Romans 11:1-10

We find ourselves this morning beginning a study of Romans 11, which is a continuation of reasoning that Paul began back in chapter 8.

! And we're not going to get our study of 11 right if we don't understand where Paul has come from.

It could, of course, be argued that chapter 11 is the continuation of reasoning that Paul began back in chapter 1.

But for the sake of brevity, for this introduction to today's text, I'll just remind you as far back as chapter 8.

So, if you will, turn back just a few pages with me to chapter 8 and verse 23.

Now, prior to verse 23 of chapter 8, Paul has spoken of the glory that would be revealed to us,

and then speaks of the creation's eager expectation of this glory, and then says in verse 23,

and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit,

grown inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

So, these Roman Christians, Paul's original audience, and we, the redeemed today, are waiting.

We feel deeply the tension of being redeemed souls living in corrupted bodies,

and we long for the day when all things will be made right.

We recognize there's a tension right now, and we're awaiting the second coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Paul's aim in this last half of chapter 8 is to bring us comfort.

And so, he goes on, beginning in verse 28.

I just don't want you to miss this.

This is so key to the understanding of the rest of 9 and 11, 10 and 11, right?

What is Paul trying to argue for us, those who are in Christ?

And it begins back in 8 and verse 28.

And I'm going to read to the end of the chapter, because I can't not.

It's too difficult. I can't do it.

I have to read to the end of the chapter if I start in 28.

So, listen to what Paul says.

And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good.

Living in this tension right now, all the things that we experience in this life work together for good.

For those who are called according to his purpose.

For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son,

in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

And those whom he predestined, he also called.

And those whom he called, he also justified.

And those whom he justified, he also glorified.

So, God is at work bringing about the holiness of his people to the praise of Christ.

And I would encourage you to go back and listen to the preaching on those verses,

if you don't know what I'm talking about.

But Paul goes on, verse 31.

What then shall we say to these things, right?

These doctrines of grace.

God's sovereign elective purpose in the world.

What shall we say to these things?

If God is for us, who can be against us?

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all,

how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

Who shall bring any charge against God's elect?

It is God who justifies.

Who is to condemn?

Christ Jesus is the one who died.

More than that, who was raised.

Who is at the right hand of God.

Who indeed is interceding for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ.

Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword.

As it is written, for your sake we are being killed all the day long.

We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.

No.

In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come,

nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation would be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul desires to root us in the immovable purpose of God on our behalf.

Beloved, this is why we care deeply about what are commonly called the doctrines of grace.

It's why I will preach it until I die.

You need this kind of foundation.

This kind of stability.

You need to know when the storms of trial come, and they will come.

That God has saved you and that God will keep you to the end.

If in fact you're in Christ, you need to know that God accomplished it.

If your faith is to remain immovable, then it must be rooted in the immovable purpose of God for you.

Paul wants you to see this.

But Paul also knows the implications that flow from God's elective purpose,

which is why Paul tells us of his grief at the beginning of chapter 9.

He has questions in his own mind as well.

And praise be to God that under inspiration, he answers those questions for us.

But he says at the beginning of chapter 9,

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.

Paul was not frozen chosen.

Paul 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.

I wish that I myself were no longer saved, that others might be.

Paul knows that not all Israelites will be saved.

He has seen the broad rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ by Jewish people in his day.

And he is working this out theologically.

For his benefit, for the benefit of the Roman believers, and for ours.

He goes on in chapter 9 and verse 6.

But it is not as though the word of God has failed.

For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel.

The promises made to Israel are still true.

Because the true Israel is not Israel by blood lineage, but through faith.

Paul's theme for this letter gets further developed here and into chapter 10.

We are justified by grace alone, through faith alone,

in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone.

Now I think that that brief overview will sufficiently bring us to today's text.

But just remember that Paul wants his Israeli brothers and sisters

to become his heavenly brothers and sisters.

This is part of his heartbeat through this text.

In Romans 10 and verse 1 he says,

Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.

A lot of people have taken the doctrines we call the doctrines of grace.

And have in fact become cold and unkindly, ungraciously shared them with others.

But notice that even as all of this explanation is going on,

right underneath every bit of it is Paul's desire that people would come to faith in Christ.

So our text for today.

Chapter 11.

Verses 1-10.

