Romans 11:25-36 "Israel Will Be Restored"

Good Morning Calvary Chapel Lake City!

Last Monday was Memorial Day, and Bern shared about Jesus Duran… a man he served who earned the Medal of Honor for his bravery on the battlefield.

I wanted to share a quick God Story that came out of Bern sharing.

Our Elder… John Butcher… who is a retired Command Master Chief for the Navy… about 18 years ago… was assigned to write a paper about a Medal of Honor recipient.

And, guess who he chose? Jesus Duran.

Isn’t it amazing how God weaves our lives together?… and what a blessing when we discover just how connected we are.

Well… let now connect with God’s word… and turn in our Bibles to Romans Chapter 11. Romans 11:25-36.

Today, We finish Romans 11… where Paul paints the picture of Israel’s Future Restoration.

We also finish Romans 9-11… where Paul vindicates God’s righteousness in His dealings with Israel.

AND, a major milestone.… we finish Romans 1-11… the doctrinal portion of Paul’s epistle.

Next week we begin the Application portion of Paul’s epistle… which stands upon the foundation of all the doctrine we’ve been studying for the past 8 months.

It’s been quite the journey… observing how Paul systematically laid the case for God’s righteousness… and the Gospel.

In Romans 11 thus far…

Verses 1-10 concentrated on the believing remnant of Israel…

Verses 11-24 introduced Paul’s metaphor about the cultivated olive tree and the wild olive tree grafting in…

… which was contrary to nature… and portrayed God’s plan of grafting in Gentiles by grace.

And, Paul mentioned God could very naturally graft Israel back in… portraying Israel’s future restoration.

Today, as we close out this chapter, Paul assure his readers… many of whom were Jewish Christians… that Israel will be restored…

And then Paul closes this chapter bursting forth in praise of God for the wisdom of His plan.

Let’s take a look at the climax of Romans chapters 9-11… in a message titled “Israel Will Be Restored.”

Let’s Pray!

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

Romans 11:25-36 “For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 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; 27 For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.” 28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, 31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all. 33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! 34 “For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor?” 35 “Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?” 36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.”

Praise God for His word! Please be seated.

As we enter into this final section of Romans 11 focusing on Israel… let us be reminded that Paul consistently has been addressing National Israel.

In Romans 9 Paul addressed God’s election of Israel to the service of bringing forth the seed… Messiah… who would bless all nations.

Regardless of whether individual Jews believed or rejected Jesus as Messiah… God’s plan stood.

And… within the Nation of Israel… a faithful remnant of Jews have believed in Messiah… as pictured in Rom 11:1-7.

The majority of Jews though… and her leaders have been and presently are blind to faith in Jesus Christ.

But, a day is coming when this will change. Israel will see… and confess “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD.”

In that day… many of the branches presently broken off will be grafted back in…

As Paul wrote in V23 “And they also (National Israel), if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.”

Our passage today informs us NOT ONLY is God able to do this, but HE WILL do this.

God will graft Israel back in…

Today… based on the context of Paul’s OT cross references, we again find ourselves looking at that yet future time…

… that final week for Israel… called “Daniel’s 70th Week”… the “Time of Jacob’s Trouble”… the 7 year Tribulation prior to Jesus’ return…

In that day… the majority of Israel and her leaders will believe in Messiah… thus they will be grafted back in… spiritual blindness will be lifted…

They will be restored and… once again function as the light of the world…

And at the end of the tribulation… God will save… or deliver Israel out of the tribulation and into His Millennial Kingdom… following Jesus’ Second Coming.

Keep this context in mind… as we expound on verses 25-36...

In V25… Paul writes he does not desire for his readers to be ignorant… or unaware of “this mystery.”

Framed positively, Paul is say that he wants his readers to understand “this mystery.”

Mystery does not imply a spooky mystery… or an unsolved crime… or conspiracy theory…

It’s not the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine… or the mysteries in your home like ‘who ate my food?’ or ‘where’s my other sock?’

When the NT refers to a mystery… it speaks about a truth or a divine purpose… which formerly was veiled or unknown… and now is being revealed.

