God s Kindness & Severity Are Cause for Worship September 10, 2017 Romans 11:1-36 Matt Rawlings

1 God s Kindness & Severity Are Cause for Worship September 10, 2017 Romans 11:1-36 Matt Rawlings Romans 11:1-36 ESV I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? 3 "Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life." 4 But what is God's reply to him? "I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." 5 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. 7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, 8 as it is written, "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day." 9 And David says, "Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; 10 let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever." 11 So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. 12 Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean! 13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14 in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. 15 For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? 16 If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 19 Then you will say, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in." 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but stand in awe. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. 23 And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree. 25 Lest you be wise in your own conceits, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob"; 27 "and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins." 28 As regards the gospel, they are enemies of God for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 Just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown 1

2 to you they also may now receive mercy. 32 For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all. 33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34 "For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?" 35 "Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?" 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. There is something in us that likes to see other people brought low. When we see someone brought low we can feel good when we take their place. For a concert violinist, it may be like replacing the first chair when they make a mistake. Or for a football player, it may be replacing the star quarterback when they don t live up to expectations. Or for a manager replacing your boss when they fail and you are proven right. Part of it is good - perhaps it could be from a sense of justice. Part of it could be because pride is so ugly a trait for any human. Perhaps we inherently know that there really is no reason for any of us to be full of pride in ourselves. Everything we have is a gift. Even when it comes down to the most basic, fundamental essence of what we can take pride in - aspects like intellect, physical ability, wealth, or power - all are things that we don't create really. If one is not born with an innate ability to think - there could be no deep-thinking intellect. Even the life story of one of the greatest musical prodigies of all time, Wolfgang Mozart, is humbling. After watching his father teach his sister piano when she was 7 and he was 3, Wolfgang began playing the piano at age 3. At 5 he composed his first minuets. At 7 he toured Europe with his father. By 8 he had written his first three major symphonies. By 13 he was widely considered a master at piano, violin and harpsichord. It was then that in Rome, there was a legend that Mozart attended the performance of, Allegri's Misere. He wanted the score but when no one agreed he wrote down the music from memory, after hearing it only one time - and only coming back to make minor corrections later. From age 5 to 35, just 30 years, he wrote over 600 works including: 21 stage and opera works, 15 Masses, over 50 symphonies, 25 piano concertos, 12 violin concertos, 27 concert arias, 17 piano sonatas, 26 string quartets, and many other pieces. He died at age 35 of maxillary fever and in major debt. He was buried in the St. Marx Cemetery as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Later attempts to locate his mass grave all failed, including a search by his widow, 17 years after Mozart's death, by Vincent Novello in 1829. In 1855 a gravestone was erected at what was presumed to be the correct spot. How humbling that perhaps one of the greatest musical composers of all time died of some vague disease, heavily in debt and was then buried in an unmarked grave. There is something humbling about our human condition. Even the greatest among us is ultimately fragile. We are dependent creatures in the end. But even as dependent creatures, we are tempted to be proud. Most people don't like it when someone is proud though. I think it s because we know that we are dependent creatures - and any greatness is a gift, even if it is one we work hard at - the essence of even the ability we have doesn't come from us. Mozart didn't make himself a genius at age 3. He worked hard at his craft, no doubt. But God has a way of reminding us of our humility. Ultimately, Mozart's life is a wonder that helps us see that life is a gift given by God to be stewarded wisely and humbly and is meant to result in thanksgiving. 2

