Has God Cast Away His People? Romans 11:1

Paul the apostle asked the people in Rome, “Did not Israel know? First Moses said, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you, But Isaiah is very bold, and said, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me”, and he added, “But to Israel he said, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.” In chapter eleven and verse one of Romans, Paul asked the people in Rome, “has God cast away his people?” where we read:

I say then, Has God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite,

of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

The verse begins, “I say then, Has God cast away his people? God forbid.” Paul began with the words, “I say” which means “Paul uttered, proclaimed and questioned” “then” or “therefore and wherefore”, “Has God” or “has the Godhead bodily and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit” “cast away” which means “thrust away, repudiate, reject or refuse” “his people” or “God's own tribe, nation and those of the same stock and language”? “God forbid” or “no not in the least, neither, never and perish the thought”. Paul rhetorically questioned his readers as to whether God “forsakes and rejects” His own people the Jews. Paul answered, “no! Perish the thought!”

The verse goes on to say, “For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.” Paul added the word, “for” which means “even as, indeed, no doubt, seeing then, verily and therefore” “I also” or “Paul even so and indeed” “am an Israelite” which refers to “was one of the nation of Israel which is a name to be held in honor”, “of the seed” or “pertaining to the children, offspring and progeny” “of Abraham” whose name means “father of multitudes” and was “the son of Terah and the founder of the Jewish nation”, “of the tribe” or “pertaining to persons descending from one of the twelve sons of the patriarch Jacob” “of Benjamin” whose name means “son of the right hand or son of good fortune” and was “Jacob's twelfth son”. Paul shared how he also was from Israel and was born as a son of “Abraham” from the “persons descending from” “Benjamin”.

When we think these words of Paul, we understand his desire to address the question of whether God has “rejected” His chosen people, the nation of Israel. He emphatically answered, No!, and then began to account for his own identification with the Israelites. Paul was born as a Jew, from Abraham, through Benjamin and now identified with Jesus Christ as His “Savior and Lord”. The “good news” of Jesus Christ is available to every person regardless of their heritage or nationality. Jesus died for everyone's sins, and those within Israel and without may receive Jesus Christ and know His plan of “salvation” for them personally.

Next time we see Paul answer his question, “God has not cast away his people”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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