Lesson 136
Romans Chapter Eleven
The Faithfulness of God
Introduction:
What is the theme of ch-11?
The
theme is embodied in the question raised in vs:1.
Has
God scratched
-
Is God through with the nation
-
Or will there be a restoration of
You
need to know that there is a group out there that says NO!
-
Look at Isa. 11:6-9
- So, not talking
here about the saved remnant, will get to them, but to
the people of
I
say therefore in the light of vs:21 that God has not
rejected His people has He?
The
question demands a negative answer in and of itself;
- Paul's response here is consistent with believing that
what God said is what God meant and what God is going to do!
1
Sam 12:22; Psa. 94:14; Lam. 3:31;
-
So to summarize we have 3 primary ways the promises are handled:
#1
All the promises will be completely fulfilled in
Not
being seen today, still in the times of the Gentiles, but will be, all in God's
timing.
#2 All the promises are canceled; because of
#3 Are those who don't want to
agree with either #1 or #2 so they say they are fulfilled in the church today.
- this stretches credulity to make the O.T. passages in anyway
apply to the Church!
The content of Rom. 11. - an overview
-
In Rom. 11:1-10 Paul's
argument is that
-
Paul gives some examples to make his point;
1.
first he says look at me I'm one!
vs:1
2.
Look at the situation with Elijah 11:2-4
3.
Then says look at believing Jews in his own day, ie.
C/A. 11:5-6.
- In vs:7-10 we have a statement
of judicial blindness for their rejection of God; as we will find it is not
permanent but temporary.
-
This we find in the next section, 11:11-24;
- In
- God's covenant that He made with
-
God's mercy will be manifested
-
God's glory in future will be magnified
The problem of Rom. 11.
- The problem involves the tension raised between two
things, two things that don't appear to jive, don't compute.
-
These 2 facts, God choose
#1
Will
ch-9 makes it very clear that it was God's sovereign choice of
Is
their sin going to ruin it?
#2
Will God find a way to deal with the situation so that
His purposes are safe guarded?
Will
God find a solution so that His choice will be safe guarded?
Is it possible that
And God's program and purpose is now
blown?
Romans 11:1 - The Question is Raised
I
say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too
am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
- There is a parable which Jesus Himself told which says,
they have rejected the servants of God (the prophets), but now they have
rejected the Son (Matthew
- It seems most likely that believing Gentiles would be
the ones to raise this question.
After
all, if God does not literally keep the unconditional promises He has made to
the Jews, how can we be assured He will keep His promises to us?
If
God had truly rejected
God's
purpose was much broader, including both Jews and Gentiles as Paul emphasizes
in this chapter.
Look
at the words once more with the emphasis I have given to them:
I
say then, God has not rejected His people, has He?
Who
is the focus? God is the center of
attention.
(1 Samuel 12:22)
Paul's
response, the emphatic negative "May it never be!" is a
reflection of two things.
- First, it expresses Paul's strong reaction to the mere
possibility that God might fail to fulfill His promises
- Second, it expresses Paul's strong reaction also as a
Jew. Notice that he refers to himself
here as an Israelite;
- Paul's reaction is equally appropriate for any Gentile
believer.
If
God fails to fulfill His promises to the Jews, how can any Gentile, any
believer of the Church age feel secure about the promises God has made to them?