3 Paul is saying that the Jews apparent rejection and our salvation and inclusion into God s people is a gift and also cause for worship. The Roman Christians in Paul's day were tempted to be condescending towards their fellow Jewish Christians. God's people had been brought low and to some degree the Roman, Gentile Christians may have been tempted to gloat, as if the reason for their salvation had something to do with themselves and as if it was a source of pride for themselves. But Paul reminds them that all that they have is by grace through faith - not a result of any work or it wouldn't be grace at all. And I think one of the key verses to this passage is in verse 22, where Paul wrote, Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. Main Idea: God's kindness and severity are meant to result in hope, humility and honor. Paul is drawing attention to the fact that just because many of the people of Israel did not believe in Jesus as their Messiah did not mean that God had rejected the people of Israel outright even though they had broken their covenants with the Lord time after time and deserved the punishment of the covenants they had broken. Even in the midst of God s severity and kindness, we can see cause for hope. In fact.. 1. God's kindness and severity are meant to result in hope (vv. 1-12) [Illustration: chrysalis turning into a butterfly] Hope that a remnant remained. Hope that event those who reject God may one day be brought to Him. Hope in His sovereignty. Hope in His grace and mercy. Paul knew that His own salvation, not to mention the salvation of all the Apostles, was proof that God had not rejected all of the Jews, because God had called Paul and Paul was a certified member of Israel s tribe of Benjamin. Ironically, Paul, who was once named Saul, named most likely after the illustrious King Saul, who was also of the tribe of Benjamin, had accepted the Anointed King, from the line of David the Messiah while King Saul, had rejected the Anointed one King David and died refusing to accept the anointed one s rule. The apostle Saul, now called Paul, ended up dying because of his acceptance of the rule of the Anointed One Jesus. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? 3 "Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life." As is common for Paul in Romans, he calls three witnesses to the fact that God has not rejected His chosen people, even though it appears like He has. The first witness he calls is Elijah and he quotes from 1 Kings 19. Elijah is a perfect, Old Testament example of the principle that Paul is making clear and Paul says look it was the same in Elijah s day. Elijah was the very prophet of God in his day and he had mistakenly thought that he was the only one left as if God had cut off the entire nation of Israel in his day as well. Most of Israel had gone after worshipping false gods, to the point that it seemed there was no one left worshipping God at least no one that Elijah had met. 4 But what is God's reply to him? "I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." 3

4 But God corrected Elijah and let him know that He had kept for Himself or preserved safe for Himself seven thousand men, who did not worship Baal but worshipped God. In God s kindness, he had chosen to keep a remnant for Himself. 5 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. And Paul says, just like in Elijah s time, when it seemed as if God s chosen people of Israel had been wiped out, he still has a remnant that are chosen by grace. Even from the New Testament times until today, there have been many times, when it seemed very dark and everyone seemed to turn away from God. But God has always kept a remnant of the faithful He has always preserved a people to worship Him. From time to time throughout history this has been true as well, hasn t it? At times, it has seemed as if there was no one faithful. All through the Middle Ages, it is hard to see who the true believers were. Catholicism as a religious system had taken over and the religion of power and politics had become so intertwined with those who said they were part of the church, that it was unclear who was really following Jesus and not using their religion to serve themselves and gods of their own making. But back then and further back in Paul s time and even further back in the book of Kings, God has always kept a remnant faithful to Him. And Paul s point, as we see in verse 5, is that the remnant has always been chosen by God s grace. In the new covenant, the remnant has always believed the gospel, but, asf.f. Bruce says, behind their faith lies the divine election. What an encouragement this is to us, that we can trust and rely on God, even in the darkest, most oppressive time, when all seem hostile to the gospel God still chooses people by His grace. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. God always graciously calls and chooses people, and it has nothing to do with works. What Paul is saying is that now that Jesus has come, it is clear, that since there is a remnant of Jews who believe, it is no longer on the basis of works. If there was any part of merit, then grace would not be grace at all. 7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, 8 as it is written, "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day." Israel didn t receive salvation by works. Instead, they refused to believe God s Word and His provision of a Messiah. Here, Paul is quoting Isaiah and Deuteronomy both to testify that they were hardened and God gave them a spirit of stupor, because they didn t pay attention to God s message. Paul is pointing out a sobering reality that they heard the truth and they didn t respond and in turn, they were unable to respond because of their rejection of God. Let that not be said of anyone here. Jesus spoke of the same danger in Matthew 13, when he said, For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: "' You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. 15 For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely 4

5 hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.' (Matthew 13:12-15). They become numb to God and both their eyes and ears were numbed to seeing and hearing God. What an awful state when those who have come close to God refuse to obey God and refuse to respond to God and instead, trust in themselves God gives them over to a numbness of their eyes and ears so that they no longer can see or hear God clearly. Paul has shown evidence from the prophets and the Law and next, we see in verses 9-10 that Paul quotes King David as his witness. 9 And David says, "Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; 10 let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever." Paul is quoting David, where he asks God to punish those who rejected and persecuted him. He uses the quote from David to show that even good things like the table practices of the Jews, which were meant to point them to worship God, can become a stumbling block and keep them from seeing the truth behind the practices that they were meant to see. So it seems that Paul is saying that their hardening in a sense was an answer to the anointed one, David s prayer to darken their eyes and make it so they were bent low, because they had rejected him. The Israelites stumbled over the very rituals that were meant to point them to Jesus Christ. Jesus, as the anointed one was rejected by Israel and their hardening is a consequence of their rejection of Him. And God darkened their eyes in His divine justice and brought them low. 11 So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Israel may look like they have stumbled and fallen away from God for good, but God intended to bring Gentiles to salvation, for the very purpose of provoking Israel to jealousy, so that they might turn back to God. 12 Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean! What Paul is saying is that if God has blessed us unimaginably in the midst of His people rejecting Him, then imagine how it will be when the Israelites accept Jesus as their Messiah. Somehow, God will bring even greater blessings to the world when Israel is finally brought to faith in Christ. God's kindness and severity are meant to result in hope. Hope that a remnant remained. Hope that event those who reject God may one day be brought to Him. Hope in His sovereignty. Hope in His grace and mercy. 2. God's kindness and severity are meant to result in humility (vv 13-24) Humility that we've been grafted in. Humility that it is all of grace. We only bring faith and that is not of ourselves. 13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14 in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. 5

