Friday 09/21/07 (Romans 11:25-32)
v25 “For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery--so that you will not be wise in your own estimation...”
Paul is about to reveal to them a mystery!!! This is a BIG DEAL!!! God has only revealed Himself through scripture, and only through His word can we know Him, otherwise we are “wise in our own estimation”. What is revealed in this passage is authoritative because it is the Word of God!!!
v25-26 “... that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved...”
Paul says “partial hardening” for we see many Jews in the NT being saved (historically, like Paul himself, of the tribe of Benjamin, and also prophetically, like the 144,000 saved during the tribulation to be evangelists (Rev 7:2-8)), and so this hardening (divine hardening) is “partial”.
This hardening is executed “until the fullness of the gentiles has come in”. Like those speaking the slanderous words of the mockers Peter refers to in 2 Peter 3:3, some deny Christ’s second coming! But Peter (vv8-9 of 2 Peter 3) confirms that His Promise (that of His second coming, see v4 of 2 Peter 3) will be fulfilled. However, God, not wishing for any to perish but for all (those elected for salvation) to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9), will not return until the fullness of those being saved come in.
It is at this time, the second coming of Christ, that “all Israel will be saved”, for at this time the spirit of grace will be poured out on the house of David, and they will look on Me whom they have pierced (Zech 12:10 and context) and Israel will repent (Zech 12:10-12), and a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity (Zech 13:1).
And so Israel, here in v26, is a national ethnical entity, preserved by God for salvation when, “...The deliverer will come out from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob. This is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins (v26-27)”. Therefore, Israel here is an eschatological (end times) entity.
vv28-32 “From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God's choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.”
Now Paul further explains to the Romans the relationship between gentile believers, and apostate Israel. Disobedience here can be understood as unpersuadable (apeitheia in the greek), and so because of disobedience, or more accurately put, disbelief, on Israel’s part, God is going from Israel to the gentiles. Paul goes full circle on the Romans, and explains that because Israel was disobedient, God set Israel aside and went to the gentiles, and showed them mercy, for they too did not believe until God had mercy on them; however, God will show mercy to Israel, while they are in disbelief, for the same mercy was shown to the gentiles. And so, as Paul says in v27, “from the standpoint of the gospel they (Israel) are enemies (of God)”, but Paul makes it clear that Israel’s apostasy is for “your sake”, here referring to Israel being set aside so that God can show mercy to the gentiles; but, “...God has shut up all (Israel and gentiles) in disobedience, SO THAT He may show mercy to all”, thus showing mercy to Israel, a national, ethnical eschatological (end times) group, and saving them all at the second coming of Christ.
v25 “For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery--so that you will not be wise in your own estimation...”
Paul is about to reveal to them a mystery!!! This is a BIG DEAL!!! God has only revealed Himself through scripture, and only through His word can we know Him, otherwise we are “wise in our own estimation”. What is revealed in this passage is authoritative because it is the Word of God!!!
v25-26 “... that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved...”
Paul says “partial hardening” for we see many Jews in the NT being saved (historically, like Paul himself, of the tribe of Benjamin, and also prophetically, like the 144,000 saved during the tribulation to be evangelists (Rev 7:2-8)), and so this hardening (divine hardening) is “partial”.
This hardening is executed “until the fullness of the gentiles has come in”. Like those speaking the slanderous words of the mockers Peter refers to in 2 Peter 3:3, some deny Christ’s second coming! But Peter (vv8-9 of 2 Peter 3) confirms that His Promise (that of His second coming, see v4 of 2 Peter 3) will be fulfilled. However, God, not wishing for any to perish but for all (those elected for salvation) to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9), will not return until the fullness of those being saved come in.
It is at this time, the second coming of Christ, that “all Israel will be saved”, for at this time the spirit of grace will be poured out on the house of David, and they will look on Me whom they have pierced (Zech 12:10 and context) and Israel will repent (Zech 12:10-12), and a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity (Zech 13:1).
And so Israel, here in v26, is a national ethnical entity, preserved by God for salvation when, “...The deliverer will come out from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob. This is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins (v26-27)”. Therefore, Israel here is an eschatological (end times) entity.
vv28-32 “From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God's choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.”
Now Paul further explains to the Romans the relationship between gentile believers, and apostate Israel. Disobedience here can be understood as unpersuadable (apeitheia in the greek), and so because of disobedience, or more accurately put, disbelief, on Israel’s part, God is going from Israel to the gentiles. Paul goes full circle on the Romans, and explains that because Israel was disobedient, God set Israel aside and went to the gentiles, and showed them mercy, for they too did not believe until God had mercy on them; however, God will show mercy to Israel, while they are in disbelief, for the same mercy was shown to the gentiles. And so, as Paul says in v27, “from the standpoint of the gospel they (Israel) are enemies (of God)”, but Paul makes it clear that Israel’s apostasy is for “your sake”, here referring to Israel being set aside so that God can show mercy to the gentiles; but, “...God has shut up all (Israel and gentiles) in disobedience, SO THAT He may show mercy to all”, thus showing mercy to Israel, a national, ethnical eschatological (end times) group, and saving them all at the second coming of Christ.
posted by Timothy Nash @ 9:53 PM
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