St Louis UBF UBF Bible Study : Romans 11:1-36

Bible Study Materials

Romans 11:1-36

by Paul Choi 05/09/2010

Question

GOD'S MISSION THROUGH HIS REMNANT

Romans 11:1-36

Key verse 11:4

"And what was God's answer to him? 'I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.'"

1. Read verses 1-5. Did God reject his people Israel? In what respect was Paul himself a remnant? What lesson about God's grace does Paul draw from Elijah? [1Ki 16;18;19] Why does God spare the remnant? (4)

2. Read verses 6-8. What happens when people reject God's grace? Read verses 9-10. What happens to those who become arrogant and self-righteous after receiving abundant grace?

3. Read verses 11-16. How did Israel's failure result in blessing for the Gentiles? How did Paul view his ministry? (11,12) How does the consecration of a remnant make the whole nation holy? Who is the root who makes all holy?

4. Read verses 17-24. Why were some branches broken off? How does the ingrafting of the wild olive shoots reveal God's sternness and kindness? What should we learn from this?

5. Read verses 25-32. What is God's hope for his people? Who is the deliverer from Zion? What does verse 29 teach about God's faithfulness? What do verses 30-33 teach about his mercy, and about his way of working?

6. Read verses 33-36. What does Paul learn about God as he reflects on God's world salvation work?

Attachment

paro11q-2010.doc

Message

GOD’S HOPE THROUGH HIS REMNANT

Romans 11:1-36

Key Verse: 11:5 “So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.”

In the previous lesson we learned about God’s message to a lost world, which is “Jesus is Lord.” If anyone confesses with his mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believes in his heart that God raised him from the dead, he will be saved. (10:9) We are very encouraged by Kirtaa who recently confessed that Jesus is Lord after her Bible study with missionary Elizabeth Yang. When we believe that Jesus died for our sins and rose again from the dead, we are justified; and when we confess with our mouth we are saved. (10:10) It is not too much for us to emphasize the importance of confession of faith and confession of love to our Lord Jesus in our relationship with God. The more we love Jesus, the more we confess, “Jesus is Lord.”

In today’s passage, Paul continues to express his hope for Israel’s salvation. In fact, his hope is God’s hope. Especially, Paul sees God’s hope for world salvation through his remnant chosen by grace. When we also see America with Paul’s eyes, we have hope for this nation to become a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Today may God give us Paul’s heart desire for world salvation and his spiritual eyes to see the world with the hope of God. Amen.

First, remnant chosen by grace (1-10) Chapter 10:21 closed on a dismal note. It says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.” This verse gives us the impression that God had abandoned the Israelites as his chosen people due to their unbelief and disobedience. However, how did Paul refute this assumption? In verse 1a he said, “I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means!...” Paul strongly believed in God’s faithfulness. He was more than sure that God did not abandon or reject his people despite their unfaithfulness. In order to prove this, he showed two examples, first Paul himself, second, Elijah in the Old Testament.

Look at verse 1b. “I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.” Paul himself is an Israelite. In the past, he was disobedient and obstinate in God’s sight by persecuting the church of God. But now only by God’s grace he is forgiven and used for God’s divine world salvation purpose. God’s calling and his grace upon Paul himself is more than proof that God did not abandon his people. Paul meant, “Look at me and believe what I am saying.”

Look at verses 2-5. “God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah-how he appealed to God against Israel: “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”? And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.” Elijah was a man of God’s spirit and power. On Mount Carmel he challenged his wavering people to choose between the God of Israel and Baal, the idol, and fought against 850 of Baal’s priests all by himself until he killed all of them in the Kishon Valley. (1Ki 18:40) After this event Elijah thought that all evil was gone. However, he still had to escape from the sword of the evil queen Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab. Exhausted and despairing, Elijah complained to God, saying, “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me?” (1Ki 19:14)

What was God’s answer to him? Look at verse 4b again. “…I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” Elijah thought that he was the only one left. So out of self-righteousness, he complained to God. But, God said that there were 7,000 righteous men beside Elijah in Israel at that time. Wow! Elijah was speechless. Let us read verse 5 all together. “So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.” Remnants are remainders. Remnants are small leftovers after removing the larger parts. Remnants were those who did not bow their knees to Baal and kept their faith and purity as people of God in Elijah’s time. In Paul’s time, remnants were faithful Christians who kept their faith to the end under severe persecutions and hardships. These days remnants are those who confess that Jesus is Lord and obey his command and live according to his teaching despite a corrupted and ungodly atmosphere.

