“Paul’s Sorrow for Ethnic Israel”



“Has God Rejected Ethnic Israel?”

Preliminary Statement on Romans 11:1-15: After seeing in the past chapters of Romans that Israel has rejected her own Messiah, it is easy for us to think that God will now reject His ancient people. But chapter 11 shows us otherwise. In this chapter, Paul reaffirms God’s love and faithfulness toward Israel. Beginning in this section, Paul expounds on this point and produces interesting insights on other related issues when it comes to God’s relationship to Israel and the Gentiles.

1. Read vv.1-5. In these verses, Paul asserts that God has not rejected ethnic Israel. (a) What are some reasons Paul gave to support his point? (There are, at least, three reasons that he cited.) (b) In your opinion, why do you think that it is important for God not to reject Israel?

Answer:

(a) #1: Paul himself as an ethnic Jew (v.1b)

#2: Israel is a people God “foreknew”---notice the word (“proginosko”) is used not in the sense of just knowing ahead of time but of having an intimate relationship or care ahead of time. (v.2a)

#3: There is a remnant of people within ethnic Israel whom God has chosen just like He did back in

Elijah’s time. (vv.3-5) [You may want to refer back to I Kings 19 to appreciate the context.]

(b) God’s promises to the patriarchs and the nation of Israel in the Old Testament is at stake. These

promises essentially says that Israel will be blessed in the coming of the Messiah. They have yet to be

fulfilled. In short, God’s veracity/trustworthiness is at stake here.

2. Read vv.6-10. (a) Who are those who obtained grace in this context? (b) Does Paul’s reference to God “hardening” some people in this context bother you? Why or why not?

Answer:

(a) Jews who came to faith in Christ. Essentially, what is referred to here is an election within an elect

ethnic group of people.

(b) This is an open ended kind of question. But emphasize the fact that God’s “hardening” is not

something done arbitrarily. God does harden hearts but for a justifiable reason. The OT quotations in

vv. 8-10 seem to imply that the divine hardening came as a result of the Jews’ own willful

disobedience. It’s a divine judgment in the same vein as God hardening Pharaoh’s heart in Romans 9.

Having said this, however, I must qualify by saying that God’s act of hardening hearts are not only a

response to willful disobedience of mankind but also part of Him accomplishing His good will and

purposes for the sake of humanity and His glory (see 11:25). Which came first the human sin or the

divine counsel that brings about the hardening of hearts? That is a great mystery. All we know is that

the two somehow intertwine. But how to untangle the two is simply not revealed to us and, perhaps, is

best kept from us.

3. Read vv.11-12. In v.11, Paul acknowledges that ethnic Israel did “stumble”, but it is not a permanent fall.

(a) What was the side benefit of ethnic Israel’s fall and what was its purpose? (b) Is this side-benefit an after-thought (a reaction) of God to Israel’s rejection of their Messiah or is it part of God’s overall plan all along? Support your answer.

Answer:

(a) Salvation came to the Gentiles --- to make ethnic Israel jealous

(b) Taken at face value, it seems to be saying that Israel’s rejection brought about this turning to the

Gentiles in order to make Israel jealous and cause them to return to their Messiah. Yet we cannot stop

our analysis on this surface level alone. On a deeper level, we know that God is sovereign and He

does not simply react to what the Jews’ did in order to bring salvation to the Gentiles. We have the

solid support of the Old Testament that the Messiah was intended to be a blessing for both Jews and

Gentiles. That was God’s plan all along. Moreover, Romans 11:5 seems to be implying that God

somehow had a hand in bringing about the Jewish rejection in order to bring salvation to the Gentiles.

So the answer to this question is that it is both a divine reaction as well part of a divine plan. Again,

we are not privy to the way these two perspectives can be reconciled. Only God knows.

4. Read vv.13-15. Paul is speaking specifically to the Gentile believers in Rome and as an apostle to the Gentiles. (a) What was one of Paul’s motivation for ministering to the Gentiles? (b) Do you think that it is a proper and effective method of winning the Jews for Christ? (c) What does the reference of “life from the dead” in v.15 referring to and how does it factor in to our discussion about the Jews?

Answer:

a) It was to move to jealousy his fellow countrymen and save some in the process.

b) This is an open ended kind of question. My answer would be: it is a proper motive because evangelism by definition is to show others the solution to what they really need in life. It is, in a matter of speaking, moving people to jealousy so as to want what we have in Christ. In this case, the use of jealousy as a metaphor for evangelism is even more poignant because of the irony that the Jews missed their own Messiah whereas the Gentiles accepted Him. Demonstrating this fact in a loving way and moving the Jews to jealousy can be an effective way of winning them to Christ---provided, of course, that they see something in Christ for them to be jealous of the Gentiles.

c) It could be a metaphorical reference in general that something good will happen. But it is probably better to take it literally. When the Jews come to embrace Jesus as their Messiah in fulfillment of God’s promise to the patriarchs in the Old Testament, then “life from the dead” will occur, that is, Christ’s promised resurrection would occur (Rom. 8:18-23). Romans 11:25-26 seems to imply that this is the next stage in salvation history that should happen before Christ returns. [We’ll say more about this next time.]

5. The idea of making Israel “jealous” is mentioned twice (vv.11 and 14) and clearly a key concept. (a) Should we have the same kind of desire Paul had to make the Jews jealous of what we have in Christ? Support your answer. (b) In your opinion, how well has the church made ethnic Israel jealous of it has in the Messiah?

Answer:

(a) Yes, not only because Paul did but because it is also God’s desire (v.11). Furthermore, if it is true

that the next stage in salvation history is for the Jews to come to their Messiah, then it behooves us

to be God’s willing vessels in bringing in that next stage. Of course, this does not mean that

everyone should be an evangelist to Jews. Each of us has our unique calling. But we must value and

even encourage those who have this kind of calling. For we desire to see v.15 fulfilled soon.

(b) Not too well. Not too many Jews seem impressed with their Jewish Messiah seen in lives of Gentile

believers throughout the centuries. There were some who converted but not many. Historically,

Gentile believers have been associated with the following: anti-semitism, persecution, forced

conversion, lack of missions to the Jews (today, missions to Jews is even more difficult since it is

seen as politically incorrect. A lot of patience is needed in this work).

Personal Application Questions:

1. Paul rehearses in vv.6-10 the doctrine of election which he earlier discussed at length in chapter 9. In a sense, this is a synopsis of chapter 9. Take a moment to meditate on these verses. What aspects in this discussion cause you to love and worship God even more? What aspects in this discussion cause you to wonder in mystery at the ways of God and worship Him even more?

2. (a) If v.15 is true, then, do you think we should have an evangelistic minded focus on the Jews? If not, why not? If so, what are some practical steps you could do about it? (b) If you have shared the gospel with a Jewish person, relate the incident in your small group. What enabled you to do that? What were some of your obstacles? What are some lessons you’ve learned from that experience?

3. The idea of making others “jealous” of what we have in Christ applies also to any non-believer.

What are some ways we can live lives that make others jealous of what we have in Christ?

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