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Journaling: Romans 11

October 30, 2022 • R. Scott Jarrett • Romans 11

What about the Jews? (Part 3): God’s behavior toward people (including His covenant people – Jew/Gentile)


1. God already knows and leads to the truth people whose biggest problem is intellectual not moral.

1.1. The perfect example is the Apostle Paul (1, 1Ti 1:12-14 = Paul was ignorant yet faithful and so received God’s grace)

1.2. This included a few other first century Jews who were likewise faithful during Israel’s apostasy against Jesus (5-6) “a remnant chosen by grace” = A small number of Jews chosen to hear and receive God’s favor of gaining salvation by faith in Christ versus through the OC way (e.g., circumcision, animal sacrifice, adherence to separation and sabbaths – i.e. “on the basis of works”) (e.g., Zechariah and Elizabeth, John the Baptist, Joseph and Mary, the other Apostles and all the Jews of the Jerusalem church who became Christians)

1.3. This was also true during Israel’s apostasy in the days of Elijah (2-4; 1Ki 19:14-18)

1.4. This has always been true (e.g., Neh 9:8; Act 10:34-35 “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality” = Peter realized that people - not God- has always been the answer to the question, “what determines who gets saved?”).

2. God also knows and will give over to spiritual darkness those in the covenant community (e.g., the church) whose biggest problem is not intellectual but moral.

2.1. (7-10) = The covenant community (“Israel”) whose purpose of existence was to serve God and get to heaven failed through their disobedience and apostasy (“failed to obtain what it was seeking” – i.e., salvation). Only the few (during that first century) who were faithful were spared and received it (“the elect obtained it”). Those in the covenant community whose problem was not intellectual, but moral, God pushed further in the direction of their desired darkness and sin (i.e., He gave them what they were truly “seeking”). He “hardened” them with a “spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see [“eyes…darkened so that they cannot see”] and ears that would not hear” (no longer any ability to see the truth or escape the sin they chose to follow), “their table [has become] a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution (what they feed on wb poison to their souls – convincing and driving them further in the direction of damnation – Psa 69:21 w/22) …bend[ing] their backs forever” (Psa 69:23, “mak[ing] their loins tremble continually”) = B/C of their moral stubbornness God will not only cause them to go mad but become cowards controlled by fear (including the fear of missing out in this life) (Deu 28:28, 65-67; Rom 1:28; Eph 4:17-19; 2Pe 2:20) IOW: The day of grace for that covenant person is gone.

2.2. that God promises to also harden the Christian (remove His saving grace) if our problem continues to be moral is confirmed by Paul’s warning in (22).

3. Israel’s (the Jews) “fall” from grace was not total nor final (5w/11a):

3.1. their former apostasy (1st cent. rejection of Christ) does not affect future generations (23-24, 30-32; “consigned” = Handed over to the consequences of their sin – See Rom 1:24, 26, 28; Re: apostasy and future generations still possessing opportunity - Hos 14:1-7; prophecy regarding the restoration of apostate Israel in Jesus’ day – Jer 50:17-20 w/Eze 34:1-16, 23-24. Hence Jesus’ mission - Mat 15:24. PNTM = The children of apostate parents are not automatically apostate. No one loses their opportunity for salvation b/c of the actions of their parents – Eze 18:20).

3.2. God is planning a revival among the Jews that will start when the Gentiles have apostasized (i.e., when they have closed themselves off to being saved) (25-29; “mystery” = God will accomplish such a revival w/o violating the free-wills of the Jews [Hence Paul’s concluding response – 33-36!]; WHEN THIS REVIVAL WILL TAKE PLACE: v25 - “[when] the fullness of the Gentiles have come in” = Nor more/few Gentiles are able to be saved due to the successful propagation of false gospel preaching [Mat 24:11-14 w/Luk 21:24 = Fullness of the Gentiles wb associated w/false prophets preaching a false gospel of lawlessness/loyalty grown cold that wb popular at the end of time1]; HOW THIS REVIVAL WILL TAKE PLACE [v26a - “And in this way all Israel will be saved” = Revival/the majority of Jews - versus a remnant – v5]: v26b - “The Deliverer will…banish ungodliness [false religion/false JUDAISM – i.e. JUDAISM 1.0.] from Jacob” = The Jews will embrace Judaism 2.0. [the version containing Jesus and its NC application of the Law]. Notice the mention of it being associated w/a “covenant” [v27]. The banishing of ungodliness/the taking away of Israel’s apostasy will happen as a result of God successfully establishing His new “covenant” version of Judaism w/them – NOT SOME COMPLETELY NEW RELIGION [i.e. Evangelical Christianity – Roman Catholicism 2.0.]; “As it regards the gospel, they [those 1st cent. Jews rejecting Christ] are enemies for your sake. But as it regards election [God’s salvific plans], they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” = God’s promise to Abe/Isaac/Jacob to always have their offspring/the Jews in His salvific plan wb fulfilled - See Gen 17:7 [“everlasting covenant” = Covenant until the end of human history/world]; also Deu 7:6-8, 10:14-15; Jer 31:6-20, 35-37, 33:25-26; Hos 11:8-11; Zec 10:6-8; My theory on how God does it = Satan’s big coming out party and revelation regarding Jesus – Rev 20:7-8 w/Isa 27:1-9).

3.3. their acceptance of Jesus will usher in His return and the Reboot (11-15 “life from the dead” = Return of Christ/Reboot – Joh 5:28-29; 1Co 15:52 w/Mat 24:29-31).

4. What God’s relationship to the Jewish people should teach us about our religion/salvation:

4.1. we do not possess a new religion. Rather God has “grafted” us into the existing Jewish religion (Judaism 2.0) (16-18; Joh 4:22)

4.2. our salvation/relationship w/God is conditioned upon faithfulness. If we do not maintain what we have gained God will cut us off/not spare us (i.e., eternally damn us) in the same way He has many of His former people (19-22; 1Co 10:1-14; Consider how Paul’s words in Romans 11 affect our translation of Rom 8:31-39 = Jesus’ love is not unconditional).

1 Several Jewish apocalyptic sources seem to speak to this (e.g., 4 Ezra 4:35-37; Apoc. Bar. 23:4, 30:2, 75:6; Apoc. Abr. 29:17).