Rom. 11:17-36, “The Old Testament Scriptures Prophesy That Israel Shall One Day Be Restored To The Lord:  Part 2”

 

By

Jim Bomkamp

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1.     INTRO:

 

1.1.                     In our last study, we looked at chapter 11, verses 1 – 16.

 

1.1.1.  We saw that chapter 11 deals with God’s future restoration of the nation of Israel to Himself that will occur at the end of the seven year Tribulation period of the book of Revelation. 

 

1.1.2.  We noted again that chapter 9 deals with God’s election of Israel and chapter 10 with His present rejection of Israel.

 

1.1.3.  We saw that from the context Paul in chapter 11 could only be talking about Israel as a nation, otherwise chapter 11 is really incomprehensible.

 

1.1.4.  We saw that as early as 160A.D. and the writings of Justin Martyr, the Christian church began to believe that the many promises found in scripture that were made by God to Abraham and his descendants for a land and many blessings were passed on to the church, and thus these promises were spiritualized.

 

1.1.5.  We saw that Replacement Theology and the A-Millennial view of eschatology have dominated most of church history however history has also shown that this doctrinal position has likewise led to much prejudice and Anti-Semitism.  Tragically also, the church has been involved in as much persecution of Jews throughout history as any other country or group.   For instance, it was not until after WWII that the Roman Catholic church disavowed support of Hitler and Nazi Germany. 

 

1.1.5.1.      We did note however that throughout history there have been notable Christian theologians who have gone against the trend and believed in the future restoration of the nation of Israel, as chapter 11 of Romans so clearly teaches.

 

1.1.6.  We looked at many Old Testament scriptures that support our interpretation of this chapter referring to the future restoration of the nation of Israel.

 

1.2.                     Today, we are going to finish up chapter 11 as we look at verses 17-33.

 

1.3.         We will continue to see how that simply looking at the scriptures that it should be clear that this chapter teaches that Israel as a nation shall at some time in the future be restored to the Lord through faith in Jesus Christ.

 

1.4.         We will see that Paul warns us Gentiles of looking down upon Israel or being prejudiced towards her because of two primary factors: 

 

1.5.         We have a great debt to the Jewish patriarchs for we have merely been planted into the root of Israel in the first place.

 

1.6.         Because the root of God’s vine was originally holy, it will again be holy when the nation of Israel is again grafted into God’s vine.

 

1.1.         I have mentioned before in this study  the fact that Israel became a nation in 1948, and how that it was through wars in which they miraculously won that this came about.  The fact of Israel becoming a nation as well as how against overwhelming odds that they were able to do this has led many to re-examine the scriptures and realize that God’s word had told them over and over how that He would in the end days raise them up again as a nation and restore them to Himself.  So, I thought that I would give you a brief overview here of how that Israel became a nation and has established itself in the world, and most of this information was copied from a few web sites, including :  http://www.eretzyisroel.org/~jkatz/

http://www.jafi.org.il/education/100/act/herzl/index.html

http://bahai-library.org/resources/chronology.mideast.html

 

The Ottoman Empire had controlled Israel for hundreds of years.

 

The land of Palestine had been long considered and waste land and was unwanted and very sparsely populated.

 

The First Zionist Congress met in Basle, Switzerland in 1897. 

 

It was originally planned for Munich, Germany but the venue had to be changed due to strong anti-Jewish sentiment within the church.  This congress created the Zionist Platform and the World Zionist Organization.  The aim of these organizations was to provide a legally secure homeland there for Jews to return to.  An Hungarian journalist/lawyer/playwright living in Paris named Theodor Herzl was elected president of the World Zionist Organization and later wrote in his dairy that at this congress he had formed the Jewish state.

 

Immigration of Jews to the land of Palestine from all over the world began, and by and large nations were glad to have the much hated Jews leave.  Waves of horrible riots in Russia against the Jews led to much of the immigration of Jews.  By 1914, there were 60,000 zionists in Palestine.

 

The Ottoman Empire was falling apart and was in such bad shape that it was frequently referred to as the "Sick man of Europe."  While World War I was raging, the British and the French reached a secret agreement on dividing up the soon-to-be-defunct empire.  The agreement didn't really take effect, but it demonstrated that Europe was soon to decide the fate of the middle-east.

The British took over Palestine in the wake of the Ottoman collapse and gave a boost to the Zionist cause in 1917 with the Balfour Declaration.  Named after then foreign minister Arthur Balfour, the declaration promised that Britain would work for a Jewish home in Palestine.

 

During the period of British rule of Palestine between the world wars the Zionist settlement of Palestine really took off.  About 300,000 Jews came to Palestine from Europe between 1922 and 1937.  The violence that has continued until today between Jews and Arabs in Palestine began at that time.  The Zionists wanted more Jews to come to Israel. The Arabs wanted the number of Jewish settlers to be limited.

