Home	Our Hope
Bible Study		October 21, 2012
Israel

Introduction

With the world so antagonistic toward Israel right now, it's good for us to know why we support Israel. We've all heard verses like Genesis 12:3 "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse." But there are people who say that was Old Testament and things changed after the Jews killed Jesus. They believe either that Christians are a replacement for Israel or that God has given up on Israel. Therefore what Genesis 12:3 says doesn't apply any more.

In this lesson we will look at an extended passage where the Apostle Paul, writing to the Church of Rome, speaks very clearly about God's post-crucifixion relationship with the Jews. To better understand this passage it's important to understand the cultural context.

The Church of Rome, which would become the Roman Catholic Church, was located in Rome, obviously. The Roman population did not like the Jews because they saw them as trouble makers and malcontents. Jerusalem was frequently a problem that required the Roman Army to step in. Romans also saw the Jews, and in fact all people from the Aramean region as a lesser people and not very civilized. The frequent revolts in Jerusalem and Israel were seen by Roman citizens as rejection of not just the power, authority and greatness of Rome but also the gifts of Roman technology and civilization.

Anti-Semitic feelings¹ became so bad in Rome that from about 30 - 40 AD all the Jews were kicked out of Rome by Claudius Caesar. We see this in Acts 18:2 where Paul meets Christianized Jews who had been kicked out of Rome. This Anti-Semitic feeling crept into the Church of Rome and can be seen in the writings and rulings of the early church fathers in Rome. This feeling continued on for hundreds of years.

We can't be sure why Paul felt compelled to discuss God's continuing relationship with the Jews in this epistle. He begins from a perspective of presenting the case against that relationship himself using words like "I say" but he slides into words like "Doubtless you will say" where the audience is presenting the case, with Paul refuting that case.

Lesson (Romans 11:1-32)

¹ But I say, "Has God thrust away his people?" God forbid! I am also from Israel, from the seed of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.

Paul begins this discourse by asking a question, as he often does. He is certainly echoing questions that the Church of Rome are asking. In what follows he will continue to ask the questions that they are asking and the arguments they are making and refute them.

The central question is, "Has God rejected his people". Paul's response is one of shock. He is surprised that the question even needs to be asked. His first point is "Look at me. I'm a Jew. Has God rejected me?"

² God has not thrust away his people, who were known to him from the first, or do you not know the Scriptures in which Elijah spoke when he complained to God about Israel and he said: ³ "My Lord, they have murdered your Prophets and they have toppled your altars, and I am left alone, and they seek my life"? ⁴ It was said to him by revelation, "Behold, I have left for myself 7000 men who have not bowed their knees and worshiped Baal." ⁵ In the same way also at this time there is a remnant left in The Election of grace.

Paul says that God has not rejected his people and he goes on to make the point that they have been a special people to him from the beginning. Then he goes on to explain what has happened. Paul cites Elijah to show that many times in the past, God has allowed his people to go into sin but he has always preserved a remnant. Often the remnants are the ones who survive the attacks by other nations such as the Assyrians and Babylonians. But in some cases the remnant are the ones who continue to be loyal and become the instrument God uses to bring his people back to him.

Paul summarizes by saying that there is, in his time, a remnant who are among the Elect, the church, the body of the Messiah, chosen by the grace of God.

⁶ But if it is by grace, it is not from works, or else grace is not grace. But if it is by works, it is not from grace, or else work is not work.

This verse appears to be a little side note by Paul. He is emphasizing that the Christianized Jews also entered by grace and not because of who they are or what they have done.

⁷ Why therefore has not Israel found that which it was seeking, but The Election has found it and the rest of them were blinded in their hearts, ⁸ According to what is written: "God gave them a spirit of frustration, and eyes that will not observe and ears that will not hear", even until today? ⁹ And again David said, "Their table shall be a trap before them and their reward, a stumbling block. ¹⁰ Let their eyes be darkened, lest they see, and may their back always be bent over."

Paul now asks how it was that Israel missed the Messiah whom they had waited for for so long. His answer is that it was God's intent that this should happen. The majority of them would be unable to understand him for who he was. What they had (the law, their status as God's chosen people) would be a trap for them. The reward they were seeking, the Messiah, would appear to them as a stone in the road that tripped them as they went about their lives.

