Sunday, September 25th, 2011
Romans 11:1-10
“Remnant: Planned Powerlessness”
Bible Memory Verse for the Week: Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. — 2 Corinthians 12:8-9
Remnant Defined:
REMNANT. An important concept in biblical theology; applied to three types of groups. The first is simply a historical remnant made up of survivors of a catastrophe. The second consists of the faithful remnant, distinguished from the former group by their genuine spirituality and true faith relationship with God; this remnant is the carrier of all divine election promises. The third is most appropriately designated the eschatological remnant, consisting of those of the faithful remnant who go through the cleansing judgments and apocalyptic woes of the end time and emerge victoriously after the Day of Yahweh as the recipients of the everlasting kingdom. (Geoffrey W. Bromiley, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, 130)
Yahweh’s great saving act occurred at the Exodus, when Pharaoh’s entire army was drowned in the sea so that “not so much as one of them remained” (Ex 14:28). But God did not guarantee Israel’s protection unconditionally; Israel’s rejection of the Sinai covenant would arouse Yahweh to send national disasters, reducing His people to an insignificant minority among the nations (Dt 4:27) or destroying them completely (Lev 26:36, 39; Dt 28:54f., 62). The survival of only two Israelites from the entire wilderness generation witnessed to the disasters that would result from disbelief and disobedience (Nu 26:54). (Geoffrey W. Bromiley, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, 132)
The remnant idea is most pronounced among the prophets of the 8th cent. B.C. The earliest writing prophet with a fully developed remnant theology is Amos. Rejecting the false security built on the popular identification of remnant hopes with Israel as a whole, Amos proclaimed that only a small historical remnant–meaningless for Israel’s national existence–would remain from the Assyrian crisis (Am 3:2, 12; 4:1-3; 5:3; 6:9f.; 9:1, 9f.). The “remnant of Joseph,” on the other hand, would be a faithful remnant from Israel (5:15). (Geoffrey W. Bromiley, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, 133)
The book of Micah speaks of a historical remnant of Israel that is helplessly scattered among the nations (cf. 5:7f.). Israel’s only hope is with Yahweh, who will be their leader (2:13; 4:7), “gather the remnant of Israel” (2:12; cf. 4:6f.), and make them into a new “strong nation” (4:7). Remnant here means the nucleus of a new people of God whose transgressions have been graciously forgiven (7:18) and who will be a source of life (“like dew”) and strength (“like a lion”) among the nations (5:7f. [MT 6f.]). The rest of Israel will return to the Israel of faith when the Messiah is born (5:2 [MT 1f.]). Here the concepts of the remnant, the new people of God, and the Messiah are joined. (Geoffrey W. Bromiley, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, 133)
Does all this mean that God has repudiated his people? That is a question that Paul’s heart cannot bear. After all, he himself is a member of that people. So he falls back on an idea which runs through much of the OT. In the days of Elijah, Elijah was in despair (1 Kgs 19:10-18). He had come to the conclusion that he alone was left to be true to God. But God told him that, in fact, there were still 7,000 in Israel who had not bowed the knee to Baal. So into Jewish thought came the idea of The Remnant.
The prophets began to see that there never was a time, and never would be, when the whole nation was true to God; nevertheless, always within the nation a remnant was left who had never forsaken their loyalty or compromised their faith. Prophet after prophet came to see this. Amos (9:8-10) thought of God sifting men as corn is in a sieve until only the good are left. Micah (2:23; 5:3) had a vision of God gathering the remnant of Israel. Zephaniah (3:12, 13) had the same idea. Jeremiah foresaw the remnant being gathered from all the countries throughout which they had been scattered (Jer 23:3). Ezekiel, the individualist, was convinced that a man could not be saved by either a national or an inherited righteousness; the righteous would deliver their own souls by their righteousness (Ez 14:14, 20, 22). Above all, this idea dominated the thought of Isaiah. He called his son Shear-Jashub, which means The Salvation of the Remnant. Again and again he returns to this idea of the faithful remnant who will be saved by God (Is 7:3; 8:2, 18; 9:12; 6:9-13). (William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible Series: Romans, 144-45)
Background Information:
- We have now come to that chapter which should put away once and for all, the notion that God is through with Israel as His earthly nation. There are those who believe Israel has been cast aside like a worn out shoe, and that God’s promises are to be fulfilled through the Gentile nations. The apostle will make no less than ten quotes from the OT to show that God is not through with Israel. Even though she has been set aside for her stubborn unbelief, it is only temporary. (C. S. Lovett, Lovett’s Lights on Romans, 276)
- Paul devoted all of Romans 11 to presenting proof that God is not through with Israel. We must not apply this chapter to the Church today, because Paul is discussing a literal future for a literal nation. He called five witnesses to prove there was a future in God’s plan for the Jews. (Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Right, 124)
- “The rejection of the Jews was neither total nor final.” That is the theme of this chapter. There is still an Israelite remnant in the present, and there is going to be an Israelite recovery in the future, which will itself lead to blessing for the whole world. (John Stott, Romans, God’s Good News for the World, 291)
- Remnant stories abound in ancient near eastern literature.
