10:18 - Who in Israel?

March 13, 2005 pm

WHO IN ISRAEL?

Romans 10:18-11:10

In the book of Romans, chapters 9-11 note why Israel was rejected by God. We have noted God’s right to determine a plan and the fact that Israel’s rejection was primarily their own doing – because they rejected God. But Paul, in chapter 10 notes that Israel needs the gospel the same way that Gentiles do. In our last lesson examining this book we noted the need for all to believe with the heart, confess with the mouth the Lord, and to call upon His name (in baptism) unto salvation. The purpose of preaching the gospel is to reveal this plan.

In the text we will study tonight Paul develops who in Israel will be saved. Tonight we will notice that salvation for the Gentiles was intended all along and the fact that all is not lost for physical Israel.

I. The Context

a. 10:18- Paul challenges Jews, “Have they not heard?” This is a challenge to respect all of God’s law.
He quotes Psalm 19:4 – a passage that refers to the greatness of God and how the heavens declare His glory. Vs. 4 notes that ALL men can comprehend this.
In the same way the gospel had been preached to ALL THE WORLD – which means the Jews have no excuse for not accepting it – they were a part of the world.

b. 10:19 – Paul quotes from Moses (Deuteronomy 31:21) in his final words. The warning of the text is that if Israel rejected God, He would turn to other nations “to provoke you to jealousy” Paul will expand on this in chapter 11 (our next study in this series).
But the point to note here is that even though God had rejected Israel there was STILL hope for each and every one of them – just not through the Law.

c. 10:20 – Quoting from Isaiah 65:1 – Paul notes that even in the Old Law they were told God would turn to a nation “that did not ask for Me” but they would find Him, because Israel had rejected Him. There is a reason why Israel was rejected

d. 10:21 tells us why as Paul quotes from Isaiah 65:2 where God was dealing with a rebellious nation that should have known better. QUESTION: How much is God obligate to put up with?

e. 11:1-10 – “Has God cast away His people?” Paul in these verses answers “NO”

f. 11:1- Paul was saved. Consider his past – Paul mentioned his heritage – He was an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham and of the tribe of Benjamin. Paul even persecuted Christians, yet God didn’t reject him. 1 Timothy 1:12-15. Paul stood as an example that there was hope for Israel. But the question remains – HOW?

g. 11:2-4 – Paul cites another example from. Taken from 1 Kings 19 where Elijah flees into the wilderness for his life after challenging the prophets of Baal as well as Ahab & Jezebel. He is discouraged and thinks he is standing alone – But God assures him he is not. Verse 3 quotes Elijah’s appeal recorded in 1 Kings 19:14. Verse 3 records God’s answer in 1 Kings 19:18 where there were 7000 who had not “bowed the knee to Baal”.

h. 11:5 - The point of the illustration – Even in the midst of a rebellious nation, God still knew those who belonged to Him and there were some. Even in the times of Paul, there was a remnant among the Jews who will be saved.

i. 11:6- How will they be saved? By the grace of God and not of their own works. NOTE: This passage is NOT rule out the importance of obedience, but simply that no system of works will save us – it requires the grace of God.

j. 11:7-10- Paul concludes this point noting that while the nation as a whole had been cut off, the “elect” or the righteous remnant have obtained salvation.
Who were “the elect”? We have noted in times past this is not reference to specific individuals who have no choice of their own, but a plan by which all can be saved.
The REST – were blinded. The indication here is that they CHOSE to reject God. Paul then quotes from Isaiah 29:10 where God has given them a spirit of stupor or great sleep. God has allowed them to “fall asleep” and reject Him.
Also Paul quotes Psalm 69:22,23 which notes their choice to reject Him.

k. In summary of this, Paul is saying Israel’s rejection is their own fault.

II. Lessons To Learn

a. Remember: God DID fulfill His promise to Israel – Genesis 12:1-3 is a threefold promise. He fulfilled His obligations to physical Israel in answering the first two parts of it – a great nation and a land. Consider Joshua 21:43-45; 1 Kings 4:21.
The third element of the promise was intended to be fulfilled even beyond the boundaries of physical Israel – it was a promise in which all nations would be blessed. That is fulfilled in Christ coming to this earth and that is what Paul has in mind in this text. Consider Galatians 3:8 which says, “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed.”

b. Religion does NOT guarantee salvation. One great lesson we can glean from a study of the Old Testament is this point.
Romans 15:4 says whatever was written before was for our learning.
How many today who profess to be religious, but when truth is known they fail to obey God? Matthew 7:21-23, James 2:18. Titus 1:16 speaks of those who “profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified from every good work.”
Our salvation will be based upon our relationship with God – NOT the “nations around us”. We may even find within the church those who profess to know God and put on a good front, but in reality they are denying Him.

c. Take heed lest you fall – One of Israel’s major pitfalls was their arrogance. Because they were God’s chosen people, they abused His limits and assumed He would always take them back.
How many today think that they are spiritually invincible? There are false doctrines that encourage this attitude. But consider 1 Corinthians 10:12, 1 Peter 5:5

d. The sin of ingratitude – a continued study of God’s chosen nation indicates continued ingratitude to Him. It was a rare occasion when they thanked God for all His blessings.
Ingratitude is a dangerous attitude that could condemn us as well.
It provoked Israel to reject God’s righteousness and it can do the same to us if we are not careful. Romans 1:21 speaks of those who knew God they did not glorify Him.
2 Timothy 3:2 speaks of this attitude as one we ought to shun – see also vs. 5

e. Sometimes lessons from God come from unlikely sources. We find numerous examples of this in the Bible.
Israel NEVER expected to learn from Gentiles – in fact they shut their eyes to the possibility. We never know where we might learn lessons from God.
Often God used foreign and even ungodly nations to punish Israel. Habakkuk inquires of God as to why He would allow wicked Babylon to conquer Judah. The answer was because of the sins of Judah.
Naaman found the cure for his leprosy from a little servant girl – 2 Kings 5:1-3
The prodigal son “came to himself” in a pigsty – Luke 15:17
Hebrews 12:3-11 speaks of the chastening of the Lord for our good. Will we learn from it?

While God had rejected physical Israel, let us not forget these two things: 1)It was Israel’s fault because they rejected Him and 2)God DID fulfill His physical promises to them – it was up to them to maintain the gift. But, even in physical Israel there was a remnant that was righteous and God took note of them. Are we a part of spiritual Israel?