God’s Irrevocable Election of Grace

Transcript

GRM 528
God’s Irrevocable Election of Grace
Romans 11:1-10
4-27-97

Some of you have been wondering when we are going to get back to Ezra. And I have no idea. Ezra had the same problem I did. He got done with chapter 5 and it took him 57 years. At lease we had a gap of that long between the chapters. And I know our gap won’t be that long but we are not going to get back to it for a while. I want you to turn to Romans chapter 11 in your Bibles. We are going to spend the next few weeks going through Romans chapter 11. We mentioned in our study of Colossians this morning that God has through the apostle Paul given the fullness of the revelation regarding a new work that He began in Acts chapter 2. It continues down to our day and will continue until the rapture of the church. And that is the joining together in one body of Jew and Gentile in the entity we know as the body of Christ, the Church. Now it causes confusion on many people’s part. People at Indian Hills continue to get confused on the matter of Israel and Israel’s future.

We have to read with discernment. When we read the Puritans you have to understand they have some good things to say but they were confused in their eschatology. They were post-millennial in that area of theology. Some of you like to read Arthur W. Pink and he has said some good things. But he at one time was dispensational and lost his way and so became confused on issues relating to Israel in the Church and the law and the believer and so on. We must understand that certain of God’s purposes are established and firm and unchanging. And in this day God is dealing with the Gentiles while at the same time He does save some Jews. But then Gentile and Jew alike are joined together in one body, the Church. But God is not done with Israel as a nation. There is a future for Israel. There will come a time when the fullness of the Gentiles will come to completion and then God will resume and bring to completion His program with the nation Israel. There is one seven year period left in the 70 weeks of Daniel of Daniel chapter nine that outlines God’s program for the nation Israel that will ultimately bring them to salvation and the establishing of His kingdom which He has promised them. We ought not to be confused on this matter. And if you keep your hermeneutics simple and consistent, you won’t have any trouble. We must continue to interpret Scripture literally in the historical, grammatical method and you’ll keep on track. And while you may read some individuals that you enjoy and appreciate, don’t get swept off your feet. I have enjoyed reading the Puritans. I have enjoyed reading Charles Haden Spurgeon over the years but you understand Charles Haden Spurgeon is not a dispensationalist. He would have been an even better preacher if he was. But he wasn’t.


Romans chapter 11. Concluding chapter of Romans 9, 10 and 11 show after having dealt with salvation in the first eight chapters in a thorough, organized way, showing the condemnation of sinners and justification of sinners, the sanctification of sinners, God shows that His sovereign work of election is what brings it all together. In 9,10 and 11 he deals with the nation Israel showing that in His sovereign work His salvation in His time will be brought to the nation as a nation. They do fit in that work of salvation that He has provided in Jesus Christ. In chapter 10 Paul demonstrated clearly that Israel is responsible for their failure to believe the gospel. So in chapters dealing with the sovereign work of God you do not do away with the individual responsibility of mankind. God has graciously made provision for all so that whoever believes in Him might be saved. And so the preaching of the gospel in chapter 10 verses 14 and 15 is the means God uses to bring salvation to those that He has chosen. And election is a work of love and grace because apart from that sovereign work of God none of us as rebellious, sinful people would ever respond to His gracious love and believe in the Savior He has provided.

The Gentiles have responded in faith while the Jews have not. The Jews have proved to be a disobedient and obstinate, stubborn people. Look how Chapter 10 concludes in verse 21, “But as for Israel [He says] all the day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.” What a terrible thing. The nation that God chose for Himself, the nation upon whom God showered blessing after blessing, the nation that was a stubborn and obstinate people. This raises the question in light of the salvation of the Gentiles, verse 20 if chapter 10, ?I was found by those who did not seek Me. I became manifest to those who did not ask for Me,? referring to Gentiles. In light of Gentile salvation and Jewish stubbornness and obstinacy, does this mean that God is done with Israel? Israel has rejected God; God has rejected Israel. We now have a new plan: spiritual Israel, the Church. Well the apostle Paul adamantly rejects that and he will clearly show that God is still saving Jews. That shows that He is still dealing graciously with Israel. And He has a believing remnant of Jews that continue down as part of the Church that are a testimony to God’s grace in dealing with Israel. And someday He will complete His program with the Gentiles and then Jews will move to center stage again.

