Romans 11:1-10

God: The Sovereign, Promise Keeper

Romans 9-11: How could Christianity be true, if so many Jews have rejected it?

Has the Word of God failed? (Romans 9:6)Seems to no longer produce faith and salvation (in Jews)

God’s sovereignty: ElectionSalvation is God’s choosing and gift (Isaac, not Ishmael)God’s election is not based on our works (Jacob, not Esau)

Why? To make known the riches of His glory on the un-deserving (9:23, Eph 2)

Human Responsibility: obstinate, disobedient, pursuing their own righteousness/own glory (9:31-32, 10:2-4)Israel deserving of chastisement (40 years in desert, Babylon)

God’s revealed planTo bring Gentiles into salvation (9:24-26)To maximize the glory of God

Background

Romans 9-11: How could Christianity be true, if so many Jews have rejected it?

Chapter 11: Has God rejected Israel?

No, but God has temporarily set Israel aside…Partial (1-10)Passing (11-24)Purposeful (25-36)

Background

Sermon outline from John MacArthur

1I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3"Lord, they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life." 4But what is the divine response to him? "I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." 5In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice. 6But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.

7What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened;8just as it is written,"God gave them a spirit of stupor,Eyes to see not and ears to hear not,Down to this very day."9And David says,"Let their table become a snare and a trap,And a stumbling block and a retribution to them.10"Let their eyes be darkened to see not,And bend their backs forever."

1I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be!

Romans 11: 1a

1Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go forth from your country,And from your relatives and from your father's house,To the land which I will show you;2And I will make you a great nation,And I will bless you, and make your name great;And so you shall be a blessing;3And I will bless those who bless you,And the one who curses you I will curse.And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."

Genesis 12

5And He took him outside and said, "Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be." 6Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.

Genesis 15:5-6

9So He said to him, "Bring Me a three year old heifer, and a three year old female goat, and a three year old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon." 10Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two…12Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram…17It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces.18On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying,"To your descendants I have given this land,From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates:

35Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for light by dayAnd the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar;The Lord of hosts is His name:36"If this fixed order departs from before Me," declares the Lord, "Then the offspring of Israel also will ceasefrom being a nation before Me forever."

Jeremiah 31: 35-36

For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

Romans 11: 1b

2God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3"Lord, they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life." 4But what is the divine response to him? "I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." 5In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice. 6But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.

Romans 11:2-6

37All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out…39This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. 40For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”44No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.

John 6, Jesus speaking…

2God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3"Lord, they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life." 4But what is the divine response to him? "I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." 5In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice. 6But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.

7"The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the Lord brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery4"Do not say in your heart when the Lord your God has driven them out before you, 'Because of my righteousness the Lord has brought me in to possess this land,' …5 It is not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your heart that you are going to possess their land, but …in order to confirm the oath which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Deut 7:7-8; 9:4-5

2God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3"Lord, they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life." 4But what is the divine response to him? "I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." 5In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice. 6But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.

7What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened;8 just as it is written, "God gave them a spirit of stupor,Eyes to see not and ears to hear not, down to this very day."9And David says, "Let their table become a snare and a trap, and a stumbling block and a retribution to them.10"Let their eyes be darkened to see not, and bend their backs forever."

Isaiah 29:10a For the Lord has poured over you a spirit of deep sleep (stupor), He has shut your eyes,Deut 29: 4 Yet to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to know, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear.

Romans 11: 8 “God gave them a spirit of stupor,Eyes to see not and ears to hear not, down to this very day."

9And David says, "Let their table become a snare and a trap, and a stumbling block and a retribution to them.10"Let their eyes be darkened to see not, and bend their backs forever."

Rom 9: 31 …Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. 32Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,

Rom 10: 2 For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. 3For not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. 4For Christ is the end of the law for (the purpose of) righteousness to everyone who believes.

9And David says, "Let their table become a snare and a trap, and a stumbling block and a retribution to them.10"Let their eyes be darkened to see not, and bend their backs forever."

Has God now rejected Israel? May it never be!

Partial setting aside of Israel: supporting evidence…WriterRemnantReason: deaf and blind to God’s truth

PassingPurposeful

Summary

God is not done with Israel.Don’t be indifferent, don’t be arrogant toward the Jews (11:17-

18)God always keeps His promises--literally

Take hold of the assurance of your salvation (I John 5:11-13)Cling to promises made in the scripture

God is the author of everyone’s salvationBe humble and thankful for God’s gracious choosing of youPray for the salvation of all—God can take for Himself anyone

He pleasesSalvation by God’s election brings great hope—not

frustrationFallen people are prone to be blind/deaf to God’s truth

“Prevailing unconcernedness”Pray for eyes to see and ears to hear. Seek God while He may

be found. Don’t quench the Holy Spirit.

Principles & Applications

God: The Sovereign, Promise Keeper

Romans 11:1-10