The Rejection of Israel

I. Introduction: In the latter part of the book of Romans, Paul laments the spiritual condition of his fellow Israelites whom God cast off. He has hope that some will believe and follow Jesus just as he did. Despite the clear words of scripture, some Christians still think that the Jews are the true nation of God and that God will, at some time in the future, restore them to Israel again. Millennialists argue that Israel has always been, and always will be, God’s people.

II. Israel’s status as a special people was conditional.

A. Deuteronomy 4:25-31

B. Deuteronomy 6:10-15

C. Deuteronomy 8:19-20

D. Deuteronomy 9:4-5

E. Deuteronomy 28

F. Joshua 23:11-13; 16

III. God punished Israel for disobedience with the Babylonians and Assyrians.

A. Nehemiah 1:8-10

B. Ezra 1:1-4

C. Only a remnant returned to the land

D. Isaiah 1:9; 10:22 Jeremiah 23:3

IV. The prophets foretold of Israel’s final rejection and a new remnant that God would gather.

A. Daniel 12:7

B. Jeremiah 19:1-10 – Israel would be broken and not repaired.

C. Isaiah 11:1-16

D. This conflicts with millennial teaching:

E. Isaiah 11: The Branch slays the wicked, rules a peaceable kingdom, then gathers the remnant for a second time. Millennialists: remnant is gathered, then the wicked are slain, then the peaceable kingdom is established.

F. The New Testament describes the church as the remnant

G. Romans 2:28-29 Romans 9:6-8 Romans 11:5 Galatians 3:26-29

H. Jesus taught that the new kingdom would be taken from Israel

I. Matthew 21:33-441 Peter 2:8-10 shows the fulfillment

V. God dissolved the covenant with the Jews

A. Hebrews 8:7-13

B. God divorced them for unfaithfulness.

C. Romans 9:8

D. The Jews could be saved if they united to God through Christ, 11:1.

E. The Jews had to give up the desire for justification through the Law 10:1-4.

VI. God has made a new covenant with a new nation, spiritual Israel—the church.

A. Romans 9:6-8

B. Hebrews 8:7-13 (already read)

C. Ephesians 2:13-16

D. Galatians 3:26-29 – We are added to the nation through baptism.

E. Hebrews 12:18-24 – We have come to spiritual Jerusalem.

F. Books of Romans, Hebrews, Galatians, and Colossians stress the dissolving of the Old Law and, therefore, Israel’s special status by that covenant and the superiority of the New Law and God’s new covenanted people.

VII. Warning to new Israel

A. Romans 11:17-24

B. We must remember that if God did not spare His own nation that He brought out of Egypt and made a nation, He will not spare us if we reject His word. We must be faithful to God and not fall after the example of Israel’s disobedience and rebellion.

C. Remember the goodness and severity of God

D. God is good to those who are faithful. God is severe to those who reject Him and turn back, Hebrews 10:35-39

VIII. Conclusion

A. Paul said that not all of the Jews were cast off since He, himself, was a Jew.

B. The Jews had the promise of and access to the kingdom but they rejected it.

C. They rejected it out of blindness. They looked to their own righteousness instead of God’s righteousness, and their path was darkened.

D. In their shallowness they tried to establish their own religion.

E. Paul hoped the expansion of the kingdom in the Gentile worlds would provoke the Jews to jealousy and make them desire to enter into that which they had lost.

F. Any of the Jews that desired to become part of the kingdom had access but most did not have the desire.

G. We can become part of this new kingdom, God’s special people but, if we are unfaithful, He will cast us off as He did the Jews.