Romans 11 — God’s Severity and Kindness

As Paul proceeds through this section of Romans to elaborate God’s plan for redemption and restoration for the Jews, he now faces directly the fact of their rejection of Jesus the Messiah.  Jumping to the end of the story, we know that all is not lost for the people of Israel.  God in His foreknowledge has elected, chosen in His sovereign foreknowledge, that there will be a remnant of His chosen people that are brought into eternity.   Even in Isaiah’s time, the journey had been very difficult between God and His people.  In Isaiah 54:7-8, the Lord says “For a brief moment I forsook you, But with great compassion I will gather you.  In an outburst of anger I hid My face from you for a moment, But with everlasting lovingkindness I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD your Redeemer.”  God is holy and just, but He is also compassionate and faithful.  His people would be carried into a future restoration, but this would not be without much judgment and loss.

We can be sure that the most common, faithful Jew as well as the leading Pharisees of Jesus’ and Paul’s day were aware of Isaiah’s prophecies.  God revealed through Isaiah that there would be a day in the future when the nation of Israel would be restored to its “former glory”, as it was in its early days, especially under King David.  What’s remarkable is the inability for the Jews to connect the dots.  In Isaiah’s day, Israel was deep in apostasy, ignoring the commands and warnings from God they knew were in the writings of Moses.  They had instead developed their keeping of the Law into a man-centered, works-oriented attempt to accomplish righteousness that destined them for God’s judgment, possibly even to be separated from God for eternity.

God loves His people, but He also despises sin and rebellion.  In Romans 11, Paul lays out the reality of that separation – the man-centered rebellion which brings about works-oriented religion which will always fail.  He begins the chapter with a question which uses a dramatic expression to “reject”, or “cast away”.  The Greek term means to throw away with a vengeance, as if threatened or disgusted by it.  Could it be that God would cast away His precious Israel?  We know from many places in Scripture that this could never happen.  But that doesn’t hide the fact that Israel had rejected the promised Messiah when He stood right in front of them.   Is it possible that God would set aside Israel permanently?  Compare for instance what is said in Romans 10:19-21.  Paul wants to make it clear that is not part of God’s plan.

Even today, we struggle against the desire to be able to control our access and relationship with God.  However, Paul also raises up the greatness of His compassion and offer of redemption to His wayward people.   In Rom. 11:22, in the face of that rebellion, Paul expresses the remarkable character of God, showing both “kindness and severity” in His dealings with mankind – He blesses us with precious rain along with both thunder and lightning.  This guides Paul to conclude His thoughts about how the Jewish people fit in God’s Plan for the Ages, His plan for providing redemption for mankind.  Israel’s rejection is real, however it is neither total or permanent.  God had allowed that Israel would become “provoked” by the offer of salvation to Gentiles – and that provocation will end up drawing Israel back to God in final restoration in the Millennial Kingdom.  We shall consider humbly, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” (Rom. 11:33).

Romans 11:1-10, God is Fair:  Israel’s rejection is not total

In Jer. 33:19-26, God makes a dramatic comparative statement.  If you can cause day and night to cease to occur, or if you could count all the stars or all the sand on the beach, only then would He reject Israel.  Paul underscores that in v2, declaring that God has not cast away His people.  In reality, God has stated that He will maintain a faithful remnant in Israel that will continue through its history and into the Millennium, and He has done that.  The fact that Israel was disobedient like they had been for many centuries did not nullify God’s predetermined love for His people.  Consider Elijah (1 Kings 18:22 and 19:10 &14), confronting Ahab and his Baal-worshipping people.  Elijah thought for a moment that he was the only one of God’s faithful followers left – actually he was speaking of the immediate situation, him alone against 450 Baal priests.  God used that confrontation to demonstrate His power and sovereignty over the affairs of man.  He will always love and care for His people, even if many of them turn away to idolatry.

God continues to maintain that faithful remnant.  God will never reject Israel – look at Psa. 89:33; Isa. 49:16; 54:5-8.  Sin will be judged, but there will still be a final and eternal restoration.  In Rom. 11:5, at this present time, as well as ours even today, God continues to be faithful.  Now, however, Rom. 11:6 states that sustaining of Israel’s remnant will be based on faith in Christ.  Romans 11:7-10 express Irael’s failure with hard words – “blinded”, “hardened”, “calloused”, a spirit of stupor, darkened eyes – Israel’s rejection was deep.  Paul’s grasp of OT scripture is impressive, demonstrated here through quoting many references to support his point.  He was writing from Corinth during his third missions journey and he couldn’t just walk over to the bookshelf and pull down a scroll – he was quoting these verses from memory!

Bible Study Journal

• • • In Rom. 11:5-6, how has God created and maintained a faithful “remnant” of His people?
    • How would you define “remnant” according to Romans 11?
    • From Rom. 11:7, what is it that Israel had not attained? Who are the “chosen” in this verse?
    • Be sure to take time to look up the extra verse references in this study and make notes about how those verses help us understand Romans 11.  Enjoy the extra time you can take thinking through God’s Word!

