Romans (Written)

Thursday, 3 October 2013

But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” Romans 11:4

In response to Elijah concerning his plea against Israel, God returns an answer – not through the strong wind, the earthquake, or the fire, but through a still small voice. And the divine response was – “Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal…”

Paul’s use of the term “divine response” is the Greek word chrēmatismos. This is its only use in the New Testament and is indicating the response itself, not the manner in which it was relayed. The word is spoken – “I have reserved for Myself…” The Hebrew of this verse actually states “I will leave.” However, Paul’s quote says “I have reserved.” The Geneva Bible explains the thought this way –

“He speaks of remnants and reserved people who were chosen from everlasting, and not of remnants that should be chosen afterwards: for they are not chosen, because they were not idolaters: but rather they were not idolaters, because they were chosen and elect.”

God foreknew that these would be the elect. He presented Himself to Israel and these are those who accepted the message. The honor belongs to God, not to them; they merely acknowledged His way and all others rejected it. Thus the dishonor belongs to those who rejected it.

Of those reserved, God states He has “seven thousand.” The number seven is the number of divine perfection and completeness. Understanding this use of the number in Scripture, it is possible that it is reflective of a complete number and not exactly seven thousand. They are those who make up the fullness of the faithful in the northern ten tribes; all others having apostatized.

Regardless of whether the number is exactly 7000 or a close approximation, it would be miniscule in comparison to the vast number in the land. Truly, only a remnant were faithful to the Lord. These few souls were those who had “not bowed the knee to Baal.” Baal is a word which simply means “master” or “lord” in Hebrew, but it was used as the name of one of the idol-gods of the Phoenicians and Canaanites. Elsewhere, such as in Assyria and Babylonia, the comparable name of Bel was used in the same manner.

To represent Baal, a bull or similar animal like a calf would have been constructed, but Baal was actually referring to the sun, or possibly at times the moon. In Paul’s use of this word, he uses a feminine article instead of the masculine which was used in the Greek Old Testament. It’s uncertain why he did this, but Vincent’s Word Studies offers the following options –

“…some supposing an ellipsis, the image of Baal; others that the deity was conceived as bisexual; others that the feminine article represents the feminine noun ἡ αἰσχύνη shame Heb., bosheth, which was used as a substitute for Baal when this name became odious to the Israelites.”

The last seems probable because, as noted above, “baal” otherwise simply means “master” or “lord.” In order to show the disgraceful nature of the act, Paul states it in the feminine form.

Life application: Again, it’s good to consider that even if the world is slipping into a completely degenerate state, God does have faithful believers set aside for His glory. When we see churches taking down crosses, eliminating certain terms because they may sound offensive, and weakening doctrine in order to increase audience size, we don’t need to think all is lost. There are faithful pockets of people still holding on to the truth of the message of the cross.

Lord, too often my prayers are requests. Not today! Today I want to give you praise – Praise for Your goodness; praise for Your grace; praise for Your love; praise for Your mercy. Your kind hand has been upon me and Your many blessings have rained down to me from heaven. I thank You, I praise You – glory to You in the highest! Hallelujah and Amen…

Wednesday, 2 October 2013

“Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”? Romans 11:3

This quote is taken from 1 Kings 19:10. However, Paul amends it somewhat to meet his purposes for our instruction. Here is the exact quote of that verse –

“So he said, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.'”

Paul leaves out “forsaken Your covenant.” It is now the time of the New Covenant. He has been speaking of the Jews whose adherence to the Law of Moses became an end in and of itself (see Romans 10:3, 4).

He also switches the order of “torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets.” It’s possible that he did this to highlight “prophets” in order to make his point about a remnant remaining (see 11:5). The altar at Elijah’s time was where one first went to sacrifice a sin offering. Only after that could a person have fellowship with God. As Jesus is the fulfillment of such sacrifices, the prophet (the one who transmits the message) is thus highlighted. This follows with the theme of Romans 10:14-17.

The term for “torn down” is the Greek kateskapsan. It means to “dig down” or “dig under.” It is used only two times in the New Testament, the other being Acts 15:16. The altars of the Old Testament were to be made of earth and un-hewn stone (Exodus 20:24-35). In order to destroy such an altar, it would be easiest to dig into or under it and cause it to collapse. This is the reason for Paul’s use of this particular word.