 

Because of the Holocaust of the Jews by Nazi Germany during WWII, at the end of the war there was international sympathy towards the Jews which led to many more Jews being allowed to immigrate to Palestine. 

 

Both Arabs and Jews alike had grown to dislike British rule over Palestine and there had been much unrest.  So, at the behest of England in 1947 the United Nations General Assembly had a vote and chose to make Israel a nation.  The voting was 33 in favor, 13 opposed and 11 abstained.  An Arab state and a Jewish state was created at that time, and it was determined that Jerusalem would become an international city.  The Jews had gained a victory, however not only had the eastern section of the Land of Israel (east of the Jordan River) been torn away, but now the western side was also divided and in addition Jerusalem, the Eternal Capital of the Jewish People, was declared international territory. Nevertheless, the Jews celebrated by singing and dancing in the streets until daybreak.

 

The Arabs however did not accept the plan. For them it was a day of mourning. Not long after the U.N. decision was approved, Arab rioters massed near Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem and proceeded to the Jewish commercial center, where they looted the stores and set them on fire. The British army did not intervene apart from preventing the Jews from salvaging whatever could be saved. Riots also broke out in other cities, especially those with mixed populations.  Many residents of border neighborhoods abandoned their homes.  Jews in more isolated neighborhoods fled to other Jewish neighborhoods, and many Arabs left for nearby Arab countries. Outbreaks of violence also occurred against Jews in Arab lands.

 

Nov. 30, 1947 – March 10, 1949 --  The War For Independence

Historians differ as to which event led directly to the War of Independence. But all agree that the war began approximately at the time of the U.N. General Assembly’s decision (November 29, 1947). The War of Independence lasted for a year and four months.  From the outset Israel’s position was worse than that of the Arabs, both in the number of fighters and the poor quality of its equipment. Many did not believe that the Jews could gain the upper hand in this battle.  At the time, the Jewish community in the country numbered 600,000.  During the war 4,500 soldiers and 1,500 Jewish civilians lost their lives - one percent of the total Jewish population in Israel.  The Arab population exceeded 1,300,000.  They were flanked by the well equipped regular armies of the Arab countries - a total of 100,000 soldiers.  Approximately half of the Jewish force was made up of people who had been active in “underground” organizations such as the Hagana, Etzel (acronym for the National Military Organization founded by precursors of today’s Likud party), and Lehi (acronym for Israel Freedom Fighters, a rival right-wing group).  At the beginning of the war, the Jew’s ammunition totaled one million bullets, or 50 bullets per rifle.  There was a negligible number of larger weapons such as mortars and there was no organized air force.  The entire air service numbered nine single-engine planes.  There was no armored corps and the naval fleet consisted of a few motor boats.

 

May 14, 1948—The Day of Jewish Independence

 

David ben Gurion declared the establishment of the State of Israel.  This was the day when the British finally left the Land of Israel, including the High Commissioner.  On the same day the people’s representatives gathered at the Tel Aviv Museum to set up a provisional Government.  David Ben Gurion read the Declaration of Independence, which formalized the establishment of the independent State of Israel.  He called on the neighboring Arabs to remain in the country and to live together in peace.  The Declaration states that the State of Israel is based on the principles of justice and democracy, and constitutes the national home for the Jewish People.

 

The day after the Declaration, fears of war became a reality.  The Arabs not only rejected the UN Partition Plan, but attacked Israel from all sides.  On the day that Israel declared its independence, the Arab League Secretary, General Azzam Pasha declared "jihad," a holy war.  He said, "This will be a war of extermination and a momentous massacre which will be spoken of like the Mongolian massacres and the Crusades."  The Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin Al Husseini stated, "I declare a holy war, my Moslem brothers! Murder the Jews! Murder them all!"  The armies of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq invaded the tiny new country with the declared intent of destroying it.  On Saturday the sixth day of Iyar (May 15, 1948), regular Arab armies invaded the newly declared State of Israel.  The Egyptians invaded on the coastal plain, aiming for Tel Aviv.  Bitter battles were waged along the length of the Egyptian front, surprising the Egyptians with the force and intensity of Israeli resistance.  The planned march on Tel Aviv proceeded more slowly than expected, which gave the Israeli forces time to regroup on the central front.  Near Ashdod, the Egyptian column was stopped and surrounded.  

The Syrian army attacked Degania in the north but was pushed back in a battle of supreme heroism.  It succeeded, however, in conquering the area of Mishmar Hayarden.  The Lebanese overran the Malchiah area and reached Nazareth.  The Jordanian army succeeded in cutting off Jerusalem from surrounding settlements. The Etzion Bloc was defeated in the south, Beit Ha’arava in the east and Neve Ya’akov and Atarot in the north.  But the most tragic defeat was the fall of Jerusalem’s Jewish Quarter on May 28, 1948.

On June 11, 1948 a cease fire came into effect. It lasted four weeks, during which time both sides regrouped and re-equipped their forces.