The remnants of God are not conspicuous. They are not noticeable. However, God has always reserved his remnants and fulfilled his divine purpose through these remnants in his redemptive work each generation, as church history proves. Noah was a remnant of his days. Abraham was also a remnant along with his children, Isaac and Jacob. Even though Abraham had eight children, God’s blessing was only inherited by one person, Isaac, a remnant in God’s redemptive plan. King David was also a remnant chosen by God’s grace. The twelve disciples of Jesus were also remnants in Jesus’ day and Jesus started his world mission work through these remnants. (Mt 28:19,20. Mk 16:15, Ac 1:8)

When the Roman Empire collapsed, people thought that the Kingdom of Christ would also disappear. For more than a millennium the Roman Catholic church had been instituted and maintained under the umbrella of the Roman government. To their amazement, however, although the corrupted Roman Empire was gone, the kingdom of Christ continued. Through several prominent remnants of God such as St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, John Wycliffe, Martin Luther, John Calvin and many others, the lamp of God burned in the dark ages.

In 1621 when the Pilgrims crossed over the Atlantic Ocean and arrived in the land of America, half of 102 of them died of disease and hunger. God’s purpose for establishing a “City on a Hill” seemed to evaporate. But, this was not the case. God reserved his remnants and used them to build this country as a Christian country. Last Thursday was the Day of National Prayer. Numerous God-fearing Christians prayed hand in hand under the arch and under flagpoles for Got to forgive their sins and heal this land. (2 Chr 7:14) Those who humble themselves, pray and seek God’s face and turn from their wicked ways are the remnants at this present time. God hears the remnants’ prayer and works through them to build his kingdom.

There is a young American man named Mike Thompson. He seemed to be the last person who would change and become a Christian because of his unpredictable and erratic temper. However, he was changed when he confessed that Jesus is Lord. Since he accepted Christ his Lord, he determined to go out to preach the gospel of Christ, especially to Russians. There are few who believed that he would go to Russia as a missionary because of his poor family situation. He lost his young wife and had to take care of three teenagers. If he considered his family situation, he might give up his spiritual dream. However, he studied Russian diligently day and night, and in God’s appointed time, he left for Russia with the gospel of Christ. Now, he diligently teaches the Bible to Russian students in St. Petersburg UBF along with two of his children. Mike is a remnant chosen by God’s grace at the present time. Because of him, America has hope. The remnants of God are always a minority in people’s eyes. But, to the eyes of God they are majority and true history makers.

We have been praying for remnants for God’s work in Wash U. and other campuses in St. Louis. Numbers are not important to God in his redemptive work. God has always reserved a few faithful remnants and used them to fulfill his world mission. We pray that God may reserve remnants for God on each campus. Let us pray earnestly that God may call his remnants and use them to fulfill his mission, especially to bring his kingdom to each campus and to make America a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Amen.

In verses 7-10 Paul calls Israelites’ unbelieving hardened heart ‘callus’. Look at verse 8. “as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear, to this very day.” Paul quotes this verse from Deut 29:4 to describe Israelites’ spiritual insensitiveness and dullness. The word ‘stupor’ has the same meaning as ‘callus’, which is a hardened part of the skin without sense or feelings. When the Israelites remained in their self-righteousness, their hearts became hardened like callus and they became spiritually blind and numb. Even though they heard Jesus’ beautiful teaching about the kingdom of God, they did not understand. They did not see Jesus as the Christ or understand his teachings. Rather, as David says in verses 9 and10, they became a stumbling block and enemies of God. (Ps 69:22,23)

Second, God’s hope for Israel (11-36) In verses 11-24 Paul explains two main things: first, God never fails in his world salvation mission. Second, someday God will save his people by his grace as he did for the Gentiles. Look at verses 11,12. “Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!” Paul’s logic states in this. The Israelites’ rejection did not cancel God’s world salvation plan. Rather, their rejection brought the Gentiles’ salvation. God transferred his blessing to the Gentiles when his chosen people Israel rejected Christ. In verse 12, their transgression indicates their rejection of Christ and their loss refers to their loss God’s holy mission. Riches for the Gentiles are Gentiles’ salvation by God’s grace, and riches and fullness of the Israelites are their repentance and acceptance of Christ. Paul still saw God’s hope for his people Israel.

