romans 11:33-36
ROMANS 11
This chapter discusses Israel’s future and answers the question, “Has God permanently cast aside His people, or is there a future for Israel?” Paul says the answer is “Yes!”, and presents several proofs.
I. The Personal Proof (11:1)
“I am an Israelite!” states Paul, “and my salvation is proof that God is not through with Israel.” In 1 Tim. 1:16 Paul states that his conversion (told three times in Acts) was to be a pattern for other Jewish believers. Certainly it is not a pattern for the conversion of a Gentile today, for no lost sinner sees the glorified Christ, hears Him speak, and is blinded for three days! But Paul’s experience is a picture of the way Israel’s people will be converted at the coming of Christ in glory. Like Paul, they will be in rebellion and unbelief. They will see Him whom they pierced (Zech. 12:10 and Rev. 1:7) and will repent and be saved. In 1 Cor. 15:8, Paul says he was “born out of due time”; that is, as a Jew, he saw Christ and was saved long before his people would have that same experience.
II. The Historical Proof (11:2–10)
Paul reached back into 1 Kings to show that God has always had a faithful remnant even in the times of greatest unbelief. In fact, as we read OT history, we cannot help but be impressed with the fact that it was always the remnant that God used and blessed. See Isa. 1:9, for example. It is a basic teaching of the Word that the majority falls from the faith and cannot be reformed, so God must take the remnant and begin over again. Verse 5 states that God has a remnant according to grace, that is, in the body, which is the church. Though not many, there are Jews in the body, although, of course, all national distinctions are removed in Christ. But if God is saving Jews during this age of the church when Israel is blind, how much more will He do in that coming age when Israel moves back on the scene again? God has never forsaken His people; this is the testimony of history.
We need to remind ourselves that during this church age, God is not dealing with the nation of Israel as such. According to Eph. 2:14–17 and Gal. 3:28, we are all one in Christ. No Jewish group can claim to be God’s elect remnant. In vv. 8–10, Paul shows that this “blinding” of Israel as a nation was prophesied in Isa. 29:10 and Deut. 29:4. (Compare Matt. 13:14–15 and Isa. 6:9–10.) In vv. 9–10 he refers to Ps. 69:22, where God promises to turn Israel’s blessings into curses because it had refused His Word.
III. The Dispensational Proof (11:11–24)
Paul in these verses is discussing Jews and Gentiles, not individual sinners or saints. In this section he proves that God has a dispensational purpose behind the fall of Israel; namely, the salvation of the Gentiles. Through Israel’s fall, God was able to commit all people to disobedience and thus have mercy upon all! Gentiles do not have to become Jews before they can become Christians.
Paul argues that if the fall of the Jews has brought such blessing to the world, then how much greater will the blessing be when Israel is again restored! The restoration of Israel will bring resurrection to the world (v. 15). In other words, Paul was certain that there was a future for Israel as a nation. The teaching that the church today is God’s Israel, and that the OT kingdom promises are now fulfilled in the church in a “spiritual way” is not scriptural. Paul looked forward to the day when Israel would be received into fullness of blessing as a nation.
The parable of the olive tree must be examined carefully. Paul is not talking about salvation of individual Christians, but the position of Jews and Gentiles as peoples in the program of God. Israel is the olive tree that failed to bear fruit for God. God then broke off some of the branches and grafted into the tree the Gentiles, “a wild olive tree.” This was done “contrary to nature” (v. 24), for it is the practice to graft the good branch into the poorer stock; but God grafted the weak Gentiles into the good stock of Israel’s religious privileges! This act shows the goodness and the severity of God: His goodness in saving the Gentiles, His severity in cutting off rebellious Israel. But the Gentiles dare not boast because they now have Israel’s place of spiritual privilege, for God can cut them off too! And He will do just that at the end of this age, when the Gentile nations join together in a world coalition that refuses the Word of God and the Son of God. Then He will call out the true church, judge the Gentile nations, purge Israel, and set up His promised kingdom for Israel.