6 Paul saw his own ministry to the Jews as being intended to make the Jews jealous of all the blessings that they see the Gentiles receiving and so, want the same things for themselves. Seeing Gentiles brought to salvation is meant to humble and make jealous so that they respond in faith and are saved. Now, in verse 15 Paul speculates aloud and wonders what it will be like when Israel finally responds to Jesus in faith: 15 For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? The blessings experienced when all of Israel responds will be so great, it will be like bringing life from the dead. 16 If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. In the firstfruits offering, the priest would offer some of the dough from the larger lump to God and when he offered it to God, the whole lump was considered consecrated to God and made holy. If Abraham was holy and accepted, then his descendants would one day be made holy and accepted. 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. We should be grateful for the nation of Israel, because we have been grafted into the people of God now and we share the same root and it is from the root of Israel that we are fed. Remember, God s Word went to the people of Israel first and we now enjoy the rich heritage of God s Word as our own. 19 Then you will say, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in." The art of grafting in fruit trees has existed for thousands of years. In ancient Israel, it was considered the best way to get the most productive olive trees. Over the years, I have enjoyed going to Justus Orchard up in North Carolina. One of the things I have enjoyed is talking with the Justus family about how they grow their apples and how their farming has changed over the years. A few years ago, they discovered that dwarf apple trees were more productive and hearty and they could get more trees, and so more apples per acre. The only thing is, the apples they want to grow, won t grow as dwarf trees on their own, so they create a hybrid by plating another variety of very hearty, sturdy, dwarf tree. When the tree has grown big enough and has branches and leaves, they cut off branches from the upper half of the tree and remove the old branches completely. In its place, they graft in the branches of the variety of apple that they have chosen. The result is that the top half of the tree is fed and nourished by the hearty dwarf tree and although it produces the chosen apple, it has many characteristics of the dwarf as well. So, the whole tree of Israel was not destroyed and cut off, but some branches were cut off, so that the Gentiles could be grafted in and bear fruit for God. 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but stand in awe. The reason that many of the people of Israel were cut off was because of their unbelief, not because God was fickle or vindictive with them. The people of Israel naturally belonged to God 6

7 but they were cut off because they didn t believe in Jesus as their Messiah. We who were not born into God s people have been grafted in as we placed our faith in Jesus. This is meant to humble us we were and are not deserving of being made God s people, but by faith, God has made us a vital part of God s people. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. The natural branches of a tree belong in the tree by nature but when the branches don t bear fruit or don t bear the type of fruit that is desired, the branches are cut off. Many of the people of Israel were cut off because they did not bear fruit for God. So too, if we don t bear fruit for God, we will be cut off. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. God cut off those of His people who did not believe in Him. It is only due to God s kindness, that He has made us a part of His tree, His people. Paul challenged the Gentiles in Rome that we must persevere in the kindness of God, or else, our faith is not genuine and we will be cut off just like the Israelites were. 23 And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. But it is not too late for even the people of Israel who have not believed. If any Israelite believes in Jesus, then they too will be grafted back into God s people. 24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree. In the ancient practice of grafting in Israel and the surrounding Mediterranean countries, they would dig up a wild olive tree that grew in the hills, because it was a strong, hardy variety and could withstand wind, bugs and harsh conditions better than the cultivated olive variety. After they transplanted the wild olive tree and it grew, it was then that they would graft in the shoots of the cultivated tree. One would never graft a wild shoot onto a cultivated root it would not produce good fruit. So, it is miraculous that God has grafted wild Gentiles into the cultivated root of Israel. Which means that it is easy for God to graft Israel back into the tree. The point is that he wants to prick the bubble of Gentile pride by depicting them as shoots cut from a wild, unproductive olive tree, and by so doing to stress the undeserved privilege that they have been given of sharing in the blessings first promised to Israel Colin G. Kruse, Pillar New Testament Commentary, Paul s Letter to the Romans, p435 25 Lest you be wise in your own conceit, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. For some reason, God has chosen to partially harden the people of Israel until God brings all of the Gentiles He has chosen into His kingdom. It is only due to the mercy of God that we are a part of God s people at all. We only bring faith and that is not of ourselves. Humility that we've been grafted in. Humility that it is all of grace. Humility that the Jews will be brought back in we re not so special. 7

