18 But what about the Jews? Have they actually heard the message? Yes, they have:
“The message of God’s creation has gone out to everyone, and its words to all the world.”
19 But did the people of Israel
“I will rouse your jealousy by blessing other nations. And its words to all the world.”
20 And later Isaiah spoke boldly for God:
“I was found by people who were not looking for me.
I showed myself to those who were not asking for me.”
21 But regarding Israel, God said,
“All day long I opened my arms to them, but they kept disobeying me and arguing with me.”
11:1 “I ask then, has God rejected his people the Jews? Of course not! Remember that I myself am a Jew, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 No, God has not rejected His own people, whom He chose from the very beginning. Do you remember what the scriptures say about this? Elijah the prophet complained to God about the people of Israel
4 And do you remember God’s reply? He said, “You are not the only one left. I have seven thousand others who have never bowed down to Baal!”
5 It is the same way today, for not all the Jews have turned away from God. A few are being saved as a result of God’s kindness in choosing them. 6 And if they are saved by God’s grace, than it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s wonderful grace would not be what it really is – free and undeserved.
7 So this is the situation: Most of the Jews have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have – the ones God has chosen – but the rest were made unresponsive. 8 As the Scriptures say,
“God has put them into a deep sleep.
To this day He has shut their eyes so they do not see,
and closed their ears so they do not hear.”
9 David spoke of this same thing when he said,
“Let their bountiful table become a snare,
a trap that makes them think all is well.
Let their blessings cause them to stumble.
10 Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see,
and let their backs grow weaker and weaker.”
11 Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! His purpose was to make His salvation available to the Gentiles, and then the Jews would be jealous and want it for themselves. 12 Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the Jews turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when the Jews finally accept it.
Many of us, myself included, grew up with a misunderstanding that the Jewish people have forever forfeited their salvation when they rejected Jesus Christ as their Messiah. And, to be perfectly honest, to think otherwise was a difficult concept for me to accept.
It makes sense that they would be forever punished according to God’s righteous judgment. God gave them everything that they needed in order to recognize their long awaited Messiah. They had a veritable road map of prophecies that pointed to where, when and how the messiah would come. They should have known.
They were absolutely convinced, back in the first century, that the Messiah would come down from heaven, accompanied by the armies of angels, as a conquering king. His mission would be to rid them of their greatest enemy – the Romans. As time marched on, the name of the enemy would change, but their understanding never did. In the twentieth century it was Germany Iran
But, the one thing that they didn’t realize was that their greatest enemy was sin. And, that their Messiah would come to give His life to conquer sin, as a ransom for all mankind.
In verse 7, Paul explained that some of the Jews, the ones chosen by God (other bible translations refers to them as “the elect”), would come to faith in Christ, while others were made “unresponsive”. Paul will explain why in our next session.
Once again, Paul asks and answers a series of questions. What about the Jews? Did they not hear? Did they not understand? Of course they did.
In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus was speaking to a group of Jewish leaders and told the story of the rich man and Lazarus, the beggar. The rich man had everything in this life, but gave nothing. Lazarus had nothing.
As the story unfolds, they both died at about the same time. The rich man was sent to Hades for eternal punishment, and Lazarus was sent to be with Father Abraham to be comforted. The rich man realized his fate and asked if Lazarus could be sent to his father’s house to warn his brothers of their pending fate. “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read their writing anytime they want to.” The rich man replied, “No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, they will turn from their sins.” But Abraham said, “If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead.” (Luke 16:29-31 NLT)
God’s plan was laid out in the writings of Moses and the prophets. It was there for anyone to read and understand. And later, Jesus Himself would rise from the dead as a fulfillment of the prophecies of scripture. Yet they chose not to believe.
Paul explained in verses 19 and 20 that God would rouse their jealousy by offering salvation to the Gentiles.
The Jews are, and always will be God’s chosen people. God promised this to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He confirmed it again and again through Moses and the prophets. God’s promise was not conditional. God never said that if they did this or that, they would be His people. He simply said, “I will be your God, and you will be My people.”
