Romans 9-11
God's Plan
to Bless Israel (still)

Psalm 132:1-18 God Blesses Those Who Serve Him

1.Song of The Steps* “Yahweh, remember David and all his affliction,2.how he swore to Yahweh, and vowed to the Mighty one of Jacob:3."Surely I will not come into the structure of my house, nor go up into my bed;4.I will not give sleep to my eyes, or slumber to my eyelids;5.until I find out a place for Yahweh, a dwelling for the Mighty one of Jacob."6.Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah. We found it in the field of Jaar:7."We will go into his dwelling place. We will worship at his footstool.8.Arise, Yahweh, into your resting place; you, and the ark of your strength.9.Let your priests be clothed with righteousness. Let your saints shout for joy!"10.For your servant David’s sake, don’t turn away the face of your anointed one.
11.Yahweh has sworn to David in faithfulness. He will not turn from it: "I will set the fruit of your body on your throne.12.If your children will keep my covenant, my testimony that I will teach them, their children also will sit on your throne forevermore."13.For Yahweh has chosen Zion. He has desired it for his habitation.14."This is my resting place forever. Here I will live, for I have desired it.15.I will abundantly bless her food supply. I will satisfy her poor with bread.16.Her priests I will also clothe with salvation. Her saints will shout aloud for joy.17.There I will make the horn of David to bud. I have ordained a lamp for my anointed.18.I will clothe his enemies with shame, but on himself, his crown will be resplendent."

Observation

132:1-18.

(*See note on Ps 120) David and Hezekiah were both very concerned about the Temple as a dwelling place for God's presence (and ark) where people could worship Him. Hezekiah was distressed (usual theme for the first of each triad) over the continuance of his rulership, and asks God to remember His promises to David (Davidic Covenant 2Sam 7), particularly those relating to the permanence of the anointed descendants (like Hezekiah). In response to David's zeal for the Lord's house, God granted him the Davidic Covenant. In response to Hezekiah's zeal to cleanse and rebuild the Temple, he seeks for God to bless the work and establish his throne over his enemies, so the lamp would not go out.

Application

God blesses and rewards those who seek His glory, granting them protection, peace, posterity, and prosperity, as well as intimacy with Him.

Prayer

God, You are loyal to all Your promises; may I experience all of them as I faithfully serve You, and seek to display Your glory to those around me. Amen.

TMS Galatians 2:20 Crucified With Christ

20.I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.

Observations

This is Paul's experience, and should be ours as well. Romans 6 describes how this process works (see the outline “It Ain't Gonna Reign No More”), and how we experience it in our lives. In the verse above “crucified” is in the perfect tense which is something that happened in the past with continuing results into the present. The motivating force in Paul's life was no longer his desires, but those of Christ who dwelt in him via His Spirit. Later in Galatians Paul elaborates on our responsibility to deliberately put to death the desires that are not in accord with God's will for us (Romans 8:14).

Gal 5:24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Gal 6:14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Our temporal life in “the flesh” is now lived focused on Christ, having faith in Him and His promises, without reservation. We can have this level of trust, because He has demonstrated His trustworthiness through loving us to the point of dying for us.

Application

If you haven't learned how to kill deadly desires, they will kill you. See series on Deadly Desires on Truthbase.net before it's too late.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thanks that I can totally trust You to take care of my life and desires as I follow You; don't let me hold back anything, but help me die to self to live for You. Amen.