- Noah and the ark (Gen 6-9; Luke 17:26-27; 1 Pt 3:20)
- SodomandGomorrah(Gen 18-19; Luke 17:28-29)
- Tribe of Benjamin (Judges 21)
- Remnant theology emerged out of the story of the 7,000 who had not bowed a knee to Bail in 1 Kings 19:18
- Isaiah’s son was named Shear Jashub = a remnant shall return
- The Qumrân community developed a strongly particularist remnant theology in which they viewed themselves alone as the “remnant” of God’s people (1QM 14:8; cf. CD 2:11; 1QH 14:9; CD 1:4), which they have inherited by keeping the whole law of God (CD 3:12; 4QFlor 2:2). By preserving this remnant God keeps His covenant with Israel(1QM 13:8) and establishes it forever (CD 3:13). God is a constant help to this remnant of the “poor” (1QH 5:18; 1QM 11:9), but those who depart from God’s way and abhor His ordinances will be without remnant or escape (CD 2:6f.; cf. 1QS 5:13; 1QH 6:32), sharing the fate of “the sons of darkness” (1QM 1:6; cf. 4;2; 1QS 4:14). (Geoffrey W. Bromiley, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, 133-34)
- The Pharisees considered themselves “holy ones” and claimed to be the “remnant” (SB II, 170, 469,617; IV, 1075). They attempted to realize the OT promsie of the “holy remnant” (Is 6:13; 4:2f.) by faithful adherence to the torâ (cf. Tg. Is 4:3; 10:22f.) and by meticulous separation from the unclean “people of the land.” (Geoffrey W. Bromiley, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, 134)
- John the Baptist’s message of judgment and repentance, resembling that of the OT prophets, resulted in the gathering of a penitent remnant (Mt 3:1-12; par.). Contrary to the separatist and particularist groups of his time, however, John spoke a universalistic message: all who would “bear fruit that befits repentance” (Mt 3:8) were invited to be baptized. Yet John prophesied that a greater one would come after him, who would clear the threshing floor and separate the chaff from the wheat (Mt 3:12). (Geoffrey W. Bromiley, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, 134)
- Jesus certainly spoke in terms of a remnant (Mt 7:21-27- 13:24-30, 47-50; 22:11-14; 25:1-13; Lk 12:32) “Jesus wished to gather all into the community of faith (Mt 23:37-39; Lk 13:34f.), but only a few responded and formed the faithful remnant. Contrary to the claims of the Pharisees, the Qumrân covenanters, and other separatist groups who identified themselves with the holy remnant, Jesus taught that even the remnant of faith will be sifted at the last day, when the wheat and the tares will be separated (Mt 13:24-30; cf. Vv. 47-50). At that time the holy remnant will emerge from the community of faith, whose feigned confessors will be purged in the eschatological judgment (Mt 7:21-27; 22:11-14; 25:1-13).
Though the noun “remnant” is absent from the Gospels, the concept has a prominent place. Gk. loipoí is used in the sense of “the others” to distinguish from the disciples those who have hardened their hearts (Lk 8:10; cf. Rom 11:7) or do not believe (Mk 16:13; cf. 1 Thes 4:3). Especially significant is the frequent use of imagery associated with OT remnant terminology, e.g., metaphors using “shepherd” (Mt 26;31; Jn 10:16), “sheep” (Mt 10:6; 15:24; Lk 12:32; cf. Acts 20:28f.; 1 Pt 5:3), and “sheep” and “goats” (Mt 25:32). The constant emphasis on the “few” (Mt 7:14; 22:14; Lk 13:23) the “chosen” (Mt 20:16; 22:14; 24:22; etc.), the “poor” (Mt 11:5; Lk 4:18; 7:22), and the “little ones” (Mt 10:42; Mk 9:42; Lk 17:2) also shows that the idea of the remnant of faith was present in Jesus’ preaching. He may have avoided the use of explicit remnant terms because they had become overloaded with false particularistic connotations.” (Geoffrey W. Bromiley, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, 134)
- The book of Revelation employs the adjective loipoí eight times. The “remnant” in the church of Thyatira are those who have remained faithful (2:19) and have not fallen into “the deep things of Satan” (v. 24). The church in Sardis is virtually dead, but “what remains” is to be strengthened (3:2) because there are still a “few” (v. 4) who are unsoiled. Rv 11:13 speaks of the destruction of a tenth of the city but also of the “rest” who survive the earthquake and glorify God.