The next thing he quotes is Elijah’s belief that “I alone am left, and they seek my life.”  Elijah felt completely alone in his ministry. At a previous point, 100 prophets of the Lord had been kept alive by a man named Obadiah, having kept them safe in a cave. However, it’s possible that even they had been killed by the wicked queen, Jezebel. With this occurrence, Elijah thought he was the last of the faithful people of God.

The sad state of despair weighed heavily on him and so he fled to Mount Horeb and there spoke to the Lord about it. The coming verses will continue to show us, however, that God had a faithful remnant then, and He had such at Paul’s time as well.

Life application: The Lord’s faithful believers have always come under attack. In today’s world, it is an on-going occurrence. Daily, many are martyred for their faith, and even in places where Christians are safe to worship, they are coming under increased pressure to be silent about their belief. Pray for those who are facing life and death choices concerning the gospel and also pray for strength to boldly proclaim Christ where you are.

Lord, grant me boldness to speak about my faith, wisdom to do so without confrontation, and the zeal to show others that what I speak is intended to glorify You. Should I face persecution for the name of Jesus, I will consider it an honor and I will rejoice that I have been counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. Thank You for that Name above all names – Jesus! Amen.

Tuesday, 1 October 2013

God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel,… saying, Romans 11:2

Paul continues to explain his emphatic response from verse 1 which answered the question, “Has God cast away His people?” That response was, “Certainly not!” To make sure we understand this, he turns around and rephrases the question as a statement – “God has not cast away His people whom he foreknew.”

In using the term “foreknew” he isn’t indicating what God has foreseen so much as what God has purposed. God purposed that Israel would be His people. During their times of obedience, they are in His favor and receive His blessings. When disobedient, they receive His wrath and judgment. These are the responsibilities, honors, and consequences of bearing the name Israel – “He struggles with God.” When they are right with Him, they struggle with Him for Him. When they are not right with Him, they struggle with Him against Him. But either way, Israel struggles with God.

The name Israel itself is a mystery. It is an honor and a burden at the same time. A detailed evaluation of the name Israel by Abarim sounds quite awry at first, but it does reveal what we see in history and what the Bible continues to reveal concerning them, even into the future. This evaluation is based upon the bestowal of the name at the time of the wrestling match between the unidentified Man and Jacob by the Jabbok River (Genesis 32). This match was a picture and a pattern of not just Jacob, who is Israel, but a picture and a pattern of Israel, the people descended from Jacob –

“We can not say with certainty what the name Israel is supposed to mean, although it seems to reflect a certain inability of the Almighty God, namely the not being able to defeat a man like Jacob. We can be sure that God doesn’t lack the physical strength to eradicate any human being, so we must conclude that the destruction of Jacob would go against the very nature of God. Perhaps the name Israel denotes God’s continuous effort to keep Jacob going, even though Jacob continues to fight God.”

This insightful evaluation is borne out throughout the rest of Scripture. It would go against the nature of God to destroy the people of Israel; they have been brought under God’s covenant protection and have been given eternal promises. Israel’s destruction would be a failure of God to uphold these promises; something which is impossible. Though salvation is an individual tenet, the burden of which lies with man, the preservation of national Israel is an eternal grant, the burden of which lies with God.

To support this, Paul returns to the words of Scripture, “Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah…?” Paul’s language here indicates that the account of Elijah, which is found in 1 Kings 19:11-18, relates the concept of what he will say. It isn’t a complete quote of the account, but a description of it which will include a quote. In his thoughts, he begins with, “…how he pleads with God against Israel…”

The word translated here as “pleads” is the Greek word entynchanei. It is used five times in the New Testament. It was seen in Romans 8:26 and will be seen in Hebrews 7:25 –

“Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”

It is a petition on behalf or against a person or party. In the case of Elijah, he was petitioning “against Israel.” The reason Paul is going to this account will become evident in the coming verses, but logically, he is preparing the answer to meet a similar petition which he has been addressing, “Has God cast away His people?” He has already answered the question and now will come his defense of the answer.

Life application: Israel – He struggles with God. That struggle is between God and Israel. Our duty is to accept that God can handle it and that He will do so for Israel’s continuance and for His glory. Those who fight against Israel are assuming a role which puts them at enmity with His protective plans. This doesn’t mean they aren’t a part of His overall plans, but that their role is a negative role, even if it is used for His positive purposes (such as chastening Israel to effect repentance). This was seen with the Assyrians and the Babylonians. Both accomplished God’s plans for Israel, but both came under God’s judgment. Think this one through and then determine to support Israel. God will wake them up as much through your support as He will through the wrath of other nations; witness to the Jews and pray for Israel.

