In Romans 11:25-32, Paul is describing this last
interconnection between the Jews and the Gentiles and God's plan to claim a
people devoted to Himself, for His glory.
The last blog was intended to established the correct paradigm as we
enter into this last relational description.
Paul is explaining the "mystery" and how it shows us how
"all Israel will be saved". Israel, of course, is the Israel of promise,
the godly seed, the faithful chosen remnant.
And this Israel (as opposed to the natural Israel) will reach its
culmination when the elect of every nation and of all ages have been
saved. How is this salvation to be
effected? Well, we read:
“And in
this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come
from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; “and this will be my
covenant with them when I take away their sins.”” (Romans 11:26–27, ESV)
Paul quotes three Old Testament passages: Psalm 14:7, Isaiah 27:9, and Isaiah 59:20, 21. It surprises me that so many worthy scholars
immediately conclude (Because they have a futuristic bias; a bias I cannot find
in the passage.) that Paul is here anticipating the Second Coming of our
Lord. When Christ comes the Second Time
He will deliver His people from wrath (1 Thessalonians 1:10).
This passage speaks of a deliverance from sin according to the New
Covenant (Hebrews 8:8-12).
Although I
find myself sitting rather alone in this pew, Albert Barnes has a similar
view. He writes,
"The quotation [Isaiah
59:20] is not literally made, but the
sense of the passage is preserved. The Hebrew is, “There shall come to Zion a
Redeemer, and for those who turn from ungodliness in Jacob.” There can be no
doubt that Isaiah refers here to the times of the gospel . . . And when it is
said that the Redeemer should come out of Zion, it means that he should arise
among that people, be descended from themselves, or should not be a foreigner."[1]
The Gospel implications are clearly affirmed in the
following verses. Of profound importance
is Dr. Richard N. Longenecker comment: "The effect upon Israel is not
couched in terms of material prosperity or martial invincibility, but purely in
spiritual terms, in the forsaking of godlessness and the removal of sins by the
Lord God. The reference to covenant suggests that Jeremiah 31:31-34 was in the
mind of the apostle along with the passages from Isaiah."[2] To displace the contemporary importance of
Jeremiah 31 to a futuristic, Jewish restoration runs counter to a plethora of
Biblical evidence. So I am convinced
that the Gospel age, the coming of the Messiah to "give His life a ransom
for many" (Matthew 20:28) is the means by which this "all
Israel" will be saved.
This is a
clear, concise summary statement from the Apostle. Paul, maintaining his explanation affirms: “As regards the gospel, they are
enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake
of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”
(Romans 11:28–29,
ESV). As Paul keeps the key questions in
mind (Has God's promises failed? Has God
rejected Israel?) he summarizes that
currently many are enemies of God. "For
your sake" references verse 11 (“So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means!
Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make
Israel jealous.” (Romans
11:11, ESV). The promises given
to the Patriarchs, that impact a believing, faithful people, will not fail, nor are they irrevocable.
And here is the closing statement of this great defender of
free grace: “For just as
you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of
their disobedience, so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the
mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. For God has consigned all
to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.” (Romans 11:30–32, ESV).
Paul, in his closing remarks has both Jew and Gentile in
mind. God has consigned all to
disobedience. That is the imputation of
Adam's guilt (see Romans 5:12). The
purpose is that He might show mercy to all.
That 'all' is the same 'all' as in Romans 5. “Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation
for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for
all men.” (Romans
5:18, ESV). This does not teach universalism – that all people will
eventually be saved[3]. No!
"Paul’s argument concludes in a manner parallel to 3:19–21, stressing
that Jew and Gentile are united in two things: the disobedience of sin, and the
offer to them of the mercy of God. The wisdom and sovereignty of God’s grace are
demonstrated in the way in which His purposes are fulfilled: the disobedience
of the Jew leads to God’s mercy reaching the Gentiles; the mercy of God to the
Gentiles leads to the reception of mercy by the Jews. There is no
difference—all (Jew and Gentile alike) have sinned (3:23), and God has mercy on
both (1:16)."[4]
The key word that ends Paul's defense of God's righteousness
is the word "mercy". It
emphasizes that there are no privileges of status before God. One's ethnicity is no grounds for
redemption. Whether Jew or Gentile it is
all of mercy. God is not obligated to
save. It is of profound matchless grace
that He would extend mercy to even some.
This
magnanimous, majestic plan of God to save lost and rebellious sinners abounds
in a note of doxological praise: “Oh, the depth of the riches and
wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how
inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been
his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For
from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever.
Amen.” (Romans
11:33–36, ESV).
Previous Blogs on this topic:
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1
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Romans 11:1-6
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2
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Romans 11:7-10
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3
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Romans 11:11
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4
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Romans 11:12
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5
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Romans 11:13-15
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6
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Romans 11:16-18
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7
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Romans 11:19-24
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8
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Romans 11:25-26
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9
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Apart From Mercy We Are All Ruined
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Romans 11:27-36
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[1] http://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bnb/view.cgi?bk=44&ch=11
[2] Expositor's Bible Commentary, The, Pradis
CD-ROM:Romans/Exposition of Romans/VI. The Problem of Israel: God's
Righteousness Vindicated (9:1-11:36)/G. Israel's Future Salvation (11:25-32),
Book Version: 4.0.2
[3] "But Paul makes it plain in this context that
only those who 'receive' (v. 17) God’s gift belong to Christ (see also
1:16–5:11, which indicates that only those who have faith will be justified)."
- Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2166). Wheaton,
IL: Crossway Bibles.
[4] Whitlock, L. G., Sproul, R. C., Waltke, B. K., &
Silva, M. (1995). The Reformation study
Bible: bringing the light of the Reformation to Scripture: New King James
Version (Ro 11:30). Nashville: T. Nelson.
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