Lesson 24: Gentiles Grafted in – 11:11-24
11 So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous.
12 Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!
13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry
14 in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them.
15 For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?
16 If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree,
18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.
19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.”
20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear.
21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you.
22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in His kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.
23 And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.
24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.
God’s purpose has always been for everyone in the world to hear His message of love and offer of a relationship with Him. In our verses today we see, through this picture of branches being cut from a tree and other branches being grafted into the tree, God’s wonderful love for every person on earth.
We read in earlier lessons that we have choices for certain things in our lives. We can, as believers, choose to disobey Jesus – but this choice of ours will never change God’s higher plan. This is the subject of this lesson.
God’s plan for Israel had always been that they should be a “kingdom of priests” for Him to all the people of the world – see Exodus 19:6 and Deuteronomy 10:15. This was God’s plan for them. When they chose to disobey, God did not change His plan for the rest of the people in the world; He gave this responsibility of being a kingdom of priests to another group – the Church (see 1 Peter 2:9-10).
God’s plan did not change. The only thing that changed was that Israel took themselves out of God’s blessing through their choice to disobey. The blessing was then given to someone else instead. God blesses the Church now to make Israel jealous (Verse 11) so they will again choose to follow and obey Him.
We are warned, however, in Verse 20 and following, that His giving this responsibility to us should never cause us to become proud or arrogant toward the people of Israel. We should never believe God has replaced Israel with us in His promises to them. If this were possible, we could never count on God’s promises to us being fulfilled either.
We continue reading in Verse 23 that if Israel again chooses to believe in and obey God, they will again be grafted into the tree. The God who can bring dead people to life can certainly restore Israel to favor again – and this must be great encouragement to us too. If we sin and choose not to obey Him, He can also restore us to Himself through this same forgiveness and restoration. We will miss blessings while we are living in sin, but He can and will return us to that place of blessing when we come to Him in repentance for our sin and confess it to Him – 1 John 1:9.
God’s sovereign plan will never fail to be completely finished. Our choices can never change this fact. Our choices can only determine whether we are blessed by Him or if His blessing is taken from us. Some blessings can be taken from us forever (for example if He asks us to tell someone about Him and we refuse, He will have someone else tell that person and they will receive the blessing of being the one who brought this person to Him).
*How are you faithful to Him today in what He has asked of you?