Romans 11.29-Israel Is Both God's Enemy And The Object Of His Love Because The Gracious Privileges And Invitation To Privilege Are Irrevocable
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday August 30, 2009
Romans: Romans 11:29-Israel Is God’s Enemy And The Object Of His Love Because The Gracious Gifts And Invitation To Privilege Are Irrevocable
Lesson # 385
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 11:28.
This morning we will note Romans 11:29 in which Paul teaches that Israel is both God’s enemy and the object of His love because the gracious privileges listed in Romans 9:4-5, especially the invitation to privilege that the Father extended to Israel are by nature irrevocable.
Romans 11:28-29, “From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God's choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”
In Romans 11:29 Paul is teaching the reason why Israel can be both God’s enemy and the object of His unconditional love.
This statement in Romans 11:29 is explaining the paradox presented in Romans 11:28.
Therefore, Paul is saying in Romans 11:29 that Israel can be both the enemy of God and the object of His unconditional love “because” the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
He is saying that Israel can be both the enemy of God because of their rejection of the gospel and the elect nation of God “because” the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
The national election of the nation of Israel by God, which was addressed by Paul in Romans 9:6-29, was not based upon the negative or positive responses of the individual citizens of the nation of Israel with regards to Jesus Christ.
Rather, it was based upon God’s grace policy, which itself is based upon the character and nature of God.
Therefore, the nation of Israel can still be the elect nation of God and the object of His love even though the majority of Jews in Israel from the first and second advents of Christ have rejected His Son Jesus Christ.
“The gifts” is the noun charisma (xavrisma) (khar-is-mah), which is used with reference to the nation of Israel and in the plural form referring to the “gracious privileges” or “gracious unmerited spiritual benefits” that the Father bestowed upon that nation according to His grace policy and are listed in Romans 9:4-5.
Romans 9:1-5, “I am speaking the truth in accordance with the code of Christ. I am by no means lying, while my conscience does confirm to me in accordance with the code of the Holy Spirit. That, as far my feelings are concerned, there is always great sorrow as well as unceasing anguish in my heart. In fact, I could almost wish that I myself could be accursed, totally and completely separated from Christ as a substitute for my brothers, specifically, my fellow countrymen with respect to racial descent who indeed by virtue of their unique, privileged character are, as an eternal spiritual truth, Israelites. To them belongs the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the service and the promises. To them belong the fathers and from them, the Christ with respect to human racial descent, the one who is, as an eternal spiritual truth, God over each and every living and non-living thing, worthy of praise and glorification throughout eternity. Amen!”
The eight privileges listed by Paul in Romans 9:4-5 are as follows: (1) “To whom belongs the adoptions as sons” (2) “The glory” (3) “The covenants” (4) “The giving of the Law” (5) “The service” (6) “The promises” (7) “The fathers” (8) “From them, the Christ with respect to human racial descent”.
The term “Israelites” serves to identify who are Paul’s fellow countrymen with respect to Israel and as a heading for the list of eight privileges that identify Paul and his fellow countrymen.
The title, “Israelite” speaks of the fact that the Jew is a member of a theocracy and is the heir of the promises given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob whose name was later changed by the Lord to “Israel.”
The expression “adoption as sons” refers to the Old Testament teaching concerning the nation of Israel that they were “God’s son” in a “national” sense meaning that God had set apart Israel from all the nations of the earth for blessing and service.
“The glory” refers to the visible manifestation of God’s presence that appeared to the nation of Israel throughout her history.
“The covenants” refers to the five covenants given to Israel, four were unconditional and one conditional.
“The giving of the Law” refers to the nation of Israel receiving the Law from God through Moses on Mount Sinai.
“The temple service” refers to the service connected with the tabernacle and temple worship.
“The promises” refers to the promises contained in the five covenants that God established with the nation of Israel.
“The fathers” refers to the patriarchs or progenitors of the nation of Israel, namely, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob whose name was changed later by the Lord to Israel.
This is an important privilege because the promises contained in the covenants were given to these men.
“From whom is the Christ” refers to the fact that Jesus Christ with respect to His human nature would be racially a Jew.
In Romans 11:29, the noun charisma is used with reference to the nation of Israel and in plural form referring to the “gracious privileges” that were bestowed upon that nation based upon God’s grace policy and are listed in Romans 9:4-5.
Romans 11:29, “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”
“And” is the “emphatic” use of the conjunction kai (kaiV), which introduces an action performed by God that led to Israel experiencing the eight gracious privileges that God bestowed upon the nation of Israel that are listed in Romans 9:4-5.
With this word Paul is saying that the gracious privileges “especially” the calling of God, are irrevocable.
This interpretation is supported by the fact that the noun klesis means “invitation to privilege” indicating that the eight privileges listed in Romans 9:4-5 were experienced by Israel because of this act by God of inviting the nation of Israel to privilege.
In other words, klesis denotes God the Father’s invitation to privilege led to Israel experiencing the eight privileges listed in Romans 9:4-5.
These eight privileges could not have been experienced by Israel if God the Father had not invited this nation to experience them.
“The calling of God” is composed of the nominative feminine singular form of the noun klesis (klhsi$) (klay-sis), “the calling” and the articular genitive masculine singular form of the noun theos (qeov$) (theh-os), “of God.”
The noun klesis means “invitation to privilege” indicating that the eight privileges that were bestowed upon Israel by God and are listed in Romans 9:4-5 are the direct result of the Father inviting the nation to experience them.
“Irrevocable” is the nominative neuter plural form of the adjective ametameletos (a)metamevlhto$) (am-et-am-el-ay-tos), which emphasizes the faithfulness of God in fulfilling His promises to the patriarchs.
This is indicated in that in Romans 11:28 Paul taught that from the perspective of her national election, Israel is the object of God’s unconditional love because of His unconditional promises to the patriarchs.
Faithfulness is one of the attributes of God as related to moral beings (Deut. 7:9; 1 Cor. 1:9; 10:13; 1 Thess. 5:23; 2 Thess. 3:3; 1 John 1:9).
Isaiah 49:7, “Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel and its Holy One, to the despised One, to the One abhorred by the nation, to the Servant of rulers, ‘Kings will see and arise, princes will also bow down, because of the LORD who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen You.’”
1 Corinthians 1:9, “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
2 Timothy 2:13, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.”
Therefore, Paul is saying in Romans 11:29 that Israel can be both the enemy of God and the object of His unconditional love because the eight gracious privileges that God bestowed upon the nation of Israel that are listed in Romans 9:4-5 and especially the invitation to privilege that He extended to that nation are irrevocable.