Rom 11:1-10 "A Remnant Remains"

Is “remnant” leftover? Or may it be Crème De La Crème.

Think about the number of hairs on your head. Some look at baldness as a deficiency. Others admit, “God only made a few perfect heads...the rest He covered with hair”

The word remnant only appears in your New Testament 3 (or fewer) times and each time it appears in English, it is a translation from a different original word. Acts 15:17 mentions “remnant” of “rest of humanity”; Romans 9:27 quotes Is 10:22 speaking of the few who will be fortunate enough to return from exile, and today’s text in Ro 11:5 to describe those who were chosen by grace.

If you quilt, you may shop the remnant section of the fabric store. Remnants are not inferior in quality, just in size.

If you are looking for a bargain at the carpet store, a Remnant may be all you need for the size of your project.

If you enlist in the Military, you will find that training, testing, and gauntlets are run to weed out the lesser soldiers so that only the strongest of mind and body remain for special assignments. There is something special about “a few good men” or “the few, the proud, the Marines”

Instead of thinking of few as something negative, I want us to think in terms that being in the minority of a large set, just may be a blessing!

My friend Leroy Pitt used to raise watermelons in the sandy soil of Oklahoma. When I buy a watermelon, I usually trim the rind so that I get to the very edge of the white part. Roy had such an abundance of melons, that if he sliced one open, he would only eat the core—the size of a softball that was sweetest and juiciest, and he would discard the rest for animals.

Godly fatherhood is also a role where many feel like he is the “only” one. In spite of the way television has “progressed” from Father knows Best and Ward Cleaver to a portrayal of fatherhood as Homer Simpson and Tim Taylor, I know many dads who feel like “nobody messes up like I do” or “no generation has faced the challenges I face”

TRANSITION: Just as being a dad sometimes feels like you are the only fish swimming against the current, living as God intends or Being a Christ-follower also goes against the flow, but you are not alone.

The Comfort of Allies (Rom 11:1–6)

Paul’s Call as Proof of the Remnant (verses 1-2a)

It is important for us to remember that Paul is writing this book AFTER the Jewish leaders had Jesus killed, AFTER the Day of Pentecost when people heard in their own heart language (not just Aramaic or Hebrew), and AFTER the vision that Peter had regarding Cornelius that taught him to regard as acceptable, anyone/anything God called clean; and AFTER the Jerusalem Council where it was agreed that a person did not have to become Jewish to be Christian.

It is after the beginning of this Gentile-friendly era that the Holy Spirit prompts Paul to write and support the idea that God is NOT DONE with the Jewish people.

Ro 11:2a throws a wrench into the idea that the descendants of Abraham surrendered or lost their unique status at the crucifixion or Pentecost.

Elijah and the Remnant (verses 2b–4)

1. 1 Kings 19 tells the story of Elijah’s discouraged pity party and the reminder from God that solitude is not isolation.

2. I told you that the word remnant only appears in English 3 times in the NT, but it is a theme that appears frequently in the Old Testament. Derek Brown and Tod Twist write…

The notion of a remnant of Israel can be seen in several places in the OT. Conceptually speaking, the earliest references to a “remnant” in the biblical narrative can be found in the flood narrative, as Noah and his family survive God’s judgment of humanity (Gen 6:5–7:23). As the narrative of the Pentateuch continues to unfold, God’s use of a remnant features in the story of Joseph (Gen 45:7) and in Israel’s preservation at the Red Sea (Exod 14:28–29). First Kings 19:9–18, which Paul draws from in Rom 11:2b–4, narrates God’s preservation of 7,000 faithful Israelites in the days of King Ahab. The narratives of Ezra 9:6-15 and Nehemiah 1:2-3 both cast the Israelites who returned from exile as remnants of God’s people.

Other OT prophets frequently mention a remnant in their writings. Amos, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel all use this word. Notably, the name of Isaiah’s first son is she‘ar yashuv, which means “a remnant shall return” (Isa 7:3; see also Isa 6:13; 10:20–23).[i]

The Present (During Paul’s Day) Remnant of Israel (verses 5–6)

Chosen by grace – what a rich description! This connects to the idea that some theologians call unmerited favor or unconditional election.

