Romans 11:11-16

Biblical illustration: 2Kings 13:20, Then Elisha died, and they buried him. And the raiding bands from Moab invaded the land in the spring of the year. 21 So it was, as they were burying a man, that suddenly they spied a band of raiders; and they put the man in the tomb of Elisha; and when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.

God's Power and Purpose can work through a corpse, something dead and lifeless... something that seemingly has nothing to offer at all. So it is with the Spiritually dead Israel. What could come out of her? What benefit Could Israel be in NT times?

The apostle Paul tells us in Rom. 11:

1. Through Israel's fall and stumbling over Messiah... Gentiles receive Salvation...

2. The setting aside of Israel, became an incredible spiritual opportunity for Gentiles...

We need to understand that the Present setting aside of Israel:

1. was Planned

2. was necessary, in order to usher in the Church age...

Once again, we'll learn this morning that God's plan involves Complexities far beyond our ability to understand...

Job 9:10, He does great things past finding out, Yes, wonders without number.

Ro 11:33, 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!

Review of previous chapters:

Rom. 9, revealed for us God's design and desire as the Potter / Creator...

Rom. 10, reminds us that 'yes' God is Sovereign, Yet, man is still responsible for his actions and man's actions are still part of God's plan...

Rom. 11, explains to us Israel's Present and Future Spiritual condition

As we look at Rom. 11:11-16, this morning, Paul asks and answers a 2 prong Question:

1. What has happened to Israel, now that they have stumbled over Messiah?

2. Why was is necessary in God's plan that Israel stumble at all?

Let's read Rom. 11:11-16

"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."

Rom. 11:11, "I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall?"

Has the nation of Israel, stumbled so bad spiritually, that they will never recover, never get back on their feet again.

illus: Christopher Reevesą commercial that shows him walking after his spinal cord injury... had many sufferers of spinal cord injuries very upset, because they thought the commputer enhanced commercial was real, they thought Reeves had actually been cured of his injury and that he could stand again. ---- God will do the supernatural...

Israel, one day will Stand spiritual strong, and stand forever Strong, but it will take the Power in Intervention of God for it to happen.

For saved Jews and Gentiles in the early church, it must have appeared to them that Israel had lost her opportunity for National salvation, restoration to the land and all other Covenant blessings.

Christians in the early church saw the blessed people, God's chosen people, not benefiting from Salvation thru Jesus Christ. Paul probably wrote, what others were thinking... "Has Israel fallen down, never to be revived?"

Paul's answer, "Certainly not!" (may it never be), one of the strongest negatives in the Greek.

No, the Spiritual stumbling of Israel:

1. is Temporary

2. is Purposeful

God would suspend the unfolding of the 70 weeks of Daniel, just to bring in the church age. God held a mystery to Himself all through the OT times, never revealing this mystery to the Prophets of the OT. What is this Mystery? What would happen in between the 69th week and the 70th week of Daniel?

Let's read, Eph. 3:1-9 (6, that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel)

Certainly, if God did not reveal to us WHAT He was doing in this present Age, we would be at a loss to explain Israel's present and future place with God. Because it would seem to us, in this Age, that Israel, had been cast aside Permanently! Paul says over and over again that this is not the case at all, Rom. 11:29, "For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable."

Paul, continues to explain the purpose and plan of God for Israel's stumbling. Look back to 11:8, "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."

However, God had a Sovereign purpose in this, v. 11, "But through their fall (trespass / going astray ), to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles."

The original Greek has a different word order...

1st, salvation has come to the Gentiles.

2nd, to provoke them to jealousy

God, in His Sovereign Plan, had the Israelites to stumble... not for Israel's purpose, but for God's purpose... which was two fold.