So chapter 11 begins with a question. “I say then God has not rejected His people, has He?” Keep in mind we have the chapter break. But this flows out of the fact God’s people have rejected Him. “But God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be.” King James translates it “God forbid.” Mayganoita. Such a thought is impossible. Absolutely not. God has not rejected His people, referring to Israel. And so even the way the question is worded implies a negative answer. God has not rejected His people has He? It implies a negative answer and he gives the strongest form of the negative answer. “May it never be for I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham of the tribe of Benjamin.”

You know the question God has not rejected His people has he, is a reminder of what God promised in the Old Testament. And just turn to a couple of passages with me. Going back to I Samuel chapter 12, I Samuel chapter 12. This is in the context of Israel’s sin and rejecting God as their king, desiring to be like the nations around them with a human king, rejecting God’s time table, in providing for them the king of His choosing.


But look at verse 22, this is Samuel speaking, “For the Lord will not abandon His people.” Why? “On account of His great name, because the Lord has been pleased to make you a people for Himself.” Do we understand the arrogance that says that God is done with Israel because they are unfaithful? Have you and I been more faithful? Do we stand redeemed in the sight of God? The object of His love, destined for the hope of glory because of our wonderful faithfulness? What arrogance. So here you have the assurance from Samuel, “God will not abandon His people.” It is not because they are faithful enough, it is on account of His great name. Remember when the covenant was cut with Abraham and Abraham split the animals in two and the path was made between the parts and then God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Abraham. And God passed through the divided animals. He obligated Himself totally to the fulfilment of the covenant that He has established with Abraham and his descendants. So it is God’s great name that is at stake. That does not minimize the faithlessness of Israel. It magnifies the faithfulness of God who always honors His word. His great name is at stake. “Because the Lord has been pleased to make you a people for Himself.” Election is always a sovereign work of God that centers in Himself, not in anything those chosen do. And that includes Israel.

Look over in Psalms 94 verse 14, Psalms 94:14. “For the Lord will not abandon His people, nor will He forsake His inheritance.” We are talking about Israel there. Now we take and apply that to ourselves, and there is something to be said there. Because God has entered into a relationship with us as His people today as He did with Israel. But the prime reference here in interpretation is the nation Israel. That is His people that He won’t abandon. That is the inheritance that He will not forsake. Praise God for the truth of that. Because we as the Church today are also His inheritance, and His people. And I take comfort in knowing He is not going to abandon me and His faithfulness to Israel is a testimony to that.

One other passage, then we’ll come back to the New Testament. Out of the prophet Jeremiah, Jeremiah chapter 31. And here you have God’s promises in the context of the new covenant relating to Israel. We don’t have time to read the whole thing, but verse 35 begins by giving assurance of God’s promise to Israel and jump down to verse 36. “If this fixed order, the sun, the moon and so on, departs from before Me,” declares the Lord, “Then the offspring of Israel shall cease from being a nation before me forever.” Thus says the Lord, “if the heavens above can be measured the foundations of the earth searched out below, then I will also cast off the offspring of Israel for all that they have done,” declares the Lord.” You note that. And we can appreciate the magnitude of this promise even more in our scientific day. “If the heavens above can be measured,” and we are constantly finding out that they stretch out beyond anything we can fathom. “If you can measure it, then I will cast off the offspring of Israel for all that they have done.” In other words they cannot become unfaithful enough for Me to violate my covenant. In fact I am committed to a new covenant with them that does not abandon the Abrahamic Covenant, but brings it to ultimate fulfillment. The Mosaic Covenant was a temporary covenant to bring Israel to Christ as Galatians says.


So those promises, we come back to Romans chapter 11. I Paul, a Jew (which he is going to emphasize at the end of verse one) is saying is I believe unshakably that God will honor His word and keep His promises. I am a Jew, I am an Israelite in verse one, “A descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.” I am evidence that God hasn’t rejected His people, I am a saved Jew, a physical Jew. This concept of spiritual Jews . . . Now not every physical Jew is in the line of promise. You had to be a physical Jew who had a spiritual relationship through circumcision of the heart to be in the line of promise. The Jews missed this, they thought the physical did it. So as a Jew Paul finds it abhorrent that people would think that God has cast away His people. “God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew.” So he repeats what he just said in verse 1, “God has not rejected His people has He? God forbid.” Verse 2, “God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew.” Now could the Scripture be any clearer? I tell you I have to scratch my head and I wonder how do people get confused on this. How do they say well it is not physical Israel? The church fulfills all the promises given to that people. I mean could God say it any clearer? “Has God rejected His people? May it never be. God has not rejected His people.” I mean if you didn’t get it the first time, you get the second. And yet here we are 2000 years after Paul writes this and there are people saying oh no there is no future for Israel. The church fulfills all those promises. God has rejected the physical nation. I mean I just scratch my head. I try to read this material and I am supposed to know more than what I know. I am supposed to know somebody else’s position so I read it. And I say well how do I end up with that.