Romans 9-11 God's Plan to Bless Israel (still)

These three chapters are conclusive proof that God still has a plan for Israel. His choice of them as His people, and plans to glorify them are not undone by their disobedience. This answers an objection to Paul's “unbroken chain” in the previous chapter.
The fulfillment of God's plan is not dependent upon individual's working/obeying, or failing to obey, because the fulfillment is a function of God's grace. His choice of Israel to be His chosen people was also not dependent upon anything that anyone did.
Now the receipt of the blessing (the fulfillment) is dependent upon individuals believing (as chapter 11 clearly demonstrates with branches being broken off or grafted back in to the tree of promised blessings, depending upon their belief).
God's plan was that Israel's rejection of Him would bring blessing to the Gentiles who would provoke Israel to jealousy. In Paul's day it provoked them to murderous rage, but the game isn't over yet. When the full complement of Gentiles has come into the sphere of God's blessing, then Israel will believe and be grafted back in. This is done to praise the wisdom of God. Remember wisdom is choosing the right objective (saving Jews and Gentiles and displaying God's glory in the process), and the right means of achieving that objective (Jewish rejection, Gentile acceptance, Jewish jealousy, Jewish acceptance, and everybody blessed). God specifically chose to bless the Jews so there would be a point of contact between heaven and earth, so all could come to Him.

Romans 9 God's Promises Stand

1.I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit,2.that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart.3.For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh,4.who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises;5.of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally (of the age) blessed God. Amen.6.But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For not all the ek Israel those Israel. For not all those descended from Israel are the Israel7.nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, "In Isaac your seed shall be called."8.That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.9.For this is the word of promise: "At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son."10.And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac11.(for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls),12.it was said to her, "The older shall serve the younger."13.As it is written, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."14.What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not!15.For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion."16.So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.17.For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth."18.Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.19.You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?"20.But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?"21.Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?22.What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction,23.and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of hesed/mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,24.even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?25.As He says also in Hosea: "I will call them My people, who were not My people, And her beloved, who was not beloved."26."And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ There they shall be called sons of the living God."27.Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, The remnant will be saved.28.For He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, Because Yahweh will make a short work upon the earth."29.And as Isaiah said before: "Unless Yahwheh of Sabaoth had left us a seed, We would have become like Sodom, And we would have been made like Gomorrah."30.What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith;31.but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness.32.Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone.33.As it is written: "Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame/dishonor."

Observation

9:1-33. See the outlines under Digging Deeper for more. Paul knows that the benefits of the Jews accepting the Messiah are so great for the world and the glory of God, that he is willing to sacrifice his share in the dominion of the Age (cut off or accursed from eternal life), to make that happen.
He establishes that God's promises to Israel are not invalidated by Israel's rejection of the Messiah using a number of arguments outlined under Digging Deeper. The gist of them is that God's blessing has always been a matter of His doing rather than man's works, so Israel's lack of good work is irrelevant with respect to the nation. It's a different story with respect to individuals. Not all the physical descendents of the guy call Jacob-Israel are the children of promise who get the blessings (Rom 2:28). Just like not all physical descendents of Abraham are, since God chose Jacob's descendents, rather than Esau's. The choice of Jacob to be in covenantal relationship with Him is love (hesed) while the lack of covenantal relationship is called hate (Gen 26:27). See comments on Malachi, where this statement is made, over a thousand years after the individuals lived, about the nations that would come from them. It's about corporate, not individual election. Mercy is hesed covenantal love, not forgiveness.
Pharaoh was hardened in his decision to not let God's people go, so God could then judge him. See comments in Exodus. God can make vessels for honor or dishonor, and can choose to bring judgment upon them for their decisions when He pleases.
The Gentiles didn't pursue righteousness according the law as the Jews did, but found it by faith. The reverse is true for the Jews. Now this does not apply to every single Gentile or Jew. Obviously some Gentiles missed it, and some Jews got it. The ones who believe, will not stumble nor be put to shame.

Application

Since God has chosen to bless whoever believes Him (9:33), it makes sense to believe Him for all He has promised.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thanks that You bless those who put their faith in Christ; may I experience all that You have in store for me. Amen.