Before I read it, let me remind you, beloved, that this is God's word to us,

written for his glory and our good.

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

I ask then, has God rejected his people?

By no means.

For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.

God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.

Do you not know what the scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel?

Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars,

and I alone am left, and they seek my life.

But what is God's reply to him?

I have kept for myself 7,000 men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.

So too, at the present time, there is a remnant chosen by grace.

But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works,

otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

What then?

Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking.

The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened.

As it is written, God gave them a spirit of stupor,

eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear,

down to this very day.

And David says, let their tables become a snare and a trap,

a stumbling block and a retribution for them.

Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see

and bend their backs forever.

Our text begins with another of Paul's anticipated objections

to his teaching and an emphatic answer.

We've seen this time and time again in this letter.

The first half of verse 1, he says,

I ask then, has God rejected his people?

And he answers, by no means.

Has God rejected the Israelites?

Paul's emphatic answer is the strongest negative Greek phrase possible.

Some translations, I believe the King James Version,

renders it, God forbid.

It means absolutely not.

Paul uses this phrase 14 times in total in the New Testament,

10 times in this letter,

and this is the ninth occurrence.

For your future consideration,

you may enjoy following Paul's argument through this letter

by noting those occurrences.

Initially, I was going to take us through the entirety of the letter that way,

but time wouldn't allow.

But here they are.

If you care to note them,

you might appreciate doing this in the future.

Chapter 3, verses 3 and 4.

Chapter 3, verses 5 and 6.

Chapter 3, verse 31.

Chapter 6, verses 1 and 2.

Chapter 6, verse 15.

Chapter 7, verse 7.

Chapter 7, verse 13.

Chapter 9, verse 14.

Chapter 11, verse 1.

That's today.

And chapter 11, verse 11.

An objection met with this emphatic answer.

By no means.

So Paul answers clearly here,

no, God has not rejected his people.

And then he proceeds with evidence to back his assertion.

Paul answers this anticipated objection in two ways.

And so if you want a simple outline for today,

number one, as a witness,

and number two, with the word.

Paul answers this anticipated objection as a witness

and with the word.

Now, before we make any forward progress in the text,

I want to address a potential concern.

And you may be thinking,

what does any of this have to do with me?

And that is an understandable thought.

Why should the past, present, and future state of Israel

make any difference to you?

And I will tell you, right now,

we are spending no time today on end times theology.

So, if that's where your brain goes,

it's not what we're doing today.

How is this text applicable in any way to your life today?

Why?

Well, sometimes the passage of Scripture contains within it obvious imperatives.

You should act this way or don't act that way.

You should feel this way or don't feel this way.

think this way, etc.

Sometimes the passage of Scripture contains within it implied imperatives.

It's teaching us something that's true,

and there's implications that come out from that.

Today's text helps us to know how to think,

at least in part, about our God.

How to think about God on this particular issue.

Paul wants us to see that God is faithful to His Word in this text.

Paul wants us to see God's mercy and grace in this text.

And Paul also wants us to see God's judgment in this text.

So, these are things for us to be looking out for as we look through it together.

So, number one, Paul answers with this emphatic no

to this possible objection to what he's been teaching as a witness.

He says,

For I myself am an Israelite,

a descendant of Abraham,

a member of the tribe of Benjamin.

Paul says,

No, God has not rejected His people

because I am one of those people.

And I have been saved by Christ.

We begin to see here that Paul is speaking in totalities.

Has God rejected His people in totality?

No, Paul says,

because I am one of them.

Paul qualifies himself as an Israelite

by saying a descendant of Abraham,

meaning he wasn't a convert to Judaism.

He's of the bloodline of Israel

and as a member of the tribe of Benjamin,

which was one of the two most favored tribes of Israel.

He's saying,

I have true pedigree as an Israelite,

and God saved me.

If anyone could be said to be Jewish,

it would be Paul.

Listen to his own witness to this reality.

Philippians chapter 3,

Philippians 3 · chapter mention

this is verses 4 through 6.

Here he's making the argument

that there is no reason

to have confidence in the flesh.

But he says,

I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh.

If there is reason, I have it.

If anyone else thinks he has reason

for confidence in the flesh,

I have more.

Paul, by his own account,

was as Jewish as he could possibly be.