On July 9, 1948 the fighting resumed. Within ten days the Israeli forces managed to block the Egyptian army, reopen the road to Jerusalem and stage several operations which succeeded in connecting Jewish held areas in the city. In the Lower and Western Galilee they retook large areas.  Despite these efforts, however, the Negev remained cut off and in ten days of fighting all attempts to link up failed.

On July 19, a second cease fire was arranged, but the Egyptians contravened the cease fire agreement. In the fighting that ensued, the Negev was liberated.  In another operation, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) penetrated Sinai, but due to heavy political pressure, they were forced to retreat.

The conquest of the southern Negev and Um Rashrash (Eilat) in March 1949 ended the War of Independence. One Arab country after another signed cease fire agreements with Israel, starting with Egypt on February 24 and concluding with Syria on July 20.  These agreements specified the interim borders between Israel and the Arab states, as decided by the outcome of the battles.  Procedures for communications between countries were drawn up.  It was agreed that this would be a temporary agreement, pending peace negotiations between Israel and her neighbors.  But it would take another 30 years for peace to be realized.

Israel signs armistice agreements with Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria.

 

Ben Gurion's government declares Jerusalem the Eternal Capital of Israel. 

The modern nation of Jordan was established--1950

During the Jewish War of Independence many Arabs had fled their homes and relocated to the West Bank of the Jordan River.  In 1950, King Abdulla constitutionally expanded his Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan when elections were held uniting the Arabs on both sides of the Jordan River and granting the Arabs immediate citizenship in Jordan.  Jordan now consisted of 1.5 million people.

640,000 Jews immigrate to Israel from 1948-1952.

1964—The Palestinian Liberation Organization (P.L.O.) was founded, calling for the destruction of the State of Israel and Zionism, headed by Akhmed Shukeiry.

 

The Six-Day War—1967

 

In June 1967, after Egypt blockaded Israeli shipping lanes in the Red Sea, expelled UN peacekeeping troops from the border of the Sinai and built up its own troops in the area, and after Syria massed large numbers of troops on the Golan Heights, Israel launched preemptive strikes against Egypt.  Syria and Jordan joined Egypt in the fight.  The war lasted only six days.  Jordan dropped out after three days, Egypt after four and Syria after six.  Israel captured territories which had served as staging areas for rocket or terrorist attacks on Israeli civilian populations:  the Sinai and the Gaza Strip from Egypt, the Golan Heights from Syria and the West Bank from Jordan including East Jerusalem.

Attrition Battles, Between Wars, 1967-1970

 

As a result of the war, Israel's political and military situation changed dramatically.  It now had a much stronger bargaining position.  Israel maintained that Jerusalem would remain a unified city and Eastern Jerusalem would not be returned to Jordan, but return of the other territories was open to negotiation. But reason did not prevail.  The Arab nations met in Khartoum, Sudan and declared:  No peace, no negotiations, no recognition.  Instead, Israel was subjected to constant attacks along the Jordan Valley and from the Suez Canal.  This was known as the war of attrition.

1969-72  --  Jewish and Israeli air passengers become a target of skyjack terrorism.

1972 --  Eleven Israeli athletes massacred at the Munich Olympic Games, which carry on.

In the years following the Six Day War, all sectors of the economy prospered and flourished. During this period Israel consolidated her position in the world, although the Arab nations refused to accept the new reality.  The armies of Egypt and Jordan embarked on a war of attrition.  Frequent attempts were made to infiltrate the borders and penetrate IDF positions and there were many incidents when shots were fired at Israeli soldiers.  The war of attrition lasted for 17 months.  During this time 721 Israelis were killed, 594 of them soldiers.  The Arab states continued to reequip their armies and train their soldiers. Gamal Abdel Nasser died in Egypt, and was succeeded by Anwar Sadat.

 

The Yom Kippur War—1973

 

In Oct. 6, 1973, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Jordan attacked Israel.  The Egyptian forces broke through the fortification line on the Suez Canal and overran the Sinai Peninsula.  At the same time, the Syrians pushed towards the Golan Heights in an attempt to penetrate the valley and drive a wedge into Israel.  Since warning signs had been ignored or misinterpreted, Israel was totally surprised by the onslaught.  The country was unprepared, in the midst of observing Yom Kippur.  The army swiftly regrouped and mobilized reserve forces, while the soldiers in the front lines struggled to hold back the onslaught.  Militarily the outcome of the war was a victory for the Israeli forces.  Under adverse conditions they succeeded in seizing the initiative and pushing the battle into enemy territory.  At the war’s end the IDF were poised 40 kilometers (28 miles) from Damascus in the north, and beyond the western bank of the Suez Canal on the road to Cairo in the south.  In addition, the Israeli army succeeded in encircling and cutting off Egypt’s Third Army in Sinai.