Glorious God, sometimes it’s difficult to see what Your plans are and how they are being worked out. I see trouble and disaster in the world around me, but I know that You are in control. Help me to reconcile the two and to have faith that all will come out as it should. You have a good plan and purpose for those who are Yours, and because of Jesus, I know that includes me. Thank You for Jesus. Amen.

Monday, 30 September

I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. Romans 11:1

Throughout the church age, there have been differing views on the state of the Jewish people. There was an expectancy of the Jews turning to God, but in AD70, the temple was destroyed and the Jews were dispersed. As time went on, it seemed more and more unlikely that Israel would ever be a people again. The land fell in and out of enemy hands, but for the most part, it was a barren wilderness, unsuitable to support life in an real sense. This continued through the 1800’s as was well-documented by Mark Twain in the account of his travels, Innocents Abroad, which can be read right on-line from numerous sources.

Around the world, the Jews were here and there in little pockets, but they were doing their own thing and no one could have guessed that they would ever reunite as a group of people. The many promises of the Old Testament, which are very specific and certainly “earthly” promises to Israel, were spiritualized and the church was inserted into these passages. The reason for this is obvious – “If this is God’s word, and God is truthful, then these things must belong to the church – Israel is a goner.” It was believed to be the only obvious conclusion.

But ancient pictures and prophecies clearly showed that Israel the people would be returned to Israel the land. This is seen from Genesis to Malachi and some prophecies, such as in Ezekiel 4, actually pinpoint the dating of this occurrence. In the late 1800s, this became so obvious to Bible scholars, that in advance of Israel’s reestablishment, it was understood that it was coming. The 19th century scholar E.W. Bullinger actually noted the number of years until this would come about. The only thing he lacked was what the starting date of his calculation should be.

The world was being prepared, both physically and spiritually, for the return of the people Israel to Israel the land. The Zionist movement, the re-establishment of the ancient language, the events of World War I and World War II, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls – on and on, the miraculous time was at hand. And then, on 14 May 1948 it came – Israel was reestablished. Nineteen years later, on 7 June 1967, Jerusalem once again came under Jewish control.

These things are obvious now, but at Paul’s time, and for the next 2000 years, difficult questions were asked. Misunderstanding Romans 11 – although inexcusable from a biblical standpoint, is almost understandable from a historical standpoint. The fact is, few people had access to a Bible and those that did were mostly focused on other things. When the publication of the Bible took off and people really started digging into its contents, suddenly things started to become clear.

Now that Israel is back in the land, one would think that everyone would agree on her role… well, at least everyone who was a Bible believer. But such isn’t the case. To this day, one’s early training in the issue of Israel will normally stand. If they are taught from the old school mindset, then that is what will be believed. One must actually put aside presuppositions and allow the word to be mixed with the reality around us. Israel is home and it isn’t an aberration. God is working towards the fulfillment of all of the promises previously made to them. The world is being prepared for the return of Messiah and the establishment of the Kingdom Age.

Paul gives us hints into this in Romans 11. He begins chapter 11 with an obvious question, one based on the closing quotes from chapter 10. “I say then…” is his way of getting us to think through what will be asked. In essence, “If this is so, then what about….?” He is acting as if a defendant in a trial concerning Israel’s stubborn rejection of God’s provision found in Christ. The question is, “Has God cast away His people?”

“His people” is speaking of Israel. This is obvious from the preceding verses and from the defense he will make in the coming verses. Has God cast them away? The word for “cast” is aposato: away (from)/thrust, hence “to thrust away.” Has Israel been pushed out of the biblical scene, never to return? Paul’s emphatic answer, “Certainly not!” To support this, he speaks of himself.

“For I also am an Israelite.” He is one of the people that he just asked about. Has he been cast away? No. If he is an Israelite and he hasn’t been cast away, then Israel hasn’t been cast away. One obvious conclusion from this is that Israel isn’t the church and Jews are not gentiles. Paul couldn’t say the words he is saying, even thus far in Romans 11, if the church had replaced Israel, or if there were no difference between Jew and Gentile.

