Constable’s chapter summary:
“C. Israel’s future salvation ch. 11
“In chapter 9, Paul glorified God’s past grace in sovereignly electing Israel as a vessel that would honor Him in a special way in time and space. In chapter 10, he spoke of Israel’s present refusal to respond to His provision of Jesus Christ. In chapter 11, he revealed God’s future plans for the nation that, when accomplished, will fully vindicate His righteousness.
“This chapter proves that God has a future for ethnic Israel, the racial descendants of Jacob. That future is distinct from the future of the church that true believers of both Jewish and Gentile races living now compose. Romans 11 not only vindicates God but dispensational theology. Covenant theology, on the other hand, argues that God will fulfill the promises concerning future blessing that He gave Israel in the church. [Note: See Saucy, The Case …, pp. 250-63, for a good presentation of Israel’s future restoration in this chapter, and Griffith Thomas, St. Paul’s Epistle…, pp. 310-17.]
“This chapter, from the historical point of view, is logically necessary. The Old Testament clearly promises Israel headship or leadership in the world’s worship…Israel as a separate people is to be restored and to realize the promises made to them in the Old Testament.” [Note: Stifler, p. 183.]
“The great historian Arnold Toynbee classified Israel as ’a fossil civilization’ and did not know what to do with it. For some reason, the nation did not fit into his historical theories.” [Note: Wiersbe, 1:550.]”
Romans 11:1-5 (WEL) So I say, “Has God rejected his people?” Absolutely not! I also am an Israelite of the offspring of Abraham, the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people, whom he knew beforehand. Don’t you know what the Scripture says about Elijah, when he interceded to God for Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets and destroyed your altars. I am left alone, and they seek my life.” [1Kings 19:10-14] 4 But how does God answer him? “I still have seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” [1 Kings 19:18] 5 So then in the same way at this present time, there is also a remnant chosen by grace.
V1 So I say, “Has God rejected his people?” Absolutely not! I also am an Israelite of the offspring of Abraham, the tribe of Benjamin.
God has not rejected ethnic Israel (His people).
Replacement theology (Supersessionism) teaches that the church (believers) replaces the nation Israel. Their main reason is that Israel rejected their Messiah—Jesus.
There is not enough space for a thorough proof that this theology is evil. Basically, it is a departure from the plain, normal, literal method of Bible interpretation to a covenant, symbolic, allegorical, etc. method of Bible interpretation. Rejecting the plain, normal sense results in confusion and actually calling God a liar by claiming that what God said is not what the words mean. God is the Communicator of communicators and knows perfectly how to communicate. Israel means Israel, not something else. 1,000 years means 1,000 years and nothing else.
Constable writing on Obadiah 1:21: “Amillennial interpreters understand New Testament references to Israel as references to the church. They see the fulfillment of Obadiah’s prophecy not in the restoration of Old Testament Israel to future sovereignty in the Promised Land but in the final victory of the church over all her enemies. [Note: E.g., Stuart, p. 422; Keil, 1:378; and Allen, p. 172.] Premillennialists reject this “replacement theology” (the church replaces Israel in God’s program) because we believe when God said “Israel” He meant Israel. It is incorrect, we believe, to conclude that because Christians are the spiritual seed of Abraham the church is the spiritual seed of Israel.”
His people refers to ethnic Israel. Abraham is the Abraham of Genesis 15:6. Benjamin is the Son of Jacob (Israel).
V2 God has not rejected his people, whom he knew beforehand. Don’t you know what the Scripture says about Elijah, when he interceded to God for Israel?
How much plainer can it be? Paul declares himself to be an ethnic Israelite. The ethnic Israelite is Paul’s people, nation, country. God knew beforehand everything, for God is the only being that knows the future (prescience). God had a plan for a nation, and Israel is that nation. The Greek word for people is (G2992) λαός laós, which means (Thayer) “a people, tribe, nation, all those who are of the same stock and language.” To prove his argument, Paul brings up a historical point that all Jews would know—Elijah. Elijah, when he was discouraged, ran south to Mt Sinai where God rebuked him gently, reminding him that Elijah is not alone. God knows of 7,000 more. The 7,000 is a rounded number.
Comments:
Constable: “The faith of Paul and other believing Jews, though relatively few compared to the total number of ethnic Jews, proves that God has not completely rejected the people whom He had elected (i.e., foreknew, cf. Rom 8:29). In Elijah’s day, Israel’s departure from God was widespread.”
Robertson’s Word Pictures: “The nation of Israel was God’s chosen people, and so all the individuals in it could not be cast off.”
Bible Knowledge Commentary: “God had chosen Israel as His covenant people from eternity past and entered into a relationship with them that will never be destroyed (cf. Jeremiah 31:37).”
V3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets and destroyed your altars. I am left alone, and they seek my life.” [1Kings 19:10-14]
God listened to Elijah without interrupting him. Elijah’s concern was that if he died, there would be no one to speak out for the one and only God. Elijah’s points: 1) the prophets have been killed (1 Kings 18:4 and 1 Kings 18:23), 2) the altars destroyed (1 Kings 18:30-31), 3) I’m alone, and 4) they want to kill me (1 Kings 19:2).
V4 But how does God answer him? “I still have seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” [1 Kings 19:18]
God did not rebuke him, punish him, or reject him. God encouraged him by informing him that there were 7,000 others.
V5 So then in the same way at this present time, there is also a remnant chosen by grace.
Most ethnic Israelites in the northern 10 tribes of Israel had rejected the one and only God, but there was a remnant that had not. Paul says that there are still ethnic Jews who have not rejected God. This remnant is termed the Israel of God in Galatians 6:16. The Israel of God are ethnic Jews who believe in the Lord Jesus as Messiah, the Savior of the World.
We learn:
- God did not reject ethnic Israel.
- God listens and reminds before He judges.
- There is still hope for ethnic Israel.
Questions:
- Do you get discouraged at the seemingly few serious followers of Christ?
- Do you have hope for ethnic Israel?