Daily Scripture Reading Romans 11:1-22

The church has been comprised mostly of Gentiles for so many centuries that most believers look at the church as a Gentile religion which Jews are welcome to join. This mentality treats Gentiles as the insiders and Jews as the outsiders. We will see in today’s passage that things are not supposed to be that way. Instead, we should look at the Jews as the insiders and be grateful that we Gentiles were welcomed in.

In the 10th chapter of Romans, Paul articulated the requirement to be saved. A person has to make Jesus the Lord of their life and believe God raised Jesus from the dead. Paul also wrote about the failure of the Israelites to obey God during the Old Testament time period as well as their failure to accept the truth about Jesus in Paul’s lifetime.

Rom. 11:1 ¶ I say then, has God rejected His people? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

Even though most Jews rejected Jesus, Paul was proof that God did not reject Israel because Paul was a Jew and he believed in Jesus.

Rom. 11:2 GOD HAS NOT REJECTED HIS PEOPLE whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel?

Rom. 11:3 “Lord, THEY HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE.”

Rom. 11:4 But what does the divine response say to him? “I HAVE LEFT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL.”

Rom. 11:5 In this way then, at the present time, a remnant according to God’s gracious choice has also come to be.

This dialogue between Elijah and Yahweh is recorded in 1Kings 19. Just as a small remnant in the days of Elijah remained faithful to Yahweh, so too in the church age a small minority of Israel accepts Jesus as their Lord, Savior, and Messiah.

Rom. 11:6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.

Rom. 11:7 ¶ What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but the chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened;

Rom. 11:8 just as it is written,

“GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR,

EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT,

DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY.”

This is a quote from Isaiah 29:10. Israel rebelled against Yahweh over and over again, so He prevented them from acquiring the truth.

Many Christians reject the idea that God might choose who can become saved and who cannot. However, this passage makes it clear that Yahweh prevented the Israelites from hearing and understanding: thus, He was determining who would be saved and who would not.

Rom. 11:9 And David says,

“LET THEIR TABLE BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP,

AND A STUMBLING BLOCK AND A RETRIBUTION TO THEM.

Rom. 11:10 LET THEIR EYES BE DARKENED TO SEE NOT,

AND BEND THEIR BACKS FOREVER.”

This is a quote from Psalm 69:22-23. David wrote this about his opponents. David, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, asked Yahweh to prevent his opponents from grasping the truth.

The life of Jesus on earth paralleled many of the statements in Psalm 69; thus, these words can be applied to the opponents of Jesus. Some of the opponents of Jesus in the church age may be prevented by Yahweh from comprehending and accepting the truth about Jesus.

Rom. 11:11 ¶ I say then, did they stumble so as to fall? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.

Notice the words “Gentiles” and “jealous”. The reason salvation came to us Gentiles is so that the Jews would become jealous.

Rom. 11:12 Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fullness be!

Rom. 11:13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,

Rom. 11:14 if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them.

Paul was an apostle to the Gentiles. His purpose was dual. He was providing the message of salvation to the Gentiles so that Gentiles can become saved. He was also trying to motivate the Israelites by making them jealous.

Rom. 11:15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

The pronoun “their” refers to Israel.

Rom. 11:16 And if the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.

Israel is the root and the first lump of dough.

Rom. 11:17 ¶ But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became a partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree,

The Gentile believers are the wild olives which are grafted in.

Rom. 11:18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast against them, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.

Look at the command “do not boast”. On the day of Pentecost, the church was mostly Jewish believers. By the time Paul wrote this letter to Rome, many of the believers were Gentiles. However, Paul told the Gentile believers not to boast that they had accepted the truth while the Jews had not because Gentile believers do not support Israel and the Law. Instead, Israel and the Law supports Christianity.

We should remember this command today. We Gentiles should not boast against Israel. Christianity is not a Gentile religion which just happens to be open to Jews.

Instead, Israel is still God’s chosen people. Jesus is a Jew. The apostles were Jews. The New Testament was written by Jews. Christianity was first a Jewish religion to which Gentiles were invited.

Rom. 11:19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.”

Rom. 11:20 Quite right! They were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be haughty, but fear,

Rom. 11:21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either.

God can make Gentiles blind just as easily as He made the Jews blind.

Rom. 11:22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.

On the day of Pentecost, the church was mostly Jewish believers. By the time Paul wrote this book, many of the believers were Gentiles. Part of the reason Paul was an apostle to the Gentiles was to make the Jews jealous so that they would accept the truth about Jesus.

To what extent have you adopted a mentality about Jew vs Gentile which is contrary to the truth specified in today’s passage?

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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”