The war ended on October 24, but the IDF’s regular and reserve soldiers were confined to their outposts for many more months.  The Yom Kippur war took a very heavy toll: 2569 soldiers fell in battle and more than 300 were taken prisoner. 

The Israelis managed to push back the attack but the U.S. convinced Israel to withdraw from the territories it had taken.  For many Israelis the 1973 war reinforced the strategic importance of buffer zones occupied in 1967.  Syrian troops were stopped 10 miles from the Israeli town of Tiberias.  The heartland of Israel would have been overrun had it not been for the buffer zones of the West Bank, the Golan Heights and the Sinai.

The war created a great rift among the people. Confidence in the army’s intelligence-gathering ability was severely shaken.  Accusations were leveled at many leaders in the political and military fields, revealing grave defects and dividing the nation.  A process of sober thought followed the sense of elation and euphoria engendered by the Six Day War.  From the political point of view, the war brought about a transfer of power in Israel.  In 1977, for the first time in the history of the State, the Likud party rose to power and the Labour party sat in opposition.


The Camp David Accords, 1979

 

In 1979, after intensive negotiations conducted by the U.S., Israel and Egypt signed the Camp David accords.  A peace treaty was concluded and Israel returned the Sinai desert to the Egyptians.  President Sadat of Egypt became the first Arab leader to visit the Jewish state and in a sign of the new relations between the two countries, he addressed the Israeli parliament, the Knesset.

The Lebanese Incursion, 1982

 

In June 1982, Israel, concerned about growing PLO units operating from Lebanon and attacking Israeli settlements in the north, launched an attack on the PLO in Lebanon.  In addition to PLO fighting units, the Syrian army, which had firmly established itself in Lebanon, was Israel's principal opposition.  According to Chaim Herzog, author of a definitive history of Israel's wars, the Syrian forces, well supplied with modern Soviet equipment, fought very effectively. Nevertheless, the Israeli army prevailed in the battles and could have advanced to Damascus.  The fact that it did not indicates that Syria's claim of fear about Israel's expansionist motives is not supported by evidence.  After a costly struggle that drew Israel into the increasingly complicated Lebanese civil war and generated domestic opposition to its involvement in Lebanon, Israel withdrew in June 1985.  However, Israel maintains a military presence in a section of southern Lebanon which serves as a buffer zone and prevents widespread terrorist incursions into Israel from the north.

1.2.         We will look today at the fact that the Lord tells us that the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable and that at a future time all Israel shall be saved.

 

2.     VS 11:17-18  - “17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.”  -  Paul tells us that some of the branches of God’s vine were broken off, but we Gentiles were a wild olive vine that has been grafted in among those other branches, but we Gentiles must remember that it is the root that supports us

 

2.1.                     In these verses, we see that Paul uses for illustration purposes the very common practice of cross pollinating vegetables, trees, and flowers.  When some Jews were removed from God’s vine because of their unbelief in rejecting Jesus as their Messiah, Gentiles were grafted in and became part of God’s family.

 

2.2.                     In these verses, Paul seeks to put into their proper place the Gentile believers who were thinking of themselves more highly than they should regarding those who call themselves Jews.  Paul says that the Gentiles were not the highly valued branches from the ‘olive tree,’ but in reality they were a less valued ‘wild olive’ branch.  Though the Gentiles have been grafted into the highly valued ‘olive tree’ as God’s people, they have none-the-less received all of the blessings which the olive tree has received.

 

2.3.                     Paul calls upon Christian’s to consider the fact that the Christian’s blessing in knowing the Lord and inheriting all that he inherits in Christ, comes as a result of the faithfulness of the Jewish patriarchs.

 

2.4.                     As was mentioned previously, throughout this church age the Church has persecuted the Jews, and at the time of the reformation there was an anti-Semitism that existed even among the reformers.  Unfortunately, that same attitude has continued in some groups down through history.  However, we Christians must never let an attitude of anti-Semitism exist amongst us, for this is not a godly attitude, and it will only result in God’s discipline of us.  God does not take lightly when people come against the Jews, since He has future plans of restoration in mind for them.  We must never be hardened in prejudice against those who are Jews today.

 

3.     VS 11:19-21  - “19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; 21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you.” -  Paul tells us that the branches of God’s vine that were broken off were broken off because of their unbelief, but that we who were grafted in stand in the vine because of our faith, however, we must not become conceited about being part of God’s vine, but rather give God proper reverence

 

3.1.                     In these verses, Paul gives an exhortation to the Gentile believers to realize that just as God broke off from the vine the Jewish branches which refused to come to faith in Christ, so God can remove the Gentiles from the vine if they do not continue to walk in faith in Christ.

 

3.2.                     Rather than being ‘conceited’ in thinking that they were better than the those who were Jewish, Paul tells the Gentiles that they ought to work on having holy reverence and awe of God, for this is the fear of God. 