For ex. it was a mystery to the Jews how OT passages would refer to Messiah both as a suffering Servant and a conquering King.

One OT ex. of Messiah being a Suffering Servant is: Isaiah 53:3–5 which begins with… “He is despised and rejected by men…” and ends with “And by His stripes we are healed.”

Those verses clearly portray a suffering Servant and NOT a conquering King.

One OT ex. of Messiah being a Conquering King is: Isaiah 9:6–7 “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given [Jesus’ 1st advent and incarnation… and then in His 2nd advent He is portrayed as King… ]; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom…”

We have the advantage of hindsight. OT Jews had a really difficult time understanding two comings… this was a mystery indeed to them.

One more ex.… which incorporates both the 1st and 2nd Coming… Zechariah 9:9–10 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey. [Jesus’ first coming… literally fulfilled at the Triumphal Entry. Then V10 speaks about His second coming...] 10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem; The battle bow shall be cut off. [picturing the destruction of weapons of war in the Millennium] He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be ‘from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.’”

So, you can imagine how difficult this was for Jews in the OT who looked forward to Messiah’s coming to distinguish Two Comings… first as the suffering servant and later as a conquering King…

And, so they stumbled and rejected Jesus when He came as a suffering Servant.

But, the mystery was solved in the NT… by the revelation of TWO comings of Christ.

First as the suffering Servant… who died on the cross for the sin of mankind.

Second as the conquering King… who will reclaim earth.

Going back to V25 in Romans 11… the mystery Paul spoke of concerned OT prophecies of Gentiles believing in Messiah…

Numerous OT verses speak of Gentiles believing in Messiah…

Psalm 22:27 “All the ends of the world Shall remember and turn to the Lord, And all the families of the nations Shall worship before You.”

Isaiah 60:3 “The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.”

BUT, HOW Gentiles would come to believe was a mystery.

Paul now reveals this happens through Israel’s blindness and God working through the Gentile nations until the fullness of the Gentiles.

But… before Paul reveals the mystery… He again addresses the Gentiles to be humble and not look down about Israel.

We see this in Paul’s words in V25 “… lest you should be wise in your own opinion...” [or proud about yourselves]

Paul… in the preceding verses spoke about the wild olive tree (Gentiles) being grafted in…

And, warned Gentiles against pride…

V18 “do not boast against the branches...”

V20 “Do not be haughty [or prideful], but fear.”

Now again in V25, he again encourages humility… so the Gentiles do not look down upon the Jews.

And, I wish church history testified that early church fathers heeded this counsel.

But in the 1st to 5th centuries many early church fathers DID look down upon Israel… and even wrote Israel out of God’s future plans… framed Judaism as obsolete… and developed replacement theology… claiming Judaism has been superseded by Christianity.

But, as we clearly see in Romans 11… God did NOT replace Israel with the church, but has raised them up for His purposes at different periods of time.

This is one of the reasons we as a church… financially support the ministry of Behold Israel.

We want Israel exposed to the Gospel… and to “provoke them to jealousy [of our intimacy with God]… and save some of them.”

As Paul wrote in V14.

God said to Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you...” Gen 12:3, Num 24:9

So, we bless Israel… and we don’t look down upon them… as Paul instructs here in V25.

And, I pray you also adhere to what the word says… and not the growing anti-semitism in the world.

Be humble towards Israel’s present blindness… lest God not spare you either (v21)…

Because God humbles the proud… and because God loves Israel… and she WILL BE restored.

Which vindicates God’s righteousness and puts on display the glory of God.

And Israel’s future restoration is indeed part of the mystery Paul reveals at the end of V25… when he writes, “blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.”

Blindness has happened to Israel in part… some Bible translations read “a partial hardening has happened to Israel”… referring to their hard-hearts of unbelief towards Messiah.

Also reflected in the idea of “stumbling” in V11.

The blindness is only “in part”… NOT all of Israel because there has always been a believing remnant of Jews…

But, the majority of Israel and her leaders… from Jesus’ first coming… to today… have refused Him as their Messiah.

