Future For Israel (Part 2)

Thanks for tuning in to No Compromise Radio with pastor and author Dr. Mike Abendroth. Today on No Compromise Radio we'll be hearing Pastor Mike open the Word of God in a recent message he preached at Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston, Massachusetts.

Now let's join Pastor Mike in progress as he preaches through the scriptures verse by verse with No Compromise.

The Prophets, the Writings, and Israel’s Judicial Hardening

As it is written, verses 8, 9, and 10, we have quotes from Isaiah 29, Deuteronomy 29, and Psalm 69. Think about it. Deuteronomy, Torah, Isaiah, the prophets, and Psalms, the writings, all of scripture testifies to this judicial blinding.

As it is written, God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear down to this very day. David says, let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them, lest their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see and bend their backs forever.

There's still a future for Israel because God is still saving Jews. Truth number two, God has an all-wise, sovereign plan for the present. How do we explain the present with the Jews saying no to Christ, for the most part, found in verses 11 through 24.

The rejection of the Jews to time is not final. By the way, if you're a Gentile, you're really going to like this because God had the Jews not believe, so you Gentiles would believe, so then the Jews would be envious of you Gentiles and then come to believe.

Verse 11 is just like verse 1, almost, as it asks. Verse 1 says, I ask. Verse 11 says, so I ask. That'd be a good way to outline the chapter, if you'd like. So I ask, so I ask. Did they stumble in order that they might fall, that they might fall forever?

Was it just a temporary fall or was it a forever fall? Paul is dealing now with the national purposes of Israel, no longer individual purposes but national purposes. There's a plan to all this. He says, did they stumble in order that they might fall?

Here's the word again, two Greek words. It's the most demonstrable negative out there. By no means, rather through their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles so as to make Israel jealous. You remember this story, don't you, in Acts chapter 18, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.

And when they resisted, the Jews did, and when the Jews blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to the Jews, your blood be on your own heads, I am clean for now, I shall go to the Gentiles. Verse 12, when you see the word there in the ESV, the nation as a whole, Israel.

Israel’s Fall, Gentile Blessing, and the Olive Tree Warning

Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles and does it ever, how much more will their full inclusion mean? The fall of Israel meant blessings to the Gentiles, what about her restoration?

What will that mean for Gentiles? Now, as you can tell from the way I'm speaking and the way I'm delivering this, that I'm a pre-millennial person. I believe there's a future for Israel. Now while I have a lot of respect for covenant theologians, I'm kind of in the middle of the world between the two because I believe that God has things structured covenantally.

Covenant of redemption, covenant of grace, covenant of works. But I don't buy the party line. As one man said, covenant theology as a system doesn't find its origin in heaven, rather in Holland. But that's just a side note.

I just have to take what the scriptures take. There's a covenantal system in scripture, yet there's a future for Israel. And of course my amillennial friends wouldn't believe that and neither would my post-millennial friends believe that.

But it's amazing when pre-mill, amill, and post-mill look at Romans chapter 11, almost all of them talk like pre-millennial because they read in here the future for Israel. John Murray said, yes John Murray, post-millennialist, here's what he said about this verse, hence nothing less than a restoration of Israel as a people to faith, privilege, and blessing can satisfy the terms of this passage.

I love that. By the way, if I was amill, I'd try to prove it without going to Romans chapter 11 is what I would try to do. Charles Hodge, the post-millennialist, the conversion of the Jews will be accompanied by the most glorious consequences for the whole world.

Verse 13, now I'm speaking to you Gentiles, inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles. I magnify my ministry, why? Why does Paul do what he does? In order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous and thus save some of them.

That's one of Paul's motivations for preaching to the Gentiles. Yes for the glory of God, yes for the Gentile salvation, but to provoke the Jews to jealousy. God isn't finished with the Jews. If God wants them to be jealous through Paul's preaching, there must be a future for Israel.

Verse 15, the conclusion then, he introduces this from the greater to the lesser, if the reception means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? In other words, the casting off is only temporary.

God's purpose extends beyond today in Gentile conversion. Now I have forgotten how mad the Jews would get when you would preach the gospel to Gentiles. Do you know how mad Jews got when you preach the gospel to Gentiles so they would get saved?

I forgot until I just read it the other day. Paul said, and Jesus said to me, go for I will send you far away to the Gentiles. Acts 22, up to this word they listened to Paul. Then they raised their voices and said, away with such a fellow from the earth for he should not be allowed to live.

