I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying,
“Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”?
But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
Just as it is written: “God has given them a spirit of stupor, Eyes that they should not see And ears that they should not hear, To this very day.”
And David says: “Let their table become a snare and a trap, A stumbling block and a recompense to them.
Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see, And bow down their back always.”
I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles.
Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!
For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,
if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them.
For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree,
do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.
You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.”
Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear.
For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.
Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.
And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
For this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.”
Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers.
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience,
even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy.
For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
“For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?”
“Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?”
For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US!!
Content source: the New King James Version 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Image source: Our media Team
This chapter expresses God's restoration agenda for His people- Israel. Though their eyes of understanding were darkened. Though God uses this time of blindness of the Israelites for the adoption of the Gentiles, God is not slack in His promise concerning Israel. In verses 26 and 27:
Though God will discipline His people, His loving arms of love will always be there to bring them back to track and pace with Him. This characteristic of God makes Him unmatchable.
Thank you @reliquary
In this chapter Paul points to himself as an example of the fact that there is a remnant of Israel who has been saved, in this case Israel alludes to the majority who are Jewish from the ethnic point of view, including their recognized leadership, having Failed to get a proper relationship with God by their own efforts, they hardened.
Persistent and stubborn disbelief caused God's justice to fall upon them, in fact the unbelief of Israel opened the door of opportunity to the Gentiles.
God's purpose is that when unbelieving Jews see a large number of Gentiles turn to Christ, they will become jealous, repent, and come to faith.
Moreover, Paul here warns the Gentiles against boasting, pride and arrogance, on account of the fact that they are a wild olive tree ... grafted, because of Israel's unbelief.
The rejection of Israel is temporary, until all those who are going to be saved among the Gentiles deposit their trust in Christ, then salvation will come to a greater number of Jews, in the same way that has happened with other peoples through the centuries, a response of faith to the preaching of the gospel of Christ.
God wants us to be kind at all times, to be kind to our brothers and show their love so they can be drawn into the kingdom ... otherwise, He can be severe with us ... even though God is love, He is also severe. when there is disobedience and we have no fruits....
Wonderful, all of us recipients of the irrevocable love of God, who seeks us tirelessly, we are still in time to accept that love, before it is too late, let us accept this opportunity that the Almighty offers us.
Paul knew that Israel, as a whole, had rejected his Messiah. But, a remnant embraces the gospel of Jesus Christ, and God has worked in Israel through a faithful remnant (in the same way he did in the time of Elijah).
There is a difference between stumbling and falling. Israel had stumbled, but they would not fall; in the sense of being removed from God's purpose and plan.
God hates unbelief, we increase faith even if everything around us is negative, our faith pleases God. The true faith and of heart. Faith demonstrates how much we trust and believe in our God.
waooo, how beautiful to consider the word of God to share it in the chain of blocks.
God's time is perfect for him there are no out of places or mistakes only he can restore nations and choose his interpreters to exercise their wills in this earthly plane