1. To provide opportunity for the salvation of the Gentiles.

Salvation for Gentiles was no after thought on God's part... Gen. 12:3, Acts 28:25-28

2. To provoke the Jews to Jealousy as a result of seeing the spiritual blessings of Gentiles.

illustration of Jealousy: Jealousy is a form of fear, fearing that someone will take or have what belongs to you! When a parent picks up someone else's toddler, it's not uncommon for their own children to come running and either want the other child out of mom or dad's arms or atleast to share their mom or dad's lap with the intruder.

Jealousy is typically a negative spiritual condition, but there is a place for positive spiritual jealousy.

For Jews to become jealous:

- they would have to want what Christians have...

- they would have to be concerned that we have what was originally theirs...

Some Jews will be saved in this present age! What are they seeing in us? Would your life and relationship with God, cause them to be jealous?

Concerning the setting aside of Israel, the stumbling of Israel and the provoking of Israel to jealousy, what is God's ultimate purpose in all of this?

1. To bring some Jews back to Himself Now.

2. To bring National Israel back to Himself in the Future.

Zech 12:10 "... then they will look on Me whom they pierced."

Now our Romans passage this morning is not Only about the future! Paul speaks of a present concern, a present opportunity to provoke people!

Look down at: vs. 13 & 14

13, "For I speak to you Gentiles". Paul wanted Gentiles to know what God was doing with His chosen people. Paul made it clear that there was no room for Gentile boasting, concerning Israel's present spiritual condition.

... 13, "inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles"

Paul explains his God given mission! We all have a God given mission! God lays it on our heart. God reveals it through His Word. God shows us our mission through the preaching and convicting of His Word.

Jesus said in Luke 2:49 "Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?"

I have two questions for you this morning! What's your spiritual business and how's business.

As we continue in v. 13, Paul writes "I magnify my ministry", from the same Greek word we get "doxology" from, to lift up. Paul was lifting up his ministry so others could see what it was, what God had called him to do.

Even though Paul's ministry was primarily to the Gentiles, he adds in v.14, "if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them." Paul's main ministry did not stop the ministry that flowed from his heart towards his Jewish brethren.

Rom. 9, 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

Rom. 10:1, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.

Paul continues in Rom. 11:12, to describe the purpose and plan of God in setting Israel aside for the Present time. Israel's stumbling and being set aside benefits others. Their temporary falling spiritually, allows opportunity for others to Stand spiritually!

In Rom. 11:12, 15 & 16, Paul uses a number of illus. to compare just how Spiritually blessed Israel will be in the future. And this is important to see, in the light of their Present bleak Spiritual condition.

12 Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

When is this fullness? The word "fullness" means complete, filled up. When will National Israel be complete?

Millennial Kingdom, Eternal Kingdom, King forever, Kingdom forever,Throne forever, Nation forever, Land forever.

During the 70th, Seventieth week of Daniel, God will begin the process of bringing to Himself His chosen people, Israel. Rev. 7:4, 144,000 Jewish servants of God and then finally at the Second Coming of Christ, Israel will be Redeemed, Regathered and Restored as a Nation.

Let's continue with Paul's illustrations that show Israel's Blessed future:

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 (leaven, yeast) ; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

1. The source of Spiritual Riches, is through Israel.

2. Acceptance from God, is through Israel's Messiah.

3. Others become Holy by their contact with the people out of Israel:

Messiah, Apostles, early church was made up of Jews...

So we see that God's plan to set Israel aside has us in mind. More importantly, it had God's Soveriegn plan in mind. We are blessed as a result of Israel's blessings and as a result of God fulfilling His covenants with them. We are even blessed in Israel's casting away at this present time.

There are two practical thoughts I'd like to challenge you with from our passage this moring.

First, Paul magnified his ministry, he held it up for everyone else to see. What would people see if we did the same. Would we be too embarassed to let others take a close look at our ministry? Are you about your Father's business and how's business?

Secondly, Paul wanted to make unbelievers jealous about his own relationship with God, jealous about what Paul had spiritually, jealous about his wonderful walk with God. How about your life? Would it make unbelievers jealous? Do people see something in your life that they want?