Again, remember that the theme of chapter 11 is national and not personal. God will never “break off” true believers from their salvation, for there is no separation between Christ and His people (Rom. 8:35–39). The church today is primarily made up of Gentiles, and we Gentiles benefit from the spiritual heritage of Israel (the rich sap of the olive tree). In a spiritual sense, we are children of Abraham, who is the “father” of all who believe (Gal. 3:26–29).
IV. The Scriptural Proof (11:25–36)
Paul has used the OT often in these three chapters, but in this section, he turns to Isa. 59:20–21, Isa. 27:9, and Ps. 14:7 to show that the OT promised a coming Deliverer who would cleanse and restore Israel. He states the “mystery” of Israel’s blindness, a mystery being a truth hidden in past ages but now revealed in its fullness in the NT. “The fullness of the Gentiles” (v. 25) refers to the number of Gentiles that will be saved during this church age. When the body of Christ is completed, He will catch it away in the air; then will begin the seven-year Tribulation here on earth, “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7). At the end of that period, the Deliverer will come, and the believing remnant will enter into its kingdom. “All Israel” does not mean every last Jew; rather, it means that the nation of Israel at that day will all be saved; it will be a redeemed, regenerated nation. God’s promised covenant is quoted (Jer. 31:31–34) in v. 27. This “new covenant” will apply to Israel when it trusts Christ as its Redeemer and turns from its sins. Though the Jews may seem like enemies of God’s will today, they are still beloved in God’s sight because of the covenants He made with their fathers. Men may change, but God cannot change or revoke His promises (v. 29).
In the final paragraph (vv. 30–32), Paul explains that the Gentiles at one time rejected God (Rom. 1:18ff), yet now were being saved by faith; so today the Jews are in unbelief, but shall one day receive mercy. God had committed both Jews and Gentiles to unbelief and sin, that He might be able to save both through grace (v. 32).
After reviewing God’s gracious and wise plan for both Jews and Gentiles, is it any wonder Paul broke out in a hymn of praise to the Lord (vv. 33–36)!
THE PROPER WONDER OF THE BELIEVING HEART (vv. 33–35)
The expression of Paul’s wonder begins with the two exclamations in verse 33. First we read, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” “Knowledge” is the gathering of information; “wisdom” is knowing what to do with it. The old commentator Albert Bengel put it this way: “Wisdom directs all things to the best end; knowledge knows the end.… ” Paul marvels at how deep and rich God’s wisdom is, especially in reference to his dealings with Israel.
God had not failed Israel as a nation, even though Israel was then (and is now) rejected by him, for God had always worked through the principle of election (for example, Jacob and Esau). He is the potter, and fallen humanity is the clay. Israel, however—i.e., the individuals who make up Israel—is responsible to accept the simple gospel by which God lovingly stretches out his hands to sinners. But they were hardened, so the gospel went out to the Gentiles. However, one day the blessing is going to return to Israel and there will be a great national repentance (cf. vv. 25–27). Paul experienced a sense of wonder at a God who can so work in history. “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!”
One exclamation was not enough for the apostle, so he used another as well: “How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!” (v. 33). How beyond us God is! The word “unfathomable” (NASB; NIV “beyond tracing out”) literally means “untraceable.” Tracing God’s ways in his dealings with man is as futile as tracking his footprints on the sea (cf. Psalm 77:19). God’s methods of operation do not conform to man’s preconceptions.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8, 9)
God is by nature incomprehensible to us. One of the reasons for this is, of course, that our experience limits us. We cannot think in categories beyond our range of experience or sensation.
Lewis uses the example of a shellfish which, trying to tell other shellfish what man is like, has to speak in terms of their common experience. So he tells them that man has no shell, is not attached to a rock, and does not reside in water. To help the first shellfish get the idea across, other learned shellfish expand on his statements, finally concluding that man is a “… sort of amorphous jelly (he has no shell), existing nowhere in particular (he is not attached to a rock) and never taking nourishment (there is no water to drift it toward him).” Conclusion? Man is a famished jelly existing in a dimensionless void. In the same way our human limitations keep us from thinking rightly about our infinite God.