“These people whom He foreknew.” These are a people whom He foreknew. Remember the foreknowledge of God is a foreordination and becomes almost synonymous with choosing. It is not just knowing something ahead of time. Look back at Amos, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos. So get to the book of Daniel and keep going. Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos. Amos chapter 3 verse 2, God says to Israel . . . Note verse one says, “Here this word which the Lord has spoken against you sons of Israel.” This is addressed to Israel. Verse 2, “You only have I chosen among all the families of the earth.” That literally says and different editions of the Bible . . . New American Standard has gone through a variety of different translations on this. Some have it “You only have Me? which they abandoned thankfully. “You only have I chosen.” Literally “You only have I known of all the families of the earth.” I mean obviously God is omniscient. He knows in one sense every nation. But “you only have I known,” have I chosen for Myself, have I established a relationship of intimacy with. So God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. The only nation that He knew in that sense was Israel. And they are not rejected. Paul was writing after the establishment of the Church. But the establishing of the Church does not mean the nullification of the promises of Israel.


Come back to Romans chapter 11. Now he is going to use an example from the Old Testament from the time of Elijah to establish and support the fact that God has not rejected His chosen people. He will give a quote that comes from I Kings chapter 19 verses 10 and verse 14. ?Do you now know what the scripture says in the passage about Elijah how he pleads with God against Israel. Lord they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down your alters. I alone am left and they are seeking my life.” You see from Elijah’s stand point this nation was good for nothing and he was the only one left, or so he thought. God says, “I have kept for Myself 7000 men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” I suppose the gender inclusive version of the Bible will say I have kept 7000 people. But I think it was 7000 men and women and children would be additional to that. “They have not bowed the knee to Baal.” This would only be a small portion, 7000 men, out of how many? Estimates vary but somewhere around 2 Million probably came out of Egypt in the exodus. And now the passing of time, how large is the nation? We don’t know but 7000 men in that nation. We know from numberings that go on they can have 600,000 men prepared for war. So this is a very small portion. But Elijah, don’t underestimate it. That is a lot more than one. It may seem you are the only one. “but I have reserved for Myself.” You note the emphasis is on God’s actions. “I have kept for Myself.” God is sovereign. Even in the down times of Israel’s history, God is working and preserving a remnant for Himself even in the darkest times. In the same way then . . . So Paul says let’s draw a parallel to our day. “In the same way then there has also come to be at the present time [as he writes] a remnant according to God’s gracious choice.” Literally a remnant according to God”s election of grace, a remnant according to God’s election of grace. He stresses the fact that the believing remnant that existed down even in Paul’s day following the time when the nation had joined together in crucifying their Messiah, the Son of God. When they had declared, “His blood is on our hands,” we take full responsibility. God was not done with Israel. There continued to be a remnant according to God’s gracious choice, His election of grace.

Now I want you to note. We mentioned it before but we have to keep it in mind. When you talk about God’s election in relationship with Israel, it is twofold. First there is the election of the nation as a nation. God chose Israel out from among all the peoples of the earth, all the nations. In fact He chose them before they were a nation. And we just read Amos chapter 3 verse 2, “You only have I known of all the nations of the earth.” This does not mean that every single Israelite within that elect nation and is saved. But the nation as a nation has been chosen. Keep that in mind. God has blessed the Unites States of America but we are not God’s chosen nation. Remember God has only chosen one nation for Himself. We have been blessed greatly. Why should we be here with Bibles in our hands studying the word of God? It is the blessing of God upon us. But make no mistake. The United States of America is not on par with Israel. Israel is unique. It is the only nation that every will be chosen as a nation, a physical nation to belong to God. So there is the national election of Israel. Then secondly there is the election of individual Jews within the elect nation. And these individual Jews who are elect of God to experience God’s salvation. And this was brought out in chapter 9 verses 6 and following where he shows within the physical line of Abraham there is an electing work of God going on. And he shows even the twins that were born. God chose one and rejected the other. Establishing the physical line alone is not enough. But don’t make the mistake that many in the Church today have done, thinking the physical line is nothing. There is great blessing in the physical line for a Jew if you also have the spiritual relationship. And Paul makes that point very clearly. So you want to keep in mind that two emphasis on election when you are dealing with Israel: the national election and then the personal election. Here Paul says there is a remnant according to God’s election of grace. In chapter 9 verse 27 He quotes from Isaiah chapter 10 verse 22 and says, “Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sands of the sea it is the remnant that shall be saved.” Even with the vast numbers of Israel it is only a remnant within the nation that experiences God’s salvation. And the promises of God to Abraham are realized and will be realized through the remnant. Even when Israel as a nation, as we’ll see as we proceed through chapter 11, experiences God’s salvation, that nation will be a greatly decimated nation that ultimately enters into those promises by God’s grace.


