I say then, has God arejected and disowned His people? bCertainly not! For cI too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 1+@Sam 12:22; Jer 31:37; 33:24-26; Phil 3:51 Sam 12:22; Jer 31:37; 33:24-26Luke 20:162 Cor 11:22; Phil 3:5 2 God ahas not rejected His chosen people whom He bforeknew. cOr do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? Ps 94:14; 1+@Kin 19Ps 94:14Rom 8:29Rom 6:16 3 “Lord, aTHEY HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT of the prophets, AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE.”1 Kin 19:10, 14 4 But what is God’s response to him? “aI HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL.” 1+@Kin 19:181 Kin 19:18 5 So too then, at the present time there has come to be aa remnant a small believing minority according to God’s gracious choice.2 Kin 19:4; Rom 9:27 6 But aif it is by grace God’s unmerited favor, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace it would not be a gift but a reward for works.Rom 4:4
7 What then? aIsrael failed to obtain what it was seeking that is, God’s favor by obedience to the Law, but the elect those chosen few obtained it, while the rest of them became bhardened and callously indifferent;Rom 9:31Mark 6:52; Rom 9:18; 11:25; 2 Cor 3:14 8 just as it is written in Scripture,“aGOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR,EYES THAT DO NOT SEE AND EARS THAT DO NOT HEAR,a spiritual apathy that has continued TO THIS VERY DAY.” Deut 29:4; Is 29:10Deut 29:4; Is 29:10; Matt 13:13f 9 And David says,“aLET THEIR TABLE BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP,A STUMBLING BLOCK AND A RETRIBUTION TO THEM. Ps 69:22Ps 69:22
11 aSo I say, have they stumbled so as to fall to spiritual ruin? bCertainly not! But by their transgression their rejection of the Messiah csalvation has come to the Gentiles, to dmake Israel jealous when they realize what they have forfeited.Rom 11:1Luke 20:16Acts 28:28Rom 11:14 12 Now if Israel’s transgression means riches for the world at large and their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their afulfillment and reinstatement be!Rom 11:25 13 But now I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as aI am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,Acts 9:15 14 in the hope of somehow amaking bmy fellow countrymen jealous by stirring them up so that they will seek the truth and perhaps csave some of them.Rom 11:11Gen 29:14; 2 Sam 19:12f; Rom 9:31 Cor 1:21; 7:16; 9:22; 1 Tim 1:15; 2:4; 2 Tim 1:9; Titus 3:5 15 For if their present rejection of salvation is for the areconciliation of the world to God, what will their acceptance of salvation be but nothing less than blife from the dead?Rom 5:11Luke 15:24, 32 16 If athe first portion of dough offered as the first fruits is holy, so is the whole batch; and if the root is holy, so are the branches . Num 15:19-21Num 15:18ff; Neh 10:37; Ezek 44:30
17 But if some of the abranches were broken off, and byou Gentiles, being like a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them to share with them the rich root of the olive tree,Jer 11:16; John 15:2Eph 2:11ff 18 do not boast over the broken branches and exalt yourself at their expense. If you do boast and feel superior, remember that ait is not you who supports the root, but the root that supports you.John 4:22 19 aYou will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.”Rom 9:19 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you astand by your faith as believers understanding the truth of Christ’s deity. bDo not be conceited, but rather stand in great awe of God and fear Him;Rom 5:2; 1 Cor 10:12; 2 Cor 1:24Rom 12:16; 1 Tim 6:17; 1 Pet 1:17 21 for if God did not spare the natural branches because of unbelief, He will not spare you either. 22 Then appreciate the gracious kindness and the severity of God: to those who fell into spiritual ruin, severity, but to you, God’s gracious akindness—bif you continue in His kindness by faith and obedience to Him; otherwise you too cwill be cut off.Rom 2:41 Cor 15:2; Heb 3:6, 14John 15:2 23 And even they the unbelieving Jews, aif they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God has the power to graft them in again.2 Cor 3:16 24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and against nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much easier will it be to graft these who are the natural branches back into the original parent stock of their own olive tree?
25 aI do not want you, believers, to be unaware of this bmystery God’s previously hidden plan—so that you will not be cwise in your own opinion—that a partial dhardening has temporarily happened to Israel to last until the efull number of the Gentiles has come in;Rom 1:13Matt 13:11; Rom 16:25; 1 Cor 2:7-10; Eph 3:3-5, 9Rom 12:16Rom 11:7Luke 21:24; John 10:16; Rom 11:12 26 and so at that time all Israel that is, all Jews who have a personal faith in Jesus as Messiah will be saved; just as it is written in Scripture,“aTHE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION,HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.” Is 59:20, 21Is 59:20
28 From the standpoint of the gospel, the Jews at present are aenemies of God for your sake which is for your benefit, but from the standpoint of God’s choice of the Jews as His people, they are still loved by Him for bthe sake of the fathers.Rom 5:10Deut 7:8; 10:15; Rom 9:5 29 For the gifts and the acalling of God bare irrevocable for He does not withdraw what He has given, nor does He change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call.Rom 8:28; 1 Cor 1:26; Eph 1:18; 4:1, 4; Phil 3:14; 2 Thess 1:11; 2 Tim 1:9; Heb 3:1; 2 Pet 1:10Heb 7:21 30 Just as you once were disobedient and failed to listen to God, but have now obtained mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now become disobedient so that they too may one day receive mercy because of the mercy shown to you. 32 For aGod has imprisoned all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all Jew and Gentile alike.Rom 3:9; Gal 3:22f
33 Oh, the depth of athe riches and bwisdom and knowledge of God! cHow unsearchable are His judgments and decisions and how unfathomable and untraceable are His ways!Rom 2:4; Eph 3:8Eph 3:10; Col 2:3Job 5:9; 11:7; 15:8 34 For aWHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO HAS BEEN HIS COUNSELOR? Is 40:13, 14Is 40:13f; 1 Cor 2:16 35 Or aWHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT WOULD BE PAID BACK TO HIM?Job 35:7; 41:11 36 For afrom Him all things originate and through Him all things live and exist and to Him are all things directed. bTo Him be glory and honor forever! Amen.1 Cor 8:6; 11:12; Col 1:16; Heb 2:10Rom 16:27; Eph 3:21; Phil 4:20; 1 Tim 1:17; 2 Tim 4:18; 1 Pet 4:11; 5:11; 2 Pet 3:18; Jude 25; Rev 1:6; 5:13; 7:12