In apocalyptic imagery the dragon (called the devil and Satan) makes war against the “rest” of the woman’s offspring (12:17). This faithful remnant of the end time manifests preserving faith through fierce persecution (13:11-18) and is saved at last through Christ, while the “rest” of mankind is destroyed (19:21). Thus final, apocalyptic victory belongs to the last remnant of faith who keep God’s commandments and have the testimony of Jesus (12:17; 14:12; 19:10). (Geoffrey W. Bromiley, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, 134)
The questions to be answered are . . . What is a remnant? What is the Apostle Paul’s purpose in referring to Israel as a remnant? What is God’s purpose in creating a remnant? Why should we care about remnant theology today?
Answer: A remnant is a “surviving trace” of a whole. The Apostle Paul refers to himself as “Exhibit A” that God has not abandoned Israel. Paul is a living demonstration that God has preserved for Himself a “faithful remnant” so that all of the promises of God for Israel might one day be fulfilled. Historically, God created remnant to preserve, purify, discipline and/or judge the whole. I am convinced that the God of the Bible is the same yesterday, today and forever; and God still uses a remnant to perpetuate His promises to His people. He may even reduce you to a remnant of what you are or were to forward His purposes in your life and so you will know that what you have and what you are comes from God. Just like Paul.
The Word for the Day is . . . remnant
What does Paul hope to communicate by referring to Jewish Christians a God’s remnant?:
I. Remnant: A sign of God’s faithfulness (Romans 11:1-4; see also: Dt 7:9; 32:4; Josh 21:45; 23:14; 1 Sam 12:22; 1 Kg 8:55-56; Neh 9:26-31; Ps 33:4; 94:14; 146:6; Is 49:7; Jer 23:3; 31:36-37; Joel 2:32; Mic 2:12; 1 Cor 1:9; 2 Thes 3:3; Ti 1:2; Heb 6:17-18; 10:23)
Though the number of believers in Israel seems small in comparison with the total of Gentiles who accepted the gospel in faith, yet it is by no means insignificant. It is as in the time of Elijah. (Anders Nygren, Commentary on Romans, 891-92)
In his day, Elijah thought that the nation had totally departed from God. (Read 1 Kgs 19.) But Elijah discovered that there was yet a remnant of true believers. He thought he was the only faithful Jew left and discovered that there were 7,000 more. (Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Right, 126)
Contrary to what some sincere Christians maintain, God cannot be finished with the nation of Israel–for the obvious reason that all of His promises to her have not yet been fulfilled. If God were through with His chosen nation, His Word would be false and His integrity discredited. (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Romans 9-16, 92)
God’s character and integrity, His trustworthiness and faithfulness depend on His continued preservation of Israel. God has obligated Himself to ultimately redeem the nation of Israel and to establish her as a purified and glorious kingdom above all others in the world. (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Romans 9-16, 93)
Does he mean to be citing his own case as proof, or at least a reminder, that not all Jews have rejected Christ? If so, the reference to Elijah has special point: just as Elijah was one of many, so Paul is not alone. But this would seem to involve too much presumption on the apostle’s part to be likely, especially as he is writing to an unknown church. It is more probable that he mentions his own Jewish nationality in order to suggest something like this: “how can anyone think that I could believe that God has rejected his people? No Jew could believe such a thing; and I am a Jew.” To be sure, Elijah (1 Kg 19:9-18) once thought that such a complete failure of God’s promise had occurred, but God soon showed him his mistake. (Abingdon Press, The Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. IX, 564-65)
There is a literal, national Israel, but there is a spiritual “Israel” within that larger body. And what he goes on to say is that it was never God’s purpose or promise that the whole of physical Israel was going to be saved. God never said that. His purpose was only to save the spiritual Israel, and that purpose He has been carrying on throughout the running centuries. (D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Romans, Exposition of Chapter 11, 3)
God’s historical purpose toward the Jewish nation has not failed, because it has always been the case that even in the worst of times a remnant has been saved (Rom 11:2-10). Paul proves this from the days of Elijah, a dark period but one in which, by God’s own count, 7,000 Jews were still faithful to God, having refused to worship Baal. 7,000 was a small portion of the nation, but it was still a sufficiently large number to derail the claim of anyone who might think that the plan of God had failed. (James Montgomery Boice, An Expositional Commentary: Romans, Vol. 3, 1288-89)
II. Remnant: A sign of God’s grace (Romans 11:5-6; see also: Gn 45:7; Ez 9:8-15; Is 11:11; 28:5; 37:31-32; Jer 23:3; Mi 7:18; Zep 2:7; 3:12-16; Lk 8:10; Rom 3:21-31; 4:1-11; 5:2, 20-21; 9:11)
Common to biblical and extra-biblical appearances of the remnant idea is the concern with the problem of life and death. This constant emphasis provides the clue to the origin of the idea. Any mortal threat raises the immediate question of whether life will be wiped out or whether a remnant will survive to preserve human existence. While the remnant idea is as old as threats to human life and humanity’s concern to survive, the earliest biblical remnant texts also place it in the theological framework of salvation-history. Biblical thought presents an overarching correlation between the salvation of a remnant and the nucleus of the true people of God. God’s saving activity in creating faith and preparing a faithful remnant succeeds in defiance of all mortal threats and human fears. (Geoffrey W. Bromiley, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, 132)
