Romans 11:11-24 "Grafted In By Grace"

Good morning, Calvary Chapel Lake City!

This Wednesday we kick of our next Mid-week study focusing on Salvation. The Doctrine of Soteriology.

There are about ten major doctrines in Systematic Theology… which we touch on as we read through the Bible Chapter by Chapter and verse by verse.

But it’s also good to do a deep dive…

If you’ve been to a prophecy conference… you’ve done that… those conferences zoom in on the Doctrine of Eschatology (The Study of Last Things).

When I was first called into ministry, my Pastor invited me to attend a 10-day retreat for upcoming Pastors… in the mountains of Pennsylvania…

And, several Calvary Chapel pastors came and taught our class daily… for like 10 hours a day… from the major systematic theology doctrines.

It was like drinking from a fire hose… and very helpful.

Our class this Wednesday focuses on one of the most important doctrines to understand… Salvation.

Understanding Salvation… what it is… and what it’s not… what verses are relevant to justification or sanctification…

Will help you to clearly share the Gospel… and NOT misrepresent… or add unnecessary conditions to eternal salvation.

I encourage you to attend… we all have more to learn about God… and you will benefit from this class.

So, please join us this Wednesday at 6pm for Pizza and Wings… followed by our class which will begin at 6:30pm.

And, if have little kids who need childcare… please register on our app… we will arrange paid childcare (which we are very happy to do), but you must register… so we know to arrange childcare.

So, please complete that registration.

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Well, let’s now continue in our Romans study. Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 11. Romans 11:11-24 today.

Well, similar to what I just shared in my announcement… Paul in the first 11 chapters of Romans… has been teaching and grounding his readers in important doctrines to our faith…

Think for a second about the outline to Romans… Condemnation, Justification, Sanctification, Vindication of God’s Righteousness…

Packed into this outline for Romans are at least eight major doctrines:

Hamartiology- the doctrine of sin (it’s universality and power)

Theology- the doctrine of God (His nature, wrath, righteousness, sovereignty, and faithfulness)

Soteriology- the doctrine of Salvation (especially justification and sanctification)

Anthropology- the doctrine of man (humanities state and responsibility)

Christology- the doctrine of Christ (and His atoning work)

Pneumatology- the doctrine of the Holy Spirit (and His role in sanctification especially providing power over sin)

Ecclesiology- the doctrine of the Church… and it’s role in sharing the Gospel… the grafting in of the Gentiles… God’s elect in this age of Jews and Gentiles

And, Eschatology- the doctrine of Last things… looking at the future glory all believers await… and Israel’s role leading up to Jesus’ Second coming, her future restoration, and her being saved or delivered into the Messianic Kingdom.

That’s a lot of doctrine that Paul has been covering in these first 11 chapters of Romans.

Eight major doctrines… and I’m sure we also touched on Angelology (the doctrine of Angels) and Bibliology (the doctrine of Scripture)… along the way.

If you think you don’t like to study doctrine and systematic theology… well if you’ve consistently been here for the Romans study… that’s what we’ve been doing for months now!

And, Paul, as divinely inspired, has been laying a doctrinal foundation for his readers of the first century to today…

And, from the doctrinal foundation that he builds… beginning in Chapter 12… Paul will shift laying out various applications.

Applications which are very reasonable when we understand the foundation of doctrines on which they stand.

And we are far more likely to live out applications… through understanding the why behind them.

Which just feels like a natural plug to once again encourage you to attend our Soteriology Class this Wednesday.

The class is only twice a month… try to make it work.

Today, in Romans 11 we are in the final chapter that focuses on Israel… and the questions that believers…

… especially Jewish believers had about Israel.

What is God’s plan for Israel? What about all the OT covenants with Israel? Will God still uphold them… or has He permanently dismissed Israel?

And, how can I trust God as a Gentile believer to be faithful to me, if He forsakes Israel?

So, Paul has been addressing questions like this in Romans 9-11.

In the first 10 verses of Romans 11, Paul established that God has not cast away Israel… that there has always been a faithful remnant according to the election of grace… which is not works.

Paul also established that unbelieving Israel… which was and is the majority of the Nation of Israel… has been spiritually blinded just as it was prophesied in various OT scriptures.