Not only by blood,

but also in his devotion and in his zeal.

Considered perfect

and a persecutor of that

which opposed the Jewish tradition

until Paul found sovereign, amazing grace.

This is why he said of himself

in 1 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 15,

1 Timothy 1 · chapter mention

the saying is trustworthy

and deserving of full acceptance

that Christ Jesus came into the world

to save sinners

of whom I am the foremost.

Paul knew that he was

an undeserving recipient

of God's mercy and grace.

He deserved wrath,

but God forgave his sins in Christ

and granted him life everlasting

in his Son.

So, Paul says,

God has not rejected his people

in totality

for I am a witness

to the contrary.

There were many other Jews

that were saved in Paul's day.

The church was largely,

early,

made up of Jewish converts.

But he used himself as an example.

Look, God hasn't dismissed us entirely.

He has saved me.

He also answers this objection

emphatically with the Word.

And we see this in the rest of the text,

verses 2 through 10.

I think that a brief aside

is helpful to us here.

Note that Paul consistently reasons

from God's Word.

He is an apostle.

I believe he knows in some measure

that he's writing under inspiration,

but yet he reasons

from God's Word.

And we do well to do the same.

The Spirit of Christ

takes up the Word of Christ

to illuminate our hearts

to the realities of Christ.

It's the tool that's given to us

that's empowered by the Spirit.

In a postmodern world

that is ridden with opinions,

we have something sure.

The revelation of God.

Brothers and sisters,

we should labor to know it.

To have our minds shaped by it.

You need to recognize

that you're being discipled

all the time.

Be sure that you're being led

in the truth.

You should have a worldview

that is Bible-informed

so that everything that comes to you

comes through the Word.

And we should seek to persuade others

with it.

Now, note that Paul

narrows his language a bit

concerning Israel

at the beginning of verse 2

and then in verse 5

to speak of a remnant.

So notice the first half

of verse 2.

He says,

God has not rejected His people

whom He foreknew.

He qualifies it.

Whom He foreknew.

And then He gives us proof

from an episode in the life

of the prophet Elijah

and He summarizes that proof

with verse 5.

So too, also, just like

at the present time,

there is a remnant

chosen by grace.

So a people foreknown

and chosen by grace.

Now the episode

from Elijah's life

summed up by Paul

in two and a half verses

is found in 1 Kings chapter 19.

1 Kings 19 · chapter mention

Paul asks the question,

Do you not know

what the scripture says

of Elijah?

And he presumes,

I think,

that his readers know.

Actually, their mind

is going there.

They may not have

clearly understood it

as they bring this objection,

but their mind

should be taken there.

And perhaps

you don't know the context

here summed up

in two and a half verses.

And so,

turn with me to 1 Kings chapter 19

1 Kings 19 · chapter mention

for some broader context.

I think it will help you

to see Paul's point

this morning.

So 1 Kings chapter 19.

1 Kings 19 · chapter mention

Makes my heart happy

to hear pages flipping

and not it being dialed up

on a phone.

I like those hard copies.

Okay, we're going to read

verses 9 through 18,

but before we do,

you need to know

that this part of Elijah's life

follows the defeat

of the prophets of Baal.

A big, significant event

in Elijah's life

where Elijah proposed

a test of altars

and Elijah's was consumed

from heaven.

If you're not familiar

with that,

oh, please go

and read chapter 18.

God was vindicated

in this episode

and the prophets

of Baal slaughtered

and Elijah expects

that Israel will now

turn back

to the living God.

But instead,

we see at the beginning

of chapter 19,

he finds his life

threatened

and so he flees

to Horeb,

the mount of God.

And at the end

of 40 days

without food,

he is tired,

he is destitute.

The victory

that he thought

was going to lead

to the nation

turning back

to the living God

did not turn out

the way he expected

that it would

and it would seem

that he goes off

and is pitiful

in a cave.

So we'll begin reading

in verse 9.

There he came

to a cave

and lodged in it.

And behold,

the word of the Lord

came to him

and he said to him,

What are you doing here,

Elijah?

God had not commanded him

to go to this place.

He just fled.

God had directed

his every step

up to this point.

But here Elijah

is out on his own.

What are you doing here,

Elijah?

