I. Israel’s Current Spiritual Condition
A. Their Fall Is Not Permanent V. 11a
1. Israel failed spiritually as a nation due to self-righteousness and the rejection of Jesus.
2. But they are not forever doomed to disqualification from the promises of God.
3. God has not cast away Israel finally and forever
4. God’s promises are still true for the nation of Israel, and the Jewish people as an ethnic group.
5. If God called them to a favored status, then that promise will come to pass.
6. In the future, they will be the location of two major wars.
a. Ezekiel 38 & 39 speak of an invasion of Israel by Russia and Arab nations, which will be stopped miraculously through God’s intervention.
b. At the end of the Great Tribulation, the Battle of Armageddon (in Israel) will be ended by the physical return of Jesus Christ.
c. After that, they will be restored, and Jesus Christ will rule from Jerusalem.
B. Their Fall Created A Spiritual Shift Of Focus V. 11b
1. God used Israel’s spiritual failing to bring the gospel to the Gentiles.
2. But through their fall, to provoke Israel to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles.
3. In his missionary efforts, the Apostle Paul would first visit the local Jewish synagogue.
a. He would preach salvation through faith in Christ.
b. Most of the Jews rejected him, so he would then go to the Gentiles, many of whom believed and were saved.
4. Saved Gentiles should live in such a way as to bring a jealousy (emulation) to Jews.
5. God wants to use the church of Jesus Christ, and all Christians, to shine the light and love of God so brightly, that the Jews look at Christians, and desire that same salvation.
6. Sadly, the church has historically persecuted the Jews, or simply ignored them.
C. Israel’s Future Spiritual Restoration Vs. 12-15
1. V. 12- Israel’s failure in rejecting Christ brought the gospel to the Gentile world.
a. If Israel’s failure resulted in worldwide blessing, how much more their national and spiritual restoration.
b. Fullness- completeness, “full recovery”…to the place of a worshipping nation.
c. When God restores the Jews to His favor, the Kingdom Age will begin.
2. Vs. 13, 14- Paul is speaking to Gentile believers who may have had a tendency to think that God was casting away the Jews.
a. Gentile believers may have considered themselves spiritual superior, since they had accepted Jesus as Savior, but the Jews had rejected Him.
3. V. 15– Israel has been cast aside, but not totally, and not permanently.
a. We have seen a great re-gathering of the people back into the Land.
b. This is a fulfillment of Ezekiel 36 & 37.
c. The repopulating and reforestation of Israel is to be noticed.
d. The military might and technology.
e. A re-gathering of the people from all over the earth.
f. The maintaining of a language and culture over 19 centuries.
g. The future complete restoration of Israel, especially spiritually.
h. This is described as “life from the dead”.
II. Israel’s Chosen Position v. 16
A. Abraham- Father Of The Faithful
1. Genesis 12:3 “…in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
B. O.T. Example Regarding Israel
1. Firstfruit
a. Numbers 15:19-20 ‘…when you eat of the bread of the land, that you shall offer up a heave offering to the LORD.
20You shall offer up a cake of the first of your ground meal as a heave offering; as a heave offering of the threshing floor, so shall you offer it up.
b. The first part of the dough was to be offered up to God as a symbol that the entire lump belonged to Him.
Paul is saying that God accepted Abraham and the other patriarchs and must therefore accept the whole nation of Israel as His own.
c. Holy- set apart. Does not mean saved by faith.
d. Abraham- righteous by faith, God chose to bless all his descendants
e. Each individual still needed to exercise faith to be right before God.
2. Root- From the root, the tree grows, is nourished, and stabilized.
a. 1 Chron. 16:13 O seed of Israel His servant, You children of Jacob, His chosen ones
b. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and then the descendants of Jacob
III. Israel’s Failure Was Gentiles’ Opportunity
A. Chosen Position Doesn’t Guarantee Salvation Vs. 17, 18
1. Israel- The Olive Tree- A cultivated tree, at one time fruitful
2. Root- Abraham, patriarchs
3. Fatness of the tree- Godly leaders, God’s work on their behalf, the Word
4. Branches- Privileged position of being in tree of Israel
a. Personal faith still required
b. No automatic salvation because of chosen position
B. Breaking & Grafting Of Branches V. 18
1. Israel– Natural branches: individual people
a. Broken off b/c of unbelief; rejected Jesus as Messiah
i. All of Israel could have received God’s fullness through His promises to Abraham, but because of unbelief many did not.
b. Natural branches broken off to make room for unnatural branches
c. Can and will again be grafted in by faith
d. Natural branches more easily re-grafted
i. C.S. Lewis- In a sense, the converted Jew is the only normal human being in the world. Everyone else is, from one point of view,
a special case dealt with under emergency conditions.