 

3.3.                     This is a warning to the Gentile believers to continue on in their faith (i.e. to grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord) in order that they might not be broken off of the vine and removed from fellowship with Christ.

 

3.4.                     When the Psalmist writes that ‘the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,’ what he means is that having that holy reverence and awe of God is the main or chief thing of importance in life.  That is where a relationship with the Lord must begin, and that must be the attitude that prevails all through a Christian’s life.

 

3.5.                     I like Skip Heitzig’s definition of “the fear of the Lord.”  He says, “it is a reverential attitude that produces a humble submission to a loving God.”

 

3.6.                     If we will keep ‘the fear of the Lord’ in our life, according to the Psalmist in Psalm 16:6 it will keep us from evil, “...And by the fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil.”

 

4.     VS 11:22  - “22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.” -  Paul tells us to behold the kindness as well as the severity of God, kindness to us who have found Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, but severity to those who were cut off because of their unbelief

 

4.1.                     In this verse, Paul gives the Gentile Christians a warning as well as instructs them as to two very opposite ways in which God deals with men : 

 

4.1.1.  Those who refuse to receive the gift of salvation through Christ will experience the ‘severity of God,’ as the apostle John reveals to us in Rev. 20 when he records Christ say that those who refuse to believe in Christ will be cast into the Lake of Fire to suffer for eternity in hell.

 

4.1.2.  Conversely, those who receive the gift of salvation offered by Christ experience the ‘kindness’ of God.

 

4.2.                     Paul places a warning in verse 22.  He warns the people that if they do not abide in Christ as a branch (‘continue in His kindness’), they will be ‘cut off’ as a branch just as the Jews were cut out of God’s vine.

 

4.3.                     We Christians must be people who continue throughout our life to “abide in Christ” as a branch, in order to be saved.  John the apostle recorded Jesus’ words about this in John 15:5-6, “5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch, and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”

 

5.     VS 11:23-24  - “23 And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more shall these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?” -  Paul tells us that if the Jews do not continue in their unbelief that they will be grafted in

 

5.1.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            In these verses, Paul writes that just as with any Gentile, if a Jew chooses to believe in Christ for salvation, then he will be placed back into God’s vine, thus intimating that he will receive the gift of salvation Christ gives.

 

5.2.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Paul again uses the metaphor of the inferior ‘wild olive tree’ for the Gentiles in saying that if a Gentile can come to receive salvation through believing in Christ, it is all the more probable that God will hear the repentant cry for forgiveness from a Jew who is from the very valued ‘olive tree.’

 

5.3.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            We saw earlier in our study that Paul had stated that all people come to be God’s people in the same way today, for “there is no distinction.”  It is by having saving in Jesus Christ and trust in His completed work upon Calvary’s cross in making an atonement for our sins.

 

6.     VS 11:25-26  - “25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and thus all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,“The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”” -  Paul tells us that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in and then all Israel will be saved

 

6.1.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            In these verses, Paul reveals that which is a mystery in the Old Testament scriptures.  In the Old Testament scriptures, especially the major and minor prophets, we find many scriptures that speak prophetically of a future time that is coming when Israel as a nation will turn back to the Lord and be restored as a nation.  The mystery that Paul in these verses seeks to unveil is the fact that what is actually being foretold in those verses is a future time when the entire nation of Israel will turn to God and believe in Christ their Messiah for salvation.

 

6.2.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            This turning of the nation of Israel will occur when ‘the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.’  What this phrase means is that there is an exact number of Gentiles who will come to faith in Christ, and when this occurs then the scripture teaches that the Lord will bring the nation of Israel to restoration.  I believe that this will begin to happen after the church is raptured up to meet the Lord in the air.  At that time God will raise up 144,000 Jewish evangelists and begin to evangelize the world and with these representatives of the nation of Israel. 

 

6.3.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            In Zech. 12:9-12, the prophet foretold the coming day when the nations of the earth would come against Israel and God will destroy those nations, and how that at that time the nation of Israel shall suddenly look upon Jesus whom they have pierced, and then they shall repent, “9And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 10And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. 11In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. 12And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart;”  I believe that this section of scripture in Ezekiel probably corresponds with the events of Ezekiel 38 and 39 when Russia shall come down from the north and invade Israel, and the Lord shall destroy those nations.  At that time Ezekiel records that the Lord will take away the blindness of Israel, and they will again turn to the Lord.

 

6.4.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            In verse 26, Paul writes that in that day, “all Israel shall be saved.”  I don’t believe that this means that every single person who is a descendent of Israel will come to faith in Christ, but rather the nation as a whole (or in general) will turn to Christ for salvation.

 

6.5.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            As I have said a few times in regard to this chapter, the only way that I believe we can reasonably interpret these two verses is to see that in the context of his writing that Paul has to be referring to Israel as a nation.  I think there is a real blindness in those who believe that whenever the scripture speaks future of Israel that it is referring to the church, which they call “spiritual Israel.”

