A Remnant Chosen by Grace
I ask then, did God reject His people? Certainly not! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2Co 11:221Sa 12:22Jer 33:24-26Php 3:5Act 26:4Amo 9:8-9Psa 94:14Act 22:3 God did not reject His people, whom He foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he appealed to God against Israel: Psa 94:14Rom 8:29-301Pe 1:2Act 3:17Exo 32:1Gen 44:15Num 16:15Rom 9:23 “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well” 1? 1Ki 19:10-181Ki 18:13Neh 9:261Ki 18:4Jer 2:301Ki 18:30-31
And what was the divine reply to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 2 1Ki 19:18Num 25:32Ki 10:19-20Zep 1:4Hos 13:1Jdg 2:131Ki 16:31Hos 2:8
In the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. Rom 9:27Eph 1:5-6Rom 9:11Rom 11:6-7Rom 11:28 And if it is by grace, then it is no longer by works. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace. 3 Gal 2:212Ti 1:9Rom 3:27-28Rom 4:4-5Tit 3:5Eph 2:4-9Gal 5:41Co 15:10
What then? What Israel was seeking, it failed to obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened, Rom 9:182Co 4:4Rom 11:25Rom 11:52Th 2:10-14Rom 9:31-322Co 3:14Eph 1:4 as it is written: Deu 29:4Isa 29:10Ezk 12:2Jer 5:212Co 3:14-15Luk 8:10Act 28:26Mat 13:13-14
“God gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes that could not see,
and ears that could not hear,
to this very day.” 4
And David says: Psa 69:22-23Psa 28:41Sa 25:36-381Ti 6:17-19Deu 32:13-15Isa 59:18Isa 8:13-14Job 20:20-23
“May their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution to them.
May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, Psa 69:23Deu 28:64-682Pe 2:4Eph 4:18Rom 1:21Rom 11:82Pe 2:17Isa 65:12
and their backs be bent forever.” 5
The Ingrafting of the Gentiles
I ask then, did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? 6 Certainly not! However, because of their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous. Act 13:46-48Rom 11:31Rom 10:19Rom 11:14Rom 11:12Ezk 18:23Act 28:24-28Ezk 18:32 But if their trespass means riches for the world, and their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring! Rom 11:25Col 1:27Rom 11:15Eph 3:8Isa 11:11Mic 5:7Rom 9:23Isa 66:8-20
I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry Act 9:152Ti 1:11-121Ti 2:7Eph 3:8Gal 1:16Gal 2:7-9Rom 15:16-19Act 13:2 in the hope that I may provoke my own people to jealousy and save some of them. 1Co 7:161Ti 4:16Rom 9:3Tit 3:51Co 1:211Co 9:20-221Ti 2:42Ti 2:10 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? Eph 1:10Rom 5:10-112Co 5:18-20Col 1:20-21Luk 15:24Luk 15:32Rom 11:11-12Rev 11:11 If the first part of the dough is holy, so is the whole batch; if the root is holy, so are the branches. Ezk 44:30Pro 3:9Jas 1:18Jer 2:21Lev 23:10Num 15:17-21Rom 11:17Deu 18:4
Now if some branches have been broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others to share in the nourishment of the olive root, Eph 2:11-13Eph 3:6Jer 11:16Jhn 15:2Mat 21:43Psa 52:8Act 2:39Col 2:13 do not boast over those branches. If you do, remember this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. 1Co 10:12Rom 11:20Eph 2:19-20Rom 3:27Jhn 10:16Pro 16:181Ki 20:11Gal 3:29
You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” Rom 11:23-24Rom 11:17Rom 11:11-12 That is correct: They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. Rom 12:162Co 1:241Co 10:121Pe 1:17Php 2:121Ti 6:17Col 2:7Hab 2:4 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will certainly not 7spare you either. 2Pe 2:4-9Jer 25:29Jer 49:12Jud 1:5Rom 11:19Rom 8:321Co 10:1-12Rom 11:17
Take notice, therefore, of the kindness and severity of God: severity to those who fell, but kindness to you, if you continue in His kindness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. Heb 3:141Co 15:2Heb 3:6Jhn 15:2Rev 2:5Gal 6:9Heb 10:35-39Rom 2:4-5 And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 2Co 3:16Zec 12:10Mat 23:39 For if you were cut from a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into one that is cultivated, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree! Rom 11:17-18Rom 11:30
All Israel Will Be Saved
I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. Luk 21:242Co 3:14-16Rom 16:25Rom 12:16Rom 11:7-8Zec 14:9-21Zec 8:20-23Isa 2:1-8 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: Isa 59:20Jer 31:31-37Psa 14:7Hos 3:5Zec 10:6-12Amo 9:14-15Isa 45:17Jol 3:16-21
“The Deliverer will come from Zion;
He will remove godlessness from Jacob.
And this is My covenant with them Jer 31:31-34Isa 59:21Ezk 36:25-29Jer 32:38-40Isa 27:9Isa 43:25Heb 10:16Heb 8:8-12
when I take away their sins.” 8
Regarding the gospel, they are enemies on your account; but regarding election, they are loved on account of the patriarchs. Deu 10:15Deu 7:7-8Mat 21:43Rom 11:7Rom 9:5Act 13:45-46Luk 1:68-75Rom 11:11 For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable. Num 23:19Heb 7:21Mal 3:6Rom 8:28Hos 13:14
Just as you who formerly disobeyed God have now received mercy through their disobedience, Col 3:71Co 7:25Eph 2:1-21Co 6:9-112Co 4:1Rom 11:31Tit 3:3-71Pe 2:10 so they too have now disobeyed, in order that they too may now receive mercy through the mercy shown to you. 9 Rom 10:16Rom 11:15Rom 11:25 For God has consigned everyone to disobedience so that He may have mercy on everyone. Gal 3:22Rom 3:91Ti 2:4-6Rom 3:22Jhn 1:7Jhn 12:32
A Hymn of Praise
(Isaiah 40:9–31)
O, the depth of the riches Job 11:7-9Job 5:9Psa 92:5Col 2:2-3Rom 2:4Job 37:23Eph 1:7Eph 3:10
of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are His judgments,
and untraceable His ways!
“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Isa 40:131Co 2:16Job 15:8Job 36:22Jer 23:18
Or who has been His counselor?” 10
“Who has first given to God, Job 41:11Job 35:71Co 4:7Mat 20:15
that God should repay him?” 11
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. Col 1:15-171Co 8:6Heb 2:101Ti 1:17Rom 16:27Act 17:281Ch 29:11-12Act 17:25-26
To Him be the glory forever! Amen.