Israel’s Rejection not Complete nor Final

1So I ask, God has not rejected his people, has he? Absolutely not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew! Do you not know what the scripture says about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3“Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars; I alone am left and they are seeking my life!” 4But what was the divine response to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand people who have not bent the knee to Baal.”

5So in the same way at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6And if it is by grace, it is no longer by works, otherwise grace would no longer be grace. 7What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was diligently seeking, but the elect obtained it. The rest were hardened, 8as it is written,

“God gave them a spirit of stupor,

eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear,

to this very day.”

9And David says,

“Let their table become a snare and trap,

a stumbling block and a retribution for them;

10let their eyes be darkened so that they may not see,

and make their backs bend continually.”

11I ask then, they did not stumble into an irrevocable fall, did they? Absolutely not! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make Israel jealous. 12Now if their transgression means riches for the world and their defeat means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full restoration bring?

13Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Seeing that I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14if somehow I could provoke my people to jealousy and save some of them. 15For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16If the first portion of the dough offered is holy, then the whole batch is holy, and if the root is holy, so too are the branches.

17Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them and participated in the richness of the olive root, 18do not boast over the branches. But if you boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19Then you will say, “The branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” 20Granted! They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but fear! 21For if God did not spare the natural branches, perhaps he will not spare you. 22Notice therefore the kindness and harshness of God – harshness toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness toward you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. 23And even they – if they do not continue in their unbelief – will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree?

25For I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: A partial hardening has happened to Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:

“The Deliverer will come out of Zion;

he will remove ungodliness from Jacob.

27And this is my covenant with them,

when I take away their sins.”

28In regard to the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but in regard to election they are dearly loved for the sake of the fathers. 29For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. 30Just as you were formerly disobedient to God, but have now received mercy due to their disobedience, 31so they too have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. 32For God has consigned all people to disobedience so that he may show mercy to them all.

33Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how fathomless his ways!

34For who has known the mind of the Lord,

or who has been his counselor?

35Or who has first given to God,

that God needs to repay him?

36For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever! Amen.