Verses 23-25

Rom. 11:23 “And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? 25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.”   

The olive tree in the bible is a tree known for its fruitful production of olives.  In this chapter the branches are presented to us as individual members of the olive tree.  The olive tree is symbolic of the Lord’s church kingdom.  The duty of the branches is to bear fruit.  Failure to bear fruit through unbelief as most of God’s people among the Jews had done resulted in their being cut off (pruned) from the church and its blessings.  Paul tells the Gentile believers that they were wild by nature, but God grafted them in contrary to nature into a good olive tree.  The church is a good olive tree.  The Gentiles as a people had been mostly idol worshippers.  Now God’s people among the Gentiles who heard the true gospel of the grace of Christ and had believed and repented and were baptized have been grafted in by God into a good olive tree.   

In contrast, the Jews as a people had the privilege of both the oracles of God and the true service and worship of God for over 1500 years.  However, they stumbled at the stumblingstone thinking that they could get right with God by keeping and observing the law.  Because of this they had rejected Christ as the one who had made them right with God.  Through their unbelief they as natural branches had been broken off the olive tree.  The promise is, however, if they turn and believe, they would be grafted back into the good olive tree (church kingdom).  This is true individually.  Joining the church has always been an individual act of individuals and not of a group of people.  The promise is to the individuals of the Jewish nation to be grafted back in.  The mistake many people make is to assume that an entire nation would turn to the true worship of God.  That has never happened.  Furthermore, I find no promise in the scriptures that it will ever happen.  It has always been that people come as individuals.  The church is open to God’s people of every nation who hear and believe the true gospel of the grace of Christ and who repent and are baptized.  

 

Verses 26-29

Rom. 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. 29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”

“And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.” The term “all Israel” in the above has reference to spiritual Israel and not to natural Israel. Paul had told us in Rom. 9:6 “Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:” Not all natural Israel are of spiritual Israel and not all spiritual Israel are of natural Israel.

As pertaining to spiritual Israel, which include people of all nations, kindreds, peoples, and tongues, all are saved through the covenant work of Jesus detailed for us in Rom. 8:29, 30: “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” Their sins have been taken away by the atoning blood of Christ shed for them upon the cross of Calvary.

The Deliverer, of course, is Jesus Christ as the angel said unto Joseph: “Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” Jesus is the savior or deliverer of his people, having delivered them from their sins. He has turned away ungodliness in covenant from all of spiritual Jacob.

“As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.” In that time and also today, God’s people among national Israel or among the Gentiles, who have not believed the true gospel of the grace of Christ and are trying to establish their own righteousness through some legal system of men are enemies to the true gospel of the grace of Christ. However, because of God’s election of them as a people before the foundation of the world, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. That is, they are beloved of God and shall be with him in heaven’s glory world as revealed to the fathers.

“For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” The word repentance means change. God will not change from whom he has called or to whom he has given gifts. God is sovereign in his calling and in his giving of spiritual gifts. To all to whom he chose before the foundation of the world, he gives spiritual life through the new birth and gives them spiritual gifts as it has pleased him. Moreover, the promise of eternal life to our natural bodies is also a gift of God that God will not change from. Thanks be to God that he is an unchanging God.