Previously, on the Roman Road:
18 But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for “Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” Romans 10:18
Here, Paul is quoting Psalms 19:1-5:
1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.
4 Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun, 5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
As we went through the first three-fourths of this chapter of the book of Romans, we’ve established what I called the ‘Cycle of Faith’, where faith arises in our hearts and we speak the word of Christ, and through the word of Christ comes hearing, and through hearing faith arises.
But here we read, at least from the Psalm which Paul referred to, that the heavens and the sky – indeed, all creation joins in proclaiming the glory of God… Which I’m led to believe is a facet, or a form of the word of Christ. Or in other words, if you speak the glory of God, you’re also speaking the word of Christ.
We join in all creation in proclaiming the word of Christ: That is, the glory of God, HIs handiwork, speech poured out, knowledge revealed… and unlike our voices that could probably be muted, warped, or silenced, the heavens, and the rest of Creation WILL be heard – through all the earth, and to the end of the world.
It’s Romans 1 all over again: 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.Romans 1:20
It’s as if to say Christ is being preached by creation – or, as Mom likes to say, ‘we join in all Creation’… but not merely in glorifying our Father, but apparently also sharing the word of Christ; Voluntarily, or unintentionally, in our case.
19 But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, “I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry.”
20 Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, “I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.” 21 But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.” Romans 10:18-21
I think we’re to go back to Paul referring to the zeal and ignorance of his people, keeping them from hearing, or from allowing faith to arise. They have heard – if not from the Gentiles – from the rest of Creation of the word of Christ, in the form of the glory of God, yet Paul quotes Isaiah pointing out how they are not only zealous and ignorant but also rebellious, disobedient and contrary.
And I suppose it’s the same case with anyone rebellious – it doesn’t matter if the person is a Jew or Gentile, anyone who rebels will only focus on what they want to hear, and if they DO hear the word of Christ, they will refuse to listen.
Before the backdrop of the absolutely glorious salvation we have in Christ, is a deep-rooted rebellion that refuses to listen, choosing to glorify themselves above God, who deserves all the glory.
Yet even to these rebellious folk, to Israel, in particular, Paul again quotes Isaiah: I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices;Isaiah 65:2
So on top of standing at the door and knocking, our Savior has also had His hands spread out all day, held out to this cold, death-bound rebellion.
The body of Christ continues to move in faith, proclaiming the word of Christ, fulfilling the will of our Father – that none would perish, but all (all, including Paul’s kinsmen) would come to repentance…
…But part of me is saying I’m getting a little ahead of myself here. Let’s jump right into Romans 11.
Earlier, Paul clarifies – concerning his brothers, the Israelites:
- The word of God has not failed (Romans 9:6 and onwards),
- There was no injustice in God’s part (Romans 9:14 and onwards),
- God can do whatever He wants (refer to Esau and Pharaoh)
- By faith, the Gentiles attained righteousness, while Israel pursued but did not succeed in reaching a Law that would lead to righteousness. (Romans 9:30-31)
I thought it was important for us to go through those points before we went any further, and into Romans 11 once again.
1 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.
Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” 4 But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
Romans 11:1-6
Speaking as one of them, Paul says there was no failure on the part of God’s Word, nor was their any injustice done; and here, Paul opens the chapter by saying that God has NOT rejected His people – those whom He foreknew.
Paul recounts how Elijah, also ‘one of them’, spoke to God against his own nation; and this same God – whom we know ‘foreknew’ His people, and in previous chapters was mentioned to have His hands held out to them – straight up told the prophet that He has ‘kept for (Himself)’ a remnant; that is, a portion of Israel.
Paul says that God has not rejected His people, with the basis that as he writes, there also remains a remnant; yet these are ‘chosen by grace’, not a remnant ‘who have not bowed the knee to Baal’ as it was in the time of Elijah.
7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, 8 as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.”
9 And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; 10 let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever.”
11 So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. 12 Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!Romans 11:7-12
What I understand from this is that from the Israelites, the ‘remnant’ Paul mentioned from them were the ‘elect’ who obtained righteousness – by faith.
The rest were ‘hardened’, as in they were under a ‘spirit of stupor’, with eyes ‘darkened’ and which ‘would not see’, and ears that would not hear, ‘down to this very day’ – But Paul quickly follows this up by clarifying: All this was NOT for their ‘fall’, or their rejection, but through this that happened to them, salvation would come to the Gentiles…
…and when the Gentiles receive the righteousness apart from the Law, and through faith in Christ, they who were hardened would be made jealous…
…and if the salvation of the Gentiles was glorious already, how much more glorious would the salvation to the entire nation of Israel be.
…well, that’s at least how I take all of this in.
Again – and this is just for my clarity before anyone else’s, and I’m sorry this is redundant – Just from interpreting Paul’s explanation here, I’m to understand that the Israelites (save for the remnant that was chosen by grace) were made to be insistent on the righteousness that comes through the Law, for salvation to come to the Gentiles… and the Gentiles received the righteousness that comes by faith, so as to make Israel jealous.
