Replaced?

A Bible Commentary of Romans chapter 11 by Rafael Vila for Return to Sinai

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Previously in Romans

From chapter 1 to chapter 3, Rabbi Shaul urges both sides of the new believers to examine each other’s hearts. We are fighting against principalities that would love to keep us apart, powered by the law of the flesh. Diminishing the Gospel by sides and labels has not done any good to anyone throughout the generations, and both sides have fallen short of the standard of righteousness that Yahweh established from the beginning by the Law of the Spirit.

From chapter 4 to chapter 6, Rabbi Paul addresses who is the author of our salvation, but he also stresses that we are not supposed to become stagnated in the works of salvation. We have been saved for a purpose, and the main reason is not to please our desires, but to establish the Kingdom of Yahweh. The work of salvation is final through Yeshua for those who stay firm in His statutes. There are caveats.

From chapter 7 to chapter 8, Rabbi Shaul lays down the difference between the law of the flesh and the Law of the Spirit. The flesh is always looking for the easiest, wide path, while walking with the Spirit is narrow and does not concentrate on our feelings and wants, but on Yahweh’s perfect will.

From chapter 9 to chapter 10, Rabbi Shaul confesses to us how hurtful it is for him to see his nation neglecting the Messiah, and the consequences that this might imply. Yeshua gave a striking prophecy that, by the time this letter was written, had not happened yet. Hence why his spirit was constricted to the point of giving up his life for the salvation of his people. In chapter 10, he then expanded the view of the believers, challenging them to look forward in time. Yahweh is working in the redemption of His creation, which started with the work of Yeshua, but will be complete at the end of the age.

Rabbi Shaul challenges us, the grafted-in believers, to do everything in our strength to help the nation of Israel recognize their Messiah. Their redemption will bring the final pieces to the restoration of the entire world, as Yahweh promised to Abraham on Mount Moriah.

With this in perspective, let’s begin.

If They Have Been Rejected
—So, I Am

Romans 11:1 (LSB)
I say then, has God rejected His people? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

What a way to start this chapter! Well, of course, I know this is not a “real chapter,” as I mentioned at the beginning of this journey. We must understand that the letters of Shaul were not divided into chapters when they were written. But since I am commenting while following the established structure of the Bible —what a way to start the chapter!

But this is perfect for the growing false doctrines that are spreading throughout Christianity today. The Pope declaring that we serve the same god as Islam makes it clear to me that some branches of Christianity have lost their way completely from the original source. It is possible that some are too far gone—and I’m not talking about Mormonism or Jehovah’s Witnesses. Let me make myself clear: please do not misunderstand me. There is still time for many to return to sound doctrine.

In the meantime, on the other side of the aisle, we have some of the Messianic community that is so completely lost in theories, self-proclaimed prophets, and conspiracy theorists that they have lost their way—just as some of the Jews in Rabbi Shaul’s time, who concentrated on the letter of the Law and not the Spirit of the Law. So much so that some even call the Ruach Ha‑Kodesh just “wind.”

Two Paths of Deception — Judaizer vs Romanizers

There are two ways we can deviate from the true path, either to the left or to the right—and no, I’m not talking about politics. That’s another excuse we use to divide ourselves, so let’s not go there. What do I mean when I say there are two ways we can deviate from the true path?

Yahweh has revealed Himself to us—first as a promise through Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings; but He has also revealed Himself as the author of a more perfect covenant through the Messiah. We separate these two revelations into different sections of the library, and this is what creates the false doctrines we have today.

One can decide to go back to Torah and forget the New Covenant—what many label today as a Judaizer: the one who concentrates on our capacity to gain salvation by the merits of the Law. But then we have another group, which I’m going to label the Romanizers: those who discard completely the foundation of our faith. This takes us into a faith without a solid foundation, provoking the need to create our own sets of doctrines, creeds and invent all sorts of sins that are not even sins.

These two variations of doctrine are what Rabbi Shaul is warning us about. There is only one path that leads to salvation, and most believers agree with this. Where we disagree the most, is in the implementation of our new creation.

As we mentioned at the beginning in the recap section:

On both sides of the aisle there are groups that even claim that Yeshua is not Yahweh, but just an adopted son called “the first fruit of creation.” Where did we lose our way? Why are we constantly moving away from the truth? Like Rabbi Shaul, I also feel the weight of this apostasy.

