Romans 11:25-36

Well, good morning. Please take your copy of God's Word. Join me in Romans chapter 11.

Romans 11 · chapter mention

Our text for today is Romans chapter 11, verses 25 through 36, which is to the end of the chapter.

Romans 11:25–36

We're doing it. We're making it through chapter 11 today, Lord willing. Something could happen to me in the next 30 to 45 minutes.

We have been wading in the deep waters of difficult texts these past weeks.

Today, we're going to finish our consideration of chapter 11, which deserves a warning before we plumb its depths.

Last week, I issued the warning. This week, I'm going to read to you a warning from the pulpit of Martin Lloyd-Jones.

He said, and I quote,

We must be careful that our proper interest in the content of this chapter does not become carnal excitement.

That is, mental excitement.

There is more than one way of being excited.

We can be excited intellectually as well as emotionally.

I warn those who are keen to find out what is going on to be said on this matter, or that, and particularly, on so shall all Israel be saved.

This attitude is quite inappropriate when one comes to study the Scriptures.

Let us remind ourselves at the outset of two things which we find in this chapter.

The first is that the Apostle refers in it to a mystery.

If, therefore, we think that we have this chapter all sorted out and tabulated, and that there could be no other view worth considering, we are already wrong.

But the second is the way in which the Apostle concludes this chapter.

Having written it, he finds in himself a state of mind and heart in which he can think of and do nothing else but praise and worship God.

Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God.

The consideration of this truth had that effect on him.

So it should on us and on all who consider it.

And that is what we now begin to do.

End quote.

So, let's approach this text together with humility and awe that moves us to praise.

Romans 11, beginning in verse 25.

Let me remind you before I read it, beloved, that this is God's word to us written for his glory and our good.

So we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.

Let's read it in verse 26.

Let's read it in verse 26.

Lest you be wise in your own sight.

I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers.

A partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

And in this way all Israel will be saved.

As it is written, the Deliverer will come from Zion.

He will banish ungodliness from Jacob.

And this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.

As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake.

But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers.

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

For just as you were at one time disobedient to God, but now have received mercy because of their disobedience,

so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy.

For God has consigned all to disobedience that he may have mercy on all.

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God.

How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways.

For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor?

Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?

For from him and through him and to him are all things.

To him be glory forever.

Amen.

Now, before making any comments about the details of this text,

and we will not have time to talk about all the details of this text,

let us set together in our minds what Paul is doing here.

Remember back at the beginning of chapter 9,

Paul is lamenting the unbelief of Israel as he works out the theological implications of divine election.

When we arrive at chapter 11,

we must see that the entirety of the chapter is framed by the question found at the beginning of verse 1.

There he says,

I ask then,

has God rejected his people?

He's working through this arc,

this lament at the beginning of chapter 9,

seeing that not all Jews will be saved.

But has God rejected his people?

He asks at the beginning of verse 1 of chapter 11.

And he emphatically answers it,

no.

He says,

by no means.

Paul then offers himself as a witness to this truth.

After all,

God had saved him.

He says,

I myself have been saved.

And he goes on in chapter 11 and verse 5,

so too,

just like in the days of Elijah,

so too,

at the present time,

there is a remnant chosen by grace.

It's about people from Israel chosen by grace.

The primary doctrine of the chapter is God's faithfulness to his word and the saving of his people.

The primary exhortation is for Gentile or non-Jewish followers of Christ,

and it's found at the beginning of verse 18.

There he says,

do not be arrogant toward the branches.

Right?

In the middle of an analogy about branches being cut off so that they, as Gentiles, could be grafted in.

He says,

do not become arrogant.

So you could walk away from this chapter.

And I don't want to suggest for a moment that the entire chapter is not of value to us,

but I want you to get, at very least, these two things.

Right?

In God's divine elective purpose,

he has not rejected the Jewish people,

and therefore,

those of us who are non-Jewish Christians

should not become arrogant

towards the unbelief of Israel.

Now, regardless of all the possible ways we can understand this chapter,

we need to be careful not to miss those two points.

Right?

Again, God is faithful to his promises,

and we,

assuming you're like me,

non-Jewish,

should still see that God has a saving purpose for Israel.