Quoting from Is 10:22-23 and 1:9, Paul explained that the majority of Israel had turned away from God. But God always preserves a remnant for himself, “a remnant chosen by grace” (11:5). The remnant are those people who remain faithful to God whenever the majority doesn’t (see Mi 5:7-8). . (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: Romans, 190)
Paul is a full-blooded Jew (who had even gone so far as to persecute Christians before he became a believer). Surely if God was going to reject someone, Paul would have been a good choice. But God, in his sovereignty, called Paul and rearranged his entire life. (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: Romans, 207)
The remnant is a small group who have remained faithful, yet it is by God’s grace that the remnant stands firm. The Jewish believers in this faithful remnant are proof that God has not rejected his people (2 Kg 19:4, 19). What Paul could say with confidence in his day, we can repeat today. No matter how grim and hopeless the situation might seem, because of God’s sovereignty we can say with confidence that at the present time there is still a remnant chosen by grace! (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: Romans, 210)
Israeland the church rightly understand their election only when they understand it as an action of God’s free grace, not as an achievement of their works. Had the Jewish Christians become a remnant because of their works, they would have had no significance for greater Israel, for Israel itself “pursued a law of righteousness” (9:31). But since the remnant had been preserved by grace, it became a pledge of God’s continuing favor towards Israel as a whole. The remnant of grace, in other words, affirms that Israel was called into existence by grace (9:8-11) and awaits a future consummation of grace (11:28-32). (James R. Edwards, New International Biblical Commentary: Romans, 262)
Rom 11:4, 5 speaks of a remnant chosen by grace. The passage refers to the experience of the prophet Elijah who was reminded in the time of discouragement that there were many in Israel who had not bowed the knee to Baal. The point is that these faithful ones are parallel to a remnant of grace in the present time. Paul stresses not only the number of the faithful, but even more the fact that God has chosen them for Himself (Murray). Sovereign election is clearly involved. While Israel was in an apostate condition, yet this remnant remained faithful, and so must all. The principal idea in all of this is to establish clearly the fact that God has not cast away His people. God’s election is not based on moral attainment but on the good pleasure of God. Haldane says: “It was an unconditional choice, resulting from the sovereign free favor of God.” The great emphasis upon the mercy of God must be maintained in all discussions of the remnant. (Merrill C. Tenney, The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol. 5, 62)
God gathers to himself a remnant even from the hardened majority. (William Hendriksen, New Testament Commentary: Romans, 365)
III. Remnant: A sign of God’s justice (Romans 11:7-10; see also: Dt 29:4; 2 Kgs 21:14; 2 Chr 4:21; Is 6:9-10; 10:20-22; 20:22-23; 29:10; Ez 9:8; 11:13; Rom 9:22-23, 33; 1 Tm 4:1-2)
– Hardening (7)
– Table a snare (9) (Blessing into curse)
Bodily desires are a part of God’s created order that should lead us to glorify God both through them and as a result of them. Hunger, thirst, desire for sex, companionship, sleep, pride, significance, creativity, dominion, curiosity, wonder, amazement, thrills, adrenaline, etc. were all designed to help our worship and joy of God to be increased. But in our “body of sin” (Romans 6) these bodily desires or interests actually lead us AWAY from God. Believers, whose lives are redeemed are to redirect these desires and interests to glorify God and point to Christ. — Pastor Keith
– Blindness & bent backs (10)
It is here that Paul has a terrible thought. He has the idea of God sending a kind of torpor upon them, a drowsy sleep in which they cannot and will not hear. He puts together the thought of a series of OT passages to prove this (Dt 29:4; Is 6:9, 10; 29:10). He quotes Ps 69:22, 23. “Let their table become a snare.” The idea is that men are sitting feasting comfortably at their banquet; and their very sense of safety has become their ruin. They are so secure in their fancied safety that the enemy can come upon them all unaware. That is what the Jews were like. They were so secure, so self-satisfied, so at ease in their confidence of being the Chosen People, that that very idea had become the thing that ruined them. (William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible Series: Romans, 145-46)
In verse 7 the Authorized Version says, “they have been blinded.” More correctly, it should be, “they have been hardened.” The verb is pōroun. The noun pōrōsis will give us the meaning better. It is a medical word, and it means a callus. (William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible Series: Romans, 146)
When a callus grows on any part of the body that part loses feeling. It becomes insensitive. The minds of the mass of the people have become insensitive; they can no longer hear and feel the appeal of God. (William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible Series: Romans, 146)
When people repeatedly refuse to listen to God’s Good News, they eventually will be unable to hear and understand it. Israel’s present misinterpretation of their Scriptures and refusal to accept Christ as their Messiah is a continuation of their tendency to misunderstand God’s plans and purposes for them. Paul saw this happening in the Jewish congregations he visited on his missionary journeys. (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: Romans, 211)