Jesus’ first coming fulfilled the promise God made to Abraham that “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Gen 12:3

But… Israel expected a King to Conquer Rome and establish His kingdom… Not a suffering servant who would conquer sin.

Thus in their rejection of Jesus… God rejected them for a season… which became a blessing for the Gentile nations.

As we have been grafted in… to be beneficiaries of the promise of salvation for all who believe in Jesus.

And, Israel will remain blind “until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.”

So, not only is Israel’s blindness “in part”, but it is also temporary until the fullness of the Gentiles.

Interesting… V12 spoke about the fullness of Israel which points to the future time of their restoration which will be an amazing blessing to the world.

Here in V25… we are introduced to the fullness of the Gentiles… which will mark the end of the church age… and the beginning of the final time when Israel will be restored… and then come into her fullness.

V25 in the NLT states Israel’s blindness or hard hearts… “will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ.”

Meaning God, in His sovereignty, has determined a specific number of Gentiles who will be eternally saved through faith in Jesus Christ.

At that time… the church… the body of Christ will be completed and raptured home to heaven.

And how Gentiles is the full number? The answer to THAT question… only God knows.

But, if you’re a Gentile… and have not yet believed in Jesus Christ… would you believe already?

You may be the one holding up the program!

I’m ready for a little R & R. Revival & Rapture… preferably both… and in that order.

This phrase “fullness of the Gentiles” is only used here in Rom 11:25… and is different from the “Times of the Gentiles.”

A phrase also only used 1x in the Bible… spoken by Jesus during the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24-25; Mark 13; and Luke 21).

But, that phrase is unique to Luke where Jesus teaches Luke 21:24b “And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”

The “times of the Gentiles” refers to an era of time where the Gentiles hold dominion over the Jews…

This era began with the Babylonian captivity in 586 B.C.… which is when Gentiles began to determine the fate of Jerusalem… not Jews.

Persia, Greece and Rome also served as a type of this fulfilment… Rome being in 70A.D.

But, the ultimate fulfillment is during the tribulation (the context of the Olivet discourse)… when Jerusalem will again be trampled by Gentiles.

Zechariah 14:1–2 spoke of that day… “Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, And your spoil will be divided in your midst. 2 For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be taken...”

The “times of the Gentiles” will end with Jesus’ Second coming as Conquering King… to usher in His Kingdom and restore Jerusalem.

Which is what Jews longed for… and in part why they were so antagonistic towards Jesus who came as the Suffering Servant.

But, don’t confuse that era of “the Times of the Gentiles”… with the “fullness of the Gentiles”… as we read here in V25…

There are differences for sure…

In scope:

The "fullness of the Gentiles" is about Gentiles coming to faith… whereas…

The "times of the Gentiles" is about political domination (Gentile control over Jerusalem).

In timing:

The "fullness" ends with the end of the church age which coincides with the rapture of the Church… while…

The "times" extends through the tribulation, ending at Christ's return.

And, difference in focus:

The "fullness" is spiritual and church related… teeing up God resuming His program with Israel… where…

The "times" is historical and geopolitical, centered on Israel’s capital city of Jerusalem.

And with this spiritual focus in mind… again… what does V25 say about Israel? “… blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.”

When that last Gentile believes in Jesus… God removes the church… and shifts focus back to Israel to save them… as we see in V26-27.

V26a “And so all Israel will be saved...”

“Israel” as referred to in the previous verse (V25) referred to Israel as a Nation… and that same context follows here in V26.

“… all Israel will be saved...”

Thus, we must ask, “Saved from what?”

I taught us to ask this question a few weeks back in Rom 10… also as we heard in our Soteriology class this past Wednesday…

… when we read “saved” in the Bible… we need to ask, “Saved from what?”

And, the answer is determined by… context, context, context… because the word “saved” can relate to temporal deliverance, spiritual deliverance, eschatological deliverance in to the messianic kingdom, or eschatological deliverance at the Bema Judgment (which is where believer’s temporal faithfulness is judged by Christ and eternal rewards are given).

So often today someone uses the word “saved” and we automatically think “spiritual salvation.”

