Friday 18Feb2022
Today is the Sixth Day of the Biblical Week. Let us finish all our tasks for the week, tie up all loose ends, and prepare for the Seventh Day Sabbath rest which will begin at sunset this evening.
In my New Testament reading today, I observed from Romans chapter 11 a series of "If ... , How much more then ...?" questions posed by the Apostle in his discourse on the unsearchable wisdom and knowledge of God in showing His mercy to all people.
The Apostle Paul begins his discourse by asking the question, "Has God cast away His people (the Israelites)?"
- Romans 11:1 KJV King James Version
- I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
He then goes on to pose four "If ... How much more" questions from verses 11 to 33.
Question One: if the fall of Israel brings riches to the Gentiles, how much more will the fulness of their salvation bring?
- Romans 11:11 - 12 KJV
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11 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.
12 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?
Question Two:if the casting away of Israel brings about the reconciling of the world, how much more will the receiving of Israel mean if not life from the dead?
- Romans 11:15 KJV
- 15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
Then in verses 16 to 18, Paul presents an analogy of root and branches to illustrate the relationship between the people of Israel and the Gentiles, likening the receiving of Gentile nations into the kingdom of God to wild olive branches being grafted into the olive tree after some of the natural branches were broken off.
- Romans 11:16 - 18 KJV
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16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be
holy, so are the branches.
17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
Question Three:if the wild olive branches (Gentiles) have been grafted "against nature" into a good olive tree, how much more will the natural branches (Israel) be grafted back into their own olive tree?
- Romans 11:23 - 24 KJV
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23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in:
for God is able to graff them in again.
24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?
Question Four:This is actually not a question, but a statement: just as you have obtained God's mercy through the unbelief of Israel, even so, through the mercy shown to you, Israel may also obtain the mercy of God.
- Romans 11:30 - 32 KJV
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30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained
mercy through their unbelief:
31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.v 32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
In the course of presenting his four questions, the Apostle, quoting Isaiah 59:20, made an affirmation of God's plan of salvation for the world. In verses 25 and 26, he affirms that Israel is suffering "blindness in part" for the time being, until all the fulness of the Gentiles have come into the kingdom of God. Then, after that, all Israel will also be saved.
- Romans 11:25 - 26 KJV
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25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery,
lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is
happened to Israel,
until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Isa 59:20
At the end of this chapter, the Apostle praises God for His unsearchable wisdom, knowledge, and judgments.
- Romans 11:33 KJV
- 33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