Paul compounds his exhortation against arrogance in verse 25.

Boy, excuse me.

I'm still fighting this cold a bit.

There he says,

lest you be wise in your own sight.

I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery,

brothers.

A partial hardening has come upon Israel

until the fullness of the Gentiles

has come in.

This mystery is that God,

in his divine purpose,

is employing a gospel-rejecting strategy

for the sake of Gentiles,

the Jews rejecting the gospel

for the sake of the Gentiles,

and a jealousy-provoking strategy

for the sake of Jews,

which we talked about at length last week.

The purpose of God hardening some Jews

who were unbelieving

was that Gentiles would be saved.

God working out his elective purpose

through it all.

So Gentile believer,

do not become proud.

Do not think yourself wise.

God is mercifully saving his people.

And this brings us to the challenge

of today's text.

And I am saying to you,

it is a challenge.

Some of the language here is difficult.

And we see that summarized

at the beginning of verse 26

and explained throughout the end of verse 32.

So let's read these verses all together again

just to set them in our mind.

Verse 26 through 32.

And in this way,

he's referring back to the fullness

of the Gentiles coming in.

It's a direct reference

to the phrase previous to that

in verse 25.

And in this way,

all Israel will be saved.

As it is written,

the deliverer will come from Zion.

He will banish ungodliness from Jacob.

And this will be my covenant with them.

when I take away their sins.

As regards the gospel,

they are enemies for your sake.

But as regards election,

they are beloved for the sake

of their forefathers.

For the gifts and the calling of God

are irrevocable.

They can't be taken away.

For just as you were at one time

disobedient to God,

but now have received mercy

because of their disobedience,

so they too have now been disobedient

in order that by the mercy shown to you,

they also may now receive mercy.

Right?

Gospel rejecting strategy

for the sake of Gentiles.

Right?

Gospel jealousy

for the sake of Jews.

For God has consigned

all to disobedience

that he may have mercy

on all.

Now,

up to this point in the chapter,

Paul has been making his case

in the present tense.

Right?

Paul is writing.

What is going on right now?

What is he observing

is happening in his day?

And now he turns

his writing and our minds

eschatologically,

that is,

toward the end of the age.

He is still speaking

of God's present work,

but he has fixed his gaze

on the full realization

of God's saving purpose.

Now,

we will not have the bandwidth

this morning

to pull apart

each of those phrases.

And frankly,

you'll ask me

and I'll go,

yep,

that's an interesting

turn of phrase there.

So,

we're going to structure

the study of our text

this morning

by thinking about

what could be possibly

meant by the phrase,

in this way,

all Israel

will be saved.

Right?

Particularly that

all Israel.

What does that mean?

And you can find

many interpretations

of this text.

And this morning

I'm just going to cover

the four most common.

And I'm going to begin

with those least probable

and move to those

most probable.

And I will tell you

with a great deal

of trembling

what I think it means.

So,

here we go.

Number one,

least probable

to the most probable

interpretations.

So,

number one,

all Israel means

every ethnic Jew

throughout history

will be saved.

Right?

That's one position.

Right?

All Israel means

every ethnic Jew

throughout history

will be saved.

And we find

some evidence

to support

this position

in verse 12

as an example

of chapter 11.

If their trespass

means riches

for the world

and if their failure

means riches

for the Gentiles,

how much more

will their

full inclusion

mean?

And in today's text,

specifically,

verse 28

and verse 32,

right?

As regards election,

they are beloved

for the sake

of their forefathers.

Broad reference

to Israel.

Verse 32,

for God has

consigned

all to disobedience

that he may

have mercy

on all.

Now,

if we take

the phrase

all Israel

in verse 12

and 28

and 32

at face value,

then it would be

proper to conclude

that in God's

divine purpose,

every ethnic Jew

throughout history

will be saved.

So how can we

know that this

is not the

proper way

to interpret

this text?

We can know

this because

if this is

what Paul means,

then he would

have no reason

to be grieved

by the unbelief

of Jewish people.

Why would he

be concerned

at all

if he believes

that in the end

all ethnically

Jewish people

will be

saved?