And, that’s not the Bible’s fault… we’ve just become sloppy with the use of the word saved…

If every time you read “saved” you think it means spiritual deliverance or eternal salvation… you’ll get confused… and interpret the Bible incorrectly.

Thus we rely on context.

“Saved” for National Israel in the V26 context refers to their eschatological deliverance into the messianic kingdom.

This verse cannot mean that “all Israel will be spiritually delivered”… because if eternal salvation for all Israel was automatic…

Then what happened to our justification being conditional upon faith in Jesus?

Was Jesus a liar when He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6?

Interpreting ALL Israel being eternally saved in the sense of justification without trusting in Jesus would contradict Jesus’ words.

And, Scripture does not contradict itself.

Was Peter… filled with the Holy Spirit…OFF when he spoke to the Sanhedrin about Jesus and said… “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12?

Saved from what? Eternally… spiritually saved in Peter’s context.

One must trust in Jesus Christ… the son of God… who died and rose again for the forgiveness of sin.

Even Israel.

When we read… “ALL Israel will be saved”… this cannot refer to the entire nation of Israel automatically gaining entrance into heaven and bypassing faith in Jesus Christ…

… or we would be in error of contradicting numerous passages which testify righteousness before God is by faith alone in Christ.

Unfortunately… many Jews will not be eternally saved in the future…

We see this studying through the Sheep / Goat Judgment… which Jesus preached during the Olivet Discourse (Matt 25:31-46)… indicating only believers enter the Millennium…

Or passages like Ezk 20:34-38 where God speaks about ruling over Israel face to face AND purging the Jewish rebels out of Israel.

What V26 in Romans focuses on… is the future time when the Nation of Israel will be saved out of the tribulation and delivered into the Messianic Kingdom after Jesus’ second coming.

The National cry of Israel will confess Jesus as Lord (Rom 10:9)… confessing… “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” (fulfilling Matt 23:39 & Ps 118:26)… and Jesus will save or deliver them.

They will come to that place of National outcry because spiritual blindness will be lifted in Israel… and the majority of Jews (no longer just a remnant)… and her leaders, will personally come to faith in Jesus during the tribulation…

So, the personal salvation of the majority leads to a national outcry… and the National deliverance of Israel…

These events become somewhat interwoven, but the context of V26 remains National deliverance.

Saved out of the tribulation… which is confirmed by Paul cross referencing OT Messianic prophecies pointing to the future time of Jesus’ Second Coming …

Look again at the last part of V26 into V27…

V26b-27 “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; 27 For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.”

Paul quotes first from Isa 59:20-21 and then from Isa 27:9.

Hear the words of Isaiah 59:20–21 “The Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” Says the Lord. 21 “As for Me,” says the Lord, “this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the Lord, “from this time and forevermore.””

The Deliverer or “Redeemer” as Isaiah writes, will come to Zion… speaking of Jesus’ Second coming…

And, He comes to those who turn from transgression in Jacob (Israel)… speaking of those who turn to Him.

And, as we read in Isa 59:21… this is done by an outpouring of His Spirit on believing Israelites (c.f. Joel 2:29)… and by His Spirit they will walk in and keep His judgments.

And, listen to me… if you’re here today… and you’re a Christian… and you’re struggling to keep the commands laid out in the New testament…

… like “love your enemies”… that’s a tough one…

The Sermon on the Mount is packed with imperatives or commands.

“Pray without ceasing”… that’s impossible…

“Don’t let the sun go down on your anger”… pride really messes that one up.

There are between 800-1000 imperatives in the New Testament…

And, if you’re struggling to keep them… which if you have a pulse and you’re honest with yourself… you’re struggling to keep them…

You realize it’s impossible to keep the good and righteous and loving commands of our Lord… which are good for you… and keep you from harm… and lead to peace.

But, we war within ourselves… our flesh and our spirit war…

So… we NEED His Spirit to walk in His ways.

To the Jews, God spoke this… Ezekiel 36:27 “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.”

We need the Holy Spirit to have any chance of moving forward in living out God’s commands.

In the context of sanctification… in Romans 8 Paul mentions the Holy Spirit 19x…

How important is His presence in our lives?

