In chapter 9 Paul glorified God's past grace in sovereignly electing Israel as a vessel that would honor Him in a special way in time and space. In chapter 10 he spoke of Israel's present refusal to respond to His provision of Jesus Christ. In chapter 11 he revealed God's future plans for the nation that, when unfolded, will fully vindicate His righteousness.
This chapter proves that God has a future for ethnic Israel, the racial descendants of Jacob. That future is distinct from the future of the church that true believers of both Jewish and Gentile races living now compose. Romans 11 not only vindicates God but dispensational theology. Covenant theology on the other hand argues that God will fulfill the promises concerning future blessing that He gave Israel in the church.325
"This chapter from the historical point of view is logically necessary. The Old Testament clearly promises Israel headship or leadership in the world's worship . . . Israel as a separate people is to be restored and to realize the promises made to them in the Old Testament."326
"The great historian Arnold Toynbee classified Israel as a fossil civilization' and did not know what to do with it. For some reason, the nation did not fit into his historical theories."327
The first pericope gives hope for the future by showing that even now some Jews believe.
11:1 The opening question carries on the rhetorical style of 10:18 and 19. God has not rejected the Israelites because they have, on the whole, rejected Him. The proof of this is that Paul himself was a member of the believing remnant, a Christian Jew. Paul even came from the small and sometimes despised tribe of Benjamin (cf. Judg. 19-21) yet God had saved him.
11:2 The faith of Paul and other believing Jews, though few, proves that God has not completely rejected the people whom He had elected (foreknew, cf. 8:29).
In Elijah's day Israel's departure from God was widespread.
11:3-4 Elijah concluded that he was the only Israelite who had remained faithful to the Lord. God assured him that He had preserved other Israelites who constituted a believing remnant within the unfaithful nation.
"The very fact of God's choice excludes the possibility of his desertion of his own."328
11:5 Likewise in Paul's day and today there are believing Jews who constitute a remnant among the physical descendants of Jacob. By referring to God's gracious choice Paul focused on the real reason for the presence of a remnant.
11:6 The apostle elaborated the final thought of verse 5 here. It is the grace of God, not the works of the remnant that is the real cause of their condition. Believing Jews are not superior, just greatly blessed.
11:7 Verses 7-10 summarize the argument (v. 7) with supporting Old Testament quotations (vv. 8-10). Verse 7 ties back to 10:3.
The Greek word translated "hardened"(eporothesan) is not the same one Paul used in 9:18 (sklerunei). The one he used in 9:18 simply pictures a hardening. The one he used here describes hardening with the result that the hardness renders the person more difficult to get through to from then on. It is as though a callus built up over the Israelites that made them less sensitive to God.329
". . . God's hardening permanently binds people in the sin that they have chosen for themselves."330
"This postponement in Israelite history is not so much an interruption of redemption as an extensionof predicted hardening (Rom. 11:7-10). The Exile, which was a punishment for national disobedience, has therefore been prolonged during the present age until the appointed time for Israel's national (and spiritual) restoration (Acts 1:7; 3:21; Rom. 11:25-27)."331
11:8 The quotation in this verse is a combination of Deuteronomy 29:4 and Isaiah 29:10. Paul used these passages to prove the following point. The Israelites did not follow God faithfully even though they saw God's miraculous deliverance from Egypt, experienced His preservation in the wilderness, and heard the warnings of the prophets. God gave them a spirit of stupor because they failed to respond to the numerous blessings that He bestowed on them.332A similar example would be a person losing his appetite for steak because he eats steak every day. This was apparently an instance of God giving them over to the natural consequences of their actions (1:24, 26, 28).
11:9-10 The Jews regarded Psalm 69 as Messianic in Paul's day (cf. John 15:25). The quotation from this psalm (vv. 22-23) records David's desire. He wished that his enemies' table (i.e., blessings) would become something that they would stumble over. The enemies in view were the Lord's enemies as well as the king's since he was the Lord's anointed. This is really what had happened to the Israelites who had set themselves against God by rejecting His Son. Inability to see clearly and bondage to the Law had resulted (cf. Act. 15:10). The Greek phrase dia pantosusually means "continually."It probably means that here rather than "forever."333Paul would explain that Israel's obstinacy and bondage would not last indefinitely (v. 26). Paul explained that God had brought upon the Jews what David had prayed would happen to his persecutors.
