11
Israel Is Not Cast Away
1 I say then, has God rejected and disowned His people? Certainly not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. [1 Sam 12:22; Jer 31:37; 33:24-26; Phil 3:5]
2 God has not rejected His [chosen] people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? [Ps 94:14; 1 Kin 19]
3 “Lord, ᴛʜᴇʏ ʜᴀvᴇ ᴋɪʟʟᴇᴅ Yoᴜʀ ᴘʀoᴘʜᴇᴛs, ᴛʜᴇʏ ʜᴀvᴇ ᴛoʀɴ ᴅowɴ Yoᴜʀ ᴀʟᴛᴀʀs, ᴀɴᴅ I ᴀʟoɴᴇ ᴀᴍ ʟᴇꜰᴛ [of the prophets], ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀʀᴇ sᴇᴇᴋɪɴɢ ᴍʏ ʟɪꜰᴇ.”
4 But what is God’s response to him? “I ʜᴀvᴇ ᴋᴇᴘᴛ for Myself sᴇvᴇɴ ᴛʜoᴜsᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴇɴ wʜo ʜᴀvᴇ ɴoᴛ ʙowᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴋɴᴇᴇ ᴛo Bᴀᴀʟ.” [1 Kin 19:18]
5 So too then, at the present time there has come to be a remnant [a small believing minority] according to God’s gracious choice.
6 But if it is by grace [God’s unmerited favor], it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace [it would not be a gift but a reward for works].
7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking [that is, God’s favor by obedience to the Law], but the elect [those chosen few] obtained it, while the rest of them became hardened and callously indifferent;
8 just as it is written [in Scripture],
“Goᴅ ɢᴀvᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴀ sᴘɪʀɪᴛ oꜰ sᴛᴜᴘoʀ,
Eʏᴇs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴅo ɴoᴛ sᴇᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴀʀs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴅo ɴoᴛ ʜᴇᴀʀ,
[a spiritual apathy that has continued] ᴛo ᴛʜɪs vᴇʀʏ ᴅᴀʏ.” [Deut 29:4; Is 29:10]
9 And David says,
“Lᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴛᴀʙʟᴇ (abundance) ʙᴇcoᴍᴇ ᴀ sɴᴀʀᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀ ᴛʀᴀᴘ,
A sᴛᴜᴍʙʟɪɴɢ ʙʟocᴋ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀ ʀᴇᴛʀɪʙᴜᴛɪoɴ ᴛo ᴛʜᴇᴍ. [Ps 69:22]
10 “Lᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴇʏᴇs ʙᴇ ᴅᴀʀᴋᴇɴᴇᴅ so ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴅo ɴoᴛ sᴇᴇ,
Aɴᴅ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʙᴀcᴋs ʙᴇɴᴅ [under their burden] ꜰoʀᴇvᴇʀ.” [Ps 69:23]
11 So I say, have they stumbled so as to fall [to spiritual ruin]? Certainly not! But by their transgression [their rejection of the Messiah] salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make Israel jealous [when they realize what they have forfeited].
12 Now if Israel’s transgression means riches for the world [at large] and their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment and reinstatement be!
13 But now I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,
14 in the hope of somehow making my fellow countrymen jealous [by stirring them up so that they will seek the truth] and perhaps save some of them.
15 For if their [present] rejection [of salvation] is for the reconciliation of the world [to God], what will their acceptance [of salvation] be but [nothing less than] life from the dead?
16 If the first portion [of dough offered as the first fruits] is holy, so is the whole batch; and if the root (Abraham, the patriarchs) is holy, so are the branches (the Israelites). [Num 15:19-21]
17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you [Gentiles], being like a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them to share with them the rich root of the olive tree,
18 do not boast over the [broken] branches and exalt yourself at their expense. If you do boast and feel superior, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root that supports you.
19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.”
20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand by your faith [as believers understanding the truth of Christ’s deity]. Do not be conceited, but [rather stand in great awe of God and] fear [Him];
21 for if God did not spare the natural branches [because of unbelief], He will not spare you either.
22 Then appreciate the gracious kindness and the severity of God: to those who fell [into spiritual ruin], severity, but to you, God’s gracious kindness—if you continue in His kindness [by faith and obedience to Him]; otherwise you too will be cut off.
23 And even they [the unbelieving Jews], if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God has the power to graft them in again.
24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and against nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much easier will it be to graft these who are the natural branches back into [the original parent stock of] their own olive tree?
25 I do not want you, believers, to be unaware of this mystery [God’s previously hidden plan]—so that you will not be wise in your own opinion—that a partial hardening has [temporarily] happened to Israel [to last] until the full number of the Gentiles has come in;
26 and so [at that time] all Israel [that is, all Jews who have a personal faith in Jesus as Messiah] will be saved; just as it is written [in Scripture],
“Tʜᴇ Dᴇʟɪvᴇʀᴇʀ (Messiah) wɪʟʟ coᴍᴇ ꜰʀoᴍ Zɪoɴ,
Hᴇ wɪʟʟ ʀᴇᴍovᴇ ᴜɴɢoᴅʟɪɴᴇss ꜰʀoᴍ Jᴀcoʙ.” [Is 59:20, 21]
27 “Tʜɪs ɪs Mʏ covᴇɴᴀɴᴛ wɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇᴍ,
Wʜᴇɴ I ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴀwᴀʏ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ sɪɴs.” [Is 27:9; Jer 31:33]
28 From the standpoint of the gospel, the Jews [at present] are enemies [of God] for your sake [which is for your benefit], but from the standpoint of God’s choice [of the Jews as His people], they are still loved by Him for the sake of the fathers.
29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable [for He does not withdraw what He has given, nor does He change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call].
30 Just as you once were disobedient and failed to listen to God, but have now obtained mercy because of their disobedience,
31 so they too have now become disobedient so that they too may one day receive mercy because of the mercy shown to you.
32 For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all [Jew and Gentile alike].
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and decisions and how unfathomable and untraceable are His ways!
34 For wʜo ʜᴀs ᴋɴowɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪɴᴅ oꜰ ᴛʜᴇ Loʀᴅ, oʀ wʜo ʜᴀs ʙᴇᴇɴ Hɪs coᴜɴsᴇʟoʀ? [Is 40:13, 14]
35 Or wʜo ʜᴀs ꜰɪʀsᴛ ɢɪvᴇɴ ᴛo Hɪᴍ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪᴛ woᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ᴘᴀɪᴅ ʙᴀcᴋ ᴛo ʜɪᴍ?
36 For from Him [all things originate] and through Him [all things live and exist] and to Him are all things [directed]. To Him be glory and honor forever! Amen.