Jim McDonald

In our last article we examined Paul’s question, “Did God cast off his people?” to which he answered, “God forbid” (Romans 11:1). We observed that Israel’s state was the result of its own making. God did not cast them off; they rejected Him when they rejected His Son which He had sent to save them. However, Paul assured his readers that just as God had left 7,000 who remained faithful to Him when the ten tribes rejected Him, He had, in Paul’s day “left a remnant according to the election of grace.” Even today, any Jew who will believe the gospel can be saved by obeying it.

David wrote, “Let their table be made a snare and trap, and a stumbling block, and a recompense unto them. Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see and bow down their back always” (Romans 11:9-10; cp. Psalm 69:22). Isaiah wrote, “Behold I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense and he that believeth on him shall not be put to shame” (Romans 9:33; cp. Isaiah 28:16).

Jesus was that stumbling block and “their table” became a snare and stumbling block. That which they fervently sought (a righteousness of their own) was their “table” or trap: Jesus was the “end” (goal) of the law unto righteousness (Romans 10:3). But Israel was intent on what they desired: They did not seek the righteousness of God through the gospel; they sought, by works, to attain their own righteousness through keeping of the Law. This was an impossible goal because no one keeps the Law perfectly. Israel was so intent on justifying themselves, they did not see that they could attain in Christ what they could never attain through the Law. Their rejection of God’s righteousness through Christ meant a rejection of Him whom He had sent. After their rejection of the gospel, the apostles turned their attention to the Gentiles.

The apostle asked, “Did they stumble that they might fall? God forbid. But by their fall salvation is come to the Gentiles to provoke them to jealousy” (Romans 11:11). Let none suppose that had the Jews accepted the gospel that the gospel would not have been offered to the Gentiles, nor to conclude that should Israel accept that gospel today that the Gentiles would no longer have the gospel preached to them. To the contrary, offering salvation to the Gentiles through the gospel had always been God’s purpose as Old Testament prophets declared. Paul cited four Old Testament passages which show that truth (Psalm 18:49; Deuteronomy 42:43; Psalm 117:1; Isaiah 11:10). Romans 15:12 reads, “There shall be the root of Jesse and he that ariseth to rule over the Gentiles, on him shall the Gentiles hope.” God’s promise to Abraham was a promise to all men. God told Abraham “in thy seed shall all the nation of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 22:18). The acceptance of the Gentiles is depicted by the apostle in his illustration of a wild and tame olive branch grafted into one olive tree (Romans 11:19-21).

The gospel was to be preached to all nations, but there was an order in the time which that was done. It would be first preached to the Jew, then it would be proclaimed to the Greek. When the Jews rejected the gospel (almost aways persecuting those who brought the gospel to them) the focus and thrust of preaching was changed: “Lo, we turn to the Gentiles” was the response of the apostles when the Jews rejected it (Acts 13:44-46; 28:25-28). God did not reject His people; His people rejected Him.