He is of the physical descent of a physical group of people. Any believer in the church is considered a “spiritual descendant” of Abraham by faith (see Galatians 3). But this concept is never repeated in either Isaac or Jacob. The reason for this is that Abraham’s declaration of faith came prior to the mark of circumcision. The circumcision was an outward sign of his already-possessed faith. On the other hand, Isaac and Jacob were circumcised prior to any faith; they were members of the covenant people.

Only after noting that he is an Israelite does he say that he is “of the seed of Abraham.” This shows us that he was not only an Israelite by descent, but a true member of the faith. He would be, as termed in Galatians 6:16, of “the Israel of God”; one not only of national descent, but also of faith in God’s provision.

After stating his national lineage, and then his spiritual heritage, he returns to the national identity and defines what portion of that group he belongs to – “of the tribe of Benjamin.” This is a high honor indeed. Israel’s first king, Saul, was of the tribe of Benjamin. Further, the tribe was almost annihilated due to a case of disobedience leading to war against them by the other tribes. They were reduced to a mere 600 men (see judges 20). Members of this tribe also sided with David during his pre-ruling years. They actually supported him in opposition to the king who belonged to their own tribe (see 1 Chronicles 12). These, along with other noted accounts, could be considered a point of boasting.

In the chapter ahead, Paul will continue to speak about the state of national Israel. As stated above, one may need to put aside their presuppositions about Israel in order to understand what God has been doing and what He will do with them in the future. Israel is back home once again and unless this is just a magnificent mistake, then we need to make sure and support them, lest we be found to be fighting against God.

Life application: Diligently study the issue of Israel by diligently studying your Bible. If God has planted them again in their land for His purposes, then be sure to acknowledge that, maybe by witnessing to Jewish people or maybe by some other show of support for what He is doing.

Lord God, today I come before You in regards to the nation of Israel. Open my eyes to know if their return is simply by chance, or if it was directed by You and for Your future purposes. Help me to be informed on them as a nation and as a people. May my actions and prayers for them be in line with Your intent for them. My desire is to be pleasing to You in this matter. Amen.

Sunday, 29 September 2013

But to Israel he says:
“All day long I have stretched out My hands To a disobedient and contrary people.” Romans 10:21

Paul closes chapter 10 with a quote from Isaiah 65:2. “But” shows the contrast to the preceding verse –

“I was found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me.”

This is the “no-nation” to whom the Lord was made manifest; the gentile people who weren’t even a part of the covenant community. In contrast to them Israel is now highlighted. God had “stretched out” His hands “all day long” to them. They had His laws, the temple, the covenant care and protection, and the history which they could look back on as evidence of God’s hand of care upon them. And yet they were a “disobedient and contrary people.”

Even from the earliest moments after the giving of the law, they were in rebellion against Him. They had seen the miraculous – having been delivered from Egypt by the ten plagues. Then they saw it again in the pillar and the cloud and the parting of the sea. A short time later, they beheld the glory of the Lord at Mount Sinai and they received the law. And yet, during the entire time, they complained. Soon enough, they were in gross violation of the law they were given when they set up and worshipped a golden calf.

And the record of disobedience continues throughout the pages of the Old Testament. Occasionally a good judge or king would come along and set them on  a good path, but in short span, they would again turn away from the Lord. “All day long,” is a way of saying, “through the duration” or “without ceasing” God “stretched out” His hands to them. This is a term which gives a sense of almost begging. “Please pay heed. Return to Me and I will return to you.” Rather than responding, they remained rebellious, disobedient, and contrary to what He expected of them.

This last verse then shows why their rejection came and explains why the message of salvation through Christ was thus turned to, and accepted by, the gentiles as is noted in the previous verses. What was offered as a gift of grace was shunned by the same people who had, for so many centuries shunned Him. Is this the end of the story for Israel then? Did they turn so far from God that they would never again receive His favor? Chapter 11 will continue on with Paul’s thoughts on his beloved people; his countrymen according to the flesh.

Life application: God is merciful and longsuffering, but there is a point when He knows it is no longer of use to stretch out His hands to those who turn from Him or shun Him. And this is certainly true even with saved believers who fail to walk in a manner worthy of His greatness. We need to evaluate our walk with the Lord continuously and ensure that we are living in accord with His precepts.

Heavenly Father, how can I expect Your blessings or mercy when I ignore You constantly? And how can I ask You to bless my nation when we fail to acknowledge Your greatness? Rather, help me to first set You as my highest delight and my constant joy. And help those in my country to exalt You above all else. In so doing, I know that the blessings will come and the mercy will flow forth. Amen.