THE question is now distinctly raised, “Hath God cast away His people?” — that is, His people Israel (Rom. 11.). Their rejection of Christ, and the admission of the Gentiles into blessing, consequent upon this, might give ground for such a thought. But no, “for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance” (ver. 29). God is not a man that He should lie, what He has promised He will perform, hence all the unconditional promises made to Abraham and the fathers (the Jewish fathers), will yet be fulfilled.
But the Spirit of God here leads the Apostle to give distinct and definite ground for the assertion, “God hath not cast away His people whom He foreknew” (ver. 2).
1. The Apostle himself was a standing witness.
Was he not an Israelite? Was he not of the seed of Abraham, and of the tribe of Benjamin? Yes, surely. Paul himself, then, resembled the remnant in the days of Elias; everything in Israel had then sunk to a terrible level, yet had God reserved to Himself seven thousand men. Even now in this present time there is an election — but, mark it well! — “an election of grace” (ver. 5). How carefully all through our epistle does the Spirit of God insist that all gospel blessing is on the principle of grace, and not by works of law. On the ground of law man is lost, on the ground of grace alone can he be saved.
We learn, then, that Israel as a nation has not obtained the blessing that it sought, but the election has obtained it. Paul was not the only one, for others from amongst Israel were likewise blessed, as the early chapters of the Acts abundantly testify; but, solemn words! “the rest were blinded” (ver. 7). Long before had this judgment been pronounced (Isaiah 29:10); but only now, on their national rejection of Messiah, was the sentence of judicial blinding executed. They stumbled at the stumbling block.
2. “Have they stumbled that they should fall?” (ver. 11). Had God no other purpose for them than this? God forbid. He brings blessing, and even greater blessing, out of their very failure. Does this minimize their sin? In no wise; but it magnifies God’s grace. “Through their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles.” Glorious words! What a marvel of divine grace, that thus lets in the writer and reader of these lines! But so far as Israel was concerned, the object of letting in the Gentiles to participate in the blessing was “to provoke them (i.e. Israel) to jealousy” (ver. It), and therefore in no wise was it a sign that God had cast away His people.
Though there is here no direct quotation from the Old Testament it is nevertheless evident that the allusion is to Deut. 32. The same inspiring Spirit that caused Moses to write long ages before, here causes Paul to use those very writings with marvelous accuracy; not by way of direct quotation, as we have said, but nevertheless applying by inspiration past prophetic utterances to elucidate God’s present dealings both with Israel and the Gentiles. Israel had moved God to jealousy with their idols; God would in turn move them to jealousy “with those which are not a people” (Deut. 32:16-22.)
But further, the voices of the prophets had abundantly spoken of Israel’s future and final restoration to blessing. Here, then, the Spirit reasons afresh that if their temporary fall be the riches of the world; if their diminishing be the riches of the Gentiles, “how much more” would “their fullness?” It will be by contrast like life from the dead. Indeed it will not be until the day of Israel’s restoration that the fullness of blessing will come to the Gentiles. This likewise is taught in Deut. 32, as repeatedly in the Psalms, the Law, and the Prophets. In the past dealings of God Israel was blessed, and the Gentile nations were left out of any participation in this blessing; in the present, the Gentiles are admitted to blessing, whereas Israel as a nation is set aside; in the future, Israel and the Gentiles will be blessed together — “Rejoice, O ye nations (Gentiles), with His people (Israel).” And again, “God shall bless us (Israel); and all the ends of the earth (Gentiles) shall fear Him” (Ps. 57.)
We now come to a further development of the subject, viz., the tree of promise and earthly blessing. Sin having come in and risen to a climax of corruption and violence, God sent the flood in judgment. After the flood, man’s rebellion and pride of heart rose to such a pitch that God scattered them and divided them into nations (Gen. 11.); these nations speedily turned to idolatry, out of which state of things Abraham was called (Josh. 24.). Abraham thus became the object of God’s electing mercy, the subject of His sovereign call, and the depository of His promises for the earth. Abraham was the first-fruit, the root of the olive tree of promise. Election, calling, and promise were thus seen exemplified in the history of the patriarch.