In Acts 2… at Pentecost the Holy Spirit descended… baptizing the disciples with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5, 1:8) giving them the power to be witnesses for Jesus locally and globally.

And, still… later… in Acts 4 they prayed and “were all filled with the Holy Spirit...”

They were re-filled! Christian… I hope you are doing the same… praying to be a witness for Jesus through the baptism with the Holy Spirit…

And, praying daily for a fresh filling with the Holy Spirit… because we need it.

In Acts 13… Jews raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas… expelled them from their region…

That’s a tough day.

And, they shook the dust from their feet… they moved on and let the Lord deal with them…

And, they go to another city, and what does the next verse read?

Acts 13:52 “And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”

Are you filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit… even in the midst of persecution and being expelled from an entire region?

Our bad days don’t even measure up to that! Most of us will never know a story like that.

But, we can understand the necessity of the Holy Spirit in our lives… and the necessity of His presence in our to experience joy in the midst of trials.

And, before we get back to Israel… and how God will pour out His Spirit on them… let me say one more thing about our walk in Christian living…

There will be moments when you fail and falter… but I love what Paul writes in his opening words of Romans 8… that sanctification section… that chapter so intertwined with the Holy Spirit…

Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

You’re position in Christ… by believing in Christ assures us we will not be condemned by God to hell.

You are eternally secure.

You will not be condemned, though all believers “must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Cor 5:10)… the Bema Seat.

Condemnation and judgment are different.

We are still accountable for our faithfulness and rewarded or suffer loss of rewards eternally.

But, believers will not be eternally condemned… Heaven awaits you as you exit this life if you have trusted in Jesus Christ.

It’s important that you understand and believe that your justification is secure… you are accepted by God.

And, this is important for your sanctification… so you can grow in grace and holiness.

To not walking according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Those who live according to the Spirit… to be “spiritually minded is life and peace.” (Rom 8)

And, we have so many great motivations to live this way…

We can look back on the love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ in coming from heaven to earth to redeem us back to God… though we were formerly enemies of God (Rom 5:10)…

But, we can also look to the present and forward… at the many promises of God… even just listed in Romans 8… “as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God”…

… who receive the Spirit of adoption… the privilege to cry out, “Abba, Father”… and we are therefore heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.

So much grace… and undeserved.

” And, in that… how true are Paul’s words, “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh…”

But to live… by the Spirit.

Well… let’s get back to Romans… but, I hope you didn’t mind that Holy Spirit detour…

Back in V26… in that future time… Jesus will return and God will pour His Spirit out on Israel.…

And, in V27, again Paul quotes from Isaiah… “For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.”

When Jesus returns He will inaugurate His covenant… which is called the “New Covenant”…

Jeremiah 31:31 “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—”

And then Paul connects the New Covenant with the removal of sins… the sins of Israel are taken away… as Isa 27:9 predicts… which again is not automatic…

The removal of sin ONLY occurs by believing in Jesus Christ.

And, the majority of Israel will believe in Jesus Christ… when He returns… and in believing in Jesus Christ…

As Isaiah said elsewhere… “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be white as snow...”

And thus… Paul has painted a beautiful picture of Israel’s future restoration… despite Israel’s present blindness and unbelief… there is hope for her in the future.

But… in the first century when Paul wrote Romans… and still today… because of unbelief… Israel stands in contention with God… as we read in V28 “Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake...”

In the first century, it wasn’t that the Jews just rejected the gospel… they were enemies of the gospel.

They didn’t just say, “I’m not interested!” … “I’m not buying what you’re selling.” … like when the door to door salesman rings the doorbell.

The Jews were violent against the Gospel. We see this in the testimony of Paul… formerly Saul of Tarsus who persecuted the church.

In Acts 17, in Thessalonica… after Paul reasoned with the Jews for three days from scripture… and shared the Gospel… Jews gathered a mob of evil men… attacked the house of Jason… hoping to find the Christians…

And, Paul and Silas therefore were sent away by night to Berea.

And, the Jews in Thessalonica found out… and followed Paul there to stir up the crowds and again coming against the Gospel.

Thessalonica to Berea is about 55 miles… about a 2-3 day walk.