Back in chapter 11, verse 6. Now he mentions an election of grace and it would help if we just translated “an election of grace” instead of “God’s gracious choice.” And keep in mind this word “choice” is the word we get the English word “election” from. God has chose, elect us. He has selected, “electas,” the selection of grace. “But it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. So you note what happens, the Gentiles get confused because they think God is done with Israel. Why? Well, Israel was unfaithful. But you understand election is not based upon works. Election does not primarily have to do with faithfulness or unfaithfulness, because it is an election of grace. It amazes me that the prime leaders are covenant theologians reformed in their theology that are the most adamant on the sovereignty of God, who are the most confused on the future of Israel. If you are clear on the sovereignty of God and His election of grace you ought not have any problem with the future of Israel. Because it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. Problem with the Jews, they were pursuing righteousness by law, in chapter 9 verse 31. “Israel pursuing a law of righteousness did not arrive at that law,” they did not realize that was the goal. Righteousness, they were trying to do it by works. Why? “Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works,” 9:32. “They stumbled over the stumbling stones,” Jesus Christ, that is the problem. Grace and works as regards to bringing about of God’s righteousness and salvation are mutually exclusive. The order here is important. God’s salvation always results in a transformed life, good works. When it comes to entering into that salvation works have no part. God’s election or choice of the nation Israel or of individuals has nothing to do with our works. Otherwise it would not be an election of grace. We may have some questions about it. We may have some things that we don’t understand, but what God says is clear. We ought not confuse what God has says because we are confused in our understanding. He has chosen us on the basis of what? Himself. It was what He determined to do. Ephesians 1 says it was according to His good pleasure. That is what pleased Him to do. That sounds a little too arbitrary to me, I don’t like that. Well join the crowd, but God is not running a Democracy. He is sovereign; this is what He did. And I know it is right, because shall not the judge of the earth do right. Of course He will. I may not understand it all, maybe I can?t put together every detail in it, but I know what He says. It is election of grace.


Back up to Romans chapter 4. I don’t want to belabor the point beyond what we should, but if you are clear on this, why would you say that Israel is rejected because of their works? You understand that they were never chosen on the basis of their works. They were chosen because God in electing grace chose them. And as we’ll see as we get to the end of the chapter the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable, so it is a settled matter. This whole idea that God is done with Israel because they were unfaithful. It is not just confusing in the area of eschatology, it is confusing in the whole area of the sovereign work of God and what it means that God elects in grace. Romans chapter 4 verse 4, “Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.” Jump down to verse 16, “For this reason it is by faith in order that it might be in accordance with grace so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants. Not only to those who are of the law, but to those who are of the faith of Abraham who is the father of us all .” There is a provision in the Abrahamic covenant for those beyond the physical family of Abraham. And in him all nations will be blessed. Praise God for that truth. But now we want to read back and cancel out Israel. That is arrogance. So this rules out any idea that God’s election was on the basis of knowing what we would be like, knowing what we would do, because it would be a choice based upon works. Then grace would no longer be grace and everything collapses. So we want to be clear, the basis of election is in God himself. Why God chose you I don’t have the foggiest idea. Why He chose Israel, I don’t know. You know the times I have visited there I can’t say that they are the most likable people in the world. They can grate on you. In fact I might have chosen someone else. Why did He choose them? Because He chose to do it. Why did He choose you, why did He choose me? Isn’t that grace? There is no human explanation. God did it. That is love and mercy. Now keep in mind we are dealing with fallen, Sinful human beings. People get to say, well then some people don’t have a chance. Election since you are dealing with grace and mercy, you are dealing with sinful people. If we weren’t sinful, we wouldn’t need mercy. We wouldn’t need grace. So election is dealing with people who are sinful, in need or mercy, in need of grace. We get the idea this isn’t fair. What do you mean it isn’t fair. It is fair if everyone goes to hell. Remember the angels who sinned. every one of them is going to hell. God never even made a provision for a fallen angel to be saved. He doesn’t have to make provision for the salvation of sinful beings. He simply has to exercise justice. And if He had done the same with the human race we would say He is just. But He has provided salvation graciously brought some into that salvation. That is mercy. Why would He do that? It is not amazing He would send some to hell. It is amazing He would bring any to heaven. So we don’t want to get confused in what we are talking about.

