Title: Israel Still Has Hope
Romans 84
Israel still has hope
Romans 11:7-12
Introduction: There was a question I was most curious about among Christians among Jews and Christians among Gentiles. What will Israel be like in the future? is to do Paul explains the reason for the question of why Israel fell to the gospel and the Gentiles were rather saved. It was said that it was because of the providence of God, which man could not imagine, and that it made Israel jealous. And it tells us that Israel must rise from falling.
1. Why Israel Didn't Get It
Israel did not get what Israel was asking for. So what does that mean for Israel?
(1) It refers to the promised Messiah. Israel has long been promised the Messiah. If you look at the words Philip preached to Nathanael, he said, “We have found the man whom Moses wrote in the law, and the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (John 1:45). When Andrew visited his brother Simon Peter and introduced Jesus, he said, “We have found the Messiah” (John 1:41). The promise of the Messiah is given in Daniel 9. Daniel, who was revealed to the prophecy concerning the end of Israel, said, “Seven weeks and 62 weeks will pass from the coming of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem until the anointed one, the king, arises… After 62 years the anointed will be cut off and perish” (Daniel 9:25,26). He is speaking of the Messiah of the Anointed One of Israel.
(2) It refers to the promised salvation. Israel believed in salvation through the Messiah. However, the salvation that God promised meant eternal life through faith in the Messiah, but they have been thinking about the restoration of Israel or salvation as God's people who form the Messiah's kingdom. But Israel could not accomplish the work they had been looking for. It wasn't because they didn't get what they were looking for. It was in their erroneous knowledge. They did not realize the mystery of God hidden deep in the Word. They knew only the righteousness of the law that condemned them, but they did not know the righteousness of God that set them free from sin and attained perfect righteousness.
They said that when they read the Old Testament, they read it without the veil removed (2 Corinthians 3:14,15). The Old Testament is the writing covered with a towel. The truth is revealed only when the towel is removed. And that veil can only be removed in Christ. Israel's knowledge of the Bible brought about errors in their knowledge of the Messiah. The Messiah they hoped for was a political Messiah who appeared in glory. The Messiah they have been waiting for is the immortal Messiah, the Messiah who will restore Israel and establish the kingdom of God on this earth. “We have heard in the law that Christ lives forever,” he refuted, saying, “Why do you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up?” (John 12:34). Even the disciples of Jesus looked at the glory of the risen Lord and asked, “Are you restoring the kingdom of Israel at this time?” (Acts 1:6).
2. Reasons for the Elect to Gain
(1) The elect refers to the people of God who were predestined in Christ before the foundation of the world. God did not predestinate carnal Israel as His chosen people. Since God has already predestined his people to be saved through Jesus Christ before creating the world, no privilege can be given to anyone other than the predestined people. Carnal Israel is blessed with the privilege of being born as a physical descendant of Abraham, the fact that God has insisted on their work, the fact that God sent prophets to hear the word of God, and the way of forgiveness through the sacrificial system. may not be surprising. But none of their privileges benefited anyone except those who were chosen by grace.
(2) It refers to the promised children who will be saved through the faith of Abraham, the chosen ones. Not a physical child of Abraham. descendants of his faith. There are many answers to the question of who the descendants of Abraham's faith are in the Bible. It says, “If you belong to Christ, you are Abraham's descendants, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:28,29). Those who fell from the faith because Israel was hardened are not other people. Paul said that they were not chosen by grace.
3. Did they stumble until they fell?
In verse 11, Paul explains God's providence for the fact that Israel stumbled. “Have we stumbled until we stumbled?” Paul's answer was, "No." This is because, as it is said in verse 5, “Now there is a remnant according to the election of grace”, even in Israel there are his people whom God has left behind by grace.
(1) Paul said about the background of God's providence of Israel's fall, that salvation came to the Gentiles through their fall, making Israel jealous. But what we need to keep in mind here is not that God did this intentionally even though there were people in Israel who would be saved. It means that God predestined it like that. The saved people of Israel continued to proceed as they had chosen by grace. God built a heavy cross to fulfill God's providence of saving mankind through Israel.
(2) The time of Israel had not yet come. Perhaps at the time of the Lord's return, their envy will be triggered, and as they look forward to the Lord coming again, the work of national repentance will be realized (Zechariah 12:10). Paul quoted David's words from Psalm 69 regarding Israel's stubbornness and prophesied that it would be retribution for their sins.
Conclusion: Paul believed in the special providence of God in Israel. It was revealed that Israel will be blessed with abundant grace at the end of the cross for the salvation of the Gentiles. It tells us that when the full work of God's grace to be given to Israel is revealed in the future, the whole world will be blessed because of their work. That blessing, prophesied by the prophet, is the blessing of the kingdom of Christ. This is the Millennial Kingdom, which is “Christ and His Kingdom” to be established on this earth.