 

6.6.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Verse 26 is a quote from Isaiah 59:20.

 

7.     VS 11:27  - “27 “And this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.”” -  Paul tells us that the Lord says that He will make a covenant with Israel when He takes away their sins

 

7.1.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            This verse is a quote from Jeremiah 31:33-35 where Jeremiah refers to a future time when all Israel turns to the Lord and He makes a new covenant with them, “33 “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord, “I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 “And they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.””

 

8.     VS 11:28-29  - “28 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; 29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” -  Paul tells us that the Jews were presently the enemies of the church, however from God’s standpoint they were beloved for the sake of the fathers for the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable

 

8.1.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            The Jews tried in Paul’s day to exterminate the preaching of the gospel, and thus he writes that they were the church’s ‘enemies.’  However, Paul seeks to remind them that God chose the nation Israel and gave them many promises, for they were chosen by God before the creation of the world. 

 

8.2.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            We know that the Jews in God’s sight ‘are beloved’ because God made unconditional promises concerning them to their forefathers, the Jewish patriarchs.

 

8.3.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Those who try to make this chapter 11 refer to the church should cut verse 29 out of their Bibles since it destroys their arguments.  Paul has to be referring to the nation of Israel as under inspiration he says that God’s ‘gifts and calling’ by God are ‘irrevocable.’  God will indeed fulfill all of the promises that He made to the nation Israel, even though they have presently become hardened in their hearts to the Lord.

 

8.4.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            We Christians should just note that those who have been chosen by God to salvation are considered by Him to be ‘beloved,’ even when their actions are not meeting up to what He would desire them to be doing.  That is unconditional love.

 

8.5.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Since Paul writing under inspiration says that God will not ‘revoke’ a person’s ‘gifts’ and ‘calling,’ we in the church need to think about the implications of this.  If indeed a person has come to genuine faith in Christ (and granted there are many false conversions in the world), God will not give up on him, but will finish the work which He has begun.  Likewise, even though a Christian has fallen into sin, when the person has been restored to right relation to God, God will once again begin to use that person’s ‘gifts.’  I do also think that a falling into sin, especially immorality, and especially when one is in ministry, will have tragic scars that it will leave in a person’s life.  Yes, God may use the person again, but, we have to ask the question as to whether or not the person will ever be the same again?

 

9.     VS 11:30-32  - “30 For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so these also now have been disobedient, in order that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. 32 For God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all.” -  Paul tells us that just as the Gentiles had once been disobedient but had been shown mercy because of the disobedience of the Jews, so the Jews because of the mercy shown to the Gentiles, will at that future time of their restoration be shown mercy

 

9.1.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            In verse 30, Paul writes that because the Jews rejected their Messiah, it has come about that the preaching of the gospel has gone out to the Gentiles, and thus those who have come to salvation have experienced the ‘mercy’ of God.  However, in verse 31 he writes about how that now because of the ‘mercy’ that has been shown to the Gentiles, the Jews themselves will at that future point in time come to believe in Christ as their Messiah, and thus the nation shall be saved (those who come to personal faith only).  This may have to do with the jealousy that Paul mentioned earlier.  It could be that jealousy of the Gentiles will be used to finally bring the nation of Israel to salvation.

 

9.2.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            In verse 32, Paul writes that according to the overall scheme of things from God’s perspective, all men have not the ability to be righteous before God in and of themselves, and thus they are ‘shut up in disobedience’ and unable to know God or be His people.  However, in this state of ‘disobedience’ and rejection by God, God now shows ‘mercy’ to all of those He calls and appoints to salvation from all eternity.

 

10.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           VS 11:33-34  - “33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor?” -  Paul marvels at the wisdom as well as the knowledge of God

 

10.1.                In these two verses, Paul marvels at God’s wisdom and knowledge.  The way that God has chosen to deal with mankind reveals a depth of wisdom and knowledge which is beyond men’s ability to fully understand.  Paul had understanding from God through His Word and thus His dealings with mankind.  He saw that their was a wisdom which was “infinite,” or unfathomable.  God is all-knowing.

 

10.2.                Paul understood that had God not revealed His ways to mankind through His prophets and in His Word, no one would have figured God and His ways out.  C.S. Lewis once wrote that one of the main reasons for which he knew that God’s Word must be reliable and true throughout was because he knew that no one would have thought of what the Bible reveals to man.  No one could have made up the story of Jesus which the gospels record for instance.  All of the religions of the world are so opposite of the Bible in so many ways.  They all deal with how that man by His good works might obtain a righteousness before God.  They all record how that man might of himself reach out for God, or for gods.  However, in the Bible the unimaginable is recorded, God sends His Son who pays the price needed in order to pay the debt of sin which man owed, and thus salvation is available as a gift to be received.