Likewise, our language is incapable of communicating about a God who is above nature. That is why the Scriptural writers constantly use “like” and similar terms when describing God, as safeguards against misrepresentation. For example, “And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper” (Revelation 4:3). God is incomprehensible! Does that mean we can know nothing about him? No, for the Scriptures and nature teach us much about what he is like. But we will never know him fully or exhaustively.
In his exclamations Paul wonders at the greatness of his God, and his thoughts naturally flow into worship: “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” (v. 34a). The prophet Isaiah put it this way:
Who has understood the Spirit of the Lord, or instructed him as his counselor? Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding? (40:13, 14)
Who could ever suggest anything God had not thought of first? God knew all things before human history began and has never learned anything during the history of the world, because he has known all things forever. Thus, no man can call God to account, saying, “What are you doing?” To argue with God is to argue with the one who makes it possible to argue!
Paul continues in verse 35: “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?” God does not, and never will, owe anything to anyone. He is no man’s debtor.
Paul bows in awe at the depth of God’s knowledge and wisdom. Who can fathom his wondrous salvation of the lost human race … the miracle of justification … our sanctifying identification with him … the victory of the Christian life … the mystery of his dealings with Israel? Worshiping God for his knowledge and wisdom fills us with mystery and hope for the future.
Paul Himself (Rom. 11:1)
“Hath God cast away His people? God forbid! For I also am an Israelite!” If God has cast away His people, then how can the conversion of the Apostle Paul be explained? The fact that his conversion is presented three times in the Book of Acts is significant (Acts 9, 22, 26). Certainly Dr. Luke did not write these chapters and repeat the story just to exalt Paul. No, they were written to show Paul’s conversion as an illustration of the future conversion of the nation of Israel. Paul called himself “one born out of due time” (1 Cor. 15:8). In 1 Timothy 1:16 he stated that God saved him “that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long-suffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting.”
The accounts of Paul’s conversion tell very little that parallels our salvation experience today. Certainly none of us has seen Christ in glory or actually heard Him speak from heaven. We were neither blinded by the light of heaven nor thrown to the ground. In what way, then, is Paul’s conversion “a pattern”? It is a picture of how the nation of Israel will be saved when Jesus Christ returns to establish His kingdom on earth. The details of Israel’s future restoration and salvation are given in Zechariah 12:10–13:1. The nation shall see Him as He returns (Zech. 14:4; Acts 1:11; Rev. 1:7), recognize Him as their Messiah, repent, and receive Him. It will be an experience similar to that of Saul of Tarsus when he was on his way to Damascus to persecute Christians (Acts 9).
This is why Paul used himself as the first witness. The fact that he was saved does not prove that there is a future for Israel. Rather, what is important is the way he was saved.
The Prophet Elijah (Rom. 11:2–10)
Israel is God’s elect nation; He foreknew them, or chose them, and they are His. The fact that most of the nation has rejected Christ is no proof that God has finished with His people. In his day, Elijah thought that the nation had totally departed from God (see 1 Kings 19). But Elijah discovered that there was yet a remnant of true believers. He thought he was the only faithful Jew left and discovered that there were 7,000 more.
Paul referred to this “remnant” in Romans 9:27, a quotation from Isaiah 10:22–23. At no time has the entire nation of Israel been true to the Lord. God makes a distinction between Abraham’s natural children and his spiritual children (Rom. 2:25–29). The fact that the Jews shared in the covenant by being circumcised did not guarantee their salvation. Like Abraham, they had to believe God in order to receive His righteousness (Rom. 4:1–5).