Resisting God is like saying to him, “leave me alone!” But because God is always and everywhere present, his answer to that prayer might be to agree and make that person less sensitive, more hardened to him. The very possibility of that happening ought to keep us asking God specifically for ears that really hear and eyes that really see–openness and responsiveness to him. (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: Romans, 211)
Spiritual hardening begins with self-sufficiency, security in one’s self, and self-satisfaction. The real danger is that at some point, repeated resistance to God will yield an actual inability to respond, which the Bible describes as a hardened heart. Insensitivity indicates advanced hardening. (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: Romans, 212)
Their table. This refers to the blessings that God had given Israel. These blessings should have drawn Israel to him and thus led them to Christ; instead, they became a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them. Israel’s blessings had led to pride that led them away from God. Thus, not only did they miss the Messiah when he came, but they also persecuted and killed him. (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: Romans, 212)
John 9 records Jesus confronting the Pharisees with their spiritual blindness. He had healed a blind man, but the religious leaders had invalidated the healing because it broke their Sabbath work rules. Eventually, the healed man came to realize Jesus was the Son of Man, the Messiah (Jn 9:35-38). Jesus used the man’s experience to explain his own ministry: “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?” Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains” (Jn 9:39-41). For Jesus, those who claimed to see but could not recognize his true identity were afflicted with the worst possible blindness. (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: Romans, 213)
Baal is an ominous example of the idolatrous righteousness and piety which in wide areas prevails to this day. Thus the Jews and heretics venerate God according to their own mind, and in their stupid zeal and their eccentric piety they are worse than the ungodly. For God’s sake they become enemies of God, and for the fear of God they become scorners of God. Because of piety they become impious; for the sake of peace they disturb the peace; because of their love and holiness they become envious and unholy; in the interest of humility they become proud. Such is the fictitious piety of a stubborn mind and the hypocritical understanding of confirmed obstinacy. So great is (man’s) arrogance and his absolutely vain delusion. (Martin Luther, Commentary on Romans, 156-57)
Using words from Is 29:10, the apostle says, God has poured out a “narcotic spirit” on the minds of the unbelieving Jews. This renders them insensitive to the Spirit’s witness. Their spiritual senses became stupefied. That sounds awful on the surface. It was as if God made it impossible for them to believe even if they wanted to. But we see that isn’t the case when we learn HOW God hardens their hearts. He hardens unbelieving Jews the same way He hardened the heart of Pharaoh–with kindness. Pharaoh was given repeated chances to repent, yet with each opportunity his heart got harder until it was like stone. In the same way, God hardened the hearts of unbelieving Jews, not with opportunities to repent, but with HIS WORD, i.e., repeated messages and warnings by the prophets. In other words, He hardened them with frequent confrontations of the truth. The more they resisted it, the harder their hearts became. It is a psychological law that once a truth is rejected, it is easier to reject the second time, still easier the third, and so on, until a person’s heart becomes calcified. The Jewish people were hardened by EASY ACCESS to the very Word they loved so much. The more they heard it, the more determined they were not to believe the truth it stated. In time their hearts became like stone, insensible to the witness of the Spirit. (C. S. Lovett, Lovett’s Lights on Romans, 283-84)
In the orient, if you were invited to sit at a man’s table, you were his friend for life. Following that tradition, the Jews figured that SITTING at the table made them holy. They assumed they were right with God simply because they SAT there. Their trust, obviously, was not in the Lord, but in SITTING at the feast table. In other words, they trusted in the ceremony, rather than in the Lord. That’s what made it a snare. David’s words in the Psalm indicate that the Jews had become so preoccupied with the FORM of their worship, they couldn’t see the spiritual truth before their eyes. (C. S. Lovett, Lovett’s Lights on Romans, 284)
This blindness and deafness is visited upon people as a judgment for their earlier and prior refusal to see and hear. It is what we would call ‘poetic justice’. Paul quotes from one of the imprecatory psalms (Ps 69:22-23) to confirm the rightness of God’s actions in judgment. (RC Sproul, The Gospel of God: Romans, 185-86)
The word for stupor is a rare word in Greek literature and means “torpor” or “spiritual insensitivity.” Coupled with the references to blindness and deafness, the quotation signifies Israel’s utter inability to recognize or respond to righteousness. (James R. Edwards, New International Biblical Commentary: Romans, 263)
The Jews of OT times understood that those divine promises would be fulfilled literally. But when their Messiah came, spiritual blindness prevented them from recognizing Him. “He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him” (Jn 1:11). When Pilate mockingly asked the Jewish crowd, “Shall I crucify your King?” the chief priests, speaking for all of apostate Israel, declared with hypocritical vehemence, “We have no king but Caesar” (Jn 19:15).
