles because the Jews were not obedient and did not follow the Lord in all that they did. This would offend and challenge many Jews. Paul wanted to challenge them and he wanted to reach them. He wanted every Jew to realize that God, in His holiness, wanted them to be saved through the Savior. However, God was not going to bring them to salvation just because they were His “chosen people” under this new covenant.
This is where my head starts spinning and I am challenged in my knowledge. God made a covenant with Abraham and then with Moses regarding the Jewish nation — they were to be His chosen people and He would care and tend to them. Because of their disobedience and neglect, He sent Jesus into the world (God made flesh, don’t forget!) in order to pay for the sins of everyone. Now, if the Jews were the chosen people, why would He do this? Because God loves everyone and wants for every soul reachable to have a chance to enter into the kingdom of Heaven, right? The Jews were the chosen nation, though. Why would God go to all of that trouble from the beginning only to open it to everyone after His son came?
The glory of God is my only answer to this. Everything God does brings glory to His name. God chose Israel because that was the lineage that would eventually bring Jesus into the world. That was the nation that He promised He would bless (to Abraham). To provide eternal salvation only to the chosen people certainly gives God glory — He is just, right and fair. He keeps His promises. He is immutable. I could go on. However, if God extends His mercy and His grace to every nation — to every soul that calls on the name of Jesus Christ as their savior. How glorifying to God! How glorifying to the King that sent His only son into the world as flesh in order to pay for the sins of mankind. Certainly God could have brought Jesus into this world to die for the nation of Israel — for their sins and their transgressions. But He didn’t. He let Jesus’s blood pay for all of the saved.
Jason Worthen Quiet Time, Romans
7 What then? What Israel is seeking, 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.”
As I meditate on this passage for a moment, I am quickly drawn to the fact that God is telling us that He has chosen those who He will save. Those who will not be saved will not have their eyes opened to see. This may seem harsh to many, but the fact of the matter is that God is the only one in this entire universe who is qualified to judge. Based on that qualification, God is the perfect judge to determine who should, and who should not, be saved. I know a God of love. I know a God of justice. I do not believe that it is unfathomable that God would destine people for wrath and others for grace.
I struggle with the fact that so many Christians argue and divide upon the issue of election and predestination v. “choice”. While I certainly came to Christ under the auspice of my own personal choice, it was only once the Holy Spirit enlightened me that I realized that I was not capable of such a magnificent decision. I was capable, because of my sin, to choose God. Given the choice, I would always choose my personal idols — TV, computers, money, sex, etc. Once the Lord opened my eyes to a world that exists for His glory, and not for mine or any other man, my perspective has changed greatly. God has given me eyes to see and ears to hear. God has given me a soul that longs and searches for His knowledge and His love. God has given me every blessing in the world that I could possibly ask for and yet don’t deserve. God has given me a new life in Him. Hallelujah!
Jason Worthen Quiet Time, Romans
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 YOUR PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN YOUR 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 (NASB).
God has never rejected His people. In fact, He has always loved them and provided for them. He predestined them to be His chosen people. It was only in their disobedience that He opened His mercy to the Gentiles, as well. Of course, He knew that would happen — it was all part of His perfect plan for His glory.
Paul makes sure that he reminds the readers that He, who is obviously saved by the grace of God, is an Israelite himself. As such, that means that the Lord has not forgotten the Jews — they have forgotten Him.
God has always maintained His same characteristics. He has not changed anything about Him, He has not changed His plan and He hasn’t stopped loving His people. We, as humans, are the ones that inflicted the pain to ourselves by our blatant disobedience to His Word.
Once again, there is a clear message of election in Romans 11:5-6 as well as irresistible grace. God’s grace is sufficient for every man, woman and child. He will call of those whom He has predestined to call and they will come to Him. What a glorious day it will be for them, too!
Jason Worthen Quiet Time, Romans
18 But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have; “THEIR VOICE HAS GONE OUT INTO ALL THE EARTH, AND THEIR WORDS TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD.” 19 But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they? First Moses says, “I WILL MAKE YOU JEALOUS BY THAT WHICH IS NOT A NATION, BY A NATION WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING WILL I ANGER YOU.” 20 And Isaiah is very bold and says, “I WAS FOUND BY THOSE WHO DID NOT SEEK ME, I BECAME MANIFEST TO THOSE WHO DID NOT ASK FOR ME.” 21 But as for Israel He says, “ALL THE DAY LONG I HAVE STRETCHED OUT MY HANDS TO A DISOBEDIENT AND OBSTINATE PEOPLE.”
Was the good news limited to only a select group of people? Were others not able to hear the good news? Paul tells us that they were able to hear the gospel of Christ. The news was spread across the entire, known world. Jews were not exclusive in this, nor were they excluded. The gospel of Christ was, and still is, available for everyone.
During the time of Moses, the Jews were not obedient to the Laws given by God. They worshiped false idols, they did not have faith in His ultimate protection and love for them. God then speaks through Moses and tells the Jews that because they have rejected His word, He will anger them and make them jealous by allowing other nations, or the Gentiles, to come to Him and to find salvation. What a kick in the backside that had to be to the Jews.
God continued to be there for the Israelites — He continued to provide for them, even though they were disobedient to His Laws. Even now, as we live our daily lives, how often are we obedient to His teachings? How often do we live every moment for Him instead of ourselves? Our priorities demonstrate our true obedience to Him in many situations.
Jason Worthen Quiet Time, Romans
16 However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, “LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
The KJV captures this first verse as “But they have not all obeyed the gospel.” To me, this is a slightly different message than “they did not all heed the good news”. I say that because heed means to consider or give attention to something. Obey is to follow the command of something. I certainly have “heeded” the good news but am I obedient to the gospel? Being obedient to the Lord requires a complete submission of oneself to God. In order to do things pleasing to the Lord, we must put the Lord first in our mind. There hasn’t been a single day in the history of my life that I have put the Lord first for the duration of that day. With that in mind, am I obedient to the gospel? Insomuch that I have submitted myself to the Lord Jesus Christ as my complete and total savior, yes. I know that He paid the price for my sins on that cross, but His blood was shed to wash my sins away. Yes, I am obedient to the gospel — if, in fact, God would have this mean submitting ourselves to Christ.
In the times of Isaiah, when he was prophesying and telling people about the coming of Christ, they rejected him. They rejected his words then and now. They reject the gospel of Christ. God does not force salvation on people — that would not be to His glory. For a creature that is completely evil to come to Him and desire Him — that gives Him great glory!
Very few people come to the Lord without interacting with someone else about salvation. I don’t have actual statistics on the numbers, but I would be surprised if the number was even as high as 5% of all professed Christians found Christ without any interaction with other humans about that. Salvation is heard from preaching — exhortation, prophecy, love. If a person hears the words of truth being spoken, they might feel that slight tug from the Lord. They might begin to feel compelled to learn more, to hear more, to see more. The truth is incredibly powerful when given an opportunity. God has blessed our lives, in that way, by giving us the ability to be filled with the Spirit. Then, as we share with others (through preaching, sharing our testimony, sharing the gospel, etc.), God is in control and can work His miracles.
Jason Worthen Quiet Time, Romans