Their own history had proven that no matter what they did God would always forgive them, if they repented and turned back to Him. God saved them from their enemies, dozens, if not hundreds, of times throughout their history. And, at the same time, He let them suffer the punishment for their rebellion against Him. But, in all of it, they knew that God was always watching over them. The Gentiles never had this sense of security.
But, God’s plan was to send His Son to save the entire world – not just the Jews. And now, all of the sudden, these Christians come along and claim that not only is Christ the Messiah, but that the Gentiles are now included in their family.
They were jealous. But, instead of praising God for being so awesome that He included the Gentiles, they reasoned that it couldn’t be true. In verse 21, God said, “…but they kept disobeying Me and arguing with Me.”
So, has God rejected His people the Jews? Of course not! But, the question is; are all Jews God’s chosen ones? No. Only those who are faithful to God are true Jews (Romans 11:4). Just because they were born of Jewish parents and were circumcised didn’t make them a true Jew.
And, the same goes for us today. Just because we are born of Christian parents and are baptized as infants doesn’t make us Christians. It’s all about faith, and faithfulness to God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
We don’t earn it by doing good things. As Paul explains in verse 6, “…For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is – free and undeserved.”
The Jews tried so hard to find God by keeping the law. They were so completely earnest about keeping the law that they lost sight of the simple truth that the law was given to show them their sin. It was to show them that they could never be sinless on their own, and that they needed God to save them. Some of them understood, and others didn’t. There is story after story throughout the Old Testament of the Hebrews rebellion against God, and how He restored them when they turned from their sin and back to Him.
God’s grace is free and undeserved. Christ died on the cross so that all can be saved – no matter who we are or what we have done. Christ said, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that whosoever believes in Him will never perish, but will have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) It’s a free gift and it is for anyone that believes this.
Paul asked the question, “Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery?” His answer; “Of course not!”
Paul’s vision of the church was a body of believers that were made up of Jews and Gentiles, of every tribe, nation and tongue, that would come together in their love of God and in obedience of Christ. This ideal church would respect the law, and look only to Christ for salvation. Faith in Christ was the key, and the only key, that would unlock the gates of heaven.
This ideal church has never been realized, and never will be until Christ sets up His millennial kingdom here on earth. Why? Because He left humans in charge.
Jews and Christians alike, throughout the past twenty centuries, have both done their part in damaging the cause of Christ. Yet God, in His unending grace, has chosen the Jews and the Gentiles to unite together as one body – one holy temple – where God can live by His Spirit. And, His Spirit works continually to draw each and every one of us to Him, no matter who we are, or what we have done.
A quick overview of the book of Revelation shows the first three chapters are all about God’s plan for His Church, as it is represented in the seven letters to the seven churches. The remaining nineteen chapters are all about the Jewish people and their role in the end of times, as God pours out His judgment on the earth. The Jewish people have been the key participants in God’s plan from the beginning, and will see His plan unfold all of the way to the end.
No, the Jewish people have not fallen, beyond recovery, out of God’s grace. And neither has anyone else in this world. “Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Joel 2:32)
Paul never gave up his dream of the ideal church, where Jews and Gentiles would come together in worship of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He wrote in verse 12, “Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the Jews turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when the Jews finally accept it.
Study Questions
Have the Jewish people forfeited their salvation by rejecting Christ?
Is this your understanding? As Paul pointed out, God hasn’t rejected anyone. Everyone has the same opportunity to come to Christ and ask for forgiveness. Peter lead 3000 to faith in one sermon in Jerusalem
Do you have a burden in your heart for the unsaved?
As believers, we all should. There are three things that all believers should do; (1) Prepare ourselves to share the good news of Christ. (2) Look for opportunities to share it. And, (3) Step out in faith. Not everyone is called to be an evangelist, but everyone is called to evangelize. We know that God has a plan and a purpose for our lives, and that plan might be to tell one person about the saving love of Jesus. Have you ever told anyone? Step out in faith.
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