Remember back

Romans chapter 9,

Romans 9 · chapter mention

and I've referenced

it a few times,

but just hear it

beginning in verse 1.

He says,

I'm speaking the

truth in Christ.

I am not lying.

My conscience

bears me witness

in the Holy Spirit

that I have

great sorrow

and unceasing

anguish

in my heart.

Why is this?

Because he's been

talking about

God's elective purpose

at the end

of chapter 8.

In order to

found our faith

on God's work

in our lives,

who shall separate

us from the love

of Christ?

No one is his

answer.

And what he does

with that then,

he says,

but what about

those unbelieving

Jewish people?

He has great

sorrow and

unceasing

anguish

in his heart.

And then verse 3

says,

for I could wish

that I myself

were accursed

and cut off

from Christ

for the sake

of my brothers,

my kinsmen,

according to the

flesh.

He's so grieved

that he himself

would be separated

from Christ

for their

sake,

that they would

believe the

gospel.

He would have

no reason

to feel this

way at all,

to feel it so

strongly,

if in just a few

short chapters

he's going to

teach us that

all ethnic

Jews will be

saved.

Additionally,

we can see

in chapter 11

that not all

Jewish people

were saved

in his

day.

So he's a

witness to

this.

Look at the

beginning of

the chapter,

verse 2

through 7.

Again,

he's answering

this question,

has God

rejected his

people?

And he says,

God has not

rejected his

people,

whom he

foreknew.

He qualifies

it there.

Do you not

know what the

scripture says

of Elijah,

how he appeals

to God

against Israel?

Remember,

you may know

the story of

Elijah.

He had

issued this

challenge against

the prophets

of Baal.

It's the

altars and

the altars

that burn

and the

altars that

don't burn.

This major

victory has

taken place

and yet

his life

is being

sought.

All of

Israel hasn't

turned back

the way he

had hoped

would happen

and so he

issues this

complaint and

we see the

record of it

there in

verse 3.

Lord,

they have

killed your

prophets,

they have

demolished

your altars

and I

alone am

left and

they seek

my life.

And then

Paul asks,

but what is

God's reply

to him?

God says,

I have

kept for

myself

7,000 men

who have

not bowed

the knee

to Baal.

So there's

a remnant

that is

kept

faithful.

So too,

Paul says,

verse 5,

at the

present time

there is

a remnant

chosen

by grace.

And then

he makes

the point,

but if it

is by grace,

it is no

longer on

the basis

of works,

otherwise grace

would no

longer be

grace.

What then,

verse 7,

Israel failed

to obtain

what it

was seeking,

the elect

obtained it,

but the

rest were

hardened.

So,

in Paul's

day,

not all

Jewish

people are

going to

be saved.

In the

days of

Elijah,

not all

Jewish

people were

saved.

And I

would suggest

to you,

in our

day,

not all

Jewish

people

are

saved.

Further,

this view

would also

have to

support the

idea that

a person

can be

saved

apart

from

faith

in the

person

and

work

of

Christ,

which

just

isn't

the case

and rips

this chapter

from

its

surrounding

context.

If you

look back

just a

chapter,

Romans

Romans 10 · chapter mention

chapter 10,

we don't

have to

go far

in Paul's

theology.

He says,

verse 12,

there is no

distinction between

Jew and

Greek,

for the

same Lord

is Lord

of all,

bestowing

his riches

on all

who call

on him.

For everyone

who calls

on the name

of the

Lord

will be

saved.

How then

will they

call on him

in whom

they have

not

believed?

He's asking

rhetorical

questions.

And how

are they

to believe

in him

of whom

they have

never

heard?

And how

are they

to hear

without

someone

preaching?

And how

are they

to preach

unless they

are sent

as it

is written?

How

beautiful

are the

feet

of those

who

preach

the good

news.

So Paul's

already made

the case

that we

will be

saved,

we call

on the

name of

Christ,

but for

us to

do that

we have

to know

the gospel

of Jesus

Christ.

It has

to be

preached

to us

that we

might

believe

in it.

Just a few

verses later,

verse 17,

chapter 10,

he says,

so faith

comes from

hearing,

and hearing

through the

word

of Christ.