Note that this remnant is saved by grace and not by works (Rom. 11:5–6). Note also the parallel in Romans 9:30–33. It is impossible to mix grace and works, for the one cancels the other. Israel’s main concern had always been in trying to please God with good works (Rom. 9:30–10:4). The nation refused to submit to Christ’s righteousness, just as religious, self-righteous people refuse to submit today.
If a remnant had been saved, thus proving that God was not through with His people, then what had happened to the rest of the nation? They had been hardened (a better translation than “blinded” in Rom. 11:7). This was the result of their resisting the truth, just as Pharaoh’s heart was hardened because he resisted the truth. Paul quoted Isaiah 29:10 to support his statement, and also referred to Deuteronomy 29:4. We would expect a pagan ruler to harden himself against the Lord, but we do not expect God’s people to do so.
Romans 11:9–10 are cited from Psalm 69:22–23. This psalm is one of the most important of the messianic psalms and is referred to several times in the New Testament. Note especially Romans 11:4, 9, 21–22. Their “table to become a snare” means that their blessings turn into burdens and judgments. This is what happened to Israel: their spiritual blessings should have led them to Christ, but instead they became a snare that kept them from Christ. Their very religious practices and observances became substitutes for the real experience of salvation. Sad to say, this same mistake is made today when people depend on religious rituals and practices instead of trusting in the Christ who is pictured in these activities.
Paul made it clear that the hardening of Israel is neither total nor final, and this is proof that God has a future for the nation. “Hardness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in” (Rom. 11:25). The existence of the believing Jewish remnant today, as in Elijah’s day, is evidence that God still has a plan for His people. Paul did not imitate Elijah’s mistake and say, “I only am left!” He knew that there was a remnant of Israel in this world who trusted God.
The Gentiles (Rom. 11:11–15)
In Romans 2:1–3 Paul used the Gentiles to prove the Jews guilty of sin, but here he used the Gentiles to assure Israel of a future restoration. His logic here is beautiful. When the Jews rejected the Gospel, God sent it to the Gentiles and they believed and were saved. Three tragedies occurred in Israel: the nation fell (Rom. 11:11), was lost (Rom. 11:12, “diminished”), and was cast away (Rom. 11:15). None of these words suggests a final judgment on Israel. But the amazing thing is that through Israel’s fall, salvation came to the Gentiles. God promised that the Gentiles would be saved (Rom. 9:25–26) and He kept His promise. Will He not also keep His promise to the Jews?
It is important to understand that the Old Testament promises to the Gentiles were linked to Israel’s “rise”—her entering into her kingdom. Prophecies like Isaiah 11 and Isaiah 60 make it clear that the Gentiles will share in Israel’s kingdom. But Israel did not “rise”; she fell! What would God then do with the Gentiles? God introduced a new factor—the church—in which believing Jews and Gentiles are one in Christ (Eph. 2:11–22). In Ephesians 3, Paul called this new program “the mystery,” meaning “the sacred secret” that was not revealed in the Old Testament. Does this mean that God has abandoned His kingdom program for Israel? Of course not! Israel is merely set aside until the time comes for God’s plans for Israel to be fulfilled.
Paul stated that the Gentiles had a vital ministry to Israel. Today, the saved Gentiles provoke Israel “to jealousy” (see Rom. 10:19) because of the spiritual riches they have in Christ. Israel today is spiritually bankrupt, while Christians have “all spiritual blessings” in Christ (Eph. 1:3). (If an unsaved Jew visited the average church service, would he be provoked to jealousy and wish he had what we have—or would he just be provoked?)
There is a future for Israel. Paul calls it “their fullness” (Rom. 11:12) and their “receiving” (Rom. 11:15). Today, Israel is fallen spiritually, but when Christ returns, the nation will rise again. Today, Israel is cast away from God, but one day they shall be received again. God will never break His covenant with His people, and He has promised to restore them. (See Jer. 31:35–37 where God links His promises to Israel to the sun, moon, and stars.)