It's important to understand what is meant by "God gave them a spirit of frustration". God did not addle their minds so they could not function correctly. What is meant here is the same process that was seen with the hardening of Pharoah's heart. God allows a series of tests to come upon a person that he knows the person will fail, with the final result of this succession of bad choices being that the person is "blinded in his heart".

¹¹ But I say, "Did they stumble so that they would fall? God forbid! But by their offense, life came to the Gentiles, to their envy.

Paul continues on with his argument by asking if God caused them to stumble just for the giggles of seeing them fall, or to discard them. This is also likely a question the Church of Rome is asking. He answers that question by saying essentially "Of course not. How ridiculous." Because they rejected and killed the Messiah the gospel message and salvation was made available to a world full of Gentiles. Now the Gentiles are the envy of the Jews.

Until that time the only path to salvation was through Judaism. A Gentile could only achieve salvation by becoming a Jew and so coming under the old covenant.

¹² And if their offense was wealth to the world, and their condemnation is wealth to the Gentiles, how much more therefore, their fullness?"

By killing their promised Messiah the Jews brought wealth to the world and to Gentiles. But when they become complete again by returning to the Messiah the world and Gentiles become even wealthier.

Paul may have been refuting an idea that he hasn't specifically identified, one that we see in the recent past and even somewhat today. That is the idea expressed in the statement, "I hate the Jews because they killed Jesus".

¹³ But I say to you Gentiles, I who am an Apostle of the Gentiles, I honor my ministry. ¹⁴ Perhaps I may make my kindred jealous, and I may save some of them.

Paul returns to his statement in verse 11 that the Jews are now envious of the Gentiles by saying that it is his goal, even though his ministry is to the Gentiles, to make the Jews envious and jealous so that they may come to the Messiah.

¹⁵ For if their rejection was the reconciliation for the world, how much greater therefore is their return, if not life from the dead?

Paul returns to his statement in verse 12 saying that their rejection of their Messiah resulted in reconciliation with God for the Gentiles and that it is even greater when they return to the Messiah.

¹⁶ But if the first fruits are holy, so is the substance. And if the root is holy, so are the branches.

Paul engages in a complex metaphor here. To understand all of it you need to understand that First Fruits is the name of the Jewish holy day or feast day that comes three days after Passover. That makes it the day the Messiah was resurrected. Therefore that day was a shadow or fore-shadowing of the Messiah's resurrection and he is the first fruits of the new covenant of which we will be the harvest.

The Feast of First Fruits celebrated the beginning of the fruit harvest by an offering to God of the first ripe fruit from the trees. Olive trees were one of the fruit trees.

In this metaphor Paul ties all of this together. He will be talking about both a physical tree and the spiritual tree it fore-shadowed. When he says that the first fruits were holy, or dedicated to God, he is referring to both the offering of the first fruit of the harvest and to the Messiah as being holy. With the first fruits being holy shows that both the physical tree and the spiritual tree are holy right down at their roots. And if the roots are holy so are the physical and spiritual branches.

He will continue on in this metaphor.

¹⁷ And if some of the branches were cut off and you, a wild olive tree, were grafted in their place, and you have become a partaker of the roots and of the fat of the olive tree, ¹⁸ do not boast against the branches; but if you boast, were you not supported by the roots, rather than the root being supported by you?

²

Grafting is a practice that is still very common today but most of us are unaware of it. I have an ornamental peach tree in my yard. Its root is grown from a hardy kind of peach tree that can take Texas weather. At some point before I bought it a branch from another less hardy but more productive peach tree was grafted into that root stock. This would have been done by making a slice into the root stock, usually where a branch had been, and inserting a branch sliced from the more productive tree. Then the two would have been tied together until they grew into each other.

So Paul is saying that we Gentiles were grafted into the tree which was founded by God and grew to be Israel. As such we live off what the root makes available through the larger branches of the tree up to us. He also makes the point that we, as branches, are not natural to this tree - we are from a different type of that tree.

Paul now makes a statement directed at what appears to be Roman arrogance. Do not boast against the branches, or do not think of yourself as better than the branches. Gentiles are supported by the root and other branches. They are not the root of the tree nor are they a new tree planted in the place of the old tree.

