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Today's Pathway: Romans 11:11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

In Romans 11 Paul gives four proofs that God is not finished with the nation of Israel. In verses 1-2 he gives proof from his own testimony of salvation. In verses 3-10 he shows proof from the prophecies of the Old Testament. Now in verses 11-15 he gives proof from the salvation of the Gentiles. Paul begins this section by asking if God's goal in blinding Israel's eyes and allowing them to stumble was to cause them to fall. We need to notice that the two times the word "fall" is used in this verse it is translated from two different Greek words. The first one means "to fall completely and for good". The second one means "to fall aside or take a false step". So, in the first instance Paul is speaking of a permanent fall, or apostasy, while in the second one he is speaking of a fall that can be returned from. So, the answer as to whether or not God has permanently abandoned Israel is:

"God forbid"!

There are several New Testament passages that illustrate this truth. In Acts 22:18 God told Paul,

"Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me."

"Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles."

"But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth."

"And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, 'Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.'"

However, as we pointed out in Romans 10:19-21, God's plan had two benefits. First Gentiles would be saved. Second, Jews would become jealous that the Gentiles were receiving the blessings that the Jews could have had if they had chosen to believe God, and this would motivate Israel to return to the Lord. Matthew Poole summarized this as follows:

"This grace that God hath bestowed upon the Gentiles, He will make use of in His appointed time, as a prick of holy jealousy to the Jews; He will by means thereof stir them up to a holy indignation and emulation, to see themselves so far outstripped by those whom they contemned, and thereupon to embrace the gospel, and become the people of God again."