The Patriarchs (Rom. 11:16–24)
From looking at the future, Paul next looked to the past to show Israel’s spiritual heritage. From the beginning, Israel was a special people, set apart by God. Paul used two illustrations to prove his argument that God was not finished with the Jews.
The lump of dough (v. 16a). The reference here is to Numbers 15:17–21. The first part of the dough was to be offered up to God as a symbol that the entire lump belonged to Him. The same idea was involved in the Feast of Firstfruits, when the priest offered a sheaf to the Lord as a token that the entire harvest was His (Lev. 23:9–14). The basic idea is that when God accepts the part He sanctifies the whole.
Applying this to the history of Israel, we understand Paul’s argument. God accepted the founder of the nation, Abraham, and in so doing set apart his descendants as well. God also accepted the other patriarchs, Isaac and Jacob, in spite of their sins or failings. This means that God must accept the “rest of the lump”—the nation of Israel.
The olive tree (vv. 16b–24). This is a symbol of the nation of Israel (Jer. 11:16–17; Hosea 14:4–6). Please keep in mind that Paul was not discussing the relationship of individual believers to God, but the place of Israel in the plan of God. The roots of the tree support the tree; again, this was a symbol of the patriarchs who founded the nation. God made His covenants with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and He cannot deny them or change them. Thus, it is God’s promise to Abraham that sustains Israel even today.
Many of the Jewish people did not believe. Paul pictured them as branches broken off the tree. But he saw an amazing thing taking place: other branches were grafted into the tree to share in the life of the tree. These branches were the Gentiles. In Romans 11:24, Paul described this “grafting in” as “contrary to nature.” Usually a cultivated branch is grafted into a wild tree and shares its life without producing its poor fruit. But in this case, it was the “wild branch” (the Gentiles) that was grafted into the good tree! “Salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22).
To say that the olive tree, with its natural and grafted branches, is a picture of the church would be a great mistake. In the church, “there is no difference”; believers are “all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28). God does not look on the members of Christ’s body and see them as Jews or Gentiles. The olive tree illustrates the relationship between Jew and Gentile in the program of God. The “breaking off of the branches” is the equivalent of “the fall” (Rom. 11:11), “the diminishing” (Rom. 11:12), and “the casting away” (Rom. 11:15). To read into this illustration the matter of the eternal destiny of the individual believer is to abuse the truth Paul was seeking to communicate.
Paul warned the Gentiles that they were obligated to Israel, and therefore they dared not boast of their new spiritual position (Rom. 11:18–21). The Gentiles entered into God’s plan because of faith, and not because of anything good they had done. Paul was discussing the Gentiles collectively, and not the individual experience of one believer or another.
It is worth noting that, according to Bible prophecy, the professing Gentile church will be “cut off” because of apostasy. First Timothy 4 and 2 Timothy 3, along with 2 Thessalonians 2, all indicate that the professing church in the last days will depart from the faith. There is no hope for the apostate church, but there is hope for apostate Israel! Why? Because of the roots of the olive tree. God will keep His promises to the patriarchs, but God will break off the Gentiles because of their unbelief.
No matter how far Israel may stray from the truth of God, the roots are still good. God is still the “God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Ex. 3:6; Matt. 22:23). He will keep His promises to these patriarchs. This means that the olive tree will flourish again!
God Himself (Rom. 11:25–36)
Paul saved his best witness for the last. He proved that the very character and work of God were involved in the future of Israel. Men may dispute about prophecy and differ in their interpretations, but let every man realize that he is dealing with God’s people, Israel.
God’s timing (v. 25). What has happened to Israel is all a part of God’s plan, and He knows what He is doing. The blinding (or hardening, Rom. 11:7) of Israel as a nation is neither total nor final: it is partial and temporary. How long will it last? “Until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in” (Rom. 11:25). There is a “fullness” for Israel (Rom. 11:12) and for the Gentiles. Today, God in His grace is visiting the Gentiles and taking out a people for His name (Acts 15:12–14). Individual Jews are being saved, of course; but this present age is primarily a time when God is visiting the Gentiles and building His church. When this present age has run its course, and the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, then God will once more deal with the nation of Israel.