Come back to Romans chapter 11. Ephesians 2:8 and 9, “For by grace are you saved by faith and that not of yourself; it is a gift of God, not as a result of works lest anyone should boast.” So our salvation is not brought about by our works. It is the gift of God. But we are created in Christ Jesus for good works that are a result of our salvation, not a cause of it, not a completion of it, not even necessary to the maintaining of it. Those who are saved will manifest the character of God. Back in Romans chapter 11. “What then, what Israel is seeking it has not attained but those who were chosen attained it and the rest were hardened.” This “what then” draws a conclusion from the first six verses. What Israel is seeking it has not obtained. This was dealt with. We read back in chapter 9 verses 30, 31, 32 and 33. In chapter 10 verse 2, ?I testify about them [Israel] Paul says they “have a zeal for God but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.” Christ is the end of the law for righteousness for everyone who believes. You can’t become righteous by the Law, by keeping of the law. So Israel failed to attain it. They thought we are God’s people. We are the chosen nation. We keep the law. At lease we keep it even better than those Gentiles do. They were right. But what God demands is not relative perfection, it is complete perfection, not relative righteousness but perfect righteousness. So they didn’t attain what they were acquiring. They prided themselves. They weren’t the dogs of the Gentiles. They still didn’t acquire the righteousness of God that God required. But those who were elect, the chosen, obtained it.


Let’s make it clear. Salvation is God’s work. Why did you believe the gospel when you heard it? There was a spark of goodness in you. Well certain theology, Wesleyan theology said that in God’s grace He made it possible for all to believe so now it is all on us. But that means I believed and you didn’t. I am better than you. That is not the way He says here. The chosen obtained it, the elect obtained it. The rest were hardened. It is those that God has elected that come to salvation and only those. That is why in the verse we used this morning Paul says in II Timothy 2:10, “I endure all things for the sake of the elect that they might come to the salvation which is in Christ Jesus.” Because no one else is. No one else wants to. No one else will. It is an act of God’s grace on the heart and mind of an individual that causes them to turn from their sin and believe in the Savior.

The rest were hardened. The rest were hardened. This point was made back in chapter 9 verse 18. “God has mercy on whom He desires, He hardens whom He desires.” He uses a different word for hardened here. The same concept is communicated. God is hardening people. The word hardened here in chapter 11 is a medical term. And I will read you it since I am not very medical. It was a medical word. It means a callus. It was especially used for the callus which forms around the fracture when a bone is broken. The hard bone formation which helps to mend the break. When a callus forms on any part of the body, that part loses feeling. It becomes insensitive. The minds of the mass of the people have becomes insensitive. They cannot longer hear and feel the appeal of God. And so when we talk about the work of God in election in the heart of men, we must keep in mind He is dealing with sinners, sinful beings who deserve hell. Again if that weren’t the case election wouldn’t be by grace.

Now hardening does not mean that God causes men sin. “God is never tempted to sin nor does He tempt others to sin” James 1 tells us. Hardening means God simply gives them over to their sinful desires. We saw that in Romans chapter 1 verses 24, 26, 28. God gave them over to their sinful passions. God gave them over. That is the hardening process. He permits them to be exposed to truth but He chooses not to soften their heart and cause them to believe. And so the truth hardens; it does not soften.

