Olive Tree

Olive tree – God’s mercy on Israel.
July AD59 – Romans 11:1-32.

God’s mercy on Israel and other nations.

The other nations are grafted into Israel.

Paul a Jewish Rabbi and believer in Jesus the Messiah was writing to Jewish believers and Gentile believers who lived in Rome. These believers in Jesus had a very important question that needed an answer from Paul. Had God rejected the Jewish people who do not believe in the Messiah? And Paul’s answer is an unequivocal no. The Gentiles, job is to make the non-believing Jews envious, leading them to realize that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah. This is the argument that Paul is putting forward.

Background Reading:

God’s Love for His People the Remnant of Israel

11:1 So I ask, “God has not rejected his people, has he?” Of course not! I am an Israeli myself, a descendant of Abraham from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he chose long ago. Do you not know what the Scripture says in the story about Elijah, when he pleads with God against Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets and demolished your altars. I am the only one left, and they are trying to take my life.” 4 But what was the divine reply to him? “I have reserved for myself 7,000 people who have not knelt to worship Baal.” 5 So it is at the present time: there is a remnant, chosen by grace. 6 But if this is by grace, then it is no longer on the basis of actions. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.

7 What, then, does this mean? It means that Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking, but the selected group obtained it while the rest were hardened. 8 As it is written,

“To this day God has put them into deep sleep.

Their eyes do not see, and their ears do not hear.”

9 And David says,

“Let their table become a snare and a trap,

a stumbling block and a punishment for them.

10 Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,

and keep their backs forever bent.”

The Salvation of the Gentiles

11 And so I ask, “They have not stumbled so as to fall, have they?” Of course not! On the contrary, because of their stumbling, salvation has come to the gentiles to make the Jews jealous. 12 Now if their stumbling means riches for the world, and if their fall means riches for the gentiles, how much more will their full participation mean!

13 I am speaking to you gentiles. Because I am an apostle to the gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14 in the hope that I can make my people jealous and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection results in reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance bring but life from the dead? 16 If the first part of the dough is holy, so is the whole batch. If the root is holy, so are the branches.

17 Now if some of the branches have been broken off, and you, a wild olive branch, have been grafted in their place to share the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not boast about being better than the other branches. If you boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 Then you will say, “Branches were cut off so that I could be grafted in.”

20 That’s right! They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you remain only because of faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid! 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he certainly will not spare you, either.

22 Consider, then, the kindness and severity of God: his severity toward those who fell, but God’s kindness toward you—if you continue receiving his kindness. Otherwise, you too will be cut off. 23 If the Jews do not persist in their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, because God is able to graft them in. 24 After all, if you were cut off from what is naturally a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much easier it will be for these natural branches to be grafted back into their own olive tree!

The Restoration of Israel

25 For I want to let you know about this secret, brothers, so that you will not claim to be wiser than you are: Stubbornness has come to part of Israel until the full number of the gentiles comes to faith. 26 In this way, all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

“The Deliverer will come from Zion;

he will remove ungodliness from Jacob.

27 This is my covenant with them

when I take away their sins.”

28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake, but as far as election is concerned, they are loved for the sake of their ancestors. 29 For God’s gifts and calling never change. 30 For just as you disobeyed God in the past but now have received his mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they, too, have now disobeyed. As a result, they may receive mercy because of the mercy shown to you. 32 For God has locked all people in the prison of their own disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.
Romans 11:1-32


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