To the Jews, this type of apostasy cost them the Temple and over 2,000 years of exile. What do you think will happen to us grafted-in, wild olive tree branches? But let me not get ahead of myself. The rejection of the Jews was temporary; many are recognizing their Messiah in droves. Meanwhile, many of us grafted-in believers are slipping away into an apostasy that we will not be able to recover from if we are not aware. As the author of the book of Hebrews states:

I do not know about you, but that sounds serious to me. We should not treat our faith so lightly. It is hard to go back to faith once you think you have reached the limit and have split away from it.

Not Rejected, But Corrected

But let’s go back to Romans chapter 11. Do not discard what I just said, because this whole chapter is a warning for us grafted-in believers, and understanding what Rabbi Shaul is trying to convey here is extremely important. For me, chapter 11 of the letter to the Romans is the climax of this epistle. If you lose sight of the message here, you are missing the whole reason for this letter.

Romans 11:2-6 (LSB)
God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? “Lord, they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” But what does the divine response say to him? “I have left for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” In this way then, at the present time, a remnant according to God’s gracious choice has also come to be. But if it is by grace, it is no longer of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.

As in ancient times, the people of Israel have been taken into exile because of their unbelief and continuous disobedience against Yahweh. And still, Yahweh has kept a remnant to Himself. At the time of Shaul, that remnant was all the apostles, Shaul himself, and all the people who believed the message of the Gospel and in their Messiah, Yeshua. But the rest were taken into exile, starting with the destruction of the Second Temple in the year AD 70 of the Gregorian calendar.

Romans 11:7-10 (LSB)
What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but the chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; just as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes to see not and ears to hear not, down to this very day.” And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, and a stumbling block and a retribution to them. “Let their eyes be darkened to see not, and bend their backs forever.”

As with Pharaoh—after hardening his heart against Yahweh, Yahweh Himself hardened Pharaoh’s heart—so Yahweh has caused Israel to harden their hearts against their Messiah, as He has done before. Shaul quotes Moshe (Deuteronomy 29:4) and Yeshayahu (Isaiah 29:10), starting with the people:

Then also the prophets and seers:

Today, I have seen ministries that have completely lost their way. No longer do you hear prophets filled with the Spirit of Yahweh. Our own doctrines have become food without nutrients—and traps that keep us from growing:

What makes it very interesting is that Shaul quotes that Psalm is the main subject of Psalm 69. Many attribute this Psalm as a Messianic reference to Mashiach Ben Yosef (Messiah son of Joseph), the suffering servant, which has been fulfilled through Yeshua’s work at the cross. But it is a prayer from David, requesting Yahweh’s protection against enemies who have taken advantage of the situation David finds himself in. Afflicted by Yahweh because of the persecution by King Saul, his enemies are gloating and planning to destroy him completely.

With this in perspective, when you continue reading Romans chapter 11, it should give you chills. Israel was in a period of exile during the 1940s when persecuted by the Nazis, and a doctrine arose among the ecclesia—a doctrine we all know as dispensationalism—where the ecclesia started talking about Israel being replaced by the “Church.” It is not a new doctrine, since Tertullian also had similar views, but it found its way into mainstream Christianity then. I’m pretty sure many Israelis might have felt like David, persecuted by Saul.

We lost sight of the purpose in Yahweh’s master plan for the hardening of Israel’s heart.

Romans 11:11-14 (LSB)
I say then, did they stumble so as to fall? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fullness be! But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them.

As we mentioned in the previous chapter, we as grafted-in believers have been commanded to provoke Israel to jealousy. Why? Is it because we are better than them? NO! It is because Yahweh is provoking Israel to open their eyes to the plan He has laid out since the beginning of time.

Romans 11:15-16 (LSB)
For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? And if the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.

Yahweh has always found ways to restore His chosen people, and He will do it again, as He has promised many times. And we, grafted-in believers, should be extremely careful not to become a stumbling rock to the broken-off branches, as Rabbi Shaul continues to warn us.

Danger in the Air

As grafted-in believers, we should be grateful that the mercy of Yahweh found us, and we should remember that we are to show the same mercy to others. That includes the children of Israel. If we keep believing that Israel was replaced by the “Church,” after Yahweh promised them that He will restore them, then on what ground can we stand to say or support doctrines such as “once saved, always saved”? If Yahweh can easily break His promises to His chosen people, what guarantees us that He won’t do the same to us if we fail to keep ourselves set-apart?

Here rabbi Shaul continues:

Romans 11:17-21 (LSB)
But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became a partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast against them, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” Quite right! They were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be haughty, but fear, for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either.

Many times, when I hear content creators boasting about how the “New Covenant” replaced Israel with the “Church,” it makes my blood boil with consecrated anger. This type of assertion has no biblical foundation. Even though Israel has found itself in exile—or under the threat of exile—Yahweh has maintained a remnant among His people for their coming restoration after exile, as Eliyah found out after a tantrum.