When was the last time you walked a distance like that to protest a cause?

An enemy is one who is actively opposed or hostile to someone or something.

And, that was the reality of Israel towards the Gospel… and towards those who accepted the Gospel…

Be it Jewish believers or Gentiles.

And, as Israel rejected the Gospel… it went to the Gentiles…

Paul often spoke of his ministry as ‘to the Jew first and also the Greek’… and he followed that pattern…

Visiting cities and going to synagogues first… getting rejected… then going to the Gentiles.

When Jesus’ authority was questioned by the chief priests and elders… in Matthew 21… He spoke parables against them predicting God’s program shifting to the Gentiles…

At the climax of the Parable of the Two Sons, Jesus said in Matthew 21:31 “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.”

Because they believed… where Israel did not.

Then Jesus told the Parable of the Landowner and at it’s climax, Jesus said in Matthew 21:43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.”

All because Israel would not believe and obey God’s word and the many prophets… who pointed to faith in the coming Messiah… and when Jesus came… they rejected Him.

Now… It’s not accidental that Paul put all this information about Israel’s past election, present rejection and future restoration… right after Romans 8.

It’s not accidental. It’s very intentional by Paul as inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Romans 9-11 stands as a great assurance to believers to KNOW… without a doubt that God won’t revoke His promises to us… because of Israel.

They were enemies of the gospel… and God STILL did not revoke his promises to them.

We are NOT enemies of the gospel. How much more will His promises to us stand?

And, we see God’s faithfulness in the rest of V28-29 “… but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”

Despite the unfaithfulness of Israel… despite the Jews and her leaders crying “Crucify Him!” … and in the New Testament being an enemy of the Gospel…

Because God elected them for a special purpose… they remain beloved… objects of His love… “for the sake of the fathers”… the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob)…

Because to Abraham, God made a covenant… and God will see Israel through to the completion of His promises to them.

There were three Core Promises:

Land (which has only been partially fulfilled),

… descendants (a great nation… which they have been at times, but there is much more to come),

… and being a blessing to all nations (which was fulfilled in Israel bringing forth Jesus Christ).

God’s covenant was described as an “everlasting covenant” in Gen 17:7, 19)

And, as Paul wrote “the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.”

They can never be withdrawn.

Thus, despite Israel God will uphold His word.

Constable wrote, “He did not choose Israel for her goodness, and He will not abandon her for her badness.”

And, if you recall in Roman 8:31-39… to us believers Paul had a message to us believers that our eternal security is also secure.

Nothing can “separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

So with God’s faithfulness to Israel in view, Paul once again shifts to warn Gentile believers in vv 30-31 to recognize the parallels between Gentiles and Jews… and God’s mercy and plan for us both…

vv30–31 “For as you were once disobedient to God, [which we all were before faith in Christ… not matter how good we think we were] yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, [God’s program shifted to the Gentiles through Israel’s rejection of Messiah… which was mercy to us] 31 even so these [Israel] also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy.”

As Israel views the mercy and salvation God bestows upon Gentiles, this provokes them to jealousy (V11)… which will lead back to their full restoration.

Many individual Jews will believe in the future and Israel as a nation will then obtain mercy and be restored.

And remember… when God first chose Israel… He did so for them to be a blessing to all nations (namely through Jesus)…

God did not choose them at the expense of the other nations.

And, Gentiles too… are called to be witnesses for Jesus to the ends of the earth.

God’s plan is the same… just the players are presently different. So be humble.

And Paul’s concluding thought before he burst forth in praise of God and His plan is this in V32…

V32 “For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.”

The word “committed” means “to shut together; to enclose” meaning imprisoned.

All people, Jew and Gentile alike, have all… without exception… been disobedient to God… namely in rejection of Messiah.

Which has national context, but individual application.

Nationally… Gentiles as a corporate entity were formerly disobedient to God rejecting faith in Him… at that time God’s mercy was upon Israel.

But now, since Israel Nationally is disobedient in rejecting Jesus… Gentiles have been extended mercy…

We live in what’s called the “Age of Grace”… we have been shown mercy… as our eyes have been open to Messiah.

