Title: God's Plan for Israel
Contents
God's Plan for Israel
Romans 11:13-36
God does not give up on His people, once chosen. God loves Israel. Even if Israel rejected Jesus Christ, God did not give up on Israel.
Imitate Paul's Passion!
See verses 13 and 14!
Now I will tell you Gentiles. I am proud of my office as an apostle to the Gentiles. All I want is to inspire envy among my people and to save at least a few more of them. If Israel, my fellow countryman, was rejected by God and the world was reconciled to God, what would Israel be acceptable to God if not raised from the dead?(13-15)
What Paul wanted the most was for his people to see the Gentiles return after believing in Jesus and to return only a few because they were hungry. His words are, “If Israel failed and the Gentiles were saved, how blessed will the world be when Israel is restored and filled?” We pray that our personal failures become channels of God's blessings. Do not be discouraged by personal mistakes and failures! If Israel's failure became an opportunity for salvation for the Gentiles, our failures or mistakes can also be an opportunity for our family to be saved and blessed by God through me. Paul knew the heart of God. It is the salvation of Israel. He had a passion for the return of a soul.
Stay in God's mercy!
See 17-24!
What is the point Paul is trying to say? Verse 22 is the key. “Consider, therefore, the kindness and strictness of God. He showed the sternness of God to those who fell, and the mercy of God to you. If you continue to abide in God's mercy, God will also be kind to you. If you do not remain in the mercy of God, you too will be cut off.”
The Bible calls unbelieving Israel a 'broken branch'. A stone olive tree was grafted in the place of the broken branch. Then, the branches of the olive tree received the nutrients, moisture, and sap from the roots of the true olive tree. Unbelieving Israel was cut off from its original branch, and Gentiles grafted it into the broken spot and saved it as God's people. This is God's way of salvation. The Gentiles became Abraham's descendants and the Gentiles became God's people.
As Gentiles, if we have experienced God's mercy, we should not be proud and live in His grace. It means that if you have abandoned your own children, you cannot abandon the children you brought up. This is why we must continue to long for grace. So, seek grace. Grace is given to those who long for it. Meditate deeply on God's mercy and give thanks. Paul warns that you too may be cut off if you do not remain in the mercy of God.
God has mercy on Israel too!
See 25-32!
Brethren, I want to know about this secret, so that you do not think of yourself as smart. The secret is as follows. The fact is that some of Israel will remain hardened until the full number of the Gentiles returns to God. And all Israel will be saved. It is written this way in the Bible. “The deliverer will come out of Zion and will remove ungodliness from the children of Jacob. This is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”
From a gospel point of view, Israel has become an enemy of God because of you. But from the point of view of choice, they are people who have been loved by God because of their ancestors.
God does not soften after giving a gift and calling. Just as you who previously disobeyed God now have mercy because of Israel's disobedience, so Israel is now disobeying so that they may receive God's mercy toward you. God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience in order to have mercy on everyone.
Paul said he was telling a secret. The mystery is that some of Israel hardened until the full number of Gentiles returned to God. Israel's disobedience became an opportunity for the Gentiles. But now God will have mercy on Israel.
How are we saved? Before, we were all people who worshiped demons. We did not know God and we did not know the Bible. We have never called on the name of God, Jesus Christ. The light has come to us. Then we heard the gospel and were saved. It's been a huge privilege.
From the standpoint of the gospel, Israel has become an enemy of God because of us. From the point of view of choice, they are the loved ones of God. God chose Israel. God's choice has no regrets.
The gospel began in Jerusalem. This gospel spread to Judea and Samaria, and then to Rome. God wants to give enough opportunities for salvation among the Gentiles in history. When the last Gentiles return before the Lord, Israel will return again. The end of history will come only after the Gospel has been fully preached to the nations of the world. The final drama of history will again be a revival among the people of Israel. The peoples that have not yet accepted the Gospel the most on the planet are the Muslims and Israel. Surprisingly, there are signs of a revival in Israel right now. Jewish evangelism groups are preaching the gospel even in the midst of persecution. Look at the faithfulness of God's promises. God's promises are sure to come true.
Praise God's absolute sovereignty!
See through 33-36!
Oh, how deep is the riches of God's wisdom and knowledge! God's judgment is immeasurable, and no one can find His way. “Who knew the heart of the Lord, and who was his counselor?” “Who gives something to God first, so that he receives God’s return?” This is because all things come from God, are preserved by God's care, and exist for God's glory. May God be glory forever and ever. Amen.
God has absolute sovereignty and accomplishes His will.
They will surely return to the face of Jesus Christ, whom they turned away and crucified. When the last gates of history begin to close, revival will happen again in Israel.
This is God's wisdom and God's wonderful plan. God's plan of salvation for Israel is God's wisdom hidden before the foundation of the world. So Paul exclaimed, “Deep is the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God; his judgments are beyond measure, and his ways are beyond finding.”
In life, there are times when business, work, study, and marriage do not go well. Life is when things don't go the way you want them to. Sometimes I stand in front of a closed door. But God does not give up on us. God still gives us a chance and is merciful.