Romans: The Remnant

Romans 11:1-10

God has always had a people for himself—even in the darkest days and most difficult times. Yet, as we see in Paul’s letter to the Romans, many Jews were confused about who truly belonged to him.

First, many of God’s chosen people did not accept Jesus. How could their Messiah die on a cross? Second, the Jews who believed in Jesus questioned why the Gentiles were being included. Third, this also raised the issue of reconciling their understanding of being God’s chosen nation with the newly established body of believers called the Church, which included people from all nationalities. 

Had God forgotten about the Jews? This is the heart of the question Paul addresses. 

Romans 11:1-2a
I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.

God has never turned away from his people, and Paul uses himself as evidence of this. He was a Jew, descended from Abraham and of the tribe of Benjamin. He was speaking to others with similar backgrounds. However, as the gospel spread, Gentiles became the primary group of believers, raising many questions.

Paul assures Israel that God has not abandoned his people. His response to the initial question is the strongest Greek negative, "me genioto," meaning, “By no means!”—and he further emphasizes the theological point he made earlier in Romans 8:29-30. God has not rejected his people—Jew or Gentile—whom he foreknew, chose, called, justified, and glorified. 

The Jews in Rome were not the first to experience feeling like a spiritual minority. At one point, the prophet Elijah had to run for his life, leaving him feeling rejected and abandoned (1 Kings 19). Elijah complained to God that Israel had broken the covenants while he had remained loyal. Paul uses this second example to support his statement that God has never turned his back on his people.

Romans 11:2b-4
Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 

This historical account offers reassurance. 

Romans 11:5-6
So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. 

Just as there was a remnant in Elijah’s day, there was also a remnant of believers in Paul’s time. Just as the earlier remnant was chosen by grace, so too is the current remnant. A relationship with God has always been based on grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. 

It’s impressive how frequently Paul uses the Old Testament to back up his points. This would have been very impactful to his Jewish audience. He refers to the Old Testament once more. 

Romans 11:7-8
What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, 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.” 

God never fails, but people do. Many Jews did not attain the relationship with God they sought because they were trying to please him through their works. Bible scholar Robert Utley explains, “they pursued this in the performance of religious ritual, racial privilege, and self-effort. They missed their goal! No flesh will glory before God.”[1]

Israel’s reliance on human effort to reach God caused their hearts to become hardened. Quoting from Deuteronomy 29:4 and Isaiah 29:10, Paul explains that many fell into a state of spiritual drowsiness. The word “stupor” describes “a numbness resulting from a sting.” Their eyes were blinded to spiritual truths, and their ears were deaf to the message of Jesus. The word “blinded” (Grk: poroo) means “to cover with a thick skin, to harden by covering with a callous.” In other words, “to make the heart dull.”[2]

Paul also refers to Psalm 69:22-23. 

Romans 11:9-10
And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever.” 

The word “table” symbolizes material prosperity. Their obsession with material things became a “snare and a trap.” The word “snare” (Grk: pagis) is a term for bird traps and refers to “whatever brings peril, loss, or destruction.” “Trap” (Grk: theran) is what is used for hunting wild animals to kill them. “Bow down” (Grk: sunkamptō) means “to bend together like captives whose backs are bent under burdens.”[3]

Paul uses these verses from Psalm 69 to depict a time when Israel not only rejected God but also sought their own pleasures through material possessions. Their self-made religion turned God’s blessings into their downfall and eventual captivity.  

However, Paul was quick to point out that “the elect obtained it,” which refers to the salvation they were seeking (Rom. 11:7). Who are the “elect”? These are those whom God foreknew, chose, called, justified, and glorified (Rom. 8:29-30). The “elect” are God’s people from eternity past to eternity future. 

Let me close with this: In today’s passage, God reminds us that he always has a people. You might feel like you’re alone—Elijah did—but God reminded him and us today that many Christians love Jesus like you do, believe like you do, and are willing to stand up for what they believe. And…God never leaves us or forsakes us. So, stand firm. God is on your side… and his people are on your side too. 

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD 
Time in the Word: Read and reflect on Romans 11:1-10.  Focus on the truth that God has always had a people. 

Talking to God: Do I believe that God is still faithful, even when I feel like part of a spiritual minority?

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