2. Gentiles- Unnatural branches; wild olive tree
a. Grafted in by God’s grace, but through faith.
b. Israel’s rejection became Gentile opportunity
c. Gentiles grafted in “contrary to nature”
i. Matthew Henry- They were grafted in as a branch of a wild olive into a good olive, which is contrary to the way and custom of the husbandman, who grafts the good olive into the bad; but those that God grafts into the church he finds wild and barren, and good for nothing. Men graft to mend the tree; but God grafts to mend the branch.
d. Gentiles nourished from the root and fatness of the tree; O.T. revelation of God; God’s faithfulness revealed through Israel
IV. Warning For Gentile Believers
A. Don’t Be Proud In Yourself Vs. 19, 20
1. “Don’t boast against the branches”
a. Don’t look down on Jews who can’t see the truth about Jesus
b. “…if you do boast…” Remember, the root supports you.
i. The root is God’s revelation of Himself first to the Jews
ii. O.T. scriptures
2. “Don’t be haughty, but fear”
a. Humility, thanksgiving, and reverential fear of God are needed
d. 1 Corinthians 10:11, 12 11Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
12Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
B. Consider God’s Actions Towards People V. 21
1. Severity on those who stand in unbelief
2. Goodness towards those who have faith in Jesus
3. It is our choice what we will receive from God
a. Severity comes b/c of unbelief regarding Jesus
b. Goodness comes if we have faith in Jesus
C. Perseverance In Faith Necessary For Salvation V. 22
1. “If you continue in His goodness”
2. Not continuing means that you may be cut off, or will be cut off.
3. Sandy Adams- Faith is not a one time, sign on the bottom-line proposition. We have to continue in our faith if we expect to be saved, otherwise, we’ll be cut off.
4. “Perseverance of the saints”– Two interpretations
a. If you are saved, you will persevere to the end.
i. Speaks of God’s saving and preserving work in the Christian
ii. Jude 24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you
faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy…
iii. Ephesians 1:13, 14; 2:1-10
b. If you persevere to the end, you will be saved.
i. Speaks of the Christian’s need to endure and not turn away
ii. John 15:1-8; Colossian 1:21-23; Hebrews 3:12-14
V. Conclusion
A. Israel
1. God will pour out His Spirit on Israel
2. There will be a national turning to God. See Romans 11:26
3. Individual faith will be required
B. Gentiles
1. Today, each one of us is called to faith in Jesus
2. Rejection of Christ results in the severity of God
3. Those who are saved, know 2 things:
a. You need to continue in the faith, depending on Jesus for salvation
b. God can, and will keep you. He sees you seated in the heavenlies.
WHAT APPLICATIONS DO WE MAKE?
1. God is sovereign. He graciously calls sinners to Himself.
2. Apart from the call of God, no one could ever be saved.
3. Salvation is all of God, and the grace He extends to sinful people.
4. Salvation is not of works. Grace isn’t added to what man fails to do.
5. God is not finished with Israel, and with the Jewish people.
6. He will restore them to social, political, and spiritual prominence.
7. Israel doesn’t deserve it, but God is gracious, and will show Himself mighty on their behalf.
8. Therefore, we watch the Middle East, and we look for the battle described in Ezekiel 38 & 39.
9. When God defeats Russia and the Arab nations, then Israel and the entire world
“…shall know that I am the Lord their God”. That phrase appears 11 times in Ezekiel 37-39.
10. There will be a national revival throughout Israel.
11. God’s calling is irrevocable.
12. Israel has failed as a nation, and is in a condition of spiritual blindness.
13. Though they are religious, they are actually apart from God, and rejected their Messiah.
14. Nevertheless, God will again be merciful and gracious to them.
15. He will rescue them from the next war.
16. He will rescue them from the nations that gather for the Battle of Armageddon.
17. Jesus will physically return to Israel, and there set up His kingdom for 1000 years.
18. God restores sinful, rebellious people.
19. People that have rebelled and are in a spiritual stupor are not beyond the reach of God.
20. James 4:6-10 6But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:
“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”
7Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up