SURVEY OF ROMANS

CENTER FOR CHURCH ENRICHMENT

ROMANS SURVEY

TEACHING OUTLINE 9

ROM 9-11

The Rejection of Israel

________________________________________________________________________________________

Introduction

This is a long section, but the teaching is simple!

Paul’s message could leave the impression that he was opposed to the Torah, and that he had turned against his own people!

It seemed to the Jew that Paul was teaching that God had rejected his chosen people in favor of another, the Gentile.

Paul has already argued that he was not opposed to the Torah, for it was holy, spiritual, and good.

However, if used incorrectly, as the Jews had done, as a marker of distinction which proclaimed them as the covenant people of God, and if used as a means of personal justification, the Torah would kill them (lead to their ultimate ruin), since the Torah working with sinful passion condemned sin and resulted in death.

The fault lay not in the Torah, but in the unbelieving Jew who had rejected faith in Jesus as the Messiah.

In this lesson, pail takes up the other problem, the apparent rejection by God of Israel as His chosen people!

In these three chapters Paul will argue that it was Israel that had rejected God through unbelief, and not God that had rejected his covenant chosen people.

Rom 9:1-5

Paul reflects his dismay and sorrow for Israel, that they are lost (see Rom 10:1).

He wishes that he could be accursed and Israel saved.

Israel has great blessings being God’s chosen people, but they have not taken appropriate advantage of these blessings.

Rom 9:6-25 The Rejection of Israel Lay in Israel’s unbelief, not in the unrighteousness or Unfaithfulness of God

Some might argue that the Word (message) of God had failed Israel, Paul answers that this is not the case!

We have to think like a Jew, with the knowledge of the Torah behind us, to follow Paul’s arguments!

Paul explains that not all who are descended from Israel (Abraham) belong to Israel, for Esau and his descendents were from Abraham but they were not included in God’s covenant with Abraham.

It is not the physical descent that was important, but God’s election, for God chose Jacob over Esau, the “legal” descendent Esau being the older.

God’s election was based on his foreknowledge (Rom 8:29, 30).

Did this mean that God was unjust?

By no means!

God is God and he acts on his foreknowledge, but beside this he is God and can have mercy on whom he pleases!

God is like the potter, he decides what he will make of the clay!

The important thing to note here, however, is that God acted on his foreknowledge.

A point Paul makes here is that God hardens hearts for the greater future good!

That seems unjust, but when we follow Paul’s reasoning we find that God only hardens the hearts of those who harden their heart against God.

Take Pharaoh for example (Ex 8:15, 21, 32). Pharaoh refused to listen to God, hardened his heart against God, so God hardened Pharaoh and used him to achieve his purpose.

Rom 9:30 – 33 What Shall We Say To All This

The Jews lost their heritage because they hardened their hearts against God and rejected His Messiah and are rejected because of their unbelief.

The Gentiles opened their hearts and accepted Jesus Christ and received because of their faith.

Rom 10:1-4 Israel Not Saved

Again, Paul expresses his sorrow for Israel because they are lost!

The are lost even thought hey had a zeal for God!

But their zeal for God was misplaced (on the Torah instead of the Messiah) and needed enlightenment of better knowledge.

The Torah was not an end in itself, but was intended to lead people to the Messiah, For Christ is the end (goal, termination, destination) of the Torah (Gal 3:23-29).

Rom 10:5-13 The Message of Righteousness Had Been Near the Jew, But They Missed It!

The Jew did not need to go running all over heaven to find righteousness, it was right there in front of them in the Torah.

The problem was that they used the Torah incorrectly, for it was intended to lead them to Christ, and not to save them or separate them from the Gentile!

The message of righteousness they sought was simple, “confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead” and you will be saved!

Remember that Paul is speaking to unbelieving Jews!

The place to begin for righteousness is faith in Jesus!

This does not exclude repentance and baptism, but this is where the Jew must begin!

Rom 10:13-21 Faith is Based in The Preaching of Jesus

The Jew might complain that without hearing about Jesus they could not believe, and that is true, but Paul argues that they had heard and would not believe!

They had Isaiah and Moses to preach and explain the Torah message of the Abrahamic promises, but they had not listened!

Paul charges them with being a disobedient and contrary people (Paul cites Isa 65:2).

Faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes form the preaching of (about, or regarding) Jesus!

Rom 11:1-10 God Has A Remnant of Israel That Will Be Saved

God has not rejected all of Israel, only those who would not believe!

He has a remnant who will be saved, it is those who believe in Jesus!

Paul is such an example!

He is a true Jew and he has not been rejected because he believed in Jesus.

Rom 11:11-32 The Salvation of Israel

This is a fascinating section in which Paul summarizes his views on Israel’s predicament and offers hope for the future.

He stresses that Israel’s rejection is not complete and that some may find salvation.

Answering the question regarding the fairness of God using them to bring glory to the Gentile, Paul suggests that if the fall of many of Israel brought riches to the Gentile, how mush more richness would the full inclusion of Israel mean!

However, the inclusion of Israel was up to Israel!

[Remember that the Greek word for full inclusion – pleroma – had a rich meaning in the Jewish Apocalyptic tradition and meant richness. We find this word in Rom 11:12 and 25).

Warning the Gentiles against an arrogant attitude in which they would gloat over the Jew for their rejection, Paul reminds both Jew and Gentile that the principle of rejection and inclusion was the same for the Jew and Gentile alike, unbelief and belief.

Drawing on the “parable” of the natural olive tree (the covenant people of God) Paul observes that as the natural olive branch had been cut off (the unbelieving Jew), and the wild olive branch had been grafted in (the believing Gentile), so the wild olive branch can also be cut off, and so too the natural olive branch can also be grafted in on the condition that the unbelieving Jew would repent and believe!

The condition of rejected Israel could change to where all Israel could be saved if only all Israel would believe in the Messiah!

Rom 11:26 “and so all Israel will be saved…”

The Greek word for so is houtos which means in this manner.

In what manner will all Israel be saved?

That is, if all Israel will believe in the Messiah!

Summary of Rom 9 – 11 The Rejection of Israel

Paul is greatly distressed that Israel is lost and would happily be accursed if that would save Israel!

Israel is not rejected because God has rejected his covenant people in favor of the Gentile, but Israel is rejected because Israel rejected God and His Messiah.

Israel had long been a difficult people who had repeatedly strayed from God and the Torah.

God had repeatedly called them back through the prophets.

Israel had heard God’s message but had rejected it.

All Israel had to do was believe that God had raised Jesus from the dead and confess Jesus as Lord and they would be saved.

But Israel’s rejection was not permanent, for should Israel repent and believe God’s message regarding the Messiah, they could be grafted back into God’s covenant people.

Israel’s rejection had meant riches to the Gentile who believed, but that had been God’s principle from the beginning. God’s promise to Abraham included the Gentile, but the Jew rejected God’s purpose for them, rejected the Gentile, and rejected God’s Messiah.

But Israel can be saved if Israel like the Gentile would come to God in faith!

Notes:

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________