8 3. God's kindness and severity are meant to result in honor (26-36) Worship God for His election. Honor Him for our salvation. See His majesty in all of history and praise and worship Him. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob"; 27 "and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins." And evidently, in the future, Paul says prophetically, that all of the people of Israel will be saved by God s grace. God will one day graciously bring all those who are alive at some future point to believing faith in Him. This doesn t mean that those who have died in unbelief will be saved. But it does mean that God will one day dramatically bring His people to salvation through faith, by His grace. 28 As regards the gospel, they are enemies of God for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. Right now, the Israelites are enemies of the gospel and it is for our sake that God has not chosen them, so that He would chose us. But God loves the people of Israel for the sake of their forefathers those whom God chose to begin with. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. In this context, this verse means that all of the gifts that God gave to His people Israel are never revoked. The call of God to the people of Israel has not been revoked. Out of God s love for Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, He will not take back the gifts and calling of His people to Himself completely. 30 Just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. It was in the midst of our unbelief, that God chose us and mercifully saved us. In the same way, God will save them and have mercy on them in the midst of their unbelief. 32 For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all. God s mercy is magnified in saving those who are disobedient. God has caused us to be prisoners of our own disobedience, in order that He might have mercy on everyone. 33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! You might ask, why in the world did God create things this way? Why did God choose to have the Israelites reject Him and then to show mercy to the Gentiles? It wasn t because either the Israelites or the Gentiles deserved His mercy. No it was to highlight God s mercy. His ways are unfathomable by human minds though and we can t explain why God does what He does but we can worship Him for who He is. His ways are inscrutable they are impossible for us to understand. God s ways are fathomless they are deeper than we can sound out or measure. And no one can question His judgment or His ways. 8

9 34 "For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?" 35 "Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?" 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. Before we start to question God, we have to pause for a moment and ask ourselves who in the world can comprehend the eternal, infinite mind of God? Which one of us can counsel God or give Him advice? Which one of us can give God anything He doesn t already have? Only someone who has something more than another can loan or give that thing to one who doesn t have it. But which one of us is greater than God, as if He is obligated to repay us for something He couldn t get or didn t already have. If God is able to create something from nothing can you understand how? We can t even figure out how the observable world works yet we can make observations but so much of what we observe remains a mystery to us. C.S. Lewis uses the example of one shellfish trying to explain to another shellfish what a man was like. He explained that we have no shell and that we don t need to be attached to a rock. And we don t live in water but we walk around freely on something called land. Other shellfish joined in with their explanations to help. In the end, what emerged was a picture of man as a sort of amorphous creature that existed nowhere in particular and not eating because he didn t feed from the water as they did. So, it seemed that man was some kind of jellyfish, that must be hungry and exists in a vast foreign expanse completely unfamiliar to the shellfish. What he was trying to do was to show the limitations of our ability to understand God who has always existed and can create out of nothing who is not from nature but created all of nature and is above it in one sense and yet is intricately involved in it at the same time. God is incomprehensible. It is from His power that all things exist for from Him and to Him and through Him are all things! Our salvation is from Him. Our life is from Him. God is the One who created all things and through Him all things were made and to Him all credit, all honor, all worship and glory belong. God will forever be worthy of glory as well. So, before we proudly declare what we perceive as good or fair, or before we boast, let us instead be grateful for His mercy and glorify Him as our Lord. When I hear the music of Mozart's sonatas or symphonies, it is hauntingly beautiful and it reminds me of the beautiful gifts of God and at times the beauty makes my heart swell. And yet, it is sobering too. Often, it results in making me feel small and yet, showing the glory and greatness of God at work in and through humanity. In the end, our greatest contributions really are meant to do that aren't they - they are meant to showcase God's gifts and bring him even greater honor. 2017 Redeeming Grace Church. This transcribed message has been lightly edited and formatted for the Website. No attempt has been made, however, to alter the basic extemporaneous delivery style, or to produce a grammatically accurate, publication-ready manuscript conforming to an established style template. 9