Part 1
Chapter 11
The apostle, having reconciled that great truth of the rejection of the Jews with the promise made unto the fathers, is, in this chapter, further labouring to mollify the harshness of it, and to reconcile it to the divine goodness in general. It might be said, "Hath God then cast away his people?’’ The apostles therefore sets himself, in this chapter, to make a reply to this objection, and that two ways:—
I. He shows at large what the mercy is that is mixed with this wrath (v. 1endash 32). II. He infers thence the infinite wisdom and sovereignty of God, with the adoration of which he concludes this chapter and subject (v. 33endash 36).
The apostle, having reconciled that great truth of the rejection of the Jews with the promise made unto the fathers, is, in this chapter, further labouring to mollify the harshness of it, and to reconcile it to the divine goodness in general. It might be said, "Hath God then cast away his people?’’ The apostles therefore sets himself, in this chapter, to make a reply to this objection, and that two ways:—
I. He shows at large what the mercy is that is mixed with this wrath (v. 1endash 32). II. He infers thence the infinite wisdom and sovereignty of God, with the adoration of which he concludes this chapter and subject (v. 33endash 36).
Verses 6-21 The apostle proposes here a plausible objection, which might be urged against the divine conduct in casting off the Jewish nation (
v. 1):
"Hath God cast away his people? Is the rejection total and final? Are they all abandoned to wrath and ruin, and that eternal? Is the extent of the sentence so large as to be without reserve, or the continuance of it so long as to be without repeal? Will he have no more a peculiar people to himself?’’ In opposition to this, he shows that there was a great deal of goodness and mercy expressed along with this seeming severity, particularly he insists upon three things:—1. That, though some of the Jews were cast off, yet they were not all
so. 2, . That, though the body of the Jews were cast off, yet the Gentiles were taken in. And, 3. That, though the Jews were cast off at present, yet in God’s due time they should be taken into his church again.I. The Jews, it is true, were many of them cast off, but not all. The supposition of this he introduces with a
God forbid. He will by no means endure such a suggestions. God had made a distinction between some of them and others.1. There was a chosen remnant of believing Jews, that obtained righteousness and life by faith in Jesus Christ,
v. 1endash 7. These are said to be such as he
foreknew (
v. 2), that is, had thoughts of love to, before the world was; for whom he thus foreknew he did predestinate. her lies the ground of the difference. They are called the
election (
v. 7), that is, the elect, God’s chosen ones, whom he calls the election, because that which first distinguished them from the dignified them above others was God’s electing love. Believers are the
election, all those and those only whom God hath chosen. Now,(1.) He shows that he himself was one of them:
For I also am an Israelite; as if he had said, "Should I say that all the Jews are rejected, I should cut off my own claims, and see myself abandoned.’’ Paul was a chosen vessel (
Acts. 9:15 ), and yet he was of the
seed of Abraham, and particularly of the tribe of Benjamin, the least and youngest of all the tribes of Israel.(2.) He suggests that as in Elias’s time, so now, this chosen remnant was really more and greater than one would think it was, which intimates likewise that it is no new nor unusual thing for God’s grace and favour to Israel to be limited and confined to a remnant of that people; for so it was in Elijah’s time. The scripture saith it of Elias,
en Elia —
in the story of Elias, the great reformer of the Old Testament. Observe, [1.] His mistake concerning Israel; as if their apostasy in the days of Ahab was so general that he himself was the only faithful servant God had in the world. He refers to
1 Ki. 19:14 , where (it is here said)
he maketh intercession to God against Israel. A strange kind of intercession:
entynchanei to Theo kata tou Israel —
He deals with God against Israel; so it may be read; so
entynchano is translated,
Acts. 25:24 . The Jews
enetychon moi —
have dealt with me. In prayer we deal with God, commune with him, discourse with him: it is said of Elijah (
Jam. 5:17 ) that he
prayed in praying. We are then likely to pray in praying, to make a business of that duty, when we pray as those that are dealing with God in the duty. Now Elijah in this prayer spoke as if there were one left faithful in Israel but himself. See to what a low ebb the profession of religion may sometimes be brought, and how much the face of it may be eclipsed, that the most wise and observing men may give it up for gone. So it was in Elijah’s time. That which makes the show of a nation is the powers and the multitude. The powers of Israel were then persecuting powers: They have
killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars, and they
seek my life. The multitude of Israel were then idolatrous:
I am left alone. Thus those few that were faithful to God were not only lost in the crowd of idolaters, but crushed and driven into corners by the rage of persecutors.