13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14 in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. 15 For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? 16 If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.Romans 11:13-16
We as Gentiles were saved through Christ, and what I take from this is that we ought to also desire, as Paul desired, for the Jews to be made jealous, for them to be saved.
In one analogy we read Paul is also indicating that both Jew and Gentile are part of the same tree, with the former playing a more critical role as the ‘root’, where the ‘branches’ are connected. And with this in mind, whatever happens to the root would impact the branches, so if the root is holy, then so are the branches.
Paul also likens the Jews are the firstfruits – or, the first portion dough offered at the temple, which I’m led to believe is representative of the entire ‘lump’ of dough; If the firstfruits is holy so the rest of the dough is holy.
Finally, I enjoy verse 15, as we see another implication, following the salvation of our brothers, the Jews: That is, not only would their sanctification and being made holy mean our sanctification and being made holy, but also, their acceptance, and their reconciliation means ‘life from the dead’!
This seemingly scandalous approach involving acceptance, rejection, jealousy and reconciliation ultimately results in what I assume is the highest probability of the greatest amount of people, Jew and Gentile, to be saved – made holy, and given life from the dead.
17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.
Romans 11:17-18
I needed to go online to clarify – Did Paul shift from referring to the Jews as the ‘dough offered as firstfruits’ and the ‘root’ in verse 16, to referring to them as the ‘branches (which were) broken off’ in verse 17?
Resources suggest a slight difference between the two verses, which, as I keep going through it, makes more sense: The ‘dough offered as firstfruits’ and the ‘root’ do not refer to just any Jew, but the patriarchs, leading back to Abraham; meaning, if they were made holy, then the rest of the dough – or, more importantly, the rest of the tree and its branches are made holy.
As Gentiles we were as ‘wild olive shoots’, grafted in to ‘share in the nourishing root of the olive tree‘; From another perspective we could say that we were also brought in as descendants of the patriarchy, particularly Abraham, to whom God promised He would make a father of many nations.
19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. 23 And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree. Romans 11:19-24
The verse continues with Paul reminding us, as Gentiles, not to be arrogant toward the Jews who do not continue in their unbelief – the branches that were broken off and have been grafted in again.
We shouldn’t be proud, because (1) if God can easily cut the natural branches off, how much more can He cut off the wild branches which were grafted in? We should fear and have reverence, because (2) if God could easily graft wild branches from a wild olive tree into a cultivated olive tree, how much more can He graft the natural branches, once cut off, ‘back into their own olive tree’?
25 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,
“The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; 27 “and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”
28 As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. 32 For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.
Romans 11:25-32
Paul continues to explain, plain and simple – the Jews were ‘partially’ hardened for the ‘fullness’ (the salvation, if I’m not mistaken) of us Gentiles first, and then for all Israel to be saved, by way of the ‘Deliverer’ who shall banish their ungodliness and take away their sins.
The Jews were disobedient for the Gentiles (who were also once disobedient) to receive mercy, for them to receive mercy – We were all, Jew and Gentile, ‘consigned’ to disobedience, that He would have mercy on all of us… On HIS timeline, and according to HIS power and wisdom.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
Romans 11:33-36
All this talk of remnants, and of blind eyes and deaf ears, and of a spirit of stupor and hardening – well, quite frankly, it’s left me a little stupid and hardened myself, and I’m pretty sure the Holy Spirit was leading Paul at this time to just BRING IT BACK to what matters:
The wisdom and knowledge of God is truly unsearchable, and His ways and judgments are inscrutable (impossible to interpret, unreadable, impenetrable).
He loved Jacob more than Esau. He hardened Pharaoh’s heart. He did not allow the Jews to see or to hear, and down the line, He provoked them to jealousy.
Here we see the same God who is capable of wrath (Romans 1) and judgment (Romans 2) is certainly capable of moving in our beings, and from our own limited point of view, we can certainly see how our other brothers and sisters in the human race would view Him as a terrible divine entity, an unjust and contradictory concept, an entity disconnected from reality, or even, in today’s lingo, a ‘social construct’ we came up with to serve our own intentions…
But that’s precisely why Paul also takes astronomical efforts to explain how we, who were absolutely hopeless from the inside out, and ultimately without any chance of survival from the outside in, were saved – Through Christ, the Son of God, and the demonstration of God’s everlasting love, who, through His obedience leading to His death on a cross, reconciled us to God, so much so that the Spirit reminds us that He is our Father, so close to us that we shall not perish, but have eternal Life.
…and what’s left for us to say, before anything else – to Him be all the glory, forever.
Yes, I’ve pretty much given up on trying to make any of this sound palatable, and dragging all of it back up to the shallows, for me to say: whether we are Jew or Greek, let us keep trusting in the Lord; for, as the verse (and the derived song) goes, ‘from Him, and through Him, and to Him are ALL things’.
Let’s trust Him. Let’s believe in Him. For our sake, and for the sake of the world.
All praise to God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – for all He has done, is doing, and will do. Blessed be His name, forever and ever.
God bless you!
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