Not that God wanted them blind, but in their hard heartedness and rejection of Jesus as Messiah…

Blindness is the boat they presently sail in.

Now today is an exciting portion of Romans 11 as Gentiles come into focus… that’s you and I… the wild olive branch that was grafted in… which is a grace of God.

And how Gentiles serve a purpose in light of Israel to provoke them to jealousy.

Well let’s take a look at this next segment of scripture in a message titled “Grafted In By Grace.”

Let’s Pray!

In reverence for God’s word, if you are able, please stand as I read our passage.

Romans 11:11-24 “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. 12 Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness! 13 For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them. 15 For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 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, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” 20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?”

Praise God for His word. Please be seated.

Framed by the words “I say [or I ask] then...” and Paul asks another rhetorical question… “… have they stumbled that they should fall?”

And, Paul answers the question, “Certainly not!”

Which is the last of his TEN… “Certainly not” statements in Romans… which we’ve been encountering since Romans 3:4.

The “they” in this verse is referring to National Israel who at present have rejected Jesus as their Messiah.

V7 made a clear distinction between unbelieving Israel nationally… and the elect remnant of Jews who believe.

You may recall Paul’s opening question in V1 of this chapter, “I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not!”

And in both of these statements Paul is establishing that there is a future restorative plan BY God FOR Israel.

You really have to work hard to massage Israel OUT OF scripture. I’m not sure how replacement theologians do it.

Clearly… there is a future plan… and what we just read also clearly distinguishes Israel Nationally from Gentiles.

The church… which is predominantly Gentile… is not God’s “new Israel”… God still has covenants and promises to fulfill to Israel.

Like the Land Covenant we discussed last week. If God promised and outlined specific boundaries for the massive borders of Israel…

And, was just speaking figuratively… that would be misleading. And, if the land was never intended to be realized, that would be a lie.

And God is neither misleading or a liar.

This segment of Romans 11:11-24 does a great job of vindicating God’s righteousness for how He has dealt with the unbelieving portion of Israel… which is the national majority.

The believing remnant of Israel… whom Paul discussed in vv 1-10… are NOT in focus as we move on to vv 11-24.

So, again… V11… Paul rhetorically asks “… have they [unbelieving national Israel] stumbled that they should fall?”

Back in Romans 9:32–33 Paul declared that Israel “… stumbled at that stumbling stone. 33 As it is written [quoting Isa 8:14 and 28:16]: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

Israel was so hung up on keeping the law to attain righteousness… that when Jesus came preaching to repent… to turn to Him in faith… and confronted weightier matters of the heart… versus only appearing external righteous… and did not deliver them from the bondage of Rome… but from the bondage of sin…

Jews were like, “Who’s this guy? This isn’t the Messiah riding on the white horse who is going to restore the kingdom. Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?”

They hurled insults at Jesus, “We were not born of fornication; we have on Father- God.”

Peter does a nice job writing about how Jesus was “rejected indeed by men [namely Israel], but chosen by God and precious”… and then weaves a number of OT scriptures together about Jesus being the chief cornerstone… the stone whom Israel stumbled over.

Listen to 1 Peter 2:6–8 “Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” [that’s Isa 28:16 which we just read in Rom 9] 7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,” [Ps 118:22] 8 and “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” [Isa 8:14… the other verse we just read in Romans 9] They [Israel] stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.”

They had all these OT prophecies of a coming Messiah… who would be born from the seed of Abraham and David… which Matt 1:1 confirms…

Remember how Paul spoke of the privileges Israel had in Romans 9:4–5 “… Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; 5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.”

So then Jesus comes and He fails to meet their expectations… and they stumble over Him.

A stumbling block is used in scripture both literally and figuratively to refer to anything that causes one to stumble or trip.

The picture of a cornerstone is great, because they protrude sometimes, and if you round the corner and are not careful you can stumble over them.

For us today… we need to guard our hearts and make sure we understand scripture… or Jesus can be a stumbling block for us too.