Paul knew that most Jews were confused about Israel’s true destiny in regard to her Messiah. They reasoned that, because Israel was God’s chosen nation, it would be inconceivable that she would spurn her own Messiah, much less put Him to death. Regardless of how disobedient, rebellious, and spiritually blind Israel might become, surely she could not fail to recognize and receive her long-awaited Deliverer. Even if ordinary Jews failed to acknowledge and honor Him, the religious leaders were certain that they themselves could never make such an egregious error. (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Romans 9-16, 94)
When the Lord called Isaiah to preach, He warned the prophet that most of his hearers would not listen or repent and that only a small holy remnant would remain, like the stump left when a tree is felled (Is 6:9-13). That passage from Isaiah is the most quoted OT text in the NT (see, e.g., Mt 13:14-15; Mk 4:12; Lk 8:10; Jn 12:40; Acts 28:26)–used repeatedly to emphasize the truth that God has judicially blinded those of His chosen people who willfully blind themselves to Him. (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Romans 9-16, 101)
Deuteronomy represents the law and Isaiah the prophets. Both the law and the prophets testify to God’s sovereign and predetermined hardening of hearts. But that hardening is neither capricious nor unjust. God hardens only those hearts who, in rejecting His gracious offer of righteousness, harden themselves to His grace.
God judicially hardened Pharaoh’s heart (see, e.g., Ex 4;21; 9:12; 10:20), because Pharaoh willingly “hardened his [own] heart” against God (Ex 8;15; cf. 8:32; 9:34; 10:1).
During the Lord’s Supper, Jesus said, “Behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Me on the table. For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!” (Lk 22:21-22). God’s righteous predetermination of Judas’s betrayal was inextricably connected to Judas’s own unrighteous intentions, for which he was held eternally accountable. One of the great mysteries of Scripture is the coexistence of God’s sovereign preordination and man’s personal accountability. God’s judicial hardening of a man’s heart is never separate from that man’s hardening of his own heart. (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Romans 9-16, 103)
A person’s table is generally thought of as a place of safety, feasting, and sustenance. But the table of the ungodly and self-righteous will become a snare and a trap. The Jews considered God’s Word, in particular the Torah, to be their spiritual sustenance–which indeed it was. But because of their rebellious unbelief, that Word became a judgment on them, a stumbling block and a retribution. (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Romans 9-16, 104)
IV. Cursed blessings: A sign of God’s love (Romans 9-11; see also: Dt 8:5; Prv 3:11-12; Mal 2:1-2; 1 Cor 5:1-5; Heb 12:5-6)
Is there anywhere else in the Biblical record in which God turned a blessing into a curse as a demonstration of His love? (Jn 3:16; 2 Cor 5:21; Gal 3:13)
Israel became insensitive, the nation with the callus on her heart; the Gentiles came by faith and trust into the love of God; but a day will come when the love of God will act like a solvent, even on the callus of the heart, and both Gentile and Jew will be gathered in. It is Paul’s conviction that nothing in the end can defeat the love of God. (William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible Series: Romans, 147)
Verses 9 and 10 are from Ps 69:22-23 (a psalm thought to be prophetic about the suffering of the Messiah). These words of David were originally a curse directed at Israel’s enemies. Paul turns the curse around and points it at the Jews! (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: Romans, 212)
The fact that the three quotations come from the three major divisions of the Hebrew Bible–Law, Prophets, and Writings–amounts to a comprehensive condemnation of Israel from its own scriptures. This returns the reader to the conclusion of 3:20ff., that condemnation is the necessary and inevitable prelude to grace. (James R. Edwards, New International Biblical Commentary: Romans, 264)
Ezekiel pleads with God to mix mercy with well-deserved judgment so that some Israelites might survive (Ez 9:8; 17:13). Indeed, a historical remnant will survive national destruction (6:7-9; 7:16; 14:22f.; 24:26f.) And be scattered among the nations (5:10-12; 12:15f.; 17:21). From these Yahweh will gather those who by His grace will receive a “new heart” and a “new spirit” (11:16-21; cf. 36:26) so that He can call them “my people” (11:20). This faithful remnant will constitute the nucleus of a religious rather than political community. (Geoffrey W. Bromiley, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, 133)
