the glory of God's forbearance, and to their own confusion and self-condemnation, v. 21. 12. Communities and individuals should beware how they slight the mercies of God, and especially how they turn a deaf ear to the invitations of the gospel. For when the blessings of a church relation have once been withdrawn from a people, they are long in being restored. Witness the Jewish and the fallen Christian churches. And when God ceases to urge on the disobedient sinner the offers of mercy, his destiny is sealed, v. 21. CHAPTER XI. Contents. THIS chapter consists of two parts, vs. 1-10, and 11-36. In the former, the apostle teaches that the rejection of the Jews was not total. There was a remnant, and perhaps a much larger remnant than many might suppose, excepted, although the mass of the nation, agreeably to the predictions of the prophets, was cast off, vs. 1-10. In the latter, he shows that this rejection is not final. In the first place, the restoration of the Jews is a desirable and probable event, vs. 11-24. In the second, it is one which God has determined to bring to pass, vs. 25-32. The chapter closes with a sublime declaration of the unsearchable wisdom of God, manifested in all his dealings with men, vs. 33-36. In the consideration of the great doctrinal truths taught in this chapter, Paul intersperses many practical. remarks, designed to give these truths their proper influence both on the Jews and Gentiles, especially the latter. CHAP. 11: 1–10. Analysis. THE rejection of the Jews is not total, as is sufficiently manifest from the example of the apostle himself, to say nothing of others, v. 1. God had reserved a remnant faithful to himself, as was the case in the times of Elias, vs. 2-4. That this remnant is saved, is a matter entirely of grace. vs. 5, 6. The real truth of the case is, that Israel as a nation is excluded from the kingdom of Christ, but the chosen ones are admitted to its blessings, v. 7. This rejection of the greater part of the Jews, their own scriptures had predicted, vs. 8-10. Commentary. (1) I say then, hath God cast away his people? God forbid, &c. When we consider how many promises are made to the Jewish nation as God's peculiar people; and how often it is said, as in Ps. 94: 14, "The Lord will not cast off his people," it is not wonderful, that the doctrine of the rejection of the Jews, as taught in the preceding chapters, appeared inconsistent with these repeated declarations of the word of God. Paul removes this difficulty by showing in what sense the Jews were rejected, and in what way the ancient promises are to be understood. All the Jews were not cast off, and the promises did not contemplate all the Jewish people, as shown above in the ninth chapter, but only the true Israel. There was, therefore, no inconsistency between the doctrine of the apostle, and the declarations of the Old Testament. There must be an emphasis laid upon the question in this verse, 'Hath God entirely cast off his people? or hath God cast off his whole people? Has he rejected all? By no means. Such is not my doctrine.' The question may also be understood as meaning, 'Has God cast off his true spiritual people?' But this is not so consistent with the spirit of the passage, nor with the proof, afforded in his own case by the apostle, that the objection suggested by the interrogation was unfounded. The fact that he, a Jew, was not rejected, was evidence rather that the whole nation was not cast off, than that the true Israel were excepted. The distinction between the external and the spiritual Israel seems to be first referred to in the next verse. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin; (see Phil. 3: 5.) The apostle is thus particular in his statement, to make it appear that he was not a mere proselyte, but a Jew by birth, and consequently, as he did not teach his own rejection from the kingdom of God, he could not be understood as teaching that God had cast off all his ancient people. (2) God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. This verse admits of two interpretations. The words his people may be understood, as in the preceding verse, as meaning the Jewish nation, and the clause which he foreknew as by implication assigning the reason for the declaration that God had not cast them off. The clause, according to this view, is little more than a repetition of the sentiment of the preceding verse. It is not to be inferred from what I have said of the rejection of the Jews, that God has cast away all his chosen people. Multitudes are excepted now, as in the days of Elias.' The second interpretation requires more stress to be laid upon the words which he foreknew, as qualifying and distinguishing the preceding phrase, his people. God has indeed rejected his external people, the Jewish nation as such, but he has not cast away his people whom he foreknew.' According to this view, his people means his elect, his spiritual people, or the true Israel. This interpretation seems decidedly preferable, 1. Because it is precisely the distinction which Paul had made, and made for the same purpose, in ch. 9: 6-8, 'The rejection of the external Israel does not invalidate the promises of God, because those promises did not contemplate the natural seed as such, but the spiritual Israel. So, now, when I say that the external Israel is rejected, it does not imply that the true chosen Israel, to whom the promises pertained, is cast away.' 2. Because this is apparently Paul's own explanation in the sequel. The mass of the nation were cast away, but "a remnant, according to the election of grace," were reserved, v. 5. Israel, as such, Paul says in v. 7, failed of admission to the Messiah's kingdom, "but the election hath obtained it." It is, therefore, evident that the people which God foreknew, and which were not cast off, is "the remnant" spoken of in v. 5, and "the election" mentioned in v. 7. 