Trials in life… especially when health and wealth are failing… tend to cause Christians to follow the folly of Israel… questioning Jesus who is not living up to their expectations…

Stumbling over Him… like He doesn’t care… or He’s not there…

Remember in Rom 5:3-5 we read… “we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

Trials and tribulations are doing a good work in us… not always fun, but shrouded in God’s love as demonstrated by the Holy Spirit who lives in us… and preparing us for ALL of eternity.

Maybe someone needs that reminder today so they don’t stumble.

Back to Israel… of Israel… Paul declared that though they stumble they will not fall… some Bible translations describe the fall as not ‘falling beyond recovery’ or as the fall not being an ‘irrevocable fall.”

Or as… “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” … remember that commercial?

Israel doesn’t need Life Alert… they will get up!

True… Israel stumbled and fell over Jesus… He didn’t meet their expectations… they were offended by Him…

But, He is the chief cornerstone of our faith… He is the Messiah, but they rejected Him…

Thus, as V7-8 stated… presently they are blinded… they have ears that cannot hear…

But, God used this to open the doors to the Gentiles to accomplish His overarching plan to redeem all mankind… Jews and Gentiles alike.

Paul finished V11 writing, “But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles.”

It’s such an amazing plan by God… in His justice He could not allow Israel to go without punishment…

They rejected Jesus… turning a blind eye to Him… and thus God gave them a blind eye.

God often solidifies what’s in our heart already.

But even through the fall… in love, mercy and grace God extends eternal salvation to all people (as prophesied numerous times in the OT… like in the Abrahamic covenant where the seed of Abraham would bless all nations...)

So, God not only fulfills those prophecies and promises, but in His love for Israel… He uses the Gentiles to make Israel jealous…

Why? Is it cruelty?… like God rubbing it in their faces in spite…

Not at all. God wanted the Jews to be jealous to turn back to Him. He wanted them to come to the same place as the Gentiles of believing in Messiah.

The Jews should observe in us the joy we have with the Lord and want the same relationship with Him.

All of the world should see that light we shine. I hope yours is bright!

Historically… with the Jews… much of church history has not done a good job with Israel.

There is plenty of antisemitism and persecution of the Jews in church history… sadly.

That hateful attitude provokes the Jews to skepticism and bitterness… not jealousy.

God using the Gentiles to provoke Israel to jealousy… was not a plan B…

Like God got blindsided by Israel’s rejection… and scrambled to make a new plan.

In God’s foreknowledge He knew and we see foreshadowing of this plan even in parables Jesus taught.

The Parables of the Wedding Feast in Matt 22 and the Great Supper in Luke 14 are a great illustrations of how the master sent invites out first to Israel… but they rejected the invite.

In one parable they had all kinds of excuses why they couldn’t attend. In the other they beat or killed the messengers bring the invitation.

And, Israel did both historically.

They didn’t come to the party. So, he sent the invites out to everyone else (namely Gentiles).

So, V11 establishes in God’s infinite wisdom… since Israel was so blind to Messiah… maybe they would see the Gentiles who would be blessed because of their faith in Christ?

And then… Israel would return to the Lord… and they will… in the tribulation… 144,000… 12,000 from each tribe of Israel are spelled out in Rev 7.

Now… in V12… not only is God’s plan designed to draw Israel back to Him… the plan richly blesses the rest of the world outside of Israel… the Gentile world.

V12 “Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!”

As Israel did not receive Jesus… the door to the Gentiles opened… which provided great riches for the Gentiles.

Eternal riches… through faith in Jesus Christ.

I like how the Complete Jewish Bible describes Israel’s stumbling as Israel “being placed temporarily in a condition less favored than that of the Gentiles.”

But, when the National eyes of Israel are spiritually opened… during the Tribulation…

… how much more will this blessing come to the world in Israel’s “fullness”?… meaning their fulfillment… their future restoration… when unbelieving Jews… when National Israel turns back to God and believes in Messiah.

It’s going to be amazing! The world will be tremendously blessed.

144,000 strong Jewish witnesses for Jesus…

During the Millennium… ten men for every Jew will latch onto to a Jew and say, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” (Zech 8:23)

Many nations will come to Jerusalem… the world’s capital… to worship God… and many will be richly blessed through the Jews.