In postexilic prophecy “the remnant of the people” is the small group of repatriated Jews who obey Yahweh, work on rebuilding the temple, and receive the divine promise, “I am with you” (Hag 1;12-13; cf. Is 43:5). Since they “fear before Yahweh” (Hag 1:12), they are the carriers of the ancient covenant blessings (Zec 8:12; cf. Lev 26:3-13; Dt 28:11). The metaphor of shepherd and sheep appears in the second part of Zechariah, where the remnant goes through a cleansing judgment to emerge as “my [Yahweh’s] people” (13:7-9). (Geoffrey W. Bromiley, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, 133)
What a tragedy this is! The curse of blessings is probably the worst of all curses. The things that should have brought men nearer to God finally take them farther away from God. (Donald Grey Barnhouse, God’s Covenants, 119)
The terrible thing is this–that even God’s blessings, if you look at them in the wrong way and abuse them, they will become a curse to you. That is why tradition is something about which we always ought to be most careful. You look at the long history of the church and you will generally find this, that places which at one time enjoyed unusual blessings are today some of the most barren places in the universe. (D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Romans, Exposition of Chapter 11, 30)
This is where the danger of religion comes in. There are very genuine people who say, “I want to know God, I want to be blessed of God”–but they do not know Him, and if they remain as they are they never will. But they are zealous, they are keen, they read their Bibles, they pray, they do good works, they will do almost anything, some of them make great sacrifices; but they do not know Him! (D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Romans, Exposition of Chapter 11, 32)
The Pharisee was not a man who merely said “I fast twice in the week and give a tenth of my goods to the poor.” He did it. It was true. That was the whole tragedy of these people. It is the tragedy of all people who trust to their own religion, or their own seeking of God, or their own good works. There is only one way in which this blessing can be obtained. It is entirely by faith. The tragedy of Israelis that she did not seek it “by faith.” She thought she could keep the law; she felt that she could obtain righteousness and get the blessing of God by the possession of the temple and attendance there and the possession of the law and her works. That is why Stephen had to say to them, Do not tell me, “We have got the Temple;” God does not dwell in temples made with hands. They thought every time they went into the temple that they were getting a blessing. They did not realize that you could have a heart of stone even in the temple, and the moment you look at the temple in this wrong way. And people are still doing it in their religious life, in their great cathedrals which they think is the worship of God. “This mountain,” as the woman of Samariasaid, which was Gerizim; the Jews said “No, in Jerusalem.” Our Lord says, Neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem. The time cometh, and now is, when the Father shall seek the true worshipers. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Romans, Exposition of Chapter 11, 33)
If individual Jews, who were a chosen nation, missed salvation because of their rejection of Christ and if, as a result, the blessings of God that had been given to them became a curse for these people it is entirely possible (indeed probable) that many sitting in the evangelical churches of America today are also missing salvation because of their failure to trust Jesus in a personal way and that their blessings have become curses, too. (James Montgomery Boice, An Expositional Commentary: Romans, Vol. 3, 1316-17)
CONCLUSION/APPLICATION: What signs can be indicators that callousness has begun to set in your heart?:
A. You lost your first love for Jesus (Mt 10:37-38; Lk 14:26; Rev 2:4-5)
B. You fail to love and tremble at God’s Word (1 Sm 15:22; Ps 19; 119; Is 66:2; Ezr; Hag 1:12; Mt 13:14-15; Jn 12:39-40; )
Some of the Pharisees could not understand what Jesus was saying because they had not appropriated the truth of God they had already received. This is a warning for all of us to never hear the Word of God without responding.