3. Because the illustration borrowed from the Old Testament best suits this interpretation. In the days of Elias, God rejected the great body of the people; but reserved to himself a remnant, chosen in sovereign grace. The distinction, therefore, in both cases, is between the external and the chosen people. Which he foreknew. On the different senses of the word rendered he foreknew, see ch. 8: 29. Compare Rom. 7: 15. 2 Tim. 2: 19. 1 Cor. 8: 3. Gal. 4: 9. Prov. 12: 10. Ps. 101: 4. 1 Thess. 5: 12. Matt. 7: 23. The examples, however, are numerous and familiar, in which the word which signifies literally to know, means to approve, to regard with affection, to love. And as to love one more than others involves the idea of selection, so the verb signifies also to select, determine upon; see the compound word here rendered to foreknow, in 1 Pet. 1: 20. Compare 1 Pet. 1: 2, and other passages quoted in Rom. 8: 29. It depends on the context, which sense of the word is to be adopted. The idea of simple prescience obviously does not suit the passage. Others, therefore, prefer rendering the phrase which he before loved; others, which he had chosen. This idea is included in the other, and is the best suited to the context. 'The people which God foreknew' means, therefore, his chosen people;' "the remnant according to the election of grace," i. e. graciously elected; or, as explained in v. 7, "the election," i. e. those who are chosen. Paul therefore teaches, that God has indeed rejected the Jews as a nation, but not his chosen people. From among the multitude, whom, for their rejection of the Messiah, he has cast away, he has reserved those whom he had chosen for himself. The illustration which the apostle cites is peculiarly appropriate. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? Literally, in Elias, i. e. in the section which treats of Elias, or which is designated by his name. Another example of the same method of reference to scripture is supposed to occur in Mark 12: 26, " In the bush God spake unto him,” i. e. in the section which treats of the burning bush. How he maketh intercession to God against Israel. The word rendered 'to make intercession,' signifies to approach to any one, it may be for or against another; see ch. 8: 26. (3) Lord, they have killed thy prophets and digged down thine altars, and I am left alone, &c.; see 1 Kings 19: 10. Paul gives the sense and nearly the words of the original. The event referred to was the great defection from the true religion, and murder of the prophets of God, during the reign of Ahab. The circumstance to which the apostle specially refers is, that the prophet considered the defection entire, and himself the only worshipper of the true God left; whereas, in fact, there were many who remained faithful. (4) But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, &c.; 1 Kings 19: 18. Answer of God (xenμarioμós), divine response or oracle; see the use of the corresponding verb (xenuasigw), Heb. 12: 25. 11: 7. Matt. 2: 12. Luke 2: 26. Acts 10: 22. It is probable that the number seven thousand is to be taken for an indefinitely large number. Those who remained faithful to God are described as those who did not bow the knee to Baal. This was a Phoenician or Canaanitish deity, frequently worshipped by the idolatrous Hebrews. The word Baal properly means Lord, Ruler, and probably designates the same deity which among the Chaldeans was called Bel or Belus. The name is almost always masculine. The Septuagint prefix the feminine article to it in Hosea 2: 8. Jer. 2: 8. 19: 5. Zephaniah 1: 4, but in no one of these places is there any thing in the Hebrew to indicate that a female deity is intended. As Paul prefixes the feminine article, it may be explained either by supposing the word for image to be understood, as our translators have done and read, "Who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal;" or by taking the word as of the common gender, and used as the name of both a male and female deity. These false gods were either the sun and moon, or the planets Jupiter and Venus. In 1 Kings 19: 18, the passage quoted by the apostle, the word is masculine, as is evident from the last clause in the verse, "All the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him." Tholuck thinks the feminine form is used contemptuously.t (5) Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. As, in the days of Elias, there was a number which, although small in comparison - with the whole nation, was still much greater than appeared to the eye of sense, so at the present time, amidst the general defection of the Jews, and their consequent rejection as a people, there is a remnant graciously chosen of God, who are not cast off. The phrase election of grace, agreeably to the familiar scriptural idiom, means gracious election. Gracious, not See GESENIUS, Hebrew Lexicon on the words Baal and Bel. And also his Commentar über den Jesaia, vol. 3. Zweyte Beylage, p. 327. He refers to a remark of Jerome on Hosea 10: 5, who says that the form nay is used ad irrisionem. He remarks further, that in Arabic the feminine form is used for a false god, and by the Rabbins, means false gods. Foeminenum, subaudito sixóvi, imagini Baal, ad contemtum, antitheto, viros.— BENGEL. |