40 Israel’s Rejection Not Absolute – Part 3

In the final portion of Romans chapter 11, Paul continued speaking about the subject of Gentiles having been grafted into the tree which represents God’s remnant.

Paul begins the last section, with a warning to believers, not to take their standing for granted:

1 Take Nothing for Granted

Romans 11:19-21

While Gentile believers had been grafted in because of their faith, contrarily, those unbelieving Jews had been “broken off” because of their unbelief.

In verse 20, Paul states how Gentile believers should not be “haughty” but rather to “fear”.

While haughtiness speaks of someone who is “blatantly proud” the word for “fear” Paul used, speaks off showing “reverence”.

Paul’s warning to the church against being haughty, recalls how Moses had admonished the Israelites, that God had not chosen them because of any specialness with them:

Deuteronomy 7:7

Therefore, it is seen how the Lord chose both Israel and the church, based upon His grace.

In verse 21, Paul stated that if the Lord did not “spare the natural branches” meaning unbelieving Israel, that “He may not spare you either” (meaning Gentile believers).

2 God’s Goodness

Romans 11:22-24

In verse 22, Paul shows how our position is dependent upon God’s goodness, from which we receive His grace:

Romans 2:4

This speaks of the need for continuing (abiding) in Christ, which echoed the words of Jesus:

John 8:31

Paul then showed how God’s goodness and grace, is even sufficient to restore the “failing branches” of Israel:

Romans 11:23

In verse 24, Paul spoke of how, since the Lord had grafted wild olive branches (Gentile believers) how much more would He be inclined to re-graft the wayward “failing branches” of unbelieving Israel.

And while some Israelites today turn to Christ, sadly, the majority of the conversions will not take place until they have begun to endure the horrors of the Great Tribulation.

3 Explaining the Mystery

Paul understood that many of his readers (Jews and Gentiles alike) would misunderstand what he’d been saying, therefore he desired to reveal what he described as a “mystery”.

The biblical definition of a “mystery” is something which had not previously been revealed.

Here’s one example, as seen in Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church:

Ephesians 3:9

Romans 11:25-32

Paul reiterated what he’d stated before that the Lord viewed national Israel’s stumbling as only temporary, therefore it was His plan to restore them.

Verse 25 shows how ignorance of God’s plan could lead to Gentiles adopting both a conceited attitude and blindness of the Lord’s plan for Israel.

But those traits would be exhibited by unbelieving Israel as well. And that blindness would last “until the fulness of the Gentiles has come in”. That speaks of the length of the “church age” which will end, when the Lord calls the church home to heaven in the “rapture”.

Once He removes the church, He will begin the final period of world judgment upon all who have rejected Christ as Savior. The period is known as the Great Tribulation.

In verse 26, Paul returned to using Old Testament Scripture, to show how the “mystery” pointed to salvation for Israel:

Israel 59:20-21

Even though unbelieving Israel will go through the tribulation, they will be saved out of it, when Jesus their Messiah, returns to destroy His enemies, simply by His return:

2 Thessalonians 2:8

In verses 28 through 32, Paul once again spoke of how the Lord had sovereignly worked out Israel’s stumbling for the benefit of the church.

He illustrated that in verse 29, when he stated, “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable”.

He made his point in verses 30-32, by showing how believers had at one time been “disobedient to God” but had now become recipients of God’s mercy, and how much more He would do the same for Israel, His chosen.

4 Depths of God’s Riches

Paul then spoke of God’s great wisdom and knowledge:

Romans 11:33-36

Paul was showing how the “mystery” was the product of the riches of God’s “wisdom and knowledge”.