So,

it's one

position,

all Israel

means every

ethnic Jew

throughout

history

will be

saved,

which I

think we

do well

to reject

altogether.

Second,

probable,

little more

probable

position.

All

Israel

means

the

church.

This

position

holds

that Paul

is not

talking

about

ethnic

Israel

at this

point,

but all

those who

will ever

be saved

by Christ.

Proponents

of this

view

appeal

to

texts

like

Romans

Romans 2:28

chapter 2,

verse 28

and 29.

There Paul

says,

for no

one is

a Jew

who is

merely

one

outwardly,

nor

is

circumcision

outward

and

physical,

but a

Jew

is

one

inwardly,

and

circumcision

is a

matter

of the

heart,

by the

spirit,

not by

the

letter.

His

praise

is not

from

man,

but

from

God.

And

Romans

Romans 9:6–8

chapter 9,

verses 6

through 8.

But it's not

as though the

word of God

has failed,

for not

all who

are

descended

from

Israel

belong

to

Israel,

and

not

all

are

children

of

Abraham

because

they are

his

offspring,

but

through

Isaac

shall

your

offspring

be

named.

This

means

it is

not

the

children

of

the

flesh

who

are

the

children

of

God,

but

the

children

of

the

promise

are

counted

as

offspring.

So he's

saying,

and he makes

the case

in other

places

as well,

that there's

a spiritual

Israel

that's

saved

by

God.

And I

like this

position

for its

intended

tidiness,

but I

find it

very

difficult

to

support

it

in

the

immediate

context.

He sure

seems to

be talking

about

ethnically

Jewish

people,

especially

as he's

talking about

their

rejection

for the

sake

of

Gentiles,

as you

read

through

chapter

11.

I'd

love to

unlock

some

kind

of,

you know,

have

the

key

and

unlock

it

and

show

you

that

that's

what

it

means.

I

just

think

it's

really

difficult

to

make

that

case.

Two

examples

from

Romans

11.

Paul

there

is not

only

saying

that he

is an

Israelite,

but he

goes on

to talk

about

ethnically.

He's

very

clear.

That's

what he's

saying.

A

descendant

of

Abraham,

a

member

of

the

tribe

of

Benjamin.

And

then in

our

text

today,

verse

25,

must

you be

wise in

your own

sight.

Don't

be

unaware

of

this

mystery,

brothers.

A

partial

hardening

has

come

upon

Israel

until

the

fullness

of

the

Gentiles

has

come

in.

There

he's

talking

about

ethnic

groups

in

that

case.

So

it's

very

tidy.

I

really

would

love

for

it

to

be

the

case,

but

I

also

think

we

can

safely

and

we

do

well

to

reject

this

position.

I

stated

that we

move

from

less

probable

to

more

probable

interpretations.

To

be

clear,

I

find

those

first

two

previously

stated

positions

to be

impossible

and so

just

wrong.

Now we

move on

to two

positions

I find

actually

probable.

So the

third,

all Israel

means a

dramatic

future

salvation

for ethnic

Jews.

A dramatic

future

salvation

for ethnic

Jews.

Jews

this

is

a

popularly

held

position.

The

holders

of it

have

their

variations

in the

specifics,

but generally

agree that

there will

be some

great

inclusion

of ethnic

Jews

into the

church

before

Christ's

return.

Most

believe

that

all Jews

alive

at that

time

is what

Paul

means

there.

this

view

is held

by men

like

John

MacArthur,

John

Piper,

and

Jonathan

Edwards.

It is

not the

view

that I

hold,

but I

always

shudder

to disagree

with the

Johns.

So

I

disagree

very loosely

and very

humbly.

This is

an orthodox

position

to hold

of this

chapter.

This view

is careful,

it is

articulate,

the fact

that throughout

the Old

Testament

of chapter

11,

and the

fact that

throughout

the Old

Testament,

the remnant

preserved

within Israel

is always

a sign

of hope

for Israel

as a

whole.

Like I

said,

you are in

good company

if you

hold this

position,

and if

you want

to read

and understand

more about

it,

I encourage

you to

read Tom

Schreiner's

commentary

on these

verses.