Romans 11:25 is one of several “until verses” in the Bible, all of which are important. Read Matthew 23:32–39; Luke 21:24; and Psalm 110:1 for other references. It is reassuring that God knows what time it is and that He is never late in fulfilling His will.
God’s promise (v. 26). The reference here is Isaiah 59:20–21; and you ought to read Isaiah 60 to complete the picture. God has promised to save His people, and He will keep His promise. There are those who interpret this as meaning salvation to individuals through the Gospel, but it is my conviction that the prophet has national conversion in mind. “All Israel shall be saved” does not mean that every Jew who has ever lived will be converted, but that the Jews living when the Redeemer returns will see Him, receive Him, and be saved. Zechariah 12–13 give the details. It seems to me that there are too many details in these Old Testament prophecies of national restoration for Israel for us to spiritualize them and apply them to the church today.
God’s covenant (vv. 27–28). This is, of course, a continuation of the quotation from Isaiah 59; but the emphasis is on the covenant of God with Israel. God chose Israel in His grace and not because of any merit in her (Deut. 7:6–11; 9:1–6). If the nation was not chosen because of its goodness, can it be rejected because of its sin? “Election” means grace, not merit. The Jewish people are “enemies” to the believing Gentiles because of their hostile attitude toward the Gospel. But to God, the Jewish people are “beloved for the fathers’ sakes.” God will not break His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
God’s nature (v. 29). “I am the Lord, I change not” (Mal. 3:6). “God is not a man that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent” (Num. 23:19). God’s gifts to Israel, and God’s calling of Israel, cannot be taken back or changed, or God would cease to be true to His own perfect nature. The fact that Israel may not enjoy her gifts, or live up to her privileges as an elect nation, does not affect this fact one bit. God will be consistent with Himself and true to His Word no matter what men may do. “Shall their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect?” (Rom. 3:3, literal translation)
God’s grace (vv. 30–32). “Because of the unbelief of the Jews, you Gentiles were saved,” said Paul. “Now, may it be that through your salvation Israel will come to know Christ.” Note that Paul repeatedly reminded the saved Gentiles that they had a spiritual obligation to Israel to “provoke them to jealousy” (Rom. 10:19; 11:11, 14). Israel’s hardness is only “in part” (Rom. 11:25), which means that individual Jews can be saved. God has included “all in unbelief”—Jews and Gentiles—so that all might have the opportunity to be saved by grace. “There is no difference.” If God can save Jews by His grace and mercy today, why can He not save them in the future?
We must remember that God chose the Jews so that the Gentiles might be saved. “In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed,” was God’s promise to Abraham (Gen. 12:1–3). The tragedy was that Israel became exclusive and failed to share the truth with the Gentiles. They thought that the Gentiles had to become Jews in order to be saved. But God declared both Jews and Gentiles to be lost and condemned. This meant that He could have mercy on all because of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
God’s wisdom (vv. 33–36). Having contemplated God’s great plan of salvation for Jews and Gentiles, all Paul could do was sing a hymn of praise. As someone has remarked, “Theology becomes doxology!” Only a God as wise as our God could take the fall of Israel and turn it into salvation for the world! His plans will not be aborted nor will His purposes lack fulfillment. No human being can fully know the mind of the Lord; and the more we study His ways, the more we offer Him praise. Are we to conclude that God does not know what He is doing, and that the nation of Israel completely ruined His plans? Of course not! God is too wise to make plans that will not be fulfilled. Israel did not allow Him to rule, so He overruled!
Paul summoned five witnesses, and they all agreed: there is a future for Israel. When Israel recovers from her “fall” and enters into her “fullness,” the world will experience the riches of God’s grace as never before. When Jesus Christ returns and sits on David’s throne to reign over His kingdom, then Israel will be “reconciled” and “received,” and it will be like a resurrection!