Even though as a whole Israel had reaped the fruit of her own stubborn rebellion against God, God had called a remnant within the nation for salvation. The presence of this remnant shows that God has not cast off His chosen people completely or been unfaithful to His promises to them.
Now Paul put the remnant aside and dealt with Israel as a whole. Even while Israel resists God's plan centered in Messiah, the Lord is at work bringing Gentiles to salvation. Gentile salvation really depends on Israel's covenant relationship with God, as Paul illustrated with the olive tree. The salvation of Gentiles in the present age not only magnifies the grace of God, but it will also provoke Israel to jealousy and lead her ultimately to return to the Lord.
11:11 Another rhetorical question marks another advance in the movement of Paul's thought. The stumbling of Israel did not result in a hopeless fall (cf. 9:32-33; 11:9). God now deals with Gentiles on the same basis as Jews regarding their salvation because Israel as a whole rejected Jesus Christ. One reason God chose to do this was to make Israel jealous of the Gentiles as the recipients of God's blessings so Israel would turn back to God.
11:12 Paul here anticipated the national repentance of Israel that he articulated later (v. 26). God promised to bless the world through Israel (Gen. 12:1-3). How much more blessing will come to the world when Israel turns back to God than is coming to the world now while she is in rebellion against God!
"While pleromaprobably has a qualitative denotation--'fullness'--the context and the parallel with v. 25 suggest that this fullness' is attained through a numerical process. Paul would then be suggesting that the present defeat' of Israel, in which Israel is numerically reduced to a small remnant, will be reversed by the addition of far greater numbers of true believers: this will be Israel's destined fullness.'"334
11:13-14 Here Paul applied what he had said earlier to his own ministry. By evangelizing Gentiles Paul was causing more Jews to become jealous of God's blessings on Gentile converts. He was thereby playing a part in bringing some Jews to faith.
"The Gentiles are not saved merely for their own sake, but for the sake of God's election of Israel."335
"However strange it may sound, the way to salvation of Israel is by the mission to the Gentiles."336
11:15 When Israel returns to God and He accepts her, the results for all humankind are comparable to life from the dead (cf. Ezek. 37). God's blessings on humanity now will pale by comparison with what the world will experience then (i.e., during the Millennium).
11:16 The first piece of dough (firstfruits) describes the believing remnant in Israel now. The "lump"or "batch"refers to the whole nation. God has consecrated both groups to Himself.
The root and branches must refer to the Abrahamic Covenant and the believing and unbelieving Gentiles and Jews in view of how Paul proceeded to develop this illustration in verses 17-24.337
11:17 The cultivated olive tree was a symbol of the nation of Israel in the Old Testament (Jer. 11:16-17; Hos. 14:4-6). The wild olive tree represents the Gentiles. The rich root of the cultivated tree corresponds to the Abrahamic Covenant from which all God's blessings and the very life of the nation sprang. We might add to the illustration by saying that the roots derive their nourishment from God Himself.
Note that Paul said that God grafted the Gentiles in among the Jews. They became partakers with the Jews of the blessings that come through the roots. Paul did not say that the Gentiles became part of Israel, only that they partake with Israel of the blessings of the root. This is a very important point. The olive tree is not the church in which God has united Jewish and Gentile believers in one body (Eph. 3:6). The wild olive branches retain their own identity as wild branches even though they benefit from blessings that come through Israel (e.g., the Messiah, the Scriptures, etc.).
11:18 Gentile believers should not feel superior to Jewish unbelievers, the branches that God has broken off (vv. 17, 19). Gentile believers might conclude that their salvation is what was responsible for the continuing existence of Israel (cf. v. 14). Really it is God's faithfulness in honoring the Abrahamic Covenant that is responsible for that.