It’s pretty wild to look back upon the ministry of Jesus and the ministry of Peter and Paul in Acts… to observe the gradual shift that occurred…

… where the Jews failed and the Gentiles more and more received the Gospel

There wasn’t exactly a precise point when this happened, but for sure Gentiles have benefitted from Israel’s rejection of Jesus.

You may recall Jesus sent His twelve out in Matt 10… specifically NOT to the Gentiles, but to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (so it wasn’t then).

He reiterated this to a Gentile woman in Matt 15… that’s the passage where He said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”

In Jesus’ ministry there was No Explicit Shift to the Gentiles…

As best the few times recorded where He ministered to the Gentiles foreshadowed Gentile inclusion.

Like after Jesus healed the Centurions servant.

Remember… that was one of the few times Jesus marveled… He had “not found such great faith, not even in Israel!”

And then in Matthew 8:11 Jesus said, “… many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.”

Foreshadowing Gentile inclusion.

Or when Jesus taught He is the Good Shepherd…

Who would lay down His life for the sheep (Israel)…

Then the following verse, John 10:16 Jesus says, “And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.”

Again Foreshadowing Gentile inclusion.

And, we should be so thankful that we have been included in God’s redemptive plan…

You’re ethnic and cultural background does not matter to God… salvation is available for all…

And, we should tremendously appreciate the free gift of God… and share this grace which we’ve received.

Nevertheless… Jesus’ ministry remained focused on Israel.

Then after His resurrection… (the sign of Jonah)… at the beginning of Acts… in Acts 1:8… Jesus instructs for the Gospel to go out… Jerusalem (which is Jewish)… then Judea (also Jewish)… and Samaria (Samaritans were 1/2 Jew; 1/2 Gentile)… and then the uttermost ends of the earth (which was predominately Gentile)…

And, that flow outlines the travels in the book of Acts.

Up to Acts 7… the Gospel message remained mostly in Jerusalem.

Then because of persecution… Acts 8:1 reads “they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the Apostles.”

Persecution, as bad as it is, got the ball rolling on God’s plan which the early believers were not doing.

They were rather comfortable in Jerusalem.

Be careful if your comfort is placed above God’s will for your life.

He may just shake things up for you as well.

By Acts 10… Peter is given a vision of taking the Gospel to the gentiles…

Then Peter was summoned to Cornelius’ house… who was a Gentile Roman centurion… and they believed.

That was a major turning point… a pivotal shift…

Paul… who began his missionary work in synagogues (to the Jew first and also for the Gentile)…

Paul kept getting rejected by the Jews…

By Acts 18:6 … in Corinth… as the Jews “opposed him and blasphemed”… “he shook his garments and said to them, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.””

At the end of Acts… during his ministry in Rome… Paul met with leaders of the Jews and Paul testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from OT scripture… and the Jews were divided in belief or unbelief.

Thus, Paul quotes to them Isa 6:9-10… a passage we read earlier about blind eyes and ears that do not hear… hearts that do not understand… a prophecy about them…

And, said to the Jews in Acts 28:28 “Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!””

Again, suggesting the turning point had become prominent at that point…

But, the Gospel is always open to anyone… “to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom 1:16)

So, there was a partial hardening of Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles (Rom 11:25)

And, Paul very much became the “apostle to the Gentiles” which we read in our next verse Romans 11:13…

Romans 11:13–14 “For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them.”

It’s wild to think that behind the plan of God of grafting Gentiles in… and behind the ministry of Paul to minister to the Gentiles…

Israel was always in the back of their minds. Never did they forget about Israel… or cast Israel off… of lose love for Israel.

But in ministering to the Gentiles… the plan… which will work… is to lure Israel back.

One scholar wrote, "However strange it may sound, the way to salvation of Israel is by the mission to the Gentiles."

Kind of makes me feel like a pawn in the grand scheme of redemption.

But, I’m good with that.

And, Paul’s motivation of ministering to the Gentiles to win over the Jews… it wasn’t without the willingness of personal sacrifice…

Remember what Paul wrote in his opening remarks in this epistle as he focused on Israel…

Romans 9:2–3 “… I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh,”

If it were possible… Paul would give up his own salvation for the Jews… that’s how much he loved them… and was willing to sacrifice for them.

