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Israel’s Rejection Not Total
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.
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.
God’s Mercy on Israel
I ask, then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
I ask, then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying,
No, God has not rejected his own people, whom he chose from the very beginning. Do you realize what the Scriptures say about this? Elijah the prophet complained to God about the people of Israel and said,
“Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”?
But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is — free and undeserved.
What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
So this is the situation: Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have — the ones God has chosen — but the hearts of the rest were hardened.
Just as it is written:
“God has given them a spirit of stupor,
Eyes that they should not see
And ears that they should not hear,
To this very day.”
“God has given them a spirit of stupor,
Eyes that they should not see
And ears that they should not hear,
To this very day.”
And David says:
“Let their table become a snare and a trap,
A stumbling block and a recompense to them.
“Let their table become a snare and a trap,
A stumbling block and a recompense to them.
Likewise, David said,
“Let their bountiful table become a snare,
a trap that makes them think all is well.
Let their blessings cause them to stumble,
and let them get what they deserve.
“Let their bountiful table become a snare,
a trap that makes them think all is well.
Let their blessings cause them to stumble,
and let them get what they deserve.
Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see,
And bow down their back always.”
And bow down their back always.”
Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves.
Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it.
For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,
I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this,
if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them.
for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them.
For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead!
For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy — just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too.
But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree — some of the people of Israel — have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree.
do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.
But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root.
You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.”
“Well,” you may say, “those branches were broken off to make room for me.”
Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear.
Yes, but remember — those branches were broken off because they didn’t believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen.
For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.
Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off.
And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
And if the people of Israel turn from their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, for God has the power to graft them back into the tree.
For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
You, by nature, were a branch cut from a wild olive tree. So if God was willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting you into his cultivated tree, he will be far more eager to graft the original branches back into the tree where they belong.
For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”
When I take away their sins.”
Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers.
Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.
For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience,
Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead.
even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy.
For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!
“For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has become His counselor?”
Or who has become His counselor?”
“Or who has first given to Him
And it shall be repaid to him?”
And it shall be repaid to him?”