Romans 11:16-24: "God's Master Plan, Pt. 2"

As Paul has been describing God's historical plan of salvation as it pertains to the Jews and Gentiles he has showed that in history past through present God has used the rejection of Israel to bring in the fullness of the Gentiles. He will then use the salvation of the Gentiles to bring jealousy to the Jews and bring them back to Christ. In this next section Paul will use an illustration to help warn the Gentiles about being arrogant over being saved. They may have in fact been looking down on the Jews for rejecting their own Messiah and increased in arrogance over their own conversion. Paul looks to shepherd them in this area.

Paul begins, "And if the first piece of dough be holy, the lump is also". MacArthur writes, "First piece of dough translates the single Greek word aparche, which literally means a firstfruit (as in KJV) offering of any kind, animal as well as grain. It refers to the first portion of an offering which was set aside specifically for the Lord". This translated into the presentation as the first piece of dough that was eaten by a household to be set aside and presented to God. Symbolically, this consecration represented the entire loaf, not just the one piece. In other words, Israel, as the firstfruits of God, in his plan of salvation would not despise and leave His people on account of their temporary rejection. Paul moves to another similar example, "and if the root be holy, the branches are too". MacArthur again, "Paul's specific use of the analogy in this passage points up the truth that, if the firstfruits and root of Israel - perhaps symbolizing the first patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) - were holy, consecrated to the Lord, so were all their descendants, the people of Israel. Therefore, for God to forsake Israel would be for Him to renege on His promises to those patriarchs- something His holy character will not allow". The Lord is not done with Israel and will be faithful to His promise to them as a nation. They were and are His chosen people.

Continuing his example with the tree he continues to show the Gentiles they have no reason to boast, and to show the Jews that God has not reneged on His promise. "But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree". This example shows a practice called grafting. When olive trees mature in age they become too old to be productive. When this happens, they would take the branches from younger olive trees and graft them into the older tree to reinvigourate growth. This was an illustration of Israel. As time had passed from the promises God had given the patriarchs Israel had become hard and stubborn in their obedience of God. They had substituted His holy commands for their own traditions, and clung to their heritage for salvation rather than to God. They had, in a sense, become unfruitful, and therefore the branches that had been "broken off". God then went and brought his salvation to the Gentiles, the "wild olive", and grafted them into the root of salvation. God, warning His people in Jer. 11:16-17 said, "The Lord called your name, 'A green olive tree, beautiful in fruit and form'; with the noise of a great tumult He has kindled fire on it, and its branches are worthless. And the Lord of hosts, who planted you, has pronounced evil against you because of the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done to provoke Me by offering up sacrifices to Baal". Jesus then pronounced in Matt. 21:43, "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and be given to a nation producing the fruit of it". MacArthur writes, "In place of the unfaithful, unproductive branches of Israel, those of a wild olive, the believing Gentiles, were grafted in among them. Those Gentile branches, people from all nations who believe in the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, then became partaker with them, the believing descendants of Abraham, in the rich root of the olive tree, the root of divine blessing and of eternal relationship to God through salvation". As is proof that what Paul had said earlier is true he states that "some of the branches were broken off". God has always had a faithful remnant of Jews which He has held in His hand. Paul has been explaining to the Gentiles their wondrous and miraculous opportunity to be grafted in to the root of salvation. They have been given the opportunity to be considered a child of God because of the rejection of His original children. Seeing that this might cause some increased division between the already separated cultures, and may cause arrogance to well up in the Gentiles, he addresses them, "Do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you". This was a helpful reminder to all that salvation comes from God and God alone. There is nothing we do on our own initiative that we might be arrogant or boastful. Paul is reminding the Gentiles that the "root" supports you, and that they have no superiority over branches that were cut off (Israel). MacArthur writes, "The Gentiles themselves were not the source of blessing any more than believing Jews had been. Believing Gentiles are blessed by God because they are spiritual descendants of faithful Abraham. We are blessed because we have been grafted into the convenant of salvation that God made with Abraham and now graciously offers to all who believe in Abraham's God". In Galatians 3:13-14, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us--for it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE"-- in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith".

Trying to cut off any arguments that may be raised by the Gentiles he writes, "You will say then, 'Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in'". Again trying to help the Gentiles to understand their position, Paul wants them to understand that no man can boast when it comes to salvation. He wants them to understand that they should be grateful that God included them in His plan for salvation and "grafted them in", rather than being arrogant about it. Paul responds, "Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith". The key words to this statement is "unbelief" and "faith". This has nothing to do with race, heritage, works, etc. Instead the blessing of salvation and the grace of God is only accessed through faith. Paul continues, "Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you". Any Gentile that may have had the inclination to boast or be resentful against the Jewish people for their rejection, would leave this letter with their tail between their legs. MacArthur writes, "The issue is not worthiness and it is not racial, ethnic, social, intellectual, or even moral. The only issue is faith. The Jews were broken off because of that unbelief, and Gentiles who believed were grafted in, that is, made to stand, on the basis of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ". Because no works or human achievement or inherent worthiness saves you, you will have no reason to be conceited, but instead should fear God. Earlier, in Rom. 2:4 Paul reminds us, "Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?". We must remember that before our salvation, "because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God". It is for this reason that Paul warns the Gentiles to fear in God and hope in Him, rather than gain an air of arrogance towards the Jews. To humble them further, Paul reminds them again, "For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you". Instead of feeling superior because natural branches were broken off that they may be grafted in, their mindset should be, how much more should we fear God if He did not even spare the natural branches. MacArthur writes, "If Israel's special calling and blessing from the Lord could not protect them from being broken off, then certainly the Gentiles' lack of that calling and blessing cannot protect them from being broken off in their unbelief".

Paul, with another reminder to the Gentiles summarizes, "Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness". Paul is saying, think about all I have just said and instead of being boastful or arrogant, remember it is God and God alone who grants salvation. It is God's severity or a "cutting off" from His grace for those who do not believe in Him, and His kindness to those who will be saved. This is looking in the past to those who have either been judged apart from God's grace or in God's kindness for those who believed. Now, looking to the future Paul writes, "if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off". MacArthur writes, "Because of God's blessing of ancient Israel as a nation, many Jewish unbelievers shared in that blessing. In the same way, because of God's blessing on the church, many unbelievers within the church taste that blessing. But if they fall away, Gods patience will be exhausted and His offer of grace withdrawn, that blessing by association will be of no value when unbelievers face the living God in judgment and are eternally cut off from Him".

Paul now turning His focus on the Jews states, "And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in again". Although Paul is stating this in the conditional (because God's promise from old was conditional) we already know that this condition will one day be met, and Israel will return to their Messiah. Because this condition will one day be met, God has promised and will "graft them in again". Israel will be returned to the root, Jesus Christ. Continuing with this metaphor and reinforcing what he had said earlier, Paul writes, "For if you were cut off form what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more shall these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?" If God was able to graft in the Gentiles, who were not the natural branch, how much more will He graft back in His chosen people Israel. MacArthur concludes with, "The destiny of Israel can and will be reversed. Her return to the Lord not only is possible but certain. To be true to His own promise, His chosen people cannot continue forever in unbelief".