And Elijah says,

I have been very jealous

for the Lord,

the God of hosts,

for the people of Israel

have forsaken your covenant,

thrown down your altars

and killed your prophets

with the sword.

And I,

even I,

only am left

and they seek my life

to take it away.

And he said,

Go out and stand

on the mount

before the Lord.

Now notice here

that there's no record

that he actually does

what he was asked to do.

But it says,

Go out and stand

on the mount

before the Lord

and behold,

the Lord passed by

and a great

and strong wind

tore the mountains

and broke in pieces

the rocks

before the Lord.

But the Lord

was not in the wind.

And after the wind

an earthquake,

but the Lord

was not in the earthquake.

And after the earthquake

a fire,

but the Lord

was not in the fire.

And after the fire

the sound

of a low whisper,

or it could also be translated

a thin silence,

stood at the entrance

of the cave.

And behold,

there came a voice

to him

and said,

What are you doing here,

Elijah?

He said,

he repeats the complaint,

I have been very jealous

for the Lord,

the God of hosts,

for the people of Israel

have forsaken

your covenant,

thrown down your altars,

and killed your prophets

with the sword.

And I,

even I,

only am left

and they seek my life

to take it away.

And the Lord

said to him,

Go return on your way

to the wilderness

of Damascus,

and when you arrive

you shall anoint Hazael

to be king over Syria,

and Jehu,

the son of Nimshi,

you shall anoint

to be king over Israel,

and Elisha,

the son of Shepat,

of Abel Mahalah,

you shall anoint

to be prophet

in your place.

And the one

who escapes

from the sword

of Hazael

shall Jehu put to death,

and the one

who escapes

from the sword

of Jehu

shall Elisha

put to death.

Yet,

I will leave

seven thousand

in Israel,

all the knees

that have not

bowed to Baal,

and every mouth

that has not

kissed him.

Now,

we can speculate

broadly about

what is happening

on this mountain,

but I think

that God

intends to display

to Elijah

the power

of his judgment

alongside

his tender

mercy.

a lot

to unpack.

That's a whole

sermon

from 1 Kings

1 Kings 19 · chapter mention

chapter 19

that could be

preached.

But let's go back

to Romans 11

and look again

at Paul's

summary.

There he says,

Do you not know

what the scripture

says of Elijah?

How he appeals

to God

against

Israel.

He has this

complaint.

And he's saying,

God,

they deserve

your retribution.

Lord,

they have killed

your prophets.

They have demolished

your altars.

I am alone

and left,

and they seek

my life.

And then

Paul asks,

but what is

God's reply

to him?

Now,

if you're looking

at the 1 Kings

19 text,

you see that

judgment will come.

It already has.

The prophets of Baal

have been slaughtered

at the end

of chapter 18.

You see that

there's going to be

further punishment

for the rebellion

of Israel.

But,

Paul hones in

on the end

of that episode.

I have kept

for myself

7,000 men

who have not

bowed the knee

to Baal.

Judgment

and mercy.

Our text

grants us

the benefit

of Paul's

commentary

in verse 5.

He says,

So too,

at the present

time,

there is

a remnant.

Just like

back then,

there's a remnant

today chosen

by grace.

Paul then

clarifies,

which I love,

that God's

choosing has

nothing to do

with works.

It is not

because the 7,000

didn't bow

the knee to Baal

that they are

chosen,

but that they

didn't bow

the knee to Baal

because they

were chosen.

This is the

doctrine of

unconditional

election.

It should

humble us

and it

should

amaze us.

An undeserving

people

saved

by grace.

Briefly plug

tonight's

doctrines of

grace class.

Clay's not

with us this

morning.

He's not

feeling well.

I'm not

exactly sure

what's going

to happen

with that

class.

Yours truly

may be

teaching it.

I don't

know.

But the

planet

amaze us.

A people

undeserving

of God's

grace

and mercy.

Paul goes

on in

verse 6,

but if it

is by

grace,

it is no

longer on

the basis

of works.

Otherwise,

grace would

no longer

be grace.

That is to

say that it

would be

earned.

And it's

not earned,

therefore,

it is

grace.

Now,

having spoken

of the

remnant,

Paul goes

on to

speak of

the

reprobate,

those

Israelites

who will

not be

saved.

Verse 7,

what then?

Israel failed

to obtain

what it

was seeking.