But when the fullness of the Gentiles comes in… National Israel will be fully provoked to jealousy… their hard hearts will soften… their blind eyes will see… and they will turn back to God in faith and once again experience God’s mercy… as the multitude believe in Jesus and the nation confesses, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”

So, that’s the context and meaning of V32.

But, for individual application… can we not personally relate to being formerly disobedient and now in faith experiencing God’s mercy?

Another scripture that uses the same Greek word for imprisoned is…

Galatians 3:22 “But the Scripture [specifically the Law] has confined [imprisoned] all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.”

We cannot compare our lives to the word of God and say we perfectly measure up.

All people are constituted as sinners… we “all fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23)…

Thus, we all need a Savior…

And Jesus came for the individual sinner in mercy…

His mercy is bigger than our disobedience.

For every individual… God’s mercy is available… it’s not automatic…

V32 doesn’t read “God will have mercy on all.”

It says “God might have…” or “God may have mercy on all.” … because you have to receive His mercy by faith in Jesus Christ.

V32 is a promise for what God will do with the Nations, but it does not ensure universal salvation for every individual.

Each of us must come to Jesus in belief personally and individual.

Today, we are going to take communion… and if you’ve never trusted in Jesus… humble your heart and pray to Him to ask for the forgiveness of your sins and tell Him you believe in Him and that His death on the cross paid the price for you sins… and His resurrection proved that sin is forgiven.

And, you will receive His mercy.

And, then closing out Chapter 11… Paul burst forth in doxology (an expression of praise) to God… looking back over all the doctrine in our first 11 chapters… and God’s divine wonders…

Paul closes in poetry that reflects on theology… and alludes to OT thoughts similar to Job and Isaiah…

vv 33-36 “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! 34 “For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor?” 35 “Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?” 36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.”

Paul is astounded by the depth of God’s marvelous plan… for the restoration of National Israel… for their deliverance… and for salvation though history for Jews and Gentiles alike.

Who but God could work out a plan involving disobedient nations… to raise them up at various times to represent Him and be a blessing to the world?

His plan has resulted in and will result in good for Jews and Gentiles… and will bring Him glory.

No one is suitable to understand the mind of God… or to counsel God… as Isaiah said in Isa 40:13-14.

Though, If we’re honest, we’ve all counseled God foolishly at times.

But, His ways and thoughts are higher than ours (Isa 55:8-9).

(worship team you can come)

In V35, Paul writes… God never needed our assistance… and is not indebted to us… which is reflected in Job 35:7 and 41:11).

V36 reflects that God is the source of all things in the universe and His good eternal plan… (it is all “of Him”)… and He is the means by which all things happen (“through Him”)… and He is the direction which all things flow (“to Him”)…

All things originate from God… are sustained by God… and will be completed by God. (c.f. Col 1:16-17).

And, all things are designed to bring Him glory… and He is deserving of glory forever eternally. Truly! Amen!

Let’s Pray!

Let’s continue praising the Lord Jesus as we now reflect on Him… and take communion. Our communion passage is…

1 Cor 11:23-31 “...the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. 27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.”

Please distribute the elements...

Communion is a time for us to look three directions…

We look back remembering Jesus’ sacrifice… His broken body and shed blood for the remission of our sins.

His new covenant. Salvation by faith and in grace.

Look forward in hope of His imminent return… we proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. He is coming.

This is also a time to look inward for a moment of self-examination…

To reflect on our treatment of other Christians… have we been loving… and unselfish… (per the context of Paul’s passage)?

Reflect and also confess to God any unconfessed sin.

Examine yourself… in order to partake in a worthy manner.

But, the reality is… none of us are worthy… so Praise Jesus… because only in Him have we been made worthy.

Once you have prayed… take the communion elements individually.

Our worship team will play one worship song, and then close us in prayer.

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If you have never accepted Jesus as Lord...

...either let the cup pass and do not partake in communion -or- the better option...

Pray and trust Jesus as your Savior today.

Believe that His death was the sufficient sacrifice for your sins.

… and then take communion.

Our prayer team will be available to pray with anyone who needs prayer as we close.

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