 

10.3.                Paul asks the question in verse 34, “Who became His counselor?”  The answer to this question is assumed to be that God never has and never will need to confer with man one iota in His plans for this world, the universe, or the world to come.  God is so much superior to man, that of himself (without God’s enlightenment) man can’t even understand the most basic and simplistic thoughts of God, much less the depths of God’s wisdom and knowledge.

 

10.4.                Someone once said, “A lot of people want to serve the Lord, but only as an advisor.” Why do we sometimes try to be the Lord’s counselor?  Do we really think that we know better than the Lord how things should be done, or what should be done in situations?  We would better spend our time simply sitting at His feet seeking to know His mind, thoughts, and counsel for our life...

 

11.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           VS 11:35-36  - “35 Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” -  Paul asks the rhetorical question of who it is who has first given to the Lord, or to whom is the Lord indebted?

 

11.1.                In verse 35 Paul asks the question as to whether or not anyone ‘has first given’ to the Lord, and whether or not the Lord owes anyone anything?  This is a good question I think because of the fact that it seems that some people think that somehow the Lord does owe them something.  However, if we think about it more clearly, and if we think of all that we know about the Lord, it should become clear to us how much each of us owes to the Lord.  God is in control of all circumstances, and each of us on the face of the earth have been blessed with many blessings.  We all have had food to eat, clothes to wear, and place to sleep, etc., which the Lord has provided.  Sure some have suffered great lack in these essential needs in life, yet even they have many things for which to be thankful to the Lord.

 

11.2.                In verse 36, Paul reveals four things which show what is the sum total of God’s plans for all of His creation:

 

11.3.    First of all, he writes that everything that exists came ‘from’ God as the creator, as well as the provider. 

 

11.4.    When we think about it, there is nothing that any of us have that the Lord has not provided for us.  Paul wrote this same thing in 1 Cor. 4:7, “7 For who regards you as superior? And what do you have that you did not receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?”

 

11.5.    Secondly, in verse 36 Paul reveals that all things are ‘through Him.’ 

 

11.6.    That is, every blessing that we have received in this life, especially as concerns our spiritual life, comes ‘through’ Jesus Christ.  Paul wrote similarly  in 1 Cor. 8:6, “6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.”

 

11.7.    Third, in verse 36 Paul reveals that all things are ‘to Him.’ 

 

11.8.    In other words, all that is done in this life that is good and worthy of praise has been done for the Lord, ‘to Him’ personally.  All creation was created for Him, for His purposes and to exalt and glorify Him. 

 

11.9.    Paul pens this very concept in Col. 1:16, “16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created by Him and for Him.”

 

11.10.                       Fourth, in verse 36 Paul reveals that it is to the Lord that ‘all glory’ is to go for now and throughout all eternity. 

 

11.11.           God alone is to be lifted up and glorified, for He alone is worthy of praise.  Everything else that exists is just a mere creation with its origin in Him.

 

11.12.           In many places the writers of the Bible wrote about how Christ will get all of the glory forever and throughout eternity, and one such scripture which reveals this is 1 Tim. 1:17, “17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” 

 

11.13.           I want to leave you with a few of the words of the Old Testament prophets who foresaw the future restoration of the nation of Israel when she would again turn to the Lord her God :

 

11.14.           Isaiah 11, “1 Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 And He will delight in the fear of the Lord, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear; 4 But with righteousness He will judge th:we poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. 5 Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist. 6 And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them. 7 Also the cow and the bear will graze, Their young will lie down together, And the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den. 9 They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea. 10 Then in that day The nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious. 11 Then it will happen on that day that the Lord Will again recover the second time with His hand The remnant of His people, who will remain, From Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, And from the islands of the sea. 12 And He will lift up a standard for the nations And assemble the banished ones of Israel, And will gather the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth. 13 Then the jealousy of Ephraim will depart, And those who harass Judah will be cut off; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, And Judah will not harass Ephraim. 14 They will swoop down on the slopes of the Philistines on the west; Together they will plunder the sons of the east; They will possess Edom and Moab, And the sons of Ammon will be subject to them. 15 And the Lord will utterly destroy The tongue of the Sea of Egypt; And He will wave His hand over the River With His scorching wind; And He will strike it into seven streams And make men walk over dry-shod. 16 And there will be a highway from Assyria For the remnant of His people who will be left, Just as there was for Israel In the day that they came up out of the land of Egypt.” 