Romans 11:11-24, God is Farsighted:  Israel’s rejection is not permanent

When we come to Romans 11:11, we see that Paul shifts to another line of thinking where he is going to use the picture of grafting branches from one tree into another.  He makes a startling statement, that God has allowed the offer of salvation to go to the Gentiles in order to make the Jews jealous.  Certainly they were jealous, and they did fail, but the fall wasn’t complete, God still has a plan for Israel.  God knew that Israel’s failure would succeed in giving Christ to the world as it is preached to Gentiles  (Rom. 11:15).  Gentile belief will not only magnify the grace of salvation given to the Gentiles in the present age,  it will also provoke Israel to jealousy, so that they would return to Him.  We have to remember that at the end of the Tribulation, Christ will return to the earth and establish the Millennial  Kingdom, which is the fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel of their restoration to their former glory, a great day coming for Israel.  Note Zech. 12:10, “I will pour out on the house of David…”.

In Romans 11:15-24, Paul draws a picture about tending olive trees, trimming worthless branches, and grafting in good branches from other trees.  There is an interesting relationship between these verses and the similar teaching Jesus gave as a part of the Upper Room Discourse, possibly having left the dinner and walking towards the Mount of Olives .  In John 15, Jesus taught about how as Christians we are branches attached to the True Vine, Christ.  In Paul’s picture, Christians are grafted into Israel – they don’t become part of Israel but benefit from God’s blessing.  And it is important to note that they are grafted in only because of their faith, not dependent on works.  According to Gal. 3:22, we are all shut up under sin “so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.”  We all need rescue, and the great message in Romans 9-11 is that all mankind has opportunity to have faith in Christ’s salvation.

Along with this remarkable picture of God including in His plan to bless both Israel and Gentiles, in Rom. 11:22, Paul expresses the “kindness and severity of God”.  Certainly an unusual description of God, but that is exactly as Paul has demonstrated with the vine & branches.  Those branches  “which fell” are not part of the believing remnant.  The “you” in v22 refers to the believing Gentile who demonstrates genuine faith.  God is kind in extending grace to both Jew and Gentile.  But He is severe in His response to those who refuse to have faith in Him.  Our response to His Great Plan of Redemption will determine whether we are spared or cut off.

Bible Study Journal

• In Rom. 11:14, who is it Paul wants to “provoke”?  Why does he think they need provoking?
  • In Rom. 11:15, who is being cast off?  Who is being reconciled?
  • In Rom. 11:17, who does the branches broken off represent?  Who is being grafted into the olive tree?

Romans 11:30-36, God is Faithful:  Man’s proper response to God’s Sovereignty

God’s plan for mankind proceeds according to His sovereignty and foreknowledge.  In Rom. 3:9, Paul said “What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin;” – Jews and Gentiles alike are condemned by their sin.  When the time comes, the remnant of all believing Israel will be saved, delivered into God’s presence and blessing.

The great doxology which closes this chapter guides each of us to bow before God. There is a parallel here with Isa. 40:13-14, “Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has informed Him?  With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding? And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge And informed Him of the way of understanding?”  Also, the majesty of God’s ways in Isa. 55:8-9, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts. ”  We can’t expect to insert our opinion or plan into His ways.  All we do, as stated in Rom. 12:2, is to live in a way that proves or demonstrates the will or plan of God.

From these chapters, we are reminded that it is a serious thing to ignore God, to refuse His offer of salvation in Christ.  Ignoring or rejecting God, as the unrepentant Jew proceeded to do for centuries, places the unbeliever in that category of “worthless branches” which will be discarded, referring to judgment eternal hell.

Our response to these three powerful chapters is to bow down and worship, acclaim God to sovereign in power and wisdom.  As stated in Col. 1:15-17, our world is the product of His mind and work – the entire known and unknown universe, all of the world’s civilizations and leaders, your life and mind – we are all in His hands.  It is His will which prevails.  And the good news is that He has a compassionate love for His people.  Recall Romans 8:28, just before Romans 9, Paul declared that we can be confident that God will work things for our good if we are one who loves God, believes in Him, follows Him.  Our security in His care, according to Rom. 11:29, is “irrevocable”, it can’t be cancelled.

Bible Study Journal

• • • What major word is repeated in Rom. 11:30-32? How many times?  Why do you think Paul made this emphasis?
    • What are the four characteristics of God emphasized in Rom. 11:33?  Which one fits with each of the following:
      • 1 Ki. 8:39; Psa. 44:21 – the total divine repository of God-centered Truth, a part of His essential being, centered in His omniscience
      • Isa. 42:28; 55;8-9 – the real-world application of God’s Truth, knowing how to live out that Truth
      • Gen. 1:1-3; Exo. 19:11-12 – the application of God’s Truth in His creation
      • Jer. 29:11-13; Rom. 8:28; Rom. 12:2