God Has Not Rejected His People
Thinking about Romans 11:1-6.
I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying,
"LORD, THEY HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS AND TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND THEY SEEK MY LIFE"?
But what does the divine response say to him?
"I HAVE RESERVED FOR MYSELF SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL."
Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work. (Romans 11:1-6)
The nation of Israel had stubbornly refused the gospel of Christ. So, wasn’t this evidence that God had “cast away” or rejected His people?
Paul is evidence that God had not rejected His people.
God had “certainly not” rejected His people!
Paul himself was evidence of that fact.
Paul was a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He was of the tribe of Benjamin (Philippians 3:5).
The tribe of Benjamin had produced the first king of Israel - Saul (1 Samuel 9). When the kingdom divided, the tribe of Benjamin remained loyal to the house of David (1 Kings 12:21-23). They were among some of the last to be taken into captivity, and a remnant returned and rebuilt Jerusalem after exile (Ezra 1:5).
Paul himself had once persecuted the way of Christ (Acts 8:1-3; 9:1-2; 22:3-5; 1 Timothy 1:12-13).
If God had sought an excuse not to fulfill his promises to those of Israelite descent he would have had good excuse to withhold the blessings from Paul. God isn’t faithless. - McGuiggan, Romans, 309
Elijah is evidence that God had not rejected His people.
But Paul didn’t just refer to himself as an example of God’s faithfulness, he referred back to the prophet Elijah.
Paul had the distressing habit of bringing people back to the Bible. That’s something of a novelty now, isn’t it?! - McGuiggan, Romans, 309
1 Kings 18 describes how God defeated the prophets of Baal by sending fire down upon the offering to Him. However, Queen Jezebel soon sought Elijah’s life for “embarrassing” her god Baal and executing her “prophets” (1 Kings 19:1-2).
Elijah runs for his life and eventually arrives at a cave in Horeb, the mountain of God (1 Kings 19:9). When God asks Elijah what he’s doing, Elijah responds:
"I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life." (1 Kings 19:10, 14)
God shows Elijah His power, gives him a mission, and then leaves Elijah with this statement:
Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him. (1 Kings 19:18)
Elijah says to God, “Your people, the nation of Israel, have deserted you and are trying to kill me!” God’s response is powerful - and extremely important to Paul’s point here in Romans.
Only those who have not bowed the knee to Baal are my people. The rest are Baal’s people.
Why does this Old Testament example matter so much to Paul’s point in Romans 11?
Who are God’s people?
From God’s statement to Elijah and from Paul’s inspired words in Romans 11:1-6 we find the answer to the question, “Who are God’s people?”
The remnant.
In Elijah’s day, the remnant (a remainder or what’s left over) remained faithful to the Lord God by not bowing to Baal. In Paul’s day, the remnant remained faithful to the Lord God by responding in faith to the gospel of Christ. These were God’s people.
Out of the millions of Jews, God had left unto himself a remnant. Such Jews never were forsaken, nor would they ever be. These, and these alone are counted as Israel (Romans 9:6). These and these alone are the children of faith to whom the promises would be actualized (Romans 9:7ff). These and these alone are “the people” (Acts 3:23). - McGuiggan, Romans, 310
The remnant was according to the election of grace - it was not according to works, by which I believe Paul means works of the Law or works of merit.
No one deserved what God offered, but all who turned to Him could receive what He graciously offered. Anyone could become a part of the people of God.
For Paul, the very foundation of the concept of grace was the idea of God’s undeserved favor bestowed on behalf of sinful man. The notion of working to attain standing before God was repugnant to Paul and, in fact, turned the grace of God into something else. To endorse the concept of grace, yet doing works of the Law to attain it, made a mockery of grace. - Pollard, Truth for Today Commentary, 386
The problem was not with God - He had always been faithful to His people. He had always been gracious and merciful. The problem was with those who attempted “to establish their own righteousness” and rejected God’s righteousness (Romans 10:3-4).
God is faithful. Always.
I have always love the prophet Elijah, who suffered from a deep depression, even after his greatest triumph. He fled in fear. God spoke to him with tenderness and not scolding! He brought provision and rest for his suffering prophet and helped him get back up running. I have the same malady, deep discouragement and depression. As a returned Prodigal with a ragged road behind me, I CLING to God and His Son every single day. To cling means to not let go, to at least attempt to cast your burden daily on God and ask for His help, an inch at a time. Many of us are simply not huge "type A" conquerors but just trying to keep afloat one single day at a time. Elijah always gives me a spark of hope and I hold even more tightly to God. I may not leap huge buildings...but I can walk ONE step and then another...
God will never forsake those who follow Him.