To offer salvation, Yahweh, to the Gentiles, kill him. They were shouting, throwing up their cloaks, flinging dust into the air. But if the Gentiles could be blessed because of the Jews' unbelief, what about when the Jews believe?

Verse 16, now here's when you're going to need some of your Old Testament stuff. I don't have much time to go through every little detail here, but if you think Old Testament, you're going to get it. If you're thinking what is first contributes to the quality of what's later, you're going to get it.

But if the dough offered as first fruits is holy, well, so is the whole lump. And you know what he's talking about here? He's talking about the Abrahamic covenant, the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

If that is a first fruit, then isn't there going to be later fruits, later people believing? So the whole lump. And if the root is holy, same thing, the second illustration to show the patriarchs are represented by the root, Abraham and his covenant.

The root is holy, so also are the branches. And then he says, you know, I want to guard you against being prideful and arrogant Gentiles. He does this in the next seven verses, eight verses. Verse 17, for if some of the branches were broken off and you, although a wild olive shoot were grafted in among the others, Paul switches things around according to the horticulturist, but he does it for a reason because this goes against nature.

Chapter 11, verse 24, normally you cultivate an olive tree grafted into a wild olive tree, but it does the opposite. But if some of the branches were broken off and you, although a wild olive shoot were grafted in among the others, now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, Abrahamic covenant blessings do not be arrogant towards the branches.

If you are, remember, it is not you who support the root, but the root supports you. So think about it. What do we have here? The branches broken off, verse 17, unbelieving Israel. If some of the branches, unbelieving Israel, were broken off and you, although a wild olive shoot, you Gentiles were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, that is to say God's covenant with Abraham, don't be arrogant towards the branches, towards those broken branches, Israel.

Don't boast. Verse 19, then you will say, branches were broken off so I might be grafted in. Yes, but how do you respond to that? Verse 20, that is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief.

But you stand fast through faith so do not become proud but fear. Just because this happened to them, it should make you think it could happen to you. Because it happened to them, rather, it could happen to you.

Oh, we're above and beyond. That would never happen to us. No, persevering faith must persevere. Verse 21, don't presume for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you. If He doesn't spare Israel, He won't spare you Gentiles.

And you know, isn't it neat, verse 22, God's attributes. What is God doing? And remember when I asked Sinclair Ferguson that question, what is God doing right now? And he looked at me and he didn't even bat an eye and he said, God is simultaneously exercising all of His attributes.

It's a good answer. Five years later, I said to Sinclair Ferguson, I said, you know, that really changed my mind about God when I asked you the question, what's God doing right now? And when you told me that answer, it was unbelievable.

And he said, what did I tell you for an answer? I said, you said God is simultaneously exercising all of His attributes. And then Sinclair said, that was a good answer. And here, look, verse 22, no, then the kindness towards the Gentiles and the severity of God towards Israel right now, at least most of them, severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you.

And now He gives the exhortation to persevere, provided you continue in His kindness. How do you get Christians to persevere? Knowing that they will persevere because of the Spirit. You tell them persevere.

Otherwise, you too will be cut off. Your situation could be reversed, is what he says. And now he says in verse 23, a fresh argument for Jewish restoration. And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in.

For God has the power to graft them in again. And right here is where Charles Hodge gives eight reasons for a future restoration of Israel. I'll just give you one, it's found in verse 24. For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree and grafted contrary to nature, see, Paul knows what horticulturists know.

This is the opposite way, but it's because grace way, not a works way, into a cultivated olive tree. How much more, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree?

The rejection of Israel isn't final. God is able to graft them back in again. It's actually easier, if we could argue it that way, than grafting in the unnatural Gentiles. It's a future for Israel. And finally, number three, the third truth.

God's still saving Jews in the past. God had a plan to save the Gentiles and make the Jews jealous. Finally, number three, God faithfully keeps his promises. Verses 25 through 32 for the future of Israel.

Now, if you say, yeah, but I'm getting bogged down in all this stuff. I need something practical. Well, theology is practical, and we need joy, and it's tied to your salvation. How much more practical could that be?

The final word hasn't happened for Israel. Her fall is real, but it's not the end. Verse 25. Now, as I read this verse, I want you to think of the two key words, actually the three key words here, that I'm going to focus on in just a minute.