But, that wasn’t possible… ministering to the Gentiles to provoke Israel to jealousy though… that was very possible!

And, that’s very possible for us… to minister to the world around us…

Accurately sharing the gospel… and reasoning from scripture…

It’s very possible… sadly though… for many Christians it’s not very probable.

In 2019 and 2021 studies… only 25% of Christian felt comfortable sharing their faith.

And while about 37% of Christians read the Bible regularly… under 10% demonstrate comprehensive doctrinal literacy.

This is in part why we are beginning a Soteriology Class… biblical and doctrinal illiteracy is a plague… and we don’t want to be guilty of not doing our part to teach this body and this community…

How to share the gospel… how to reason from scripture…

Knowing these things helps you to counsel from scripture as well…

You are a more effective witness for Jesus… as you are empowered by the Holy Spirit… do you part to fill your mind with as many bible verses with correct context as possible…

And then the Holy Spirit will “bring to your remembrance all things” Jesus said (Jn 14:26)… which for us today is packaged in His love letter to us… the Bible.

We have the word… we have the Holy Spirit… do we take full advantage of these gifts from God?

There’s an opportunity this Wednesday night.

Similar to V12… Paul continues in…

V15 “For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?”

Previously in V12 Paul said that the fall of National Israel was “riches for the world”… here he says Israel being “cast away is the reconciling of the world.”

The idea of reconciling describes two hostile parties being brought together.

In this context… the Gentiles and God were at odds… but through Israel’s being set aside… the door opened for anyone who believes in Jesus to be reconciled to God.

And, that is important to understand as a rule… you have to believe in Jesus to be reconciled to God.

So, don’t mistakenly read “world” in these verses and think every single person will go to heaven.

That’s not what this verse is saying. I think we all know that. I hope we do.

Most of the Bible translations I read seems to imply the “their being cast away” as referring to Israel.

Interesting, but the Complete Jewish Bible words V15 this way… “For if their casting Yeshua aside means reconciliation for the world...”

So, that translation flips the object of what is being cast aside… implying not that it’s God casting Israel aside…

But, Israel casting Messiah aside.

And, both are true. Resulting from Israel casting Jesus aside or rejecting Him… God would cast Israel aside temporarily.

Comparing V15 to V12 again… the latter parts of these verses state…

V12 that the future belief of National Israel will result in full restoration and fulfillment of Israel… and in turn this will result in great riches to the world… as Israel is a powerful witness to the world.

And, V15 now compares Israel’s acceptance of Messiah as “life from the dead.”

Ezk 37… Ezekiel’s Vision of Dry Bones that will live… is a good cross reference.

Ezk 37:11 identified the bones as “the whole house of Israel” who was without hope and recognized they had been cut off.

But God promised to restore them and bring them back into the land of Israel… so they knew He was the LORD.

Which finds it’s ultimate fulfillment in National Israel believing in Messiah… and Jesus returning to usher in His Millennial Kingdom.

But, it’s Not that JUST Israel will be brought back to life spiritually… as we read in V12… there will be even more riches for the world in the restoration of Israel than in their fall.

If some Gentiles believe through their fall… droves of Gentiles will believe through the restoration of Israel…

… during the tribulation and especially into the Millennial Kingdom.

I wish the church had this kind of impact at present on the world.

There have been times! Times of great revival in the world.

I’m not without hope that those times will be upon us again!

So be ready!

1 Peter 3:15 instructs, “… always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear…”

So… in vv 11-15, Paul has established that the stumbling of Israel had purpose to include Gentiles in God’s redemptive plan… the fall was not permanent… and Israel’s future restoration will result in even greater riches for the world.

Now in vv 16-18 Paul encourages Gentiles believers to understand that they have been ‘grafted in’… which is a grace extended to us… therefore we are to remain humble and grateful.

Look again at Romans 11:16–18… “For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 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, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.”

So what is Paul saying?

Let me give you the big picture first… and then we will break down the details of the metaphor.

Simply speaking… Paul is portraying the national plan for Israel that is irrevocable. God’s promises to the Patriarchs will stand even her future generations falter in disbelief.

