B1 What does this mean?
C1 God Knows the Remnant of Israel
D1 Someone might now say that no Jew can be saved. But this is false, because Paul is a Jew and is saved.
D2 God foreknows. Is this decreed? Or, does God have the character trait of actually knowing the future? Does knowing mean it has to happen?
E1 Some resources:
F2 There is a difference between certainty and necessity. Thomas Ralston on the Compatibility of Freedom and Foreknowledge With Regards to Judas Betraying Jesus
E2 A thought (logical or not)
F1 God can decree.
G1 He is sovereign.
G2 He can plan and program His creation.
F2 God can decree a free will that has limits.
G1 Sex is beautiful, but God decreed some limits to what He blesses or curses. It is only for marriage.
G2 Food is beautiful, but God decreed some limits. If we eat too much, we can be charged with gluttony.
G3 Money is beautiful, but God decreed some limits. If I love money, I am both an idolater and greedy, etc.
F3 God created this free will and gave it to beings.
G1 God made limits to free will. I may wish to flap my arms and fly, but I cannot. I may wish to not get sick or die, etc. Nevertheless, I do get sick and will eventually die.
G2 God knows everything by foresight.
D3 Verse 4 shows God’s knowledge. Wilbur Pickering writes: Evidently Elijah knew nothing about them, and perhaps each of them also thought he was the only one. I see a practical application here: I must never assume that what God is doing to and through me is the whole show, or even a major part of it. Now, much more than in Elijah's day, God is doing all sorts of interesting things all over the world!
D4 Verse 5 shows there are still some Jews who believe.
D5 Verse 6 shows the contrast between grace and works. They cannot both be true. Those who believe do not deserve salvation because of their works. It is pure grace, not because of works. Salvation is by the rule of grace (election), not from what they did. No one is sinless. This rule is if we believe. Just like Abraham believed, so do we. 1 Timothy 2:3-4 GNB This is good and it pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to come to know the truth.
D6 Verse 7. All have opportunity, but all do not believe. Those who believe are the chosen. Those who refuse to believe are blinded. People refuse to believe (in my opinion) because of pride and love of sinful pleasure. Final rejection (the last time God opened their heart to understand and call them to repent and believe) has profound consequences.
E1 Pride: Malachi 3:14-15 GNB You have said, 'It's useless to serve God. What's the use of doing what he says or of trying to show the LORD Almighty that we are sorry for what we have done? 15 As we see it, proud people are the ones who are happy. Evil people not only prosper, but they test God's patience with their evil deeds and get away with it.' "
E2 Love of sinful pleasures: Psalms 10:4 ESV in the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”
D7 Verse 8. When did spiritual dullness happen? Did it happen in eternity past or after they had rejected God’s Gospel? The word given has the idea of giving them what they earned.
D8 So verse 9: Romans 11:9 WEL Even David says, “Let their table become a snare, a trap, and a stumbling-block, and a just payback to them.
E1 The word payback has the idea of requital.
E2 Robertson’s Word Pictures on this verse: A recompense (eis antapodoma). Late word from double compound verb antapodidōmi, to repay (both anti and apo). Ancient Greeks used antapodosis. In lxx and Didache. In N.T. only here (bad sense) and Luke 14:12 (good sense).
E2 Translations:
F1 Romans 11:9 NRSV And David says, "Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
F2 Romans 11:9 NIV And David says: "May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
D9 Verses 9-10 is the retribution. The Jews would have known these verses well.
C2 Blessing Extended to Gentiles with a Warning Not to Fall from Faith
D1 Verses 11-12 show that their sin leads to a blessing for the Gentiles. Their sin was not good. Their punishment was to make them jealous which would lead to their repentance.
Barclay writes: It can happen to any man. If a man takes his own way long enough, he will in the end become insensitive to the appeal of God. If he goes on sinning, he will in the end become insensitive to the horror of sin and the fascination of goodness. If a man lives long enough in ugly conditions he will in the end become insensitive to them. As Burns wrote:
"I waive the quantum of the sin,
The hazard of concealing;
But och! it hardens a' within,
And petrifies the feeling!"
Just as a callus can grow on the hand, a callus can grow on the heart. That is what had happened to the mass of Israel. God save us from that!
D2 Verses 13-14, Paul’s desire for Israel to become jealous of the salvation of believing Gentiles and repent.
D3 The great blessings for the world will happen when Israel does believe. See Romans 11:26.
E2 Isaiah 59:20-21 NIV The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins," declares the LORD. 21 "As for me, this is my covenant with them," says the LORD. "My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants—from this time on and forever," says the LORD.
E3 Jeremiah 31:33-34 NIV This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.
D4 Verses 15-24
E1 To Israel (Jews)
F1 Unbelief cast off the unbelieving Israel.
F2 Believing Jews are restored.
E2 To gentiles
F1 Unbelieving gentiles were never a part of God’s blessings (the natural tress).
F2 Believing gentiles are grafted in to receive the Gospel blessings.
F3 Denying Christ if in a permanent sense will result in the branch being removed.
C3 God’s Promise to Save All of The Remnant of Israel
D1 God’s gifts and calling are without repentance. Repentance when applied to God means His conditions have been met and whatever action was spoken is now not taken. It can be applied to doing evil or doing what is right.
E1 Evil as in Genesis 6:5-7 ESV The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.
E2 Right as in Jonah 3:5-7 GNB the people of Nineveh believed God's message. So they decided that everyone should fast, and all the people, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth to show that they had repented. 6 When the king of Nineveh heard about it, he got up from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth, and sat down in ashes. 7 He sent out a proclamation to the people of Nineveh: "This is an order from the king and his officials: No one is to eat anything; all persons, cattle, and sheep are forbidden to eat or drink.
D2 At one time we also refused to believe, but through the ministry of the Holy Spirit our hearts, minds, and understanding were opened, and we realized the sinfulness of our hearts. We did not resist the Holy Spirit’s call.
E1 The Holy Spirit’s initiative: John 16:8 ESV and when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.
E2 Acts 7:51 ESV “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.
C4 Praising to God for His Wisdom
D1 God’s wisdom is beyond our understanding. All we can do is stand amazed. 1 Corinthians 1:25 NIV for the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
D2 Verses:
E1 Matthew 8:27 NIV the men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"
E2 John 5:20 NIV For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed.
E3 Acts 13:12 NIV When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.
D3 God’s wisdom and knowledge are beyond us.
D4 He needs nothing. We cannot give Him anything.
D5 God’s providence. What is divine providence?
C5 Questions:
D1 Does God’s foreknowledge mean it has to happen?
D2 What is spiritual dullness, and where does it come from?
D3 Explain belief and unbelief. Why do some believe, and others do not?
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