Romans 10 Call On Your Lord

1.Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.2.For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.3.For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.4.For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.5.For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, "The man who does those things shall live by them."6.But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, "Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’" (that is, to bring Christ down from above)7.or," ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).8.But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach):9.that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.10.For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.11.For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."12.For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.13.For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."14.How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?15.And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!"16.But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?"17.So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.18.But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: "Their sound has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world."19.But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says: "I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation, I will move you to anger by a foolish nation."20.But Isaiah is very bold and says: "I was found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me."21.But to Israel he says: "All day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and contrary people."

Observation

10:1-21.

See the outlines under Digging Deeper for more. The key point of this chapter is that Christ is the end of the law as the means of righteousness to everyone who believes. When the temple was destroyed in AD 70, it was no longer possible to follow the law. Those who believe in Christ get righteousness, but wait, there's more. Calling on the name of the Lord, a popular OT pastime, that involved not just asking for help, but proclaiming what He had done when He answered, is necessary for salvation. This is not justification (chapter 3), but the glorification Paul began to talk about in chapter 8b. You can't even call unless you've believed. You can't believe unless you've heard, and the world and Israel had heard the revelation of God, so all can believe. However, Israel was a little hard of hearing, so God planned to bless the Gentiles so the Jews would turn to Him.

Application

Our faith has to be based upon the Word of God, not what someone says about it, or what we think is says, but what God has actually revealed. This calls for Bible Study skills and then when you understand it, believe it, and do it.

Prayer

God, thanks that Your revelation is accessible, and understandable; may I embrace it by faith, and be embraced by You. Amen.

Romans 11 Gifts and Call Irrevocable

1.I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.2.God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying,3."LORD, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life"?4.But what does the divine response say to him? "I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal."5.Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.6.And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.7.What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded.8.Just as it is written: "God has given them a spirit of stupor, Eyes that they should not see And ears that they should not hear, To this very day."9.And David says: "Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a recompense to them.10.Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see, and bow down their back always."11.I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles.12.Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!13.For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,14.if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them.15.For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?16.For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.17.And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree,18.do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.19.You will say then, "Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in."20.Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear.21.For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.22.Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.23.And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.24.For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?25.For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.26.And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness/irreverence from Jacob;27.For this is My covenant with them, When I take away/remove their sins."28.Concerning the gospel the Jews are enemies (of God) for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved (of God) for the sake of the fathers.29.For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.30.For as you were once disobedient/obstinate/unpersuaded to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience/obstinacy,31.even so these also have now been disobedient/obstinate, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy.32.For God has committed/enclosed them all to obstinacy/disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.33.Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!34.For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor?35.Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?” 36.For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

Observation

11:1-36.

See the outlines under Digging Deeper for more. God's promises to bless His people are not annulled by their disbelief and disobedience, any more than in the OT, when their failure to believe and obey brought repeated judgment. The blessings promised to Abraham and Israel and their descendents have come to the Gentiles (as contained in the Abrahamic covenant -Gen 12). If the Gentiles continue to believe, they will continue to be blessed and lay up treasures in the Messianic Kingdom. Remember we're not talking about justification, but glorification. If the Gentiles don't continue to believe, they will be cut off from blessings. Conversely, the day is coming when Israel will believe and be blessed/glorified/saved. All those of Israel who are of the promise (have faith) will be included in that group. Those who don't believe, don't get blessed, just like in the OT. This is a particularly apt reference, since the Kingdom blessings take place in the Promised Land, the history of which is recorded in the OT. Believe and obey, get blessed. Disbelieve and disobey, get cursed (Dt 29-30). God's plan is to have mercy upon all through His plan to bless Israel. It will still happen.

Application

Verses 20-21 are specifically addressed to us Gentiles who stand in God's grace by faith: fear (be careful to know and do what's right in His sight), so that you don't disobey and be cut off from blessing.

Prayer

God, You said that fear of You was the beginning of wisdom, may I be wise in understanding Your will for me, and faithful to do it in a manner that pleases You. Thanks for Your grace and blessing, and salvation. Amen.

Digging Deeper

Full inductive study outlines of Romans 9-11 are on blogspot

Where to go for more

Truthbase.net