It's a

position he

holds,

he does

a very

good job

of explaining

it,

and the

whole commentary

is commendable,

it's a good

resource for

a study

of Romans.

I do

find that

some of the

arguments for

this view

seem to be

carried along

by mere

optimism,

and I

try not to

be a person

who's known

as pessimistic,

I try to be

optimistic,

optimistic,

but I

also try

not to

interpret

things by

optimism.

I hold

the final

view I

will present

to you

that all

Israel means

a remnant

of ethnic

Jews

throughout

history,

which I

do not

hold

pessimistically,

but listen

to what

Schreiner says

concerning

this position.

This is to

that point,

and it

seems carried

along by

optimism.

So to

my position,

he says,

the difficulty

with the

remnant

throughout

history

interpretation

is that

the mystery

revealed

is stunningly

anticlimactic.

That is,

his primary

defense against

the position

that I hold

is that

it's stunningly

anticlimactic.

And I

just don't

find that

what does

or doesn't

make for a

good story

from our

perspective

to be a

very reliable

hermeneutic.

But I

digress.

This is a

commonly held

view.

There's going

to be a

dramatic

future

salvation

for ethnic

Jews.

And hear

me very

carefully.

I am on

board with

it if this

is what

Paul means

by that.

I'm a

fan if

that is

what Paul

means.

But I

don't think

it's what

he means,

and I'm

just briefly

going to

show you

why.

Number

four,

fourth

position,

the one

I hold,

all Israel

means a

remnant

of ethnic

Jews

throughout

history.

without

placing

any

particular

number

on

what

that

may

mean.

And I

hold this

position

because I

find that

this position

squares what

Paul has

been teaching

about divine

election and

a Jewish

remnant from

the beginning

of chapter

nine.

So I know

if you're a

guest this

morning and

you're here

sitting in the

middle of this,

you don't know

what I'm

talking about.

I encourage you

to go back

and listen.

If you've

been here,

you know

this is what

we have

been talking

about from

the beginning

of chapter

nine.

I do not

find this

view to be

at all

pessimistic

or

anticlimactic

when understood

in the light

of our

severe rebellion

and God's

immeasurable

grace

and mercy.

I think

that we

have all

that Paul

has taught

from the

beginning

of this

letter

in our

minds

if we

find ourselves

in the

end of

chapter

one and

in chapter

two,

and in

chapter

three,

as we

should,

rebels

against a

good,

kind,

loving

king,

having

rejected

his

rule

in our

lives.

We

deserve

eternal

damnation.

We should

be very

aware of

our

spiritual

unworthiness.

If we

have our

minds

there,

then we

will be

absolutely

astounded

that God

saves

at all.

That he

saves our

rebellious

souls and

that he

has and

will

save the

rebellious

souls of

others,

both Jews

and Gentiles.

So it's

not at all

pessimistic to

read this and

just say,

I think Paul's

just saying

that God's

going to save

all those

Gentiles he

intends to

save and

God's going

to save

all those

Jews that

he intends

to save

because nobody

deserves it.

If you

deserve

anything at

all,

it's a

little

miniature

catechism in

our house

with our

boys.

Boys,

what do you

deserve?

When they

act like

they deserve

something,

they act

entitled,

what do you

deserve?

And they've

been taught

to say,

death and

health.

If we

have that

mind,

which is

true,

it's what I

deserve for

my rebellion

against God.

But when I'm

dismissed from

that punishment,

when I'm let

out of the

courtroom,

right,

from death

to life,

I don't think

I'm going to

yell things

over my

shoulder.

But that's

not fair.

How dare

you?

I would

just leave

with gratitude

because I

know what I

deserved and

I know what

I've been

granted,

salvation in

Christ.

What an

incredible thing

that God

saves at

all,

that he

saves people

of all

kinds,

right,

both Jew

and Gentile.

It's the way

we should read

this chapter.

Now,

as I said,

you are most

welcome to

disagree with

me.

Please come

tell me.

It won't hurt

my feelings.

I'm sure that

it hasn't been

the first and

won't be the

last time that

you disagree

with me.

