Living Room Study

ROMANS 11

“I ask then, have they stumbled so as to fall?  Absolutely not!  On the contrary, by their stumbling, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous.  Now, if their stumbling brings riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full number bring!”  Romans 11: 11-12

In today’s passage, Paul is suggesting a quasi role reversal between non-Messianic Jews and followers of Jesus. Paul describes how the Lord allows the integrated (Jew & Gentile) Church to act as a “bride”, a role Israel had previously exclusively held. Consider the words of the prophet Jeremiah.

“Look, the days are coming” – The Lord’s declaration – “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.  This one will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt. – a covenant they broke, even though I married them.” – The Lord’s declaration.”  Jeremiah 31:31-32

And now the words of Paul…

“For I m jealous over you with a godly jealousy because I have promised you in marriage to one husband – to present a pure virgin to Messiah.”  2 Corinthians 11:2

I want to be sure to stress that I am not suggesting “replacement theology”, which is the teaching that the Church has replaced Israel in God’s heart. A primary goal of Paul’s letter to the Romans was to counteract the “replacement” message as heresy and contra to God’s heart for Israel.

The role reversals between Messianic Gentiles and non-Messianic Jews are put forth by Paul for at least two reasons: 1) That the Jews would become jealous for a saving relationship with God through Jesus, by observing God’s love and favor on the Gentile believers. This is a love previously believed to be exclusively for the Jews. 2) To expose how, given similar “chosen” status, Gentiles would fall into the same religious pride as the Jews. In fact, Paul addresses a growing prejudice against the Jews by Gentile believers.

This leads us to two obvious questions: 1) Do you live a life of faith that would make Jewish people jealous for your relationship with God…or anyone else, for that matter? 2) Has spiritual pride caused you to look down on others, to the point where you have forgotten the Lord’s grace to you? There is no boasting for those saved by Grace.

“When the Lord your God drives them (Canaanites) out before you, do not say to yourself, ‘The Lord brought me in to take possession of this land, because of MY righteousness.’  Instead, the Lord will drive out these nations before you because of THEIR wickedness.”   Deut 9: 4

Blessings.

Steve Wiggins