It is important to observe that the subject here is not salvation, nor membership of the body of Christ. These truths are connected with heaven, whereas the olive tree has to do with the earth. No members of the body of Christ can be broken off. Thank God for that!
But if Abraham was the root of this tree of promise, Israel were the branches, the natural branches. Now through their unbelief, some of these natural branches, not all, were broken off. In their place the Gentiles, branches of a wild olive tree, were grafted in, and became partakers of the root and fatness of the true olive tree. It ill becomes them to boast, for they did not bear the root, it was the root that bore them.
How humbling is all this reasoning of the Spirit to Gentile high-mindedness! How it tends, too, to check the disdainful spirit so prevalent in our day against the Jew!
The Gentiles might boast that “the branches (Jews) were broken off, that I (Gentile) might be grafted in” (ver. 19). Well, this was true; they were broken off, not all, but some (ver. 17). But why was this? “Because of unbelief.” And here the Gentile is warned not to be high-minded, but to fear. By faith alone can he stand. If God spared not the natural branches because of unbelief, will He tolerate the like, if not greater, unbelief amongst the Gentiles? TAKE HEED, is the solemn admonition. God’s severity has been shown in His dealings with Israel, His goodness towards the Gentiles; but on this condition, “If thou continue in His goodness: OTHERWISE THOU ALSO SHALT BE CUT OFF.”
Has Christendom continued in God’s goodness? Are the abominations and persecutions of Babylon the Great a continuance in God’s goodness? Is the widespread and rapidly increasing plague of rationalism and infidelity a standing by faith? Is it not rather downright unbelief? The warning has been unheeded, Christendom’s doom approaches, the hour of Gentile cutting off is at hand. But the tree of promise will still remain, and the natural Jewish branches may yet be grafted into “their own olive tree;” and so they will, “if they abide not still in unbelief.”
3. Here we reach the third proof that God has not cast away His people which He foreknew, viz., the distinct and definite testimony of the Word of God through the prophets that in the end they shall be brought back as a nation with repentant hearts owning their sin in rejecting their Messiah; at that day their sins should be taken away, and all Israel should be saved.
Blindness in part had happened to Israel; this, we have seen, the prophets had foretold. But this blindness would not endure Forever, but only “until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.” This does not refer to the conversion of the Gentile nations and their blessing during the millennium, which will not be until after Israel’s restoration. The “fullness of the Gentiles” alludes to the complete number now being brought in by the gospel to share Christ’s heavenly glory, in other words, the Church. When this number is completed the Lord will come and take the Church away; the history of grace and the calling out of the Church will cease; and the mere professing branches will be cut off. Then will God begin afresh His dealings with Israel, and they as a nation will be saved.
It is most important to remember that the olive tree is typical of earthly privilege. After the partial blindness that came upon Israel consequent upon their rejection of Messiah, the Gentiles were admitted to this place of privilege, and ever since the blessing, for the most part, has flown along Gentile lines. Doubtless all those who in reality receive the blessing also form part of the Church, but this is a totally different subject. When we speak of the Church we must lose sight of distinctions between Jew and Gentile; “the middle wall of partition” is broken down, and in Christ Jesus there is neither Jew nor Gentile (see Eph. 3.; Gal. 3.; Col. 3).
All through this chapter (Rom. 11.) the distinction between Jew and Gentile is carefully made and diligently observed. When Israel stumbled through unbelief, the Gentiles were grafted into the tree of promise. When these in turn will be cast off for not continuing in God’s goodness, then Israel will again be taken up. They are looked upon as entirely separate, and in no sense as made into “one new man” according to the Spirit’s teaching in Ephesians 2.
While the Gentiles are blessed by the Gospel the Jews are enemies, but for the fathers’ sakes they are beloved because of the election. Their future restoration will be not on the ground of law, but on that of promises made to the fathers (see Exod. 32:13; Lev. 26.); and yet will it also be on the ground of pure and sovereign mercy. Verse 31 should read thus: — “Even so have these (the Jew) not believed in your (the Gentile) mercy, that they also may obtain mercy.” In the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God He so brings it about that all are concluded in unbelief, so that He may have mercy upon all, both Jew and Gentile.
“For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things, to whom be glory Forever. Amen.”