God’s Covenant Promises with Israel are still valid
While God now is mainly working with the Gentiles, He is not through
with the Jews! His covenant promises remain and will have ultimate
fulfillment. Presently, however, during this dispensation (PERIOD) of
grace, there is a remnant now coming to Christ and receiving personal
salvation. National salvation is yet to take place. To make his point
Paul uses in this chapter nine Future Tenses and forty Aorist Tenses.
What he says here is distinct, definite, and certain to come about in
time!
Romans 11:1-6
A Jewish Remnant is being saved according to Grace
The Lord has not permanently and forever discarded the
Jewish people. They are not replaced by the church. God "foreknew" them
in an intimate and personal spiritual way. And though they as a whole
have grown arrogant, the Lord still has a remnant "according to God’s
gracious election."
I am saying then, the God did not Himself reject the people (His)? May
it never be! For I am also an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, tribe of
Benjamin. (11:1) (Couch, Greek Translation)
11:1 The apostle continues his discussions
about Israel using the Present Tense with "I am saying." He wants to
make sure his audience understands that these issues are pertinent to
the present. They are not facts that touched only on the past. It is
presently certain in Paul’s mind that God has not rejected His own
earthly people though they are now in unbelief.
The then is oun in Greek and here has the force of however.
(D&M, p. 258) The apostle Paul sees this verse as a contrasting
thought. Though Israel has been unfaithful, yet (however) God is still
not finished with them. His promises in the Old Testament will be
brought to pass.
The God did not Himself reject the people (His) whom He
foreknew (in an intimate way). Do you not know what the
Scripture is saying concerning Elijah, how he is engaged in
accusation with the God concerning the Israel? (11:2) (Couch, Greek Translation)
11:2 The concerning Elijah ties the
story of that prophet closely with the events that were taking place in
his day. This is called "The Instrumental of Association." (D&M, p.
90) During the lifetime of Elijah, when Ahab and his wife Jezebel were
in power, it seemed as if none of the Jews were trusting God. It
appeared as if all the Jews were apostate. Elijah cried out, "The sons
of Israel have forsaken Thy prophets with the sword. And I alone am
left; and they seek my life, to take it away" (1 Kings 19:10). The Lord
replied, "Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not
bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him" (v. 18).
Paul draws on the Scripture to get his point across. The Word
of God is authoritative and it alone gives the full story as to what was
happening in Elijah’s day. The story is applicable now. Not all the
Jews have become apostate. Even now during the dispensation (PERIOD) not
all have forsaken the truth!
Lord, they killed the prophets (of You), Your altars they tore
down, and I am left alone, and they are seeking the life of me.
(11:3) (Couch, Greek Translation)
11:3 The slaying of a group of Old
Testaments prophets by Ahab is mentioned in 1 Kings 19:1. Elijah then
fled from the wrath of Jezebel, Ahab’s wife, when she threatened his
life (vv. 2-3). In fear, he begged for the Lord to take him home (v. 4).
"It is enough now, O Lord, take my life, for I am not better than my
fathers." Nevertheless, Elijah was zealous for the Lord and desired to
serve Him. He then mentions the death of the prophets and the
destruction of the altars that were for the purpose of worshipping God
(vv. 10, 14).
Paul’s point in quoting this incident is that Elijah
said that "he was left alone" (v. 10), and of course this was not true.
So even now, there is a remnant of Jews who come to Christ for
salvation. God continues to work with Israel but also will restore to
them the promised theocracy, with Christ reigning in Jerusalem!
But what is saying to him the divine statement? I have received
down for Myself seven thousand who have not bowed the
knee to Baal! (11:4) (Couch, Greek Translation)
11:4 God made it clear that seven thousand
Jews had not bowed the knees to Baal nor had they kissed the idol
representing him (v. 18).
Yet likewise also in the now time there has come to be a remnant
according to the gracious outcalling! (11:5) (Couch, Greek Translation)
11:5 The word remnant (limma)
is only used here in the New Testament. When a word so technical is used
only once the word is considered very important and significant. We get
a better fix on the meaning as it is used in Classical Greek. There it
can be translated residue, remains. It is used in music to describe an interval, something left over. In medicine it was used to describe an intermission in fever, or a deficiency.
In other words, what is now happening with the Jews is but
temporary, transitional. There is something missing but a restoration is
implied. And what is taking place is not the real or final purpose
meant for them. The present Jews coming to Christ constitute a left-over
with something else yet on the horizon.
In 11:7 Paul will use another word for remnant (loipos)
but only once in the contextual meaning of the Jews. Surprisingly, John
the apostle uses the word in the same way to describe the remnant of
the Jews being pursued by Satan in the tribulation. He writes, "And the
dragon was enraged with the woman (Israel), and went off to make war
with the rest (the remnant, loipos) of her (Israel’s)
offspring who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of
Jesus" (Rev. 12:17). This is the devil’s last attempt to subvert God’s
plans for the Jewish people. Satan would like to destroy every last Jew
because they are living symbols that the Lord is going to restore the
nation under the leadership of Jesus the Messiah who returns from glory!
The out calling is divine election. God must by His providence
save all by this miraculous calling that brings one to Christ. Outcalling is a compound Greek word (eklogee) with ek=out and logee=word, or summon out with a word. This is a word synonymous with ekklatos or outcalling. The Lord uses eklogee when describing Paul’s salvation. "He is a chosen vessel unto Me" (Acts 9:15). It is to be translated chosen or election in all of the other verses where it is used (Rom. 9:11; 11:5, 7, 28; 1 Thess. 1:4; 2 Pet. 1:10).
But if by grace, it is no longer out of works, otherwise the
grace is no longer grace! (11:6) (Couch, Greek Translation)
11:6 The Greek conjunction epei translated otherwise,
is in a rare use here. Its significance is "else, otherwise," with a
causal sense. (D&M, pp. 247-48) Grace comes about by the
graciousness of God and it can in no way be based on works!
Paul wants the point made that the Jews are not presently blessed by
good works but by the grace of God that comes through trust in Jesus
Christ as Savior. Jews and Gentiles are presently saved only by faith in
Him!