Remember last week we emphasized that BOTH God is sovereign AND man is responsible, man must believe (we’ll talk about this a little more in vv.7-10).

Does God choose based upon some inherent goodness? Does God choose based upon how man responds? Or Does God choose based solely upon His loving grace?

A theme that is repeated several times in Deuteronomy just before the Israelites take possession of their Promised Land (which includes Jerusalem, Gaza & Tel Aviv) is best stated in

Deuteronomy 7:6–8 ESV:2016

“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

TRANSITION: While the group was (and I believe remains) chosen by God, that does NOT mean all will accept Christ Paul himself was part of the hardened crowd until the encounter with the bright light on the road to Damascus.

The Arrogance of Hardened Hearts (Rom 11:7–10)

Hardened, Not Rejected (Rom 11:7)

Paul quotes Isaiah’s use of the words stupor, blindness and deafness to describe his own attitude before his conversion.

The account in Acts 9 of Saul’s conversion (which he tells again 2 more times in that book) does not mention any new information. It is a sudden new experience that causes Paul to immediately turn from hardened persecution to humble obedience.

Scriptural Support (Rom 11:8–10)

1. God had to remind Elijah that He extends loving grace much broader than Elijah thought.

2. Paul’s own experience (having been both hardened and chosen) reveals that God’s choosing has not changed, but His grace often encounters the arrogance of hardened (stubborn) hearts.

3. I know by name of some of your relatives who have heard the Gospel and told you in no uncertain terms, I’ve heard you, I don’t believe it, and you can stop preaching to me.

4. Paul felt a sense of obligation until he had preached the gospel, he continued to feel a burden for his own people, but he knew he was no longer held accountable for their hardened hearts.

Acts 20:26–27 ESV:2016

Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

The Implications for Modern Disciples

You are not alone

When we begin to feel overwhelmed, remember there remains a remnant committed to God’s purpose.

Paul looked around himself and saw many who believed differently than he did, but he confessed that God is still at work!

You will not be accepted by the majority

1. Recently I have heard several times “They are on the wrong side of an 80/20 issue”

I was in High School when a movement was started called The Moral Majority. It was a pendulum swing reaction to the free love hippies of the 60’s and 70’s who were then becoming involved in politics.

Rev. Jerry Falwell believed that the loudest voice is not always the majority voice and that by calling moralists to work together, the voice of those holding to traditional morality would increase.

8 years later Pat Robertson acknowledged that those holding to a Judeo-Christian ethic may not be the Majority, but that if Christians worked together in a Coalition, conservatives could repeal abortion laws.

By the dawn of the new millennium the Coalition fell apart as the chapters in various states adopted differing positions on political endorsements, tax-exemption, race and gay rights.

2. I love the true Biblical story of Daniel and the others in exile who chose to remain faithful to the God of the Bible even when captured and deported to Babylon.

3. What parent has not heard “Tommy’s parents let him…”? And even if you have not said it, most of us have heard, “I don’t care about Tommy’s parents, as long as you live in my house, you will follow my rules.”

4. Dads, Christians, you do not need an opinion poll to determine the right thing to do! All you need is God’s Spirit, God’s Word, and the wise counsel of God’s people.

5. The Remnant includes those who still say with Joshua,

Joshua 24:15 ESV:2016

And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

6. I really don’t care what Mayors, Governors, Senators, or Presidents claim. I really don’t regard what is said at riots, protests, or demonstrations. My decision is not shaped by the reporting or spin of either CNN or Fox News. God has spoken, His truth has not changed, and I pray for the faith of Daniel and the resolve of Joshua.

Christ is sufficient!

God’s loving choice is embodied in Jesus Christ!

Let me give you some hope found in 6 words from the next verse in this chapter—salvation has come to the Gentiles!

Regardless of political positions or opinion polls, regardless of if pundits think I am on the wrong side of an 80/20 issue. Even if my kids don’t think I am the dad that they deserve. I am convinced that when the sinless 2nd person of the godhead offered his death for my sin, I (a Gentile) was chosen to receive salvation, to be adopted into God’s family, and to receive an eternal inheritance.

[i] Brown, Derek R., and E. Tod Twist. 2014. Romans. Edited by Douglas Mangum. Lexham Research Commentaries. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.Elijah and the Remnant (Rom 11:2–4)