Chap 11_Romans

OOOOOOOOOO Romans 11:1–6 (NIV84) The Remnant of Israel 11 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 the 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”? 4 And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

Paul has been talking about provoking the Jew with jealousy so they would return to Him. Now he leads with another rhetorical question. Did God reject his people? By no means! Paul repeats his linage credentials - he is a legal Jew. I am not rejected. Basically I am not rejected then you could be the same. He answers saying that God did not did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. In God’s eternal knowledge, his omniscience He foreknew who was going to surrender to the Lord. And those people were not rejected.

God has a plan and will always have some who have come to Him in the right way.

Paul is quoting >1 Kings 19:13–14 (NIV84) Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” This is referring to the time when Elijah was fleeing from Jezebel because he had killed her weak, defeated prophets. Now he feels as if he alone is alive and he is afraid. But God makes provision to kill those who might kill him. And God will protects the remnant and he quotes > Kings 19:17–18 (NIV84) 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.”

God leaves or enables a remnant. No matter how bad the current situation, God provides a remnant. A seed for the future of the kingdom. >5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

The concept of a remnant was very familiar to the Jew. Mentioned in the OT more than 40 times. No matter the punishment imposed on the Jew, no matter if there were almost no righteous ones left, there was left a remnant. A small patch of seeds that could survive bring about a great number of godly people.

Word - remnant could mean left overs or those that survived. It alludes to being just a few left from a greater number. In God’s typical manner, he acco,mplishes his will bu way of the seemingly weak, or the least , or the outnumbered and often at the darkest period. The assumed failure contrasts and increases the glory of God- His accomplishments are not expected or able to achieve with man’s strength and overwhelming numbers. In order that the power of His grace will be apparent, he succeeds by using the least, the weakest, the outnumbered and seemingly at the darkest period.

If you walk into a room at noon, you are not aware of the sun’s light, but walk into a darkened room at midnight when someone shines a small beam from a flashlight at you - you are taken aback- shocked. The contrast between light from a puny flashlight is very glaring against the dark of the night. In much the same way, God seems to use the unexpected contrast between the outcome from a weak force overcoming an insurmountable obstacle.

Remember This story of how the Lord gave victory to Israel with only 300 soldiers is found in the book of Judges chapter 7. God told Gideon to gather an army to fight the Midianites. So God’s servant gathered 32,000 soldiers but the enemy’s army consisted of 135,000 soldiers. Despite these odds, God told Gideon, “You are too many”

Or as in Elijah cases when one man, God’s prophet challenged and beat 1 Kings 18:19 (NIV84) 19 Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” He proved that God is stronger than their false gods. God publicly humiliated them with dramatic fire from heave burning up drenched wood and the sacrificial bulls. or Samson Killing 3,000 d Philistines by bringing down the temple of Dagon.

or more - how could the Christians overcome Rome> With only a few, what was first begun with acceptance of only a few lower class, poor fishermen + Son of God

.......chosen by grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; Does it sometimes feel like God is overly harsh or vindictive. The penalties and the punishments often end in death, slavery, disease, - Look at Job and what he lost in just a few moments- wealth, children, livestock, health, prestige. And he was the best of the best- a good man.

How can God be so unfair to those who try to reach up to him? They are just ignorant or trying too hard, how can the be dealt with so severely.

God uses various methods to bring people to Him. He uses the carrot and the stick. Grace is winsome, and draws people to his protection, His love, His rescue of sinners.

God has called everyone. Matthew 22:1–2 (NIV84)The Parable of the Wedding Banquet 22 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son....Matthew 22:14 (NIV84)14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” God chose some through his goodness and for his goodness. God bestow privilege, riches, purpose; man tries to earn these things. This does not mean that God rejected others. But man can reject God

…10:8“Jesus is Lord,” Who is Lord - God or yourself? If you say I will do it myself- I can fast 41 days, I can feed the hungry, I can give 30%- What you are saying is that the Bible is lying, or that Jesus is not sufficient - I can be a better lord, or co-lord. When you reject His grace, you are saying that He is not trustworthy, or faithful, or strong enough. You diminish Christ to exalt yourself. The call goes out to all, but few accept it.

OOOOOOOOOO Romans 11:7–10 (NIV84)7 What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened, 8 as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see

and ears so that they could not hear, to this very day.” 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.”

Paul calls to them in a phrase that is known to be provide a negative response. God called all. >Romans 8:28–30 (NIV84).....who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; God called, knew who would accept him, and therefore they would be chosen to would become righteous through his grace. They are selected or elected by God for some purpose. The rest underwent hardening [ see vs 25]. The process explained in vs 25 is a verb that means

This hardening was a process that began and slowly worsened from a “sleepiness morping into blindness. . Deuteronomy 29:3–4 (NIV84) 3 With your own eyes you saw those great trials, those miraculous signs and great wonders. 4 But to this day the Lord has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear.

....Isaiah 6:9–10 (NIV84) 9 He said, “Go and tell this people: “ ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ 10 Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” This process relates to dullness, disregard, cmplacency. A different word for “hardened” [slkerynei] which was used to describe Pharoah’s heart which denotes stubborness.

Then Paul quotes Psalm 69:22 (NIV84)22 May the table set before them become a snare; may it become retribution and a trap. 23 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.

The same ones who were taught and yearned for this rejected because they chose works over trust in God

OOOOOOOOOO Romans 11:11–12 (NIV84) Ingrafted Branches 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 fullness bring!

Agin the rhetorical quistion which is will answer. Did the Israelites fall to the point where they could not get up again. He had just said that there condition and they if they were to awake they could return. Now Paul says that their condition is not unrecoverable. Even in their current stumbling, good can arise. The Gentiles are being saved and at the same time it is so that is to make the Jews envious. And if this transfer of blessing happens to Jews, think what it bring about even greater blessing to the Jew.

Now

OOOOOOOOOO Romans 11:13–16 (NIV84) 13 I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of 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 is the reconciliation of 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.

OOOOOOOOOO Romans 11:17–27 (NIV84) 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 boast over those 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 be afraid. 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!

OOOOOOOOOO Romans 11:25–36 (NIV84) All Israel Will Be Saved 25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, 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 so 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 my covenant with them

when I take away their sins.”

28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; 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 receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. 32 For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

OOOOOOOOOO Romans 11:33–36 (NIV84) Doxology 33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and 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?”

35 “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?”

36 For from him and through him and to him are all things.

To him be the glory forever! Amen.