Romans 11

Read Romans 11

Paul asks a great question in the first verse of this chapter. Has God rejected his people, the Jews? Of course not. Paul himself if proof of that.
Paul looks through history and shows how in the past God's prophets, his chosen at the time, were killed, and yet God had set aside some for himself. Paul uses this as an example for now. Many of his fellow Jews are perishing, dead in their sin, and it's Paul's desire for them to be saved (see beginning of Romans 9 and 10). Those who are chosen have been chosen by grace. And if they were chosen by grace then they weren't chosen by their works, or grace wouldn't be grace.

So because righteousness and salvation can not be obtained by works, Israel had failed to obtain it at all. Instead a select few had obtained it, as commissioned by God. But why? We see the answer in verses 11-12.

God did not set up Israel so that it may fail. Instead, despite his knowledge that they would fail, he used their failure to bless the world. It is because of the failure of Israel that Jesus needed to come. And by Jesus coming not just the Jews could be saved, but now the Gentiles can be saved as well. And since the Jews brought about a way for which Gentiles can be saved, and therefore the whole world, then how much more would they be able to be saved as well!

So what we see here is that God selected a group of people to bless the world. He, being sovereign and all knowing, knew they would fail because humans cannot save themselves or anyone else. Their failure then brought us Jesus, the true blessing, he true path to righteousness and salvation. With Jesus being the salvation, again Gentiles are grafted into the promise.

With Paul being the Jew of Jews and having compassion and zeal for his people, but also being the Apostle to the Gentiles, Paul writes this: That he uses his apostleship for the Gentiles in an effort to make the Jews jealous so they they may be saved. Their rejection of Jesus means a reconciliation for the world to God, so what would their acceptance mean? Paul writes that it would mean life from the dead. But not for all, only them. Each gains eternal life through Jesus personally, not as a whole. But by one being given eternal life by God, they open the way to share the gift given to them to those around them. Thus: If the dough is holy, so is the whole lump because the blessedness spreads. That's just what I think though. Like in all posts, these are my thoughts.

Then in verses 17ff we get a look into the idea of salvation. God had used the Jews to fail so that Jesus could come. Jesus is the root, the vine. The branches then that did no produce fruit were cut off, and others were grafted in. The Jews, who were not wanting to be connected to the root, and did not produce fruit, were cut off, and Gentiles were grafted in so that they may receive salvation as well. This, Paul writes in verse 22, shows the kindness and also the severity of God. Those who don't believe are cut off, and those that do remain.

Paul then gives the Gentiles some Jewish lessons. He doesn't want the Gentiles to become prideful because they received salvation because of Israel's failure. It is by the Gentiles coming into the promise that Israel may be saved. This shows even more that God had Israel fail so that the Gentiles may come in, which will also help lead Israel come in. This leads to god banishing ungodliness from Jacob, or Israel. This leads us to the idea of the New Israel, the perfect Israel, God's true Israel. Instead of being elected just because of their ancestry, those who are saved are now Jews by heart (think circumcision of the heart). Israel then still exists, because the gifts that God gives, and the calling he gives cannot be revoked. What I take this as is that God will not stop calling for us to join him. And as how I view Romans 8, all are called. Paul continually hits the point here that Israel's failure is for the purpose of salvation for all. This is supported by verse 32. God has given us all up to disobedience so that he can have mercy on us all as well. What I think Paul is saying here is that back in the beginning, when Adam and Eve sinned, God could have started all over. Instead, he allowed them to live, allowing sin to run rampant, so that he may have mercy on all of us. God great is God then, for wanting so bad to show us mercy that he allowed sin to continue despite the pain it brings us, his beloved children, and also himself.

How great and sacrificial is  our God?