II Corinthians chapter 2 in the context, we give off the knowledge of Christ that is a fragrance, a pleasing aroma. It fits with what we were talking about this morning what God is pleased with is when Jesus Christ is made known, the gospel is presented. And you will note as that aroma of Christ is given off verse 16 of II Corinthians 2, “To the one we are an aroma from death to death and the other an aroma of life to life. Who is adequate for these things?” You note that an aroma from death to death. Every time I give forth the word of God, God’s purposes are accomplished. That is just as true in the lives of those who are further hardened in their opposition to the message as it is in the lives of those who are softened by the grace of God to believe the message. We have to keep in mind this is the sovereign work of God.


I have to keep on track within my responsibility just to present the truth. I can not change the heart. It is a fearful thing. There have been people who have sat under my ministry for years and years and have become so hardened to the truth of the word of God they no longer hear it. They are not longer convicted by it. It is a frightening thing to be exposed to God’s truth and not submit because that stubbornness is a punishing of God and you become further hardened. That’s why we talk about statistics how rare it is for people as they get in their older year to believe the gospel. Why? We become progressively hardened, and every exposure accomplishes something in our lives. The word of God never returns empty. That is God’s hardening process. You say, “it is not fair!” Why? “Because He didn’t choose me!” Fall down on your knees before Him and say, God, “I don’t believe You chose me, but you said, “Whosoever will call upon you will be saved.” I am claiming your word, You must save me. I am a sinner, deserving of hell, I claim your mercy. I believe in the death and resurrection of Christ.” Hold God to His word. All that will evidence that you are elect, because we are too stubborn to do it otherwise, we will not do it. We will go to hell, claiming our defiance, but we will not bow.

So that is what we are talking about, come back to Romans chapter 11. The rest were hardened. What happened in Jesus’ day? He walked the earth for three years; they couldn’t take it any longer. Why? He challenged them. “Why do you want to crucify Me? A man who has told you the truth.” That is why. The progressive hardening that took place in the nation, the leaders were willing to resort to the murder of the son of God, rather than put up for another day the impact of His life and teaching. Frightening how hardened in sin we can become. We become a person we don’t recognize any longer. I was talking to a person recently who had been involved in sinful behavior. I said to them, you know you have become a person that you a few years ago would have never thought you would become. You are doing things you never believed you would do, and you are on a road that will only lead you into worse sin, because you have become accepting of the sin now that you are in, and you have become progressively deadened.? It is a frightening, frightening thing.

Those who were chosen obtained that salvation. The rest were hardened. “Just as it is written, God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes to see not, ears to hear not.” Down to this very day. He quotes from Deuteronomy 29:4 and Isaiah 29:10 put together. The “spirit of stupor,” a state of spiritual insensitivity, deadness toward spiritual things. The person has no sensitivity or awareness of the work of God. I tell you, when I am dealing with a person who has sat under my ministry for years, I don’t know what to tell them. They have heard it, what can I say? When you talk to someone whom you are confident does not really know the Lord but they have heard it so many times, all you can do is what? Give them the gospel again and pray that God’s grace will touch their heart. But it is a judgement of God. He gave them a “spirit of stupor, eyes to see not, ears to hear not, down to this very day.”

It can happen in our own nation as we have been exposed to the word of God over the years. And our rejection what? Becomes more open, more defiant. I read in the morning paper a couple of movie actors, an actor and an actress. He gave her a ring, they had been living together for 14 years. Not married, the comment in the paper was, “Society thinks you ought to have a ring, well I gave her a ring, but we have no plans for marriage.” When I think of adulterers and fornicators God will judge a heart, a hardness, a defiance. Why do you want to live together and not get married? I mean you are going to be together for 14 years and you are planning to be together you think, for another 14, why wouldn’t you just get married? I will tell you why at heart-God says you must, and I am not going too do it. If God had said you have to stay single, they’d be getting married all over the place. I just want to do the opposite of what God says.


There is no other explanation. “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes to see not, ears to hear not, down to this very day,” and David says, “let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and retribution to them. Let their eyes be darkened to see not, and bend their backs forever.” Verse 9 quotes from Psalms 69:22, “Let their table become a snare and a trap.” Their table was to be that which was a blessing, a place of nourishment. Blessing which becomes a place of calamity for them. The very things that were to be a blessing for them become a calamity for them. “Their backs bent forever” pictured, bowed under the continual burden and terror of their situation. The Hebrew in the Old Testament means “make their loins continually to shake.” A man is continually bowed over with his sin and the terror of it all. It is a hardened process of God. The weight of sin gets heavier and heavier. We look and see, he’ll start out with beauty is lovely and will say, look with sin, look at them, they look so hard. You look at someone who started out as a beautiful woman and has spent years in prostitution. We say they are old before their years and their is a hardness about them. We read these passages. The centuries of time haven’t changed or altered their truth one bit, has it. And the way to sin, we see people committing suicide in a cult and what? Devoted to this sinful pursuit and the rejection of God and ultimately they come to their own self destruction.

