Romans 11:1-10

11:1-10 | Paul develops a crucial point in his argument in this chapter. In the first 10 verses, he presents a panoramic view of God’s plan for Israel, past, present, and future. God has reserved a remnant, and His election is by grace no longer of works. The grace of God and works for salvation are mutually exclusive.

11:1-4 | At the end of chapter 10, it almost seems that Israel has hopelessly and eternally rejected Christ, effectively ending God’s plan and purpose for Israel. But Paul himself is proof that God is not through with Israel (Ps. 94:14). He was from the tribe of Benjamin, a Jew who had believed in the Messiah (Phil. 3:5). And just as God reserved a remnant in Elijah’s day, even when Elijah thought he was the only faithful person left, so in Paul’s day and beyond, God has preserved a remnant according to the election of grace (1 Sam. 12:22; Ps. 94:14; Jer. 31:37).

11:7-10 | The believing minority have obtained God’s righteousness, but the rest – the blinded majority – stay blind because of unbelief (Isa. 29:10-13; Deut. 23:3-4). Because of their rejection, God brought on the Jewish people the disaster David had prayed would fall on his enemies.