Today’s study passage shows how Paul wraps up his argument from chapters 9 to 11 and shifts to the final part of his message in the rest of this chapter.
He points to different moments in Israel’s history when they might have wondered if God had abandoned them. He starts by using himself as an example, showing that God has not abandoned them.
This serves as a reminder of God’s ongoing faithfulness to the promise He made to Abraham.
I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin (Romans 11.1).
Paul refers to passages in the three divisions of Old Testament scripture to highlight that God has not abandoned His people. He includes the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings.
Elijah’s Example
The first question comes from 1 Samuel 12:42 and Psalm 94:14. Paul answers by stating that nothing could alter the basic fact that God’s choosing of Israel to be His own was maintained.
The story of Elijah is found in 1 Kings 17-19, a definite low point in the nation’s history. However, God’s response makes it clear that He had not abandoned His people.
God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scripture says of Elijah, and how he pleads with God against Israel?
“Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars; I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.”
But what is the divine reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal (Romans 11.2-4).
It’s important to consider that the 7,000 represents more than just a specific number of people. Instead, it symbolizes the completeness of Israel. This number signifies the fulfillment of God’s promise to preserve or restore a larger whole in the future.
Grace and Law
In summary of Paul’s writing in the Book of Romans, two key terms stand out: law and grace.
So, too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace would no longer be grace (Romans 11.5-6).
Grace refers to God’s love for His creation, shown through the ultimate gift of His Son’s sacrifice on the cross.
The law, or works, primarily refers to behaviors that mark someone as part of the covenant that God made with Abraham, such as circumcision, the Sabbath, the law, and food regulations.
Elect and Hardened
Keeping the remnant of faithful Jews in mind, Paul shifts his focus to the elect—those who accepted Jesus as the Messiah—compared to the hardened, those who did not.
What then? Israel has not achieved what it was pursuing. The elect have achieved it, but the rest were hardened, as it is written,
“God gave them a sluggish spirit,
eyes that would not see
and ears that would not hear,
down to this very day.”
And David says,
“Let their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them;
let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,
and keep their backs forever bent.” (Romans 11.7-10)
Isaiah prophesied during a time of deep defection of Israel from God. Even though they had turned their backs on God, He was not finished with them. We can compare the early chapters of Isaiah with the latter chapters of that book to see various dimensions of God’s activity.
For the purpose of understanding Paul’s argument in Romans, we need to know God never abandoned His people or broke the covenant He made with them.
The Jewish people have experienced a long history filled with dramatic and painful events, from the early days through the prophets, from first-century Rome to today. They have endured horrific moments as well as glorious ones.
Throughout it all, God has never broken His covenant with them. After all, it is a covenant of grace.
Israel’s Gift
Paul endured great suffering at the hands of his fellow Jewish brothers and sisters. Yet, as we see in the opening prayers of chapters 9 and 10, his heart of love—reflecting God’s heart of love—remained unchanged.
Now, he explains that even the suffering he and they experienced in the first century was all part of God’s plan.
So I ask, have they stumbled so as to fall? By no means! But through their stumbling salvation has come to the gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous.
Now if their stumbling means riches for the world and if their loss means riches for gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean! (Romans 11.1-12).
One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned from years of studying the Bible is that God is active in history. He is at work, guiding human events toward a future where heaven and earth will be united, God will be glorified, and people will live the life He intended for them.
Although Paul doesn’t speak like me, he explains how God is using the Jewish people to play a key role in His plan for the world.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
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