Romans 11:1 I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 11:2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,
11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
That grace right there is NOT the Gentile Grace preached by Paul.
Rather, it is a Grace he has just mentioned in connection with the literal Israel he has just been talking about - the Believing remnant of THEIR nation.
THEIR election of Grace.
What is that?
It is the issue of SERVICE.
Here; it applies to the Lord...
Isaiah 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
While here, it applies to Israel - despite the disobedience of many within their nation!
Isaiah 45:4 For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.
Isaiah 65:9 And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.
Back to Romans 11:5 & 6's Grace...
The Grace in that passage is a Promised...Prophesied Grace that is contained WITHIN that Covenant concerning Israel that God both Promised and Prophesied unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - which is WHY God is NEVER through with the sons of Jacob - NO MATTER HOW THEY SCREW UP - note...
Exodus 32:9 And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: 32:10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation. 32:11 And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? 32:12 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. 32:13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. 32:14 And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.
Because His Word unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, is His very Identity; His very Character...IS WHO He...IS...
IS His very I AM...itself.
He IS...THAT in BOTH their CURSING AND their BLESSING UNDER...Him.
Malachi 3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. 3:2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: 3:3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. 3:4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years. 3:5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts. 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
In other words, Paul is basically asserting that same, PROMISED... PROPHESIED... GRACE principle... concerning "ye son OF JACOB..."
Romans 11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work...
What he is saying there is that God's fulfilment of His Covenant unto Abraham, Isaac and Jacob concerning His plan and purpose via their multiplied seed in Isaac through Jacob's sons, was based on His Promised... Prophesied Grace as to the sons OF JACOB, and NOT on their screw ups, or lack thereof.
He has already said as much in...
Romans 3:1 What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? 3:2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. 3:3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
Verse 2 & 3 there, are the issue of the fact that God has a plan and purpose for and in the Earth via Israel and their God given oracles in His Grace toward Abraham, Isaac, and their MULTIPLIED seed, that the failure of some is can NOT render "of none effect."
Returning to Romans...
11:7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
Again...does that mean that God is THROUGH with the sons OF JACOB?
Romans 11:11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
Have they stumbled so, that God is through with them and is now out among the Gentiles?
No!
For built into His being out among the Gentiles DURING their fall, is His provoking them to jealousy THROUGH said Gentile salvation itself - DURING said fall.
And not only is that THE CASE, but...
11:12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
He is NOT through with Israel....
Why not?
Okay, once more...
11:15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
Why?
11:16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
So what's the status of the Unbelieving ones within Israel - is God through with THEM?
11:23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.
Why?
For that is His Grace Covenant unto them.
Just as this TEMPORARY OFFER of Gentile salvation is based on an UNMERITED Grace.
11:24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?
Note it AGAIN...
11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
You see that?
God is merely visiting the Gentiles DURING a TEMPORAL blinding of unbelieving Israel.
The next passages are actually tied to all the previous ones concerning ISRAEL'S Promised...Prophesied Grace per God's Covenant UNTO THEM.
11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 11:27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 11:28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
God has merely concluded all - both unbelieving Israelites and the Gentiles - in unbelief, that He might mercy upon all without distinction.
In other words - built into His Mystery Grace among the Gentiles DURING Israel's Grace's TEMPORARY interruption - is His concluding Unbelieving Israel "sinners of the Gentiles" during this TEMPORARY TIME OF THEIR Disobedience...that He might have mercy upon ALL WITHOUT distinction.
In other words, even during this time of Israel's TEMPORARY cutting off as to His Plan and Purpose through them one day...
His eye is nevertheless...much more than just...on the sparrow.
Luke 12:7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Malachi 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
Amen and Amen!
