Romans 10–11

10Brothers and sisters, with all my heart I long for the people of Israel to be saved. I pray to God for them. ²I can give witness about them that they really want to serve God. But how they are trying to do it is not based on what they know.

³They didn’t know how God makes people right with himself. They tried to get right with God in their own way. They didn’t do it in God’s way.

⁴Christ has completed the law. So now everyone who believes can be right with God.

⁵Moses explained how the law could help a person do what God requires. He said, “The one who does those things will live by them.”

⁶But the way to do what God requires must begin by having faith in him. Scripture says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will go up into heaven?’ ” That means to go up into heaven and bring Christ down. ⁷“And do not say, ‘Who will go down into the grave?’ ” That means to bring Christ up from the dead.

⁸But what does it say? “The word is near you. It’s in your mouth and in your heart.” That means the word we are preaching. You must put your faith in it.

⁹Say with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord.” Believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. Then you will be saved. ¹⁰With your heart you believe and are made right with God. With your mouth you say that Jesus is Lord. And so you are saved. ¹¹Scripture says, “The one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

¹²There is no difference between those who are Jews and those who are not. The same Lord is Lord of all. He richly blesses everyone who calls on him. ¹³Scripture says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

¹⁴How can they call on him unless they believe in him? How can they believe in him unless they hear about him? How can they hear about him unless someone preaches to them? ¹⁵And how can anyone preach without being sent? It is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

¹⁶But not all the people of Israel accepted the good news. Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” ¹⁷So faith comes from hearing the message. And the message that is heard is the word of Christ.

¹⁸But I ask, “Didn’t the people of Israel hear?” Of course they did. It is written,

“Their voice has gone out into the whole earth.

Their words have gone out from one end of the world to the other.”

¹⁹Again I ask, “Didn’t Israel understand?” First, Moses says,

“I will use people who are not a nation to make you jealous.

I will use a nation that has no understanding to make you angry.”

²⁰Then Isaiah boldly speaks about what God says. God said,

“I was found by those who were not trying to find me.

I made myself known to those who were not asking for me.”

²¹But Isaiah also speaks about what God says concerning Israel. God said,

“All day long I have held out my hands.

I have held them out to a stubborn people who do not obey me.”

God’s Faithful People in Israel

11So here is what I ask. Did God turn his back on his people? Not at all! I myself belong to Israel. I am one of Abraham’s children. I am from the tribe of Benjamin. ²God didn’t turn his back on his people. After all, he chose them.

Don’t you know what Scripture says about Elijah? He complained to God about Israel. ³He said, “Lord, they have killed your prophets. They have torn down your altars. I’m the only one left. And they are trying to kill me.”

⁴How did God answer him? God said, “I have kept 7,000 people for myself. They have not bowed down to Baal.”

⁵Some are also faithful today. They have been chosen by God’s grace. ⁶And if they are chosen by grace, it is no longer a matter of working for it. If it were, grace wouldn’t be grace anymore.

⁷What should we say then? Israel did not receive what they wanted so badly. But those who were chosen did. God made the rest of them stubborn.

⁸It is written,

“God made it hard for them to understand.

He gave them eyes that could not see.

He gave them ears that could not hear.

And they are still like that today.”

⁹David says,

“Let their feast be a trap and a snare.

Let it make Israel trip and fall. Let Israel get what’s coming to them.

¹⁰Let their eyes grow dark so they can’t see.

Let their backs be bent forever.”

Two Kinds of Olive Branches

¹¹Again, here is what I ask. They didn’t trip and fall once and for all time, did they? Not at all! Because Israel sinned, those who aren’t Jews can be saved. That will make Israel jealous of them. ¹²Israel’s sin brought riches to the world. Their loss brought riches to the non-Jews. What greater riches will come when all Israel turns to God!

¹³I am talking to you who are not Jews. I am the apostle to the non-Jews. So I think the work I do for God and others is very important.

¹⁴I hope somehow to stir up my own people to want what you have. Perhaps I can save some of them. ¹⁵When they were not accepted, it became possible for the whole world to be brought back to God. So what will happen when they are accepted? It will be like life from the dead.

¹⁶The first handful of dough that is offered is holy. This makes all of the dough holy.

If the root is holy, so are the branches.

¹⁷Some of the natural branches have been broken off. You are a wild olive branch. But you have been joined to the tree with the other branches. Now you enjoy the life-giving sap of the olive tree root. ¹⁸So don’t think you are better than the other branches. Remember, you don’t give life to the root. The root gives life to you.

¹⁹You will say, “Some branches were broken off so that I could be joined to the tree.” ²⁰That’s true. But they were broken off because they didn’t believe. You stand only because you do believe. So don’t be proud. Be afraid. ²¹God didn’t spare the natural branches. He won’t spare you either.

²²Think about how kind God is! Also think about how firm he is! He was hard on those who stopped following him. But he is kind to you. So you must continue to live in his kindness. If you don’t, you also will be cut off.

²³If the people of Israel do not continue in their unbelief, they will again be joined to the tree. God is able to join them to the tree again.

²⁴After all, weren’t you cut from a wild olive tree? Weren’t you joined to an olive tree that was taken care of? And wasn’t that the opposite of how things should be done? How much more easily will the natural branches be joined to their own olive tree!

All Israel Will Be Saved

²⁵Brothers and sisters, here is a mystery I want you to understand. It will keep you from being proud. Part of Israel has refused to obey God. That will continue until the full number of non-Jews has entered God’s kingdom. ²⁶And so all Israel will be saved. It is written,

“The One who saves will come from Mount Zion.

He will remove sin from Jacob.

²⁷Here is my covenant with them.

I will take away their sins.”

²⁸As far as the good news is concerned, the people of Israel are enemies. That is for your good. But as far as God’s choice is concerned, the people of Israel are loved. That is because of God’s promises to the founders of our nation. ²⁹God does not take back his gifts. He does not change his mind about those he has chosen.

³⁰At one time you did not obey God. But now you have received mercy because Israel did not obey. ³¹In the same way, Israel has not been obeying God. But now they receive mercy because of God’s mercy to you. ³²God has found everyone guilty of not obeying him. So now he can have mercy on everyone.

Praise to God

³³How very rich are God’s wisdom and knowledge!

How he judges is more than we can understand!

The way he deals with people is more than we can know!

³⁴“Who can ever know what is in the Lord’s mind?

Or who can ever give him advice?”

³⁵“Has anyone ever given anything to God,

so that God has to pay him back?”

³⁶All things come from him.

All things are directed by him.

All things are for his good.

May God be given the glory forever! Amen.