Romans 11
This devotional is written by Carla McGonagle.
Romans 11
The remnant of Israel
I ask then: did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah – how he appealed to God against Israel: 3 ‘Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me’? 4 And what was God’s answer to him? ‘I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.’ 5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.
7 What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened, 8 as it is written:
‘God gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes that could not see
and ears that could not hear,
to this very day.’
9 And David says:
‘May their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling-block and a retribution for them.
10 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
and their backs be bent for ever.’
Ingrafted branches
11 Again I ask: did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. 12 But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!
13 I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry 14 in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18 do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: you do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, ‘Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.’ 20 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
22 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. 23 And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!
All Israel will be saved
25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, 26 and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written:
‘The deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
27 And this is my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.’
28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29 for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. 30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. 32 For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.
Doxology
33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
34 ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counsellor?’
35 ‘Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?’
36 For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be the glory for ever! Amen.
I ask then: did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah – how he appealed to God against Israel: 3 ‘Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me’? 4 And what was God’s answer to him? ‘I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.’ 5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.
7 What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened, 8 as it is written:
‘God gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes that could not see
and ears that could not hear,
to this very day.’
9 And David says:
‘May their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling-block and a retribution for them.
10 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
and their backs be bent for ever.’
Ingrafted branches
11 Again I ask: did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. 12 But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!
13 I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry 14 in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18 do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: you do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, ‘Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.’ 20 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
22 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. 23 And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!
All Israel will be saved
25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, 26 and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written:
‘The deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
27 And this is my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.’
28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29 for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. 30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. 32 For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.
Doxology
33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
34 ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counsellor?’
35 ‘Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?’
36 For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be the glory for ever! Amen.
Reflection
For God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable (v29)
The passage for today is continuing Paul’s letter to the Roman Church. Chapters 9, 10 and 11 are particularly about how God fulfils his promise to the people of Israel.
Paul is explaining that everyone is invited to be part of God’s family, whether you are a direct descendent of Abraham (like he is) or whether you are not Jewish at all (a Gentile).
Paul says that there has always been people of Israel who haven’t believed but there is a line of promise that can be traced all the way back to Abraham - this line of promise continues with the new covenant people of God, people who believe in Jesus and are justified by faith.
Paul spends much of the passage talking about people not listening, of their hearts being hardened, of people behaving badly and breaking away from God. At the same time Paul explains there is always a way to come back and come home to God (v23). God is generous, he wants as many people as possible to be part of his family, he wants all of Israel to be saved.
Even if we behave badly, God still loves us. Like a toddler throwing a tantrum on the supermarket floor, God is like the caring parent, always watching over us, loving us, protecting us, keeping us safe and looking out for us. He can be both stern and kind, the most important thing for us is to know that he is always for us and always loves us no matter what.
We can trust in God’s character. We know God keeps his promises and he doesn’t give up on us even when we get things wrong or mess up. Everyone has a place in God’s family and
his promises stand the test of time.
PRAY
Lord, thank you that you love us no matter what. Thank you that your love for us does not depend on our behaviour. Help us to realise today that your thoughts are higher than our thoughts and that your ways are higher than our ways. That your wisdom is way beyond our understanding. Thank you Lord that you never give up on us and that your gifts and your call are irrevocable.
Amen
The passage for today is continuing Paul’s letter to the Roman Church. Chapters 9, 10 and 11 are particularly about how God fulfils his promise to the people of Israel.
Paul is explaining that everyone is invited to be part of God’s family, whether you are a direct descendent of Abraham (like he is) or whether you are not Jewish at all (a Gentile).
Paul says that there has always been people of Israel who haven’t believed but there is a line of promise that can be traced all the way back to Abraham - this line of promise continues with the new covenant people of God, people who believe in Jesus and are justified by faith.
Paul spends much of the passage talking about people not listening, of their hearts being hardened, of people behaving badly and breaking away from God. At the same time Paul explains there is always a way to come back and come home to God (v23). God is generous, he wants as many people as possible to be part of his family, he wants all of Israel to be saved.
Even if we behave badly, God still loves us. Like a toddler throwing a tantrum on the supermarket floor, God is like the caring parent, always watching over us, loving us, protecting us, keeping us safe and looking out for us. He can be both stern and kind, the most important thing for us is to know that he is always for us and always loves us no matter what.
We can trust in God’s character. We know God keeps his promises and he doesn’t give up on us even when we get things wrong or mess up. Everyone has a place in God’s family and
his promises stand the test of time.
PRAY
Lord, thank you that you love us no matter what. Thank you that your love for us does not depend on our behaviour. Help us to realise today that your thoughts are higher than our thoughts and that your ways are higher than our ways. That your wisdom is way beyond our understanding. Thank you Lord that you never give up on us and that your gifts and your call are irrevocable.
Amen
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