Whenever Bonhoeffer was listening to a student’s sermon, he would set his pen aside and listen intently. He was guarding his heart against the possibility of hearing God’s Word but not responding to it. We should always be ready to obey the Word of God when it is presented to us. (R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word: Romans, 196)
C. You are content with your spiritual maturity (Mt 5:3-4; 1 Cor 10:11-12; Heb 4:11-12)
D. You are discontented with your lot in life (Is 55:1-2; Mt 5:6; 6:19-34; Phil 4:10-12; 1 Tm 6:6-8; Heb 13:5)
E. You look to your efforts to “earn” God’s favor (Rom 3:19-30; Gal 2:16; 3:10-11; Phil 3:2-9; )
Some Jews made the mistake of assuming that God’s election of Israelvirtually guaranteed spiritual benefits to every member of the nation. Birth into that nation, circumcision (for males), and a reasonable faithfulness in observing the law were all that was needed to ensure one’s salvation. Some segments of the church have much the same kind of attitude. People assume that they will go to heaven as long as they can claim such external credits as baptism, confirmation, church attendance, participation in the mass, and acts of service. (Douglas J. Moo, The NIV Application Commentary: Romans, 360)
The whole of the OT is, in a sense, a prophecy of this climactic point when the Son of God came and the chosen people did not recognize Him but crucified Him, preferring Barabbas to Him. So, the judgment of God comes down upon them. And the terrifying thing about that is that it all happened to them because they were the people of God, because they did have the promises when nobody else had them, because they alone had the “oracles,” the Word of God, and all the ceremonial and temple and all that it taught and suggested. These very blessings that God had given to them were the things that had blinded them to the truth as it is in Christ Jesus. (D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Romans, Exposition of Chapter 11, 32)
F. You are bored with the things of God (Mal 1:6-14; Heb 3:12-13)
It is a mark of spiritual barrenness in the church when people come to worship to fulfill a duty or keep a habit rather than satisfy an appetite. — Eric Alexander
G. You expect God to be obligated to make you healthy and wealthy (Dt 8:6-14; Mt 6:19-24; Mk 8:36; Lk 9:25; 12:13-21; Jas 2:5-7; )
H. You complain to God because you are uncomfortable, suffering, or discontented (Ps 95:8; Rom 5:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 1 Pt 5:10)
Where does pleasure come from? After searching alternatives, Chesterton settled on Christianity as the only reasonable explanation for its existence in the world. Moments of pleasure are the remnants washed ashore from a shipwreck, bits of Paradiseextended through time. We must hold these relics lightly, and use them with gratitude and restraint, never seizing them as entitlements. (Philip Yancey, Soul Survivor, 54)
I. You look at God’s loving rebuke or discipline with contempt, disdain or bitterness (2 Chr 36:15-16; Pr 29:1; Jer 7:25-26)
J. You are too lazy, apathetic or bored to hyper listen (Zech 7:11-13; Mt 7:24-27; Lk 8:18)
K. You have no intention of obeying what God clearly tells you in His Word (Ex 4:21; Mal 2:1-9; Mt 7:24-27; 13:11-15; Heb 13:12-13)
The people of Israelwere blind because God had made them blind. Their blindness was punishment for their sin. They did not want to see the things of God, so, as he has done throughout redemptive history, he abandoned them to their sinful desire. This is God’s poetic justice. If you do not want to hear the Word of God, be careful, because God will make you deaf, and then you will never hear it. If you do not want to see the kingdomof God, whatever you see even vaguely now will be taken away. If you are not alive and energetic to the things of the Spirit, be careful that God does not visit you with the spirit of lethargy, taking from you whatever weak zeal you have. When God works that way, it is always a punishment for evil inclinations. (RC Sproul, St. Andrew’s Expositional Commentary: Romans, 370-71)
L. You regard obedience to God as a nuisance, hassle, or a bother rather than a joy and a delight (Mal 1:6-14)
Worship point: You know you are really worshiping in Spirit and in Truth when you can praise God in the midst of His winnowing you to a mere remnant of what you used to be. Learn to praise and worship God when He has stripped you of everything but Himself. It was Jesus who went from being the ultimate blessing and became the ultimate curse . . . For you!
Spiritual Challenge: Learn this truth in the midst of God’s employing His remnant work in your life: You will never know that Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have. And when Jesus is all you have, you will discover the peace, boldness and freedom that comes when you recognize that Jesus is all you need.
Ezekiel 36:22-36 & Jeremiah 31:31-34
Quotes to Note:
A man is not saved because he is a member of a nation or of a family, or because he has inherited righteousness and salvation from his ancestors; he is saved because he has made a personal decision for God. It is not now the whole nation who are lumped together as the Chosen People. It is those individual men and women who have given their hearts to God, of whom the remnant is composed. (William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible Series: Romans, 145)
Faith is the key to a proper assessment of God’s relationship with humans. Were one to look for other factors (prosperity, political power, zeal for the law, adherence to rituals) to describe those in right standing with God, all such measuring sticks would be works, which would mean that grace would no longer be grace (v. 6). Instead, the starting point for assessing our spiritual life and health must be the grace offered by God and received in simple trust. (Clarence L. Bence, Romans, A Commentary for Bible Students, 180)
The judgment of God upon a remnant, or, contrariwise, the manifestation of grace to them, shows how history and theology are intertwined.
An example of a pertinent text is Mi 5:3 which states: “Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in travail has brought forth; then the rest (remnant) of his brethren shall return to the people of Israel.” God will give up His people into the hands of their enemies (Romans ?) until Christ shall be born of Israel(or Mary); then all His scattered brethren shall return and be joined in one body. Hutcheson understands the remnant here to be elect Gentiles, then unconverted, who are brethren in respect to His eternal love in election, God’s purpose being to make them brethren by conversion. (Merrill C. Tenney, The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol. 5, 62)
God’s grace always surpasses His people’s sin.— John MacArthur
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