The ultimate ground for the hope of Israel's regrafting into the olive trees in verse 25. What words are important? All of them, but I'm thinking about three key words, lest you be wise in your own sight.

I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers. A partial hardening, that's keyword number one, a hardening of a part, has come upon Israel. That's the second word, the nation of Israel. No one disagrees with that.

When you see the word Israel in 9, 10, and 11, it's Israel. Until, that's the third keyword, the fullness of the Gentiles have come in. There's a hardening of a part of the nation of Israel, until all the elect Gentiles have believed.

Now, it's interesting, we move to verse 26. This is the battleground between premill, amill, etc. But the same word for Israel, found in verse 25, is found here. And in this way, all Israel will be saved.

All Israel is going to be saved. Now, there are three main ways to take that word. One, Jews and Gentiles, it's the church. It's a spiritual Israel, the church. I don't know how they can do that with verse 25 being there, although it fits with their system.

Some say it's the elect believing Jews during the present age. And thirdly, some say the ethnic, literal nation of Israel. Now, as I was searching through this and doing a lot of reading, I found a very interesting support for the literal ethnic nation of Israel.

And out of all places, it was the ESV study Bible, which I thought would have been amillennial. It says salvation of Israel is found here in verse 26, because one, it fits with the promises of God's future work in verse 12 and 15.

Two, it is difficult to see how the salvation of a remnant of the Jews all through history would qualify as a mystery. What's so mysterious about that? Three, the future salvation of ethnic Israel at the end of history accords with the climactic character of this passage.

And four, it demonstrates finally and fully how God is faithful to fulfill his saving promises to his people. I do not think a standard reading of the text can make Israel be spiritual Israel. And by the way, if you'd like to study that more, here's the person you need to study, who's my favorite when it comes to Romans 11.

And his name is James Montgomery Boyce. Quote, since ethnic Israel is what is referred to in verse 25, the word cannot be used in an entirely different sense in verse 26. If it is ethnic Israel, which has been hardened, it must be ethnic Israel, which will be saved.

And as you know, James Boyce is no crazy Hal Lindsey dispensationalist weirdo. Did I just say that? I can't believe I just said that. You could edit that from the tape. The nation as a whole, not every individual, the nation as a whole, majority, the elect.

John Murray writes, if Boyce couldn't say it, Murray does. And Murray doesn't even believe in premillennialism. Well, he does now. But Murray, when he wrote, didn't. He's in heaven. There is the sustained contrast between Israel and the Gentiles, as has been demonstrated in the exposition proceeding.

What other denotation could be given to Israel in the preceding verse? If it is ethnic Israel, Paul is speaking, and Israel could no possibly, could not impossibly include Gentiles. Charles Hodge, Israel here must mean the Jewish people.

As a people now rejected in the future, restored. And for those of you that love John Piper, I don't quote him often, but for my own purposes, I will. John Piper, it is unwarranted to interpret all Israel here to mean any other thing than corporate ethnic Israel.

If Israel can lose your salvation, you can, but she hasn't lost it. You can't either. He says in verse 26, as it is written, look at these great verses from Isaiah 59 about our Savior, the Deliverer. The Deliverer will come from Zion.

He will banish ungodliness from Jacob. He's going to rule. The great Jesus rules on the earth. Verse 28, as regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake, the current people on earth, the Israelites who were against Paul.

But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers, the root, the first fruits. And get this and get it straight. Verse 29, for the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. When you don't see the moon go up and down anymore, the sun go up and down anymore, Jeremiah 31.

Then you say, no more Israel. But if it keeps coming up, then you ought to remember 1 Samuel 12. The Lord will not abandon his people. Psalm 94, for the Lord will not abandon his people. Why? The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.

The immutability of God's promises guard Israel's status. And if you look at the passage, take a look at it again. The word irrevocable is placed up front. It's the first word of the Greek sentence. Irrevocable are the gifts, for emphasis.

Verse 34, just as you were at the one time disobedient to God, but now have received mercy because of their disobedience. So too have now, so too they now have been disobedient in order that the mercy shown to you, they also may now receive mercy.

Just like he did with unbelieving Gentiles. I love Charles Feinberg when he said, the Hebrews, like their language, have a past and a future, but no present. Verse 32, for God has consigned all to disobedience, that he might have mercy on all.