Salvation comes through Yahweh and has been revealed through Yeshua, whose name carries Yahweh’s name: “Yahweh Saves.” That’s Yeshua. I love Yahweh’s sense of humor. When Israel, in their own language, thinks of or pleads with Yahweh for His salvation, they literally have to say “Yeshua.” Today Israel is awaiting the coming of Mashiach Ben David, Messiah son of David, as we are.

Yahweh is sovereign, and His word and promises will be fulfilled. There are many promises yet to be fulfilled, and the restoration of the house of Yaacov is one of them. Salvation is in His hands, not ours. No matter how much we pout, at the end of the age it is the will of Yahweh that will prevail. As Shaul stated:

Romans 11:22-24 (LSB)
Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?

Again, I have to say: we should measure our words carefully so we can provoke the chosen people of Yahweh to a restoring jealousy, not stumbling anger. We are to walk the way Yeshua walked—rejoicing in Yahweh’s commandments out of our devotion to Yahweh, as a thanksgiving voluntary offering—confusing the original branches into wanting to be grafted back into the root, Yeshua the Messiah.

The Natural Branches Grafted Back In

Romans 11:25-29 (LSB)
For I do not want you, brothers, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.” “And this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.” From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

The promises of Yahweh are irrevocable. Yahweh, being the Creator of everything, bound Himself to a covenant with us from the beginning, starting with the promise of the seed of redemption in (Bereshit) Genesis 3.

And it was solidified on Mount Sinai, written in stone.

He made Himself available: “I am your Elohim.” Yahweh knew who He was dealing with; for Him, there is no surprise.

And still, as Rabbi Shaul quoted from the Hebrew Bible:

This promise was made to Israel, not to us Gentiles—unless we recognize that we are grafted-in along with them to the root. As Jeremiah puts it:

That’s an everlasting covenant made with Israel, and Shaul sealed it with:

Romans 11:29 (LSB)
for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

That is why we, grafted-in believers, should not boast. We should follow our instruction of preaching the message of redemption and causing them to be jealous—not a boastful jealousy, but one that provokes them to look back toward their Messiah, the Redeemer from Tzion. Rabbi Shaul does not shy away from reminding us.

Romans 11:30-32 (LSB)
For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.

This is not an exclusive apostolic gospel; this is the same gospel that has been preached from antiquity. We serve the same Elohim who clothed Adam and Eve, who protected Noah and his family, who approached Avraham, Yitzhak, and Yaacov; the Elohim who protected Yosef from the wrath of his brothers and elevated him to be second in command after Pharaoh; the Elohim who rescued Israel from the house of slavery, who kept Israel in spite of their failures; who used flawed judges and kings; who protected His children in exile; who reversed the threat of the lots (Purim) into gladness; who rescued His word through the Maccabees; and who fulfilled His promise to the House of David through the Messiah. That’s the Elohim we worship; that’s our Elohim, and we are His—not because of anything we have done, but because He is merciful, full of love and compassion and grace.

Rabbi Shaul, Paul, puts it beautifully:

Romans 11:33-36 (LSB)
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be repaid to him? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

Here again, Shaul is remembering the praises from the prophet (Yeshayahu) Isaiah 40:13 and from (Iyob) Job 35:7 and Job 41:11.

Conclusión

Chapter 11 is a reality check for many doctrines that maintain a position contradicting Scripture itself. Yahweh has a plan, and His plan has been laid out for us from the beginning. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Israel has been created as a witness to us, the nations, of His faithfulness.

Stating that Yahweh is done with Israel removes from under our feet the foundation of the promises of Yahweh. Even through Israel’s failures, we see the hand of Yahweh caring for His people. We have been grafted to His people; if He is done away with them, He will be done away with us. The plan of redemption is a plan of restoration. We are to believe this by faith.

But what’s our foundation if we believe Yahweh changes His mind about the covenants made with the serpent, with Noah, and with Avraham, Yitzhak, and Yaacov? We should be very careful how we approach Scripture and how we carry Yahweh’s name to others. His plan of redemption did not start with Yeshua at the cross; it started with a promise made in the Garden of Eden, a promise made to Noah, a promise made to Avraham, to Yitzhak, and to Yaacov—a promise made to kings and prophets. And these promises are irrevocable.

Romans 11:29 (LSB)
for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

Closing Blessing

May Yahweh bless you and keep you. May Yahweh make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May Yahweh lift His face towards you and give you peace.

Shalom, Shalom.