But let us

not miss that

we have failed

to understand

this text if

we become

arrogant toward

ethnic Jews,

if we stop

caring that the

gospel we preach

to them,

and if we are

not moved

to praise.

Let's spend

the rest of

our time

together on

the praise at

the end of

chapter 11.

Beloved,

good theology

rightly held,

it's possible

to believe the

right thing

and to believe

it wrongly

in the way

that you hold

it.

Good theology

drives doxology.

If you're

believing things

that the Bible

teaches rightly,

it should lead

you to praise.

And that's

where Paul goes.

I just imagine

him bursting into

this kind of

praise of God.

He hasn't

written an

outline and

thought,

boy, at the

end of chapter

11, I must

say something

glorious.

I'm about to

transition to

the practical

stuff, so I

better really

have a reason

to slip an

amen in there.

I think he's

just moved as

he's considering

this and

thinking about

this.

And he says,

I'm going to

read it for you

again,

O the depth

of the riches

and wisdom

and knowledge

of God.

How unsearchable

are his judgments

and how inscrutable

his ways.

For who has

known the mind

of the Lord

or who has

been his

counselor?

Or who has

given a gift

to him that

he might be

repaid?

For from

him and

through him

and to him

are all

things.

To him

be glory

forever.

An interjection

of strong

emotion.

That O is

there in the

original language.

He's moved.

It's a guttural

thing that he

is beginning

to do here.

Oh, the

depth of

the riches

and wisdom

and knowledge

of God.

Immeasurable

weight that

he's trying to

express here.

How unsearchable

are his

judgments.

How inscrutable

or impossible

to understand

are his

ways.

The mystery

of how it

is that God

is saving a

people for

his glory

is what Paul

is expressing

here.

For who has

known the

mind of the

Lord or who

has been

his counselor?

There's a

citation from

Isaiah chapter

Isaiah 40 · chapter mention

40 and

verse 13.

God's

thoughts,

not our

thoughts.

I have

often tried to

work out some

of the

tensions that

are presented

in the

Bible.

Been frustrated

by them,

thinking somehow

that I ought

to be able

to do it.

And I've

decided rather

just to

trust what

the Bible

teaches.

perhaps a full

understanding of

it would split

my head

open.

And God

in his

infinite wisdom

recognizes my

finite frailty

and just

teaches me

what I

need

to know.

He is

sovereign over

my salvation.

I am

responsible

for my

belief.

I know,

I know

that's

attention.

It's one I

think that

we're meant

to hold.

A couple

chapters later

in the book

of Isaiah

Isaiah 55:8

chapter 55

verse 8

and 9

God there

says,

not Paul,

God says,

for my

thoughts are

not your

thoughts,

neither are

your ways

my ways.

For as the

heavens are

higher than

the earth,

so are my

ways higher

than your

ways,

and my

thoughts

than your

thoughts.

infinitely,

heavens higher

than the

earth.

And so

it's okay

to not

understand

everything

that's in

the Bible.

It's okay

to ask

questions.

I encourage

the asking

of questions,

but we

need to

ask

questions

rightly.

We need

to go

to the

text

humbly,

right?

Be

underneath

it,

submit

ourselves

to it,

recognize

that it's

authored

by God

himself.

That he's

chosen to

reveal himself

to us

in this

way.

In chapter

11,

I've joked

with some

of you

that I

kind of

wish Paul

had an

editor for

chapter 11

and would

have condensed

it and

simplified it

for us.

I think

we're meant

to see it

as a

mystery.

I think

we're meant

to go,

man,

God's saving

purpose is

difficult to

understand.

And then

we're meant

to be moved

to praise

in this

way.

Paul

rebukes

the kind

of questioning

that doesn't

approach the

Bible that

way.

who are

you,

oh man,

to answer

back to

God,

he says in

chapter 9

and verse

20.

It's as if

he's saying,

who are you

to stand in

judgment over

what God

has said?

Will what is

molded say

to its

molder?

why have you

made me

like this?

A rhetorical

mocking

question.

We ought

not approach

God with

questions in

that manner.

But we

can ask

the questions

and we

can go to

the text

and we

can have