It’s all the time vital to take a look at a verse in context. Paul begins Romans 11 with a very important query and a fast answer. Romans 11:1-2 (NLT) says, “I ask, then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! … No, God has not rejected his own people, whom he selected from the very starting.”
Remember, Paul resides in the times of the early church. He’s writing this letter to Christians who live in Rome, a majority who were Gentiles. (When you read the word Gentile, think non-Jewish. Some Gentiles believed in Jesus, some didn’t.) When I take into consideration what this time in history will need to have been like, I imagine the Gentile Christians had feelings of superiority over the Jewish people. But Paul is making it clear to the church that God has not rejected his people. He explains the present situation.
So that is the situation: Most of the people of Israel haven’t found the favor of God they’re on the lookout for so earnestly. Just a few have—those God has chosen—however the hearts of the remainder were hardened. As the Scriptures say, “God has put them right into a deep sleep. To today he has shut their eyes in order that they don’t see, and closed their ears in order that they don’t hear.” (Romans 11:7-8)
Why would God allow this? Paul tells us that too, in verse 11: “Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to develop into jealous and claim it for themselves.”
When God’s people, the Israelites, rejected Jesus as their Messiah, it opened the doors for Gentiles to receive Jesus as their Savior. God desired to make His people jealous with the hope that they’ll turn to Jesus too. Full restoration of the Jewish people is coming (Romans 11:12, 15).
Paul also liked to visualise things. He goes on to put in writing about trees and roots and branches. Abraham is the tree and a number of the branches have broken off his tree (a number of the people of Israel) and branches from a wild olive tree (Gentiles) have been grafted in. Now, Gentiles have a share in God’s guarantees to Abraham. We also get to share within the nourishment that comes from the basis of God’s chosen tree. (Romans 11:17)
Just when the Roman church was feeling pretty good about themselves, Paul gives a powerful warning. Romans 11:18 says, “But you will need to not brag about being grafted in to interchange the branches that were broken off. You are only a branch, not the basis.” Gentiles are grafted into this tree after they imagine in Jesus. It’s an incredible gift and it’s one which He also gives to His chosen people. “And if the people of Israel turn from their unbelief, they will probably be grafted in again, for God has the facility to graft them back into the tree” (Romans 11:23).
God’s plan is for all people. He wants Jews and Gentiles alike to worship Him. He made a covenant with Israel, sent Jesus to save lots of the world, welcomed within the Gentiles, and shortly His attention will turn back to Israel. Once the fullness of Gentiles has come to know Jesus, God “will turn Israel away from ungodliness.” (Romans 11:26)
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