© 2006 F. O’Donoghue
Rom 9:6-8 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
In Chapter 11, it is clear that Paul is addressing Israelites, but who are Israel today? And who are the children of promise? Who are Abraham’s seed?
At the time Paul was writing there was a remnant of national Israelites who were not yet believers, thus they were still counted as enemies of those Israelites who had been converted to Christ. This is why Paul refers to himself prior to his conversion in Acts. He makes it clear that there is a difference between his status as an unbelieving Jew, and his status as a believing one.
Acts 22:4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.
Acts 26:11 And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.
1 Corinthians 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
Paul, himself an Israelite, makes the distinction between his national status and his spiritual one. Clearly, his status as a Jew has nothing to do with his spiritual status as part of the true church of God. However, because he was one of the elect national Israelites, God saw fit to convert him.
Romans 11:4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
The entire number of national Israelites who were elect had not yet come to faith in Christ, but the remnant of national Israel would come by the election of grace. It is the same for Jew and Gentile…an election of grace alone. There is no special dispensation given to national Jews, as they too must know Jesus in order to be saved.
Romans 11:11,12 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
The unsaved among ‘national Israel’ were the enemies of both converted Jews and Gentiles, and though some of these were elect, they had not yet been converted. But the promise was sure. However, not all national Jews were (or are) elect, not all knew (or know) Jesus Christ our Lord as Messiah.
Romans 11:14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
Even Paul recognized that not all of national Israel would be saved. Just the elect. This is consistant with the doctrine of sovereign grace, which ascribes salvation to the individual. To suggest that nationality has anything to do with salvation is to deny the gospel of grace to the individual. Peoples from all nations can come to a knowledge of Christ.
Romans 11:6-8 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
There is a clear contrast between the elect unbelieving national Israelites and the non-elect national Israelites. In this passage, the reference is to the elect (yet unbelieving) national Israelites:
Romans 11:25,26 So that you may not claim to be wiser than you are, brothers and sisters, I want you to understand this mystery: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved; as it is written, “Out of Zion will come the Deliverer; he will banish ungodliness from Jacob.”
So, Unless Rom 11: 14 is a contradiction, “all Israel” must be a remnant of national Israel which includes “the full number of gentiles“. Therefore, “All Israel” is not ‘national Israel‘, but ‘spiritual Israel‘ and includes believers (Gentiles) from every nation.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Paul says in Romans 11:28;
“As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.“
That is the same group as Paul mentioned in Romans 11:5-7;
Rom 11:5-7 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
National Israel failed to “obtain what it was seeking.” In other words, national Israel (as a whole) has failed to live up to the law that they pursued as their means of righteousness. They had failed to be righteous in God’s eyes, and stumbled over the stumbling stone which is Christ “Whom they sought not“;
Romans 9:31-33 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Jesus Christ is the stone which the builders rejected (Mark 12:10) and is the end of the law for righteousness for all who believe on him (Romans 10:4).
Mark 12:10 And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:
Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
We read in Romans 11:7: “The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened.” The elect obtained righteousness through Christ. They obtained faith, justification and salvation, but the rest were hardened. This is true of all nations, not just Israel. It would be imprudent indeed to preach that all of national Israel has a special dispensation of grace. The elect within national Israel are no different to the elect anywhere else, and the same goes for unbelievers.
Let’s look at the hardening.In Rom 11:8 Paul quotes three Old Testament scriptures to add weight to his point (Isaiah 29:10; Deuteronomy 29:4; Psalm 69:22-23).
Rom 11:8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.
Paul was using these prophetic images concerning Israel to demonstrate the effects of God’s spiritual hardening; God gave them “a spirit of slumber.” Slumber in the Hebrew is katanuxis {kat-an’-oox-is} which is an insensibility or torpor of mind, (such as extreme grief easily produces) hence a “spirit of stupor“, refers to that which renders their souls torpid and so insensible that they are not affected at all by the offer made them of salvation through the Messiah. The result is spiritual blindness.God gave them “eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear.“
The second passage that Paul cites is Psalm 69:22-23. Paul reads the curses from this psalm as divine judgment, spoken by God through David, about the nation of Israel, especially as they rejected the final Son of David when he came, Jesus Christ.
(Note; Some theologians have likened “their table” to physical wealth, worldly possessions or associated non-spiritual appetites wherein they lose all desire for God, as opposed to the table of spiritual blessing in the wilderness that is for the saint [Psalm 23:5] – Likewise, “bow down their back alway” has been likened to the burden of labouring under the law, or, the back being pride as in the strength of man – or both.
The Church is not to be seen as secondary to national Israel, or as a seperate other to Israel. The term “all Israel” is inclusive of all believers. The Church is the body of Christ and is therefore the “fullness of God“
Eph. 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
The Church was very much a part of God’s plan from the beginning. Romans 9:22-26 (which cites Hosea 1:10) states that the children of Israel, both Jews and Gentiles, will be as the sand of the sea, too numerous to measure or number. God does not have have two chosen peoples, nor does he speak of two brides.
Gal 3:28,29 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Christians are also called “the Israel of God” which in itself is enough to claim the title.
Gal. 6:15,16 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
Israel was to be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation,”
Exodus 19:6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
And in reference to the church, God says;
1 Pet. 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God
The Lord only has one people, His body, His bride, His royal priesthood, His holy nation.