That's a military word. God has rounded up everybody at gunpoint and put them all in a prisoner of war camp because he's going to show who he's going to give mercy to and who he doesn't give mercy to, Romans chapter nine.

They all deserve to be shot by a firing squad because of their unbelief, but he's got them all consigned so that when he pulls them out, they won't say, well, you know what? We snuck out, we dug out, Steve McQueen out, dug a tunnel out.

We got out because God chose us to get out. So he'll have mercy. Unfaithfulness of men cannot nullify the faithfulness of God. If God keeps his promises to faithless, unbelieving Israel, will he keep his promise to you?

Is it though the word of God has failed? No. So what's Paul's response? And here it comes. I think I need to be in the Mediterranean or something. I know this is a generalization, but when you're in the Mediterranean, when I was around the people in Turkey last month and the people in Greece last month, there was a bunch of them.

We were in Italy. I mean, they are ready and ripe for this next word. Sometimes though you go to Norway or Sweden or Central Massachusetts, it's not quite the same. Israel's restoration shows that God's promises are kept and nothing can separate us from the love of God.

What does that make you say? Verse 33, it's in the Bible. I'm working on a new book based on that word and that word alone. What in the world makes you just go, wow, it's incredible. It's uncredible. It's incredible.

It's amazing. The depths and the riches and the wisdom and knowledge of God. How can God do this? How does he have wisdom to figure this out? He praises God's wisdom. Think about even in your own life, not just Israel.

How does God be the just and the justifier of people? How does God say, you know what? I'm a spirit. I have no body. Three in one triune being and men are sinful. And I've got to go rescue them. But I just can't say like I say.

I can say to my kids, you're forgiven. That's not how God does it because he's holy and just. The eternal son cloaks himself with humanity, comes and lives in our place and dies for us. And God credits what he does to our account.

Who figures that out? How unsearchable are his judgments and inscrutable his ways? Who can trace that out? Then he quotes Isaiah and he quotes Job. For who has known the mind of the Lord? Who has been his counselor?

We know the answers to those things. Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid? This kind of language, unsearchable, it's not used anyplace else except in Ephesians. To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given to me to preach to the Gentiles, the unfathomable riches of Christ.

Who's known the mind of the Lord? No one. Isaiah 40. Who's been given a gift that he might be repaid? Job 41. No one. Free, sovereign wisdom. And then he praises him for sovereignty. Verse 36. And from him, God's the first cause.

Through him, God's the effective cause. And to him, God is the ultimate cause of everything. Are all things. And then he doesn't know what else to do. What do you say when you've just learned about, from the Bible, sola scriptura, and the Bible alone?

From the Bible alone, what do you do when you learn about Christ alone? And how he did it all? And then you learn about it's all grace alone. And then you learn about through its faith alone. After sola scriptura, and sola gratia, and sola Christus, and sola fide.

What's your only response? Soli Deo Gloria. To him, nobody else. Not Israel, not Gentiles, not Paul, not you, not me. To him, not Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. To him be glory. This is the watchword for every Christian.

To him be the glory forever. Amen. The single desire of every Christian is that. When you look to the Lord, that's what he shows himself. The scheme of redemption of him. The person of Christ through him.

The response to the sovereignty of God in your salvation, the response to the sovereignty of God in Israel's salvation should be one and the same. What time are the Red Sox on? Hardly. Heidelberg Catechism.

How many things are necessary for you to know? That you in this comfort may live and die happily. I read a book this week. I talked about last week. Maybe it was two weeks ago I read it. You're going to die.

Get ready to die. I heard a pastor preach and he said, Pastor, if your duty is properly discharged, you will teach your congregation how to die. So what do you need to know to die? Three things, Heidelberg Catechism.

How great my sins and miseries are. Two. How I am delivered from all my sins and misery. Three. How I am to be thankful to God for such deliverance. Are you thankful? Are you glad God saved you? God's faithful?

Well, you should be.

The Mystery of Israel’s Partial Hardening and Full Salvation

Unleashing the life transforming power of God's Word through verse by verse exposition of the sacred text. Please come and join us. Our service times are Sunday morning at 8 .30 and 11 a .m. And Sunday evenings at 6 p .m.

We're located on Route 110 in West Boylston, Massachusetts. You can check us out online at bbcchurch .org or by phone at 508 -835 -3400. The thoughts and opinions expressed on No Compromise Radio do not necessarily reflect those of WVNE, its staff or management.