11:19-20 It is true that one of the reasons Gentiles have become partakers of the blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant is that many of the Jews have not believed. However the Gentile believer who may feel superior to the unbelieving Jew needs to remember that the only reason he is where he is is because he has simply believed God. He is not there because he has done some meritorious work that would be a ground for boasting (cf. 5:2).
11:21 Throughout this whole discussion Paul was viewing Gentile believers and Jewish unbelievers as two groups. This fact is clear from his use of the singular "you"in the Greek text (su, vv. 17-24). If he had been speaking of individual believers, we might conclude that this verse provides some basis for believing that a believer can lose his salvation. Paul's point was, if God set aside Israel temporarily because of unbelief, He could do the same with Gentiles because of boasting.
11:22 "Those who fell"are the unbelieving Jews, and "you"are the believing Gentiles. The positions are reversible. Gentiles can become objects of God's sternness, and Israel can become the object of His kindness. This depends on their responses to God. Their response determines whether God will spare them (v. 21) or cut them off (v. 22).
11:23 Belief is what resulted in God grafting in the Gentiles (v. 17), and belief could result in Him grafting in formerly unbelieving Israel. In the illustration the whole trunk of the cultivated olive tree represents Israel and the natural branches are the believing and unbelieving segments of it.
11:24 Here is another of Paul's "much more"comparisons (5:9, 19, 15, 17; cf. Luke 11:13). If God did the difficult thing, namely grafting wild branches onto cultivated stock, it should not be hard to believe that He will do the easier thing. The easier thing is restoring the pruned branches of the cultivated tree to their former position.
"The restoration of converted Jews to the Patriarchal communion must from the nature of the case be more natural than the conversion of the heathen."338
Obviously the branches broken off do not represent the same individuals as those grafted in in the future. They are Israelites who in the former case did not believe and in the latter case did. The grafting in of Israel will not involve the breaking off of Gentile believers in the future.
Paul previously laid the groundwork for this section. His point so far was that God is able to restore Israel. Now we learn that He is not only ableto do it, but He willdo it. This section is the climax of everything that Paul wrote in chapters 9-11.
"The same mercy that has overtaken the Gentiles who were formerly disobedient will finally overtake the now disobedient Israel."339
11:25 A "mystery"in the New Testament refers to a truth previously unknown but now revealed. That revelation in this case was that Israel's hardening is only temporary.
God's plan to put Israel aside temporarily should not make Gentile believers think too highly of themselves. God designed this plan to display His own glory.
The "fullness of the Gentiles"(NASB) refers to the "full number of the Gentiles"(NIV; cf. v. 12; Luke 21:23-24; Acts 15:14). When all the Gentiles whom God has chosen for salvation during the present age of Israel's rejection have experienced salvation, God will precipitate a revival of faith within Israel.
11:26 "The first clause of v. 26 is the storm center in the interpretation of Rom. 9-11 and of NT teaching about the Jews and their future."340
"All Israel"means Israel as a whole in contrast to the believing remnant. The context makes this clear. This conclusion does not require that every individual Israelite living will be saved. It only requires the salvation of the bulk of the nation (cf. Zech. 12-13). Whenever the name "Israel"appears in the New Testament it refers either to the whole nation of Jacob's racial descendants (ethnic Jews) or to the believing remnant within that group. It does not include the church.341"All Israel"does not refer to all Jews who have been believers throughout history either. If that was what Paul meant, this statement would be irrelevant to his argument.342
"Thus"or "so"means "when that has happened"(NEB) or "then after this"(JB). It may also mean "in this manner,"namely the way that Paul described in verses 11-24.343
The quotation from Jeremiah 59:20-21 not only confirmed Paul's assertion but also hinted at the time this revival will take place. It will happen when Messiah will come out of the heavenly Jerusalem (Gal. 4:26; Heb. 12:22). This will be at His second coming (Zech. 12:10).
