Does God reject Israel?
Righteousness of God revealed - Book of Romans • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 2 viewsAim: A serious topic about Paul's brethren the Jews and Israel as a whole.
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
God’s people
God’s people
When you think of God’s people what do you, who do you think of?
If you are God’s people will He cast you off? Take away what was promised to you?
Are all children of God a child of God? How does a child of God become a child of God?
I know those are some pondering questions. And, I have to be honest with you, I wrestled with this passage more than many passages for it is so important and there are many views on this.
The church is Spiritual Israel now.
All of Isreal is cast off as a nation and there is no coming back.
All of Isreal (the nation) will be saved upon Christ’s return
All of Isreal is cast off as a nation and there is no coming back.
That the Gentiles are to bring a sense of Jealousy to Israel that they would repent and accept Jesus as the Messiah.
Now as we look at the passage I think you will see that God always keeps a remnant and there was then and still is today a remnant of Israel that has accepted Christ as the Messiah.
Our Passage
Our Passage
Come may we work out together this morning with the scripture be the centerpiece.
1 I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?
3 “Lord, they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.”
4 But what is the divine response to him? “I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
5 In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice.
6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.
7 What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened;
8 just as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, Eyes to see not and ears to hear not, Down to this very day.” 9 And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, And a stumbling block and a retribution to them.
10 “Let their eyes be darkened to see not, And bend their backs forever.”
11 I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.
12 Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!
13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,
14 if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
What catches your eye, your attention in this passage? Is it a word, a phrase, a verse?
Think about this, who is Paul talking to, what is Paul talking about?
What do you see as the theme, main point, of this passage?
In our passage we will see Paul’s address, Paul’s examples all Paul’s heart. Chapter 9-11 addresses his brethren the Jews, and his heart for them.
What is Paul’s address (statement) (v.1)? Who does he use as an example?
In (v.2-5) Paul presents the evidence to back up his claim, what evidence does he offer?
What significant fact does Paul point out (v.6)?
Who are the “elect” or the “chosen” (v.7)?
“The rest are the unbelieving Israel whom God used to further His own purpose and manifest His glory.” -Deason
God has given Israel the covenant, the Law, the Prophets and the promises. Then the Messiah and the majority missed Him. But the chosen who came by faith, by grace through Jesus Christ.
To those who were unbelieving what did God give them (vv.8-10)?
What was the result of Israel’s stumble (vv.11-12)?
To confirm our first questions earlier, who is Paul talking to (v.13)?
What is Paul’s desire, Paul’s heart (vv.14-15)?
Paul’s first example
Paul’s first example
We have said before that everyone likes a good example, or an illustration. Paul loves to use them to help paint the picture, the point he is trying to make.
1 I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
Paul’s claim is God has not cast away His people.
Paul’s example is Paul.
Paul offers himself as a personal example. For Paul was physically and spiritually as Israelite, a descendant of Abraham. He is also receiving the blessings of the covenant with Abraham that all nations would be blessed through his seed. That seed being Jesus. —Paul, once an enemy, a persecutor, now is one proclaiming the way of salvation through Jesus Christ.
Good reference to show would not all be cast off (Ps94:14)
14 For the Lord will not abandon His people, Nor will He forsake His inheritance.
Paul’s second example
Paul’s second example
Claim and first example (Paul) we have seen, now Paul is offering up a historical example.
Elijah is offered as the next example (see 1Kn19:1-18)
Elijah runs
Elijah wishes to die
Elijah has visit from angel of the Lord
Elijah hides and feels he is alone.
Elijah find the Lord in the gentle wind
Elijah makes his complaint that everyone, the faithful, are dead except him and they are trying to kill him too
The angel tells him there is a remnant of 7,000 who have not bowed a knee to Baal.
God has always kept a remnant. This is nothing new here either, it was brought up by Isaiah, and Paul used it in Chapter-9
27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved;
Check out this quote, listen to it, for it is too long for a slide:
“We often think that God need a lots of people to do a great work, but He often works through a small group, or through a group that starts out small. Though not man Jews in Paul’s day embraced Jesus as Messiah, a remnant did and God will use that small group in a big way. it is not the number as much as the permanence of God’s plan for Israel that mattered in the time of Elijah . . he put his trust in God’s grace, not in number -Morris
So, God’s Israel, God’s remnant is a portion of the national Israel that believes and has obeyed the Good News of Jesus Christ their long awaited Messiah. God’s remnant is proof of God keeping His promise.
Something else to consider.
Deason said
“God’s faithfulness does not depend on some future conversion of the whole nation of Israel, for His promises were never spoken to unbelieving Israel, but only those who were ‘of faith.’”
Jews shared in the covenant by circumcision, though it did not guarantee their salvation. They, like Abraham, had to believe in order to receive His righteousness (ref. Rom4:1-5)
God’s right to choose
God’s right to choose
God chooses grace over works of the law.
6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work. 7 What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
God accepted by grace, through faith, a faithful remnant.
God hardened an already hardened heart of the majority of Israel who rejected God’s gift.
God did not cause the Jews to be unbelieving. He provided them the Messiah, prophesied He was coming, preached the message to them, yet they rejected.
Another quote worth hearing from Deason
“Indeed, God had set a lavish table for Israel, serving up the Messiah (but they refused to see Him), the free gift of righteousness (but they rejected it), and the gospel of forgiveness and reconciliation (but they would not heed it).”
What would be a wonderful banquet turned into a stumbling block. That brought riches to the world (11:12)
22 May their table before them become a snare; And when they are in peace, may it become a trap.
Barclay said it like this:
“The idea is that men are sitting feasting comfortably at their banquet; and their very sense of safety has become their ruin. They are so secure in the fancied safety that the enemy can come upon them unaware.”
The Jews is Paul’s day were very comfortable, secure in being God’s chosen people, it became their very ruin.
Israel’s stumble
Israel’s stumble
Israel stumbled but did not fall (v.11) but God used the stumble for the Gentiles very salvation and to make Israel jealous.
Let’s prove that out now.
11 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles.
12 Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!
13 For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,
14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them.
15 For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
In no way was Israel fallen away beyond salvation.
Why or why not do you think Israel is or is not beyond salvation?
God loves, as does Paul the unbelieving Jews and wants to bring them to jealousy so that they would want what the Gentiles have, salvation through the Messiah.
Israel’s fall meant riches to the world. The riches of God’s grace. The riches of God’s forgiveness and His mercy.
Look at it this way and we will close out.
Paul was hoping that his brethren would repent and come to Jesus, and that the Gentiles would not get superiority complex thinking they are better.
What the Gentiles were enjoying now, along with the Jewish remnant was
Israel’s God
Israel’s Messiah
Israel’s Scripture
Israel’s Hope
and Israel’s promises
Promises that were for Israel, and now have gone out to the Gentiles with a hope and desire that the Jews would be moved to repentance and obedience of faith.
(Prayer)