Hardening of God in Israel is real, but don’t mistake that for the total rejection of the nation. There is still a remnant of God’s grace. There are still some Jews that have been saved and are part of the body of Christ today. And they are not only part of the body of Christ, but they are the ongoing testimony that God is not done with the nation Israel. And He has preserved as He did with the apostle Paul, a remnant according to the election of grace. That will prepare the way, some day for God to restore Israel to the place of blessing and salvation in the grace of God.

Let me review quickly for what we have covered in this section. And God’s work, sovereign work in salvation is a cause of great joy, but it is also a cause of great fear. I want you to understand that anybody can be saved that wants to be saved, but in reality nobody wants to be saved apart from the gracious work of God.


Number 1, God has not rejected His chosen nation Israel. That ought to be fixed in your mind. And anybody, no matter where they are coming from, that says God has rejected Israel, that is an attack on the character of God. Number 2, God has chosen a remnant in Israel with every intention that it would be every single Jew down through all time. He has chosen remnant. Number 3, election is based on the grace of God. Election is based on the grace of God. Number 4, Grace means man’s works are in no way involved in God’s election. God’s grace means man’s works are in no way involved in God’s election. Take heart. You are saved because God chose you, so you are not lost by what you do. Israel is in the same position. Number 5, God’s elect obtain God’s righteousness. God’s elect obtain God’s righteousness. Verse 7, “Those who were chosen obtain it,” the righteousness of God. Number 6, the non-elect are hardened. The non-elect are hardened. This is a divinely appointed result of their rejection of truth. Neutral you cannot be. God has divinely appointed and those who reject truth are hardened in that rejection. Number 7, God’s hardening brings an insensitivity to spiritual truth. God’s hardening brings an insensitivity to spiritual truth. Verse 8, verse 9, you say, well I am afraid I have been exposed to the truth, I have continued to reject it. I would say, cast yourself on the mercy of God. God be merciful to me the sinner. Number 8, calamity awaits the wicked. Calamity awaits the wicked. Israel was hardened by their failure to respond to God’s salvation. The same things happens to people today who are not Jews. So there are certain things that are true for all time. Truth either hardens or softens. People who walk away and say, well, you know, I can take it or leave it. No, you either accept it or reject it, and if you reject it you are hardened by it. And we all experience it. You do something wrong, your conscience bothers you. You do it wrong again, it bothers you a little less. You do that wrong thing one hundred times, pretty soon you don’t need to give it a second thought. Doesn’t bother me a bit. The hardening of sin. Nothing more serious than the rejection of truth, but in this context nothing greater than the grace of God. And Israel is a testimony to that. God has not rejected His people. They stumble, verse 11 says, where we’ll pick up in our next study, but they did not stumble so as to fall. Praise God! I take great encouragement as a Gentile today saved by God’s grace that I am secure in that grace. And the elect nation Israel is just as secure in that electing grace as the Church of Jesus Christ is. Let’s pray together.

Father, we thank You that You are a promise keeping God. Lord we acknowledge that that is grace. Even in our thinking it is fitting that Israel should be rejected. They deserve to be rejected. They are worthy of rejection. Lord, even that recognition magnifies Your grace because they are not rejected, because You are the covenant keeping God. You honor Your great name. You are faithful to Your promises. Lord, we rejoice in that because we as Gentiles today are every bit as sinful as Israel was. Lord, even as the redeemed in the church we find ourselves unfaithful more often than we care to admit. Lord we take great comfort in knowing You are a God of mercy and grace. We would not presume upon that grace and mercy, but Lord we would bask in the glory of it, know that we are secure today, tomorrow and for all eternity, because You in mercy and grace have chosen us for Yourself. In love have brought us to that salvation in Christ and are today working Your purposes in our lives. May it be the delight of soul to bow before You and submit to the wonder of Your truth, to have it worked out in our lives in every area through the gracious ministering of the Holy Spirit. We give You all the praise and honor in Christ’s name, Amen.

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GRM 528 Romans 11:1-10