In verse 16 Paul compared the holy patriarchs as the part of dough offered as firstfruits and the holy root. Look at verse 16. “If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.” Israel had great and holy men of God such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah and so on. They were like holy dough which was offered from the first harvest. Paul believed that as God raised such holy patriarchs, he would save their descendants, too. America has many great heroes and heroines of faith such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, Sarah Barry, and so on. They are like the holy dough and holy root and we are the whole batch and branches. We believe that God will carry out his purpose and fulfill his mission through the remnants of this land as he did through those ancestors of faith. Amen.

In verses17-24 Paul says that the Gentiles were also part of God’s salvation only by God’s grace. He compared the Israelites to broken branches, the Gentiles to a wild olive shoot, and patriarchs to an olive root. Generally, a gardener inserts a good shoot into a wild tree. For example, he takes a shoot out of a good apple tree and grafts it in a wild apple tree. Then the wild apple tree bears many good apples. But on the contrary to this natural procedure, as Paul says, God took a wild olive shoot Gentiles, then he inserted it into a good olive tree so that he could harvest much fruit of life. Paul repeatedly reminded the Gentiles that this procedure is done only by God’s grace. (18,21)

According to Paul’s logic, we are all wild olive shoots who were once useless and worthless, but now are grafted into the True Olive Tree - our Lord Jesus Christ - only by God’s grace. We inherit patriarch’s names such as Abraham, Sam, Paul, Barnabas, James, Luke, Mary, Elizabeth, and even Jesus. We also named our children after the patriarchs. We are like wild olive shoots which are grafted and share in the nourishing sap from the olive root. (17) Above all, we thank God for his grace of salvation that we become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Everyday we receive necessary spiritual nutrition and energy from our Lord Jesus Christ. We also drink the living water, the words of life, through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Finally, we are chosen for world salvation work and participate in this divine mission through Bible teaching and disciple-making. Praise God who picked us up and grafted us into Jesus Christ so that we may become his children and heirs of God and participate in God’s salvation work. Amen.

Look at verse 25. “I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.” Here ‘mystery’ indicates God’s mysterious way of world salvation with the Jews and Gentiles. For a while his people Israelites were broken branches due to their unbelief and rejection. Finally, God will bring them all into salvation. Paul had a great hope and vision for salvation of Israel. So he said in verse 26. “And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.” Like Paul we must have a great hope and vision for world salvation, especially for Bible America. Once, John Wesley of England was persecuted by the leaders of his national church. They threatened him not to preach the gospel cross throughout the land of England. They asked Wesley, “Where is your parish?” Wesley answered, “My parish is the whole world.” William Carrey, the English Baptist missionary known as the father of modern missions, said, “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.” Let us pray that we may share God’s heart desire for world salvation. Let us pray that God may use each of us for his great world salvation purpose in this generation.

From time to time, we despair and desire to give up our life of mission when we face human limitation and see our weaknesses. Some missionaries feel that they are rejected by God whenever they are rejected by people. But, this is not true! God never rejects us. God never regrets his calling. God never change his mind. Look at verse 29. “for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.” Paul absolutely believed that God called his people and blessed them as chosen people. He also believed that God would fulfill his mission by any means despite their unfaithfulness. In the same way, God never change his mind since he called us. He will accomplish his purpose in his calling each of us despite our unfaithfulness and weakness. We did not choose God, but God chose us and appointed us to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last. (Jn 15:16) He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Amen.

Paul concludes his message of God’s hope for Israel’s salvation by praising God’s power and wisdom with which he carries out world salvation work (33-36). Amen!

We are remnants chosen by grace at this present time. We are a hope for this nation. We are preparing for the coming Midwest and Missouri Valley Summer Bible Conference. I pray that God may use each of us to bring his kingdom into the hearts of young people, especially to many sin-sick and lost souls on campuses through Bible study and prayer. Amen.

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