Has God Cast Away The Jew?

Has God Cast Away The Jew?

Romans 11:1, Paul writes, “Has God cast away his people (the Jews)? God forbid (No!) — God has not cast away his people which he foreknew.”

Matthew 21:41, Jesus said, “He (God) will miserably destroy those wicked men (Jews,) and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen (Gentiles,) which shall render him (God) the fruits in their seasons.”

Luke 20:16, records the response by the Jewish people and the Pharisees, “God forbid.” Same question same response as Romans 11:1.

I would like to move on to,

Romans 11:16-17, “For if the casting away of them (the Jews) be the reconciling of the world (Gentiles,) what shall the receiving of them (the Jews) be, but life from the dead.”  The rejection of the Jews by God became the reason for the Gentiles receiving the Gospel.

Verse 1 Paul said No, the Jews have not been cast away, yet ver.15 declares they have. “Dilemma,” yes, the Jews were cast away, but neither TOTALLY or FINALLY, because it was to be a partial and temporary rejection.

Verse 16, “For (but) if the first fruits be holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root be holy, so are the branches.” Let’s take a closer look at this verse.

The Jews were required by law to offer God the first-fruits of the earth — both in the raw state, Lev.23:10-11, as in a sheaf of newly reaped grain, and also in their prepared state, this to be made into cakes of dough, Num.15:19-21.

In this the whole of the produce of that season was said to be hollowed. By this means were the blessings of God drawn down upon all the people. Now the conversion of Abraham to the true faith, and to the remnant of Jews who embrace Christianity (the grain offering, the first fruits of the earth) are pledged to God, and in due time He will again admit the Jews back into His blessings, meaning the whole house of Israel. And in this by God’s grace will they now be a part of the whole of the visible church of Jesus Christ.

The latter part of the offering, the cake offering was also said to be hollowed, and to it the word “lump” is applied (meaning Gentile.) Paul argues that as Abraham was separated unto God as also was his son Isaac and Jacob; for the rest of mankind (Jew and Gentile) they were/are the parent (stem, linage, stock) of the Jews, as was the offering of first-fruits of the earth hallowed unto God. Therefore in God’s estimation it was as real a separation Jew from Gentile as was the sheaf offering from the “lump” or cake offering.

The figure of the “root” and its “branches” is of the same importance; the consecration of the one of them (the Jew) extending to the other (the Gentile).

Verse 17, “If SOME of the branches be broken off, and thou (Gentiles) being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partake of the root and fatness of the olive tree.”

“Some” of the branches meaning the mass of the unbelieving and rejected Jews are called (SOME,) not as before called “God’s peculiar people.”

Romans 3:3, “For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?”

Romans 10:10, “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” And with this in mind, Paul warms the Gentiles against boasting. In this are the Gentiles indebted to the Israel, not the Jew to the Gentiles as many believe and understand.

John 4:22, “For salvation is of the Jews.”

Phil Laspino www.seekfirstwisdom.com