The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Israel being cut off

What "I'm" talking about is an accurate exegesis of the Romans 11 passage.

William Hendriksen's "Summary" from his Commentary on Romans, v. 2 pp. 391, 392 I believe is on the money. As is typical of Hendriksen, his exegesis is thorough, faithful to the Greek, consistent with the whole of Scripture and most always indisputable.

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Summary of Chapter 11

Since chapter 10 closed with a description of Israel as disobedient and obstinate, it is not surprising that chapter 11 starts with the question, “Did God reject his people?” Did he in his wrath completely and irrevocably thrust Israel away from himself?

Paul answers, “God did not reject his people whom he foreknew,” that is, on whom, from before the founding of the universe, he had set his love. “Look at me,” says Paul, as it were. “I am an Israelite, and God did not reject me.” He implies: there is always a remnant chosen by God. In fact, does not verse 5 suggest this thought?

This was true in the days of Elijah, as related in I Kings 19:1-18. When the disconsolate prophet complained that he alone had remained faithful and that his life too was in jeopardy, the Lord told him, “I have left for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”

As to those Israelites who did not respond favorably to God’s gracious invitations but hardened their hearts against the gospel, God “gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes not to see, and ears not to hear, to this very day.” Cf. Deut. 29:4; Isa. 6:9. To such people the words of David (see Ps. 69:22, 23) apply, “Let their table become a snare before them, a retribution and a stumbling block,” etc.

All this is summarized in the words of Rom. 11:7, “What Israel is seeking so earnestly it has not obtained, but the elect have obtained it. The others were hardened” (verses 1-10). Does this mean then that for these hardened ones, who as yet have not displayed any signs of having been elected from eternity, there is no hope? It does not.

We now learn that God gathers to himself a remnant even from this sin-hardened majority. Paul asks, “Did they stumble so as to fall?” He answers, “Of course not! Rather, because of their trespass salvation (has come) to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.” This shows that it was not final, irrevocable doom God had in mind when he initially hardened the hearts of those who had hardened themselves. On the contrary, God was using even Israel’s trespass in order to serve as a link in the chain of salvation, so as to save both Gentile and Jew.

“Because of their trespass salvation (has come) to the Gentiles.” When the apostle wrote these words he must have vividly recalled how previously he and Barnabas had told the Jews in Pisidian Antioch, “Since y o u (pl) reject the word of God ... we now turn to the Gentiles.” Subsequently similar words were spoken and actions taken.

But that was not the end of the story. The salvation which thus came to the Gentiles filled some of the hardened Jews with envy. They began to yearn for the peace and joy that had come to the Gentiles who had yielded their hearts and lives to the Savior. Result: some of these Jews were now also gathered into the fold, thereby proving that they too had been elected from eternity. Now if even Israel’s spiritual defeat had brought riches to the Gentiles, as had actually occurred, was occurring, and was going to occur, then surely Israel’s arrival at full strength—the salvation, during the course of the centuries of the full number of Israelites destined for life everlasting—would progressively result in an abundance of blessings for the entire world.

That Paul, in saying these things, is not thinking of what will take place at history’s close, but of what has been happening and is occurring right along, is clear from verses 13, 14, “Inasmuch as I am an apostle to (the) Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry, in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them.”

For the Israelites who had previously experienced God’s punishment the consciousness that they are now accepted by God and are a blessing to mankind amounted to nothing less than “life from the dead.”