God’s plan includes a time of national blindness to Israel… setting them aside as the light of the world… bringing in Gentile nations (the church who presently represents Him), but in the future… (after the church is removed by the rapture)… restoring Israel.

And, there is an exhortation for Gentiles to be humble… for they were grafting in by grace.

So, here are the details… and let me say that since Paul did not provide an interpretation… while most scholars agree on the big picture… the interpretation of the details vary…

The firstfruit (or piece of dough as some translations say) is a portion from the whole lump of dough.

Rom 11:16 in the NET Bible reads, “If the first portion of the dough offered is holy, then the whole batch is holy.”

So, if you’re reading from NKJ, and you have actual fruit in mind… erase that mental picture… because “lump” in Gk means “that which is mixed or kneaded; dough.”

And “firstfruits” can apply to any first piece that is offered.

The OT firstfruits of a sacrifice… was the beginning of a sacrifice… where the first and best part was offered to the Lord.

Give God your best, not your left-overs… not your maimed and deformed lambs that had no use.

They were to give the first of their harvest of crops, produce, and animals… and even firstborn sons consecrated to the Lord.

And, trust that God would continue to provide after they gave the first. Their offering was an act of faith.

Lot’s of relevance to us today in how we serve… how we tithe… how we obey God’s will… and how we interact with Him…

Do we hold things tightly for ourselves or are we open handed with our things and very lives?… for the Lord.

Well, back to Paul’s metaphor… and the translation of the details in the metaphor…

Some scholars translates the firstfruits as the Patriarchs, but it’s probably better to think of the firstfruits as the remnant of Israel who believe at present… meaning that first batch of Christian Jews… who came from the whole lump (the whole Nation of Israel).

And if the first piece of dough is set apart (holy), so is all the dough.

God consecrated all of Israel to Himself and for His purposes… and the believing remnant today is a firstfruit from the whole lump… all is holy to God…

… regardless of their present rejection of Messiah.

Now the root and the branches at the end of V16… what’s that?

From a natural perspective, a root relates to lineage and branches to offspring.

In Revelation 22:16 this metaphor was applied to Jesus as the “...Root and the Offspring of David… ”

But don’t confuse that with Romans 11… where Paul seems to apply root and branches not to natural lineage, BUT to spiritual inheritance.

The root of Israel (Israel being the Olive Tree) is the covenants and promises to Israel by God to the Patriarchs… and the branches are the beneficiaries of the promises.

To which some were broken off because of unbelief.

Dr. Constable holds that the root refers to “the promises given to the fathers” (the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) based off Rom 15:8 and the branches refer to those who benefit from the root… those who benefit from the covenantal promises… via spiritual inheritance.

Foremost Jews (natural branches)… but also wild branches grafted in (Gentiles).

And, if since most of us are not grafting experts… I have a slide to help you visualize grafting a branch…

You make a few cut to the tree and to the branch… lego them together… wrap them with saran wrap… add a little super glue… talk to the tree… give it a hug… and there you go… you’re grafted.

Maybe watch some YouTube videos to fact check what I just said… but I’m in the ballpark.

V17… “some of the branches were broken off”…

These are natural branches and they were broken off… as unbelieving Israel (represented by her leaders) rejected Jesus as Messiah…

They were ‘broken off’… figuratively removed or set aside.

Now… be careful NOT To apply the broken off branches to individual salvation. This would be theologically concerning…

Thinking of the branches as individual Jews who are either included or excluded based on faith is concerning… because Paul portrays being cut off as a condition that is NOT permanent…

Whereas unbelief for the individual IS a permanent eternal reality.

As the metaphor continues… Paul in V23 writes, “And they [National Israel, not individuals] also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.”

Individual rejection of Jesus Christ followed by death is a permanent condition… that’s a bad eternal end…

There’s no grafting in again.

So, these broken off branches best fit as the generations after the root (when the promises were given to the Patriarchs)… those future unbelieving generations of Israel as represented by her leaders.

Moving on in V17… we are introduced to a “wild olive tree” (a whole different tree… so there are two trees… an olive tree (Israel)… and a wild olive tree (Gentile nations)).