 

11.15.           Jeremiah 31:1-28, “1 “At that time,” declares the Lord, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people.” 2 Thus says the Lord, “The people who survived the sword Found grace in the wilderness— Israel, when it went to find its rest.” 3 The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness. 4 “Again I will build you and you will be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! Again you will take up your tambourines, And go forth to the dances of the merrymakers. 5 “Again you will plant vineyards On the hills of Samaria; The planters will plant And will enjoy them. 6 “For there will be a day when watchmen On the hills of Ephraim call out, ‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion, To the Lord our God.’ ” 7 For thus says the Lord, “Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, And shout among the chief of the nations; Proclaim, give praise and say, ‘O Lord, save Your people, The remnant of Israel.’ 8 “Behold, I am bringing them from the north country, And I will gather them from the remote parts of the earth, Among them the blind and the lame, The woman with child and she who is in labor with child, together; A great company, they will return here. 9 “With weeping they will come, And by supplication I will lead them; I will make them walk by streams of waters, On a straight path in which they will not stumble; For I am a father to Israel, And Ephraim is My firstborn.” 10 Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, And declare in the coastlands afar off, And say, “He who scattered Israel will gather him And keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.” 11 For the Lord has ransomed Jacob And redeemed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he. 12 “They will come and shout for joy on the height of Zion, And they will be radiant over the bounty of the Lord— Over the grain and the new wine and the oil, And over the young of the flock and the herd; And their life will be like a watered garden, And they will never languish again. 13 “Then the virgin will rejoice in the dance, And the young men and the old, together, For I will turn their mourning into joy And will comfort them and give them joy for their sorrow. 14 “I will fill the soul of the priests with abundance, And My people will be satisfied with My goodness,” declares the Lord. 15 Thus says the Lord, “A voice is heard in Ramah, Lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; She refuses to be comforted for her children, Because they are no more.” 16 Thus says the Lord, “Restrain your voice from weeping And your eyes from tears; For your work will be rewarded,” declares the Lord, “And they will return from the land of the enemy. 17 “There is hope for your future,” declares the Lord, “And your children will return to their own territory. 18 “I have surely heard Ephraim grieving, ‘You have chastised me, and I was chastised, Like an untrained calf; Bring me back that I may be restored, For You are the Lord my God. 19 ‘For after I turned back, I repented; And after I was instructed, I smote on my thigh; I was ashamed and also humiliated Because I bore the reproach of my youth.’ 20 “Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a delightful child? Indeed, as often as I have spoken against him, I certainly still remember him; Therefore My heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him,” declares the Lord. 21 “Set up for yourself roadmarks, Place for yourself guideposts; Direct your mind to the highway, The way by which you went. Return, O virgin of Israel, Return to these your cities. 22 “How long will you go here and there, O faithless daughter? For the Lord has created a new thing in the earth— A woman will encompass a man.” 23 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Once again they will speak this word in the land of Judah and in its cities when I restore their fortunes, ‘The Lord bless you, O abode of righteousness, O holy hill!’ 24 “Judah and all its cities will dwell together in it, the farmer and they who go about with flocks. 25 “For I satisfy the weary ones and refresh everyone who languishes.” 26 At this I awoke and looked, and my sleep was pleasant to me. 27 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beast. 28 “As I have watched over them to pluck up, to break down, to overthrow, to destroy and to bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the Lord.”

 

11.16.           Jeremiah 50:1-10, “1 The word which the Lord spoke concerning Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, through Jeremiah the prophet: 2 “Declare and proclaim among the nations. Proclaim it and lift up a standard. Do not conceal it but say, ‘Babylon has been captured, Bel has been put to shame, Marduk has been shattered; Her images have been put to shame, her idols have been shattered.’ 3 “For a nation has come up against her out of the north; it will make her land an object of horror, and there will be no inhabitant in it. Both man and beast have wandered off, they have gone away! 4 “In those days and at that time,” declares the Lord, “the sons of Israel will come, both they and the sons of Judah as well; they will go along weeping as they go, and it will be the Lord their God they will seek. 5 “They will ask for the way to Zion, turning their faces in its direction; they will come that they may join themselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten. 6 “My people have become lost sheep; Their shepherds have led them astray. They have made them turn aside on the mountains; They have gone along from mountain to hill And have forgotten their resting place. 7 “All who came upon them have devoured them; And their adversaries have said, ‘We are not guilty, Inasmuch as they have sinned against the Lord who is the habitation of righteousness, Even the Lord, the hope of their fathers.’ 8 “Wander away from the midst of Babylon And go forth from the land of the Chaldeans; Be also like male goats at the head of the flock. 9 “For behold, I am going to arouse and bring up against Babylon A horde of great nations from the land of the north, And they will draw up their battle lines against her; From there she will be taken captive. Their arrows will be like an expert warrior Who does not return empty-handed. 10 “Chaldea will become plunder; All who plunder her will have enough,” declares the Lord.”

 

12.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           CONCLUSIONS :

 

12.1.                As we consider this study and how we ought to apply it to our lives, lets :

 

12.2.    Be in awe of God’s great wisdom and insight.

 

12.3.    Be thankful for God’s kindness and grateful that we won’t experience the severity of His judgment.

 

12.4.    If you are doing so, stop trying to be God’s counselor or advisor.

 

12.5.    Keep your eyes on Israel and Jerusalem, for this shall be the capital of Christ’s kingdom when He returns.  There is a reason that the city of Jerusalem is mentioned some 900 times in the scriptures.

 

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