Lesson 144

Romans Chapter Eleven

The Faithfulness of God

Israel’s Failure Benefits Gentiles

Review:

- Think about it! What you are now as a believer in Christ, a Gentile having come by faith to Christ and having all spiritual blessings in Him, is the fruit of Israel's rejection.

If Israel's rejection of Christ has brought about the basis for "reconciliation of the world," [and it has] how much more the world will be blessed by Israel's acceptance ["fullness of vs:12] of the gospel.

"what will (their) acceptance be but life from the dead?"

[lit. out from the dead ones]

Their rejection brought about reconciliation but their acceptance

"life from the dead."

- What is primary is spiritual resurrection from being dead ones, separated from God [Eph. 2:1-5]

The result is not only life from the dead for the individual but primary in Paul's thinking is the corporate resurrection of Israel!

11:16 Paul employs two metaphors.

The first has to do with the first fruit and the lump of dough, the second with the root and the branches of an olive tree.

With these illustrations Paul is reinforcing that fact that the stumbling, the rejection of Israel is temporary and that Israel will be restored as God's people.

The principle of first-fruits:

The first small portion of grain harvested was offered to God, by that offering they were acknowledging that He had provided it and that He would provide the full harvest which was still to come.

The argument Paul makes here is that if the piece of dough, the meal cake offered is set apart to the Lord, "holy" [agioj], then so also is all the dough that might be made from the grain to come.

As for the application, the first fruit is Abraham. He was holy in the sense that he was set apart by God for a purpose.

The second metaphor is the root and the branches.

11:16b "and if the root be holy, the branches are too."

As we begin to examine the metaphor of the olive tree we need to establish what are the identities of the players, so that we can understand what Paul is communicating to us here by it.

1. The olive tree is used to refer to Israel.

Jer 11:16-17 being judged; Hos. 14:4-6 speaking of future blessing

2. The root is Abraham and the fathers, Isaac, Jacob, David; (the Patriarchs) those to whom God reiterated His covenant promises to!

- Abraham is the root in the sense that he was the first to be set apart by God to form a new people distinct from the nations.

3. The branches = 2 kinds:

#1. the natural branches = the progeny of Abraham Isaac and Jacob; the descendants of promise; His chosen people.

#2. the branches of the wild olive tree who are grafted in refer to Gentile believers of C/A. [contrary to nature, not normal horticultural practice, other way around, 11:24.

4. Broken off natural branches unbelieving Israel 11:20

5. Important principle to be maintained here; true from context of 11:16-24.

- God is not speaking here of individuals but of Israel/the Jew nationally and the Gentiles collectively.

- If you forget this you will create great problems for yourself in your understanding and interpretation of the context.

- Look at the last statement of vs:16 "if the root be holy, the branches are too."

6. Not mentioned is the connection between the branches and the root, the trunk of the tree.

- see this as the privilege and blessing to the branches; (the line that flows from Abraham) experiencing the goodness and kindness of God mentioned in 11:22

- The important connection being emphasized in the metaphor is between the branches and the root; each type of branch is said to be connected to the root.

This maintains the separation between God's purpose and blessing for Israel and what He is doing today with the Gentiles and the remnant of Israel, the natural branches not broken off.

7. There also needs to be noted, or kept in mind the threads of the timeframe implied for what is referred to in the metaphor; so that we maintain the proper perspective.

- the breaking off of the branches = rending of the veil of the Temple, the establishing of the Church at Pentecost.

- the cutting off of the Gentile and regrafting in of the natural branches, 11:22b-24, goes to the time of the Rapture and the Tribulation that follows.

Israel’s recovery at Christ’s return vindicates His choice of Israel.

11:17 The apostle continues the metaphor of the root and the branches.

The branches that were broken off picture the unbelieving portion of the twelve tribes of Israel. Because of their rejection of the Messiah, they were removed from their place of privilege as God's chosen people.

In this illustration it is important to see that the main trunk of the olive tree is not Israel, but rather God's line of privilege/blessing that comes through relationship with Christ down through the centuries.

It is also important to remember that the wild olive branch is not the church but the Gentiles viewed collectively.

The nation of Israel was the first to be in this line of privilege. They were God's chosen, earthly people.

Here the fatness signifies the privileges/blessings that flowed from union with the root of the olive tree.

11:18 A warning to the Gentiles.

The root of the tree is the source of life and nourishment for the branches; Rem: Abraham is the father of all who believe; set the patter of salvation by faith; Rom 4:11-12; Gal 3:29

11:19 Paul anticipates here what a Gentile might say, "Jewish branches were broken off so that I and other Gentile branches might be grafted in."