We saw

some weeks

ago at

the end

of chapter

9 and

into chapter

10 that

the problem

was they

didn't seek

it by

faith.

They sought

it through

their works

and not by

the faith

that was

required to

obtain it.

The elect

obtained it,

but the

rest were

hardened.

These Jews

that Paul

here speaks

of were

divinely

hardened,

but this

hardening

is not

unjust.

God

judicially

hardens

those who

harden

themselves.

We need

to be

really clear

about this.

As we

teach the

sovereign

election of

God,

we must

also teach

the

responsibility

of man.

The Bible

teaches

both,

and so

we do

well to

see them

as

non-contrary.

This is

difficult to

do because

we have

very

finite

minds.

A lady

once asked

Charles Spurgeon

how it is

that he

reconciles

the sovereignty

of God

and the

responsibility

of man,

and he

said,

ma'am,

I see no

need to

reconcile

friends.

He

settled

in his

mind.

The two

things

existed

in the

scriptures

and somehow

worked

together.

We need

to do

the same.

We can

readily see

this

interchange

in the

life of

the Pharaoh

of Moses'

day,

this judicial

hardening.

Paul uses

this Pharaoh

in chapter

9 as an

example of

God's

hardening.

Listen

carefully.

You see a

pattern throughout

the beginning

of the book

of Exodus,

but let me

just give

you two

examples.

First,

Exodus chapter

Exodus 8 · chapter mention

8 and

verse 15.

There Moses

records,

but when

Pharaoh saw

there was a

respite,

that is from

the plagues,

he hardened

his heart

and would not

listen to them

as the Lord

had said.

So,

Pharaoh's thinking

about letting

the people go,

but there's a

respite in the

plagues,

and he hardens

his heart

against God's

message to

him.

Then Exodus

9 and

verse 12

says,

but the

Lord hardened

the heart

of Pharaoh,

and he did

not listen

to them

as the

Lord had

spoken to

Moses.

Divine

judicial

hardening.

Paul is

writing in

Romans chapter

Romans 9 · chapter mention

9 through

11 of the

grace and

mercy of

God, but

also of

his judgment.

So,

do not

harden

yourself,

as many

Israelites,

did,

did,

is Paul's

plea to

you.

As he

helps us

to understand

the spiritual

condition of

Israel,

this is what

he would

have us

to see.

He cites

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 29 · chapter mention

chapter 29

and verse 4,

Isaiah

Isaiah 29 · chapter mention

chapter 29

and verse 10,

and Psalm

Psalms 69:22–23

69

verses 22

to 23

to make

his point

from the

word.

He says

in verse

8,

as it

is

written,

God

gave them

a spirit

of stupor,

eyes that

would not

see and

ears that

would not

hear,

down to

this very

day.

And David

says,

let their

table,

a place that

would have

been a place

of comfort

and rest,

let their

table become

a snare

and a trap,

a stumbling

block and a

retribution

for them.

Let their

eyes be

darkened so

they cannot

see and

bend their

backs forever.

Judgment

on a people

who had

hardened

themselves

against the

grace and

mercy of

God.

Psalm 69

is a psalm

in which

King David

cries out

for mercy

and grace.

He recognizes

that he

deserves judgment

and he

humbly

flees to

God.

So just

listen to a

few verses

in closing

that precede

the verses

cited in

Romans

Romans 11 · chapter mention

chapter 11.

Again,

that's

Psalm 69

Psalms 69:22

verse 22

and 23.

This is

Psalm 69

Psalms 69:16

verse 16,

17,

and 18.

There David

says,

answer me,

O Lord,

for your

steadfast love

is good.

According to

your abundant

mercy,

turn to me.

Hide not

your face

from your

servant,

for I am

in distress.

Make haste

to answer

me.

Draw near

to my soul,

redeem me,

ransom me,

because of

my enemies.

So has

God rejected

his people?

No way.

And we're

going to see

further into

our study

of chapter

11.

That's to

include a

greater number

of people.

He's got a

sovereign work

to save

his church

in play.

God is

faithful to

his word.

God is

gracious and

merciful.

faithful.

And God's

judgment

justly awaits

those who

don't flee

to him

by grace

alone,

through faith

alone,

in the

personal work

of Jesus

Christ

alone.

Let's pray

together.

God is