It seems to me that Paul often goes after small easily fixed things with an axe and gets it done. But with more serious things he uses a much more deft and subtle touch. These are sometimes so subtle that they are missed by readers.

¹⁹ Doubtless you will say, "The branches were cut off that I might be grafted in their place."

Again Paul uses a statement that the Romans might have used to justify their arrogance. The branches were cut off so that the more fruitful branches could be grafted in.

²⁰ Fine, these were cut off because they did not believe, but you have stood by faith. Do not be lifted up in your mind, but stand in awe. ²¹ For if God did not show pity upon the natural branches, surely he will not show pity upon you.

Paul's response is "Fine!" Sure they were cut off because of their lack of faith. But don't think that you are somehow better because of your faith. Instead stand in awe that God would cut off his own people and know that if you lose faith he will surely do the same to you.

²² Behold therefore, the sweetness and the hardness of God; on those who fell, hardness, and on you, sweetness, if you abide in his sweetness, but if not, you will also be cut off.

Paul hammers home the point but restates it in a different way. God can be hard or sweet, hard toward those who do not believe, Jew or Gentile, and sweet to those who do believe, Jew or Gentile. If you do not continue in his sweetness, by faith, you will be cut off just as they were.

Side note - I believe the word used here which is translated as cut off comes from a word that is also used in the context of legal punishment. It is an odd word in that it can mean anything from separated from the people, as in ostracized, to having your head separated from your body, i.e. death, i.e. separation from the living.

²³ And if they do not continue in their utter lack of faith, they will also be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. ²⁴ For if you who are from a wild olive tree, which is your natural condition, were cut off and are grafted into the good olive tree apart from your natural condition, how much more will those surely be grafted into the olive tree of their own nature?

He continues by saying that the Jews can certainly be grafted into the tree again. That is done easily because it is the tree of their own nature. Sometimes a graft of one kind of tree into another does not work. But a graft of its own kind is much more likely to succeed.

In fact this grafting in again of God's people is strongly associated with the second coming of the Messiah.

• Zechariah 12:10 "[…] They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.
• Revelation 1:7 "Look, he is coming with the clouds," and "every eye will see him, even those who pierced him"; and all peoples on earth "will mourn because of him."
• Matthew 23:39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"
• Hosea 5:15 Then I will return to my lair until they have borne their guilt and seek my face - in their misery they will earnestly seek me.

Paul continues on in this same vein, the second coming.

²⁵ I want you to know my brethren, this mystery, lest you would be wise in your own opinion, that blindness of heart has for a little time come to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles will come in. ²⁶ And then all Israel shall have life, according to what is written: "The Savior shall come from Zion and he shall turn away evil from Jacob, ²⁷ And then they shall have the covenant which comes from my presence, whenever I shall have forgiven their sins."

Paul's phrase "wise in your own opinion" means conceited. That makes the third time in these verses that Paul has used a phrase that associates the Church of Rome with arrogance or conceit.

²⁸ But they are enemies in the Gospel for your sake, and in the Election they are beloved because of The Patriarchs.

The New Living Translation does a good job of expanding on this verse so I've quoted it below

²⁸ Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (NLT)

This makes it quite clear that God still considers them a special people and as we see in the prophetic writings they still are the focus of his plan and the instrument with which to bring it about.

²⁹ For God does not change in his gifts and in his callings.

The NLT again does a good job in rendering this as "For God's gifts and his call can never be withdrawn." Others render it as "never be revoked." Paul is saying God is not fickle. He does not choose a people and then give them up.

³⁰ Just as you also were not obeying God from the first and now you have been favored because of their disobedience, ³¹ so also these have not obeyed, now mercy is upon you so that there shall be mercy upon them also. ³² For God has shut every person into disobedience so that he shall have mercy upon every person.

God's plan is to show himself a merciful God, even to those who killed his son.

Summary

Here is a summary of the arguments

¹ Do a web-search for "anti-semitism early church fathers"

² http://chestofbooks.com/gardening-horticulture/Manual-Of-Horticulture/Exercise-XXXVIII-The-Study-Of-Veneer-Grafting.html#.Vke15narSCg