The olive tree could be said to be God’s covenantal community… Israel whom received great promises from God… and now these promises… namely salvation… are extended to Gentiles who believe.

A branch from the wild olive tree was grafted into the olive tree. Believing Gentiles were grafted in by grace.

Which in horticulture… this would be an abnormal practice.

Normally a cultivated branch would be grafted into a wild tree.

You wouldn’t take a wild branch and graft it into a cultivated tree. The wild branch would add no value.

Just as Gentiles would add to value because they lived outside the covenant… they were pagans… idol worshippers.

They were hated and smeared by Jews… even being called “uncircumcised” because “circumcision” was a sign of the covenant between God and Abraham (Gen 17:9-14).

But God took a wild olive branch which was “contrary to nature” (as Paul put it in V24).

Taking all this in, one scholar wrote, “Men graft to mend the tree; but God grafts to mend the branch.”

Doesn’t that just testify of God’s love for the world? Of His love for you and I?

We gentiles were not part of the original tree… but have been incorporated in… not by work, but by faith in Jesus Christ… which is grace.

And, that grace… and the benefits thereof are portrayed in the final words of V17… the wild olive branch “became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree...”

Rich nourishment is supplied to the wild olive branch… it’s plugged into and becoming part of the source of life.

Believing Gentiles have been joined by God... with believing Jews… and now benefit from the rich promises namely eternal life.

Therefore, Paul admonishes the Gentiles to be humble and not arrogant… or to think they are superior to Israel.

Look at V18 “… do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.”

It is an error to think that the church is the reason the covenants and promises of God continue.

Rather it is because God promised a Messiah… that the church even exists.

Paul never implies... with the Gentiles being grafted in... that the church has become Israel.

The church is NOT the “new Israel” as replacement theologians suggest.

When we read Revelation and other portions of Scripture that portray the Millennium Kingdom… it’s clear that God has different roles for the Church and Israel… though both are blessed and nourished by the same root of God’s promise…

… as we come to God in faith.

Gentiles partake of the promises and blessings of the root of the tree… just like believing Jews.

Don’t get the wrong notion to think that since most of the church is Gentile today… if a Jew believes in Jesus… they are getting grafted into us… that’s not true.

We got grafted into what God started with them. And, we only exist because God is honoring His promises first made with Israel.

Don’t lose perspective on that… and disregard the significance of Israel… and God’s love and future plans for them.

We should honor Israel and pray for many of them to come to faith in Jesus Christ.

Let’s move quick and finish our final verses…

vv 19-20 “You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” 20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear.”

It’s true that because of the National unbelief of Israel that Gentiles now partake in the blessings God promised Israel.

And the key difference between us and them… is faith in Jesus Christ.

Which is a gift… which is grace… and no cause for pride or boasting… because faith is not of works.

Our good works are like filthy rags…

So, rid your heart of any conceit… and humbly fear.

Why? vv21-22 “For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell [unbelieving Israel], severity; but toward you [believing Gentiles], goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.” ”

These verses are not suggesting a loss of individual salvation because in context Paul has been speaking about Israel and Gentiles as two groups… two wholes… two nations.

Paul’s point here is that if God set aside His chosen people… His special people… Israel temporarily because of their unbelief…

Could God not do the same with the Gentiles if their hearts are lifted up in pride?

Proverbs 3:34 reads, “Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble.”

Therefore, we are to remain steadfast in faith and humble in heart.

And, closing out… vv23-24 “And they [Israel] also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?”

These verse strongly proclaim God’s future plan for Israel to come into faith in Jesus Christ… and how much more natural will it be…

… to graft them back into the tree that is nourished by the root… the covenants and promises God gave to Israel?

It was unnatural for God to graft Gentiles in, but He did it anyway…

… to fulfill prophecy… and to demonstrate His kindness and love for all nations… and for you and I.

Let’s Pray!

If you need prayer, there will be men and women on the sides to pray with you during this final song.

We… as Gentiles are tremendously blessed to have been grafted in by grace to the family of God… and to inherit the vastness of His promises.

As we close with this last song… Praise the name of God for our redemption by His blood.

I pray God opens doors for you to share your faith in this week ahead…

Blessings upon you as you go.