11:27 Isaiah 27:9 also predicted a great removal of Israel's sins and connected it with the bestowal of the New Covenant blessings on Israel (cf. Jer. 31:31-34).
". . . the history of God's dealings with ethnic Israel as set out in Romans 11:1-10, the logic of Israel's reversal of fortune in verses 11-15, supported by the illustration of the olive tree and the regrafting of the natural branches of ethnic Israel into it again' in verses 16-24, and the prophecy of the salvation of all Israel' in verses 25-27 combine to establish the future of ethnic Israel as a glorious hope of both Israel and the church."344
11:28 Under the present economy God views Israel's physical descendants as a whole as His enemies because of their unbelief. They are "enemies"of His, however, for the sake of the Gentiles to whom He extends grace in this period of Jewish unbelief. However from the standpoint of their national election for a special purpose, they are the objects of His love because of the patriarchs.
11:29 The special privileges that God gave Israel are probably what Paul intended by his reference to God's gifts (cf. 9:4-5). They have intimate connection with God's calling of Israel for a special purpose. God will not withdraw these from Israel. He did not choose Israel for her goodness, and He will not abandon her for her badness.
11:30-31 These verses are a warning to Gentile believers. We should beware of becoming critical of God for planning to bless Israel in the future. We should also beware of becoming proud because we are presently the special objects of God's favor. We need to remember that God chose Israel so we Gentiles could enjoy salvation (Gen. 12:1-3).
11:32 The conclusion of the matter is this. As everyone has been disobedient, Gentiles and Jews alike, so God will show mercy to all as well (cf. 3:9; Gal. 3:22). This is a great ground of assurance.
"A critical frame of reference in Paul's treatment of Israel's salvation is a distinction between corporate and individual election."345
This concludes the argument of chapters 9-11.
"Ethnic Israel has a future, because God will accomplish salvation for Israel according to his new-covenant promise. This awaits the fullness of the Gentiles, when Israel's hardening will be removed and when Gentile provocation will have taken its course. All Israel will be saved in such a way that God's mercy will be evident to all."346
"Perhaps the view most commonly held among evangelical non-dispensationalists is that Israel's future is simply an incorporation of that people into the church. Hoekema speaks for many when he writes, . . . the future of believing Israelites is not to be separated from the future of believing Gentiles.' He states that Israel has no particular place in God's future salvation economy: Israel's hope for the future is exactly the same as that of believing Gentiles: salvation and ultimate glorification through faith in Christ.'"347
Nothing remains but to praise God for His righteousness in dealing with Israel as He has and as He will.
This doxology corresponds to the one at the end of chapter 8 where Paul concluded his exposition of God's plan for bringing His righteousness to humankind (8:31-39). There the emphasis was on the people of God. Here it is on the plan of God.
11:33 God's "wisdom"is His ability to arrange His plan so it results in the good of all concerned and His own glory. His "knowledge"testifies to His ability to construct such a plan. His decisions spring from logic that extends beyond human ability to comprehend. His procedures are so complex that humans cannot discover them without the aid of divine revelation.
11:34 Paul agreed with Isaiah again (Isa. 40:13-14). No one can know God's mind fully. God is so wise that He has no need of counselors.
11:35 Job's observation that God has never needed to depend on human assistance that puts Him in man's debt (Job 35:7; 41:11) is also true. The fact that God makes people His partners in executing His will in the world does not mean that He cannot get along without us. He can.
11:36 God is the source from which all things come, the means by which all things happen, and the goal toward which all things are moving. He is the originator, sustainer, and finisher of everything ultimately (cf. Col. 1:16). In view of all these things (vv. 33-36), He deserves all glory forever.
The primary focus of this doxology, which harmonizes with the subject of chapters 9-11, is God's great plan of salvation through history. However "all things"(v. 36) includes the lives of individuals as well.
Paul had now concluded his theological exposition of how unrighteous human beings can obtain the righteousness of God. Only the explanation of the implications of having this righteousness remained for him to clarify. This practical guidance is especially important since the Christian is no longer under the regulations of the Mosaic Law (7:6; 10:4).
