The Unfathomable Riches of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God:

Remembering that Romans 11 deals with the restoration of the Nation of Israel and the salvation of Gentile Nations we continue where we left off in the last study at Romans 11:21: “For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.” This has nothing to do with the individual believer’s eternal security, Romans 8:38 – 39, it has to do with the Gentile Nations vis-à-vis the Nation of Israel. The “natural branches” refer to the Nation of Israel and the warning to heed lest “God also spare not thee” is directed to the Gentile Nations. The Nation of Israel was set aside almost 2000 years ago when they rejected the offer of the Kingdom by Peter and the 12 as documented in the first part of Acts. Since then, it has been the “times of the Gentiles,” but that period will run its course at the Tribulation, which will end when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to earth to rule over Israel and the Nations, Luke 21:24 – 28. Only then will God’s promises to Israel be finally and eternally fulfilled.

The next two verses are quoted with an explanation of the original Greek in parenthesis and italics, as Paul explains verse 21: “Behold therefore the goodness (G5444, moral excellence/ integrity) and severity (G663, found only in this verse, meaning decisiveness/ rigor/ roughness/ cutting off) of God: on (G1909) them (Israel) which fell, severity (G663); but toward (“on” G1909, same Greek as “on them”) thee (Gentile Nations), goodness (G5444), if thou continue in his goodness (G5444): otherwise, thou (Gentile Nations) also shalt be cut off. And they (Israel) also, if they (Israel) abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed (grafted) in: for God is able to graff (graft) them (Israel) in again.” Romans 11:22 – 23. God is the personification of good, but He cannot abide sin. Unbelief is sin and His character requires He deal with it with decisiveness/ rigor/ severely. A case in point is that He delt with sin in a most severe way when He sent His own Son to die the terrible death of the cross for the sin/s of mankind.

“For if thou (Gentile Nations) wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed (grafted) contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these (Israel), which be the natural branches, be graffed (grafted) into their own olive tree?” Romans 11:24. The olive tree is named 3 times in this verse, but each is translated from a different form of Greek. The first, the wild by nature is from the Greek “agrielaios” (G65), found only here and in Romans 11:17; it is the oleaster olive tree that bears no fruit and refers to the Gentile nations. The second, the good olive tree is translated from the Greek “kalielaios,” (G2565) found only here in the NT; it is the domesticated olive tree that bears good fruit. The 3^rd olive tree is a translation of the Greek word “elaia” (G1636) found 15 times in the NT where it is usually translated “olive.” As you can see, “elaia” is a part of the other two Greek words but the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to use these forms of the Greek to differentiate between the Nation of Israel and the Gentile Nations. “For if thou (Gentile Nations) wert cut out of the olive tree (agrielaio – G65), which is wild by nature, and wert graffed (grafted) contrary to nature into a good olive tree (kalielaios – G2565): how much more shall these (Israel), which be the natural branches, be graffed (grafted) into their own olive tree (elaia – G1636)?” Romans 11:24.

When God first called out the Nation of Israel from other nations, He said: “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou (Moses) shalt speak unto the children of Israel.” Exodus 19:5 – 6. God blessed them immeasurably, Romans 9:4 – 5. They were, in type, chosen to be a good olive tree producing good fruit for the benefit and nourishment of all mankind. However, they failed, simply because they were unable to keep God’s commandments by their own works. Jerimiah’s prophesy about Israel’s judgement for their sins during his time also foretells what would happen to them many years later when they rejected their Messiah and the offer of the Kingdom by Peter and the 12: “Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble. What hath my beloved to do in mine house, seeing she hath wrought lewdness with many, and the holy flesh is passed from thee? when thou doest evil, then thou rejoicest. The LORD called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult, he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.” Jeremiah 11:14 – 16.

God will someday in the future fulfil His promises and purpose for Israel: “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.” Romans 11:25 – 27. Verse 27 is a combined quote from 2 verses in Isaiah: “And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD. As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.” Isaiah 59:20 – 21. The Nation of Israel will be what God promised only when the Lord Jesus Christ returns and they are filled with His Spirit, as prophesied by Hosea: “I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.” Hosea 14:5 – 6.

“As concerning the gospel (the good news preached by Paul), they (Israel) are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election (chosen ones), they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.” Romans 11:28 – 31. Prior to the mystery or secret revealed to the Apostle Paul, Romans 16:25; Ephesians 3:1 – 4, all Gentiles were without God in the world, Ephesians 2:1 – 5, alienated from God, Colossians 1:21. After Israel was set aside, Gentiles were saved by the Gospel Paul preached, 1 Corinthians 15:1 – 4. The Nation Israel was an enemy of Paul’s Gospel, they didn’t believe, but just as God’s mercy was bestowed on the Gentiles by the Gospel so will God’s mercy be bestowed on Israel because they were elected/chosen. “For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.” Romans 11:32.

God chose (elected) Israel to be His people but because of sin they failed miserably to meet His standards. The 9^th, 10^th and 11^th chapters of Romans are rife with quotations from the Old Testament documenting the promised restoration of Israel. Ezekiel 37:3 – 14 prophesied that God will breathe His life-giving Spirit into Israel, but nothing is mentioned how He would be justified in doing this, considering His inability to condone sin. So, the question; how could God justify restoring Israel to the position He promised them after what they have done?

A committee of the smartest men and women on earth would not be able to figure this out, yea, neither Satan nor the angels could conceive of such a plan. The answer to this was not revealed; it was a mystery or secret until God revealed it to the Apostle Paul, Romans 11:25, Romans 16:25, Ephesians 3:1 – 4, etc. God made it possible to restore the Nation of Israel by sending His own son to suffer and die for their sin/s (as well as the sin/s of both individual Jews and Gentiles during the last almost 2000 years), Romans 3:21 – 31. Thus, the Apostle climaxes the revelation of God’s plan: “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen.” Romans 11:33 – 36.