When the wicked rise, a man is hidden, Prov. 28:12 .—
Digged down thine altars; not only neglected them, and let them go out of repair, but digged them down. When altars were set up for Baal, it is no wonder if God’s altars were pulled down; they could not endure that standing testimony against their idolatry. This was his intercession
against Israel; as if he had said, "Lord, is not this a people ripe for ruin, worthy to be cast off? What else canst thou do for thy great name?’’ It is a very sad thing for any person or people to have the prayers of God’s people against them, especially of God’s prophets, for God espouses, and sooner or later will visibly own, the cause of his praying people. [2.] The rectifying of this mistake by the answer of God (
v. 4):
I have reserved. Note,
First, Things are often much better with the church of God than wise and good men think they are. They are ready to conclude hardly, and to give up all for gone, when it is not so.
Secondly, In times of general apostasy, there is usually a remnant that keep their integrity-some, though but a few; all do not go one way.
Thirdly, That when there is a remnant who keep their integrity in times of general apostasy it is God that reserves to himself that remnant. If he had left them to themselves, they had gone down the stream with the rest. It is his free and almighty grace that makes the difference between them and others.—
Seven thousand: a competent number to bear their testimony against the idolatry of Israel, and yet, compared with the many thousands of Israel, a very small number, one of a city, and two of a tribe, like the grape-gleanings of the vintage. Christ’s flock is but a little flock; and yet, when they come all together at last, they will be a great and innumerable multitude,
Rev. 7:9 . Now the description of this remnant is that
they had not bowed the knee to the image of Baal, which was then the reigning sin of Israel. In court, city, and country, Baal had the ascendant; and the generality of people, more or less, paid their respect to Baal. The best evidence of integrity is a freedom from the present prevailing corruptions of the times and places that we live in, to swim against the stream when it is strong. Those God will own for his faithful witnesses that are bold in bearing their testimony to the
present truth,
2 Pt. 1:12 . This is thank-worthy, not to bow to Baal when every body bows. Sober singularity is commonly the badge of true sincerity. [3.] The application of this instance to the case in hand:
Even so at this present time, v. 5endash 7. God’s methods of dispensation towards his church are as they used to be. As it has been, so it is. In Elijah’s time there was a remnant, and so there is now. If then there was a remnant left under the Old Testament, when the displays of grace were less clear and the pourings out of the Spirit less plentiful, much more now under the gospel, when the grace of God, which bringeth salvation, appears more illustrious.—
A remnant, a few of many, a remnant of believing Jews when the rest were obstinate in their unbelief. This is called
a remnant according to the election of grace; they are such as were chosen from eternity in the counsels of divine love to be vessels of grace and glory. Whom he did predestinate those he called. If the difference between them and others be made purely by the grace of God, as certainly it is
(I have reserved them, saith he,
to myself), then it must needs be according to the election; for we are sure that whatever God does he does it according to the counsel of his own will. Now concerning this remnant we may observe,
First, Whence it takes its rise, from the free grace of God (
v. 6), that grace which excludes works. The eternal election, in which the difference between some and others is first founded, is purely of grace, free grace; not for the sake of works done or foreseen; if so, it would not be
grace. Gratia non est ullo modo gratia, si non sit omni modo gratuita—It is not grace, properly so called, if it be not perfectly free. Election is purely according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph. 1:5 . Paul’s heart was so full of the freeness of God’s grace that in the midst of his discourse he turns aside, as it were, to make this remark,
If of grace, then not of works. And some observe that faith itself, which in the matter of justification if opposed to works, is here included in them; for faith has a peculiar fitness to receive the free grace of God for our justification, but not to receive that grace for our election.
Secondly, What it obtains: that which Israel, that is, the body of that people, in van sought for (
v. 7):
Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for, that is, justification, and acceptance with God (see
ch. 9:31 ), but the
election have obtained it. In them the promise of God has its accomplishment, and God’s ancient kindness for that people is remembered. He calls the remnant of believers, not the elect, but the
election, to show that the sole foundation of all their hopes and happiness is laid in election. They were the persons whom God had in his eye in the counsels of his love; they are the election; they are God’s choice. Such was the favour of God to the chosen remnant. But,2.
The rest were blinded, v. 7. Some are chosen and called, and the call is made effectual. But others are left to perish in their unbelief; nay, they are made worse by that which should have made them better. The gospel, which to those that believed was the savour of life unto life, to the unbelieving was the savour of death unto death. The same sun softens wax and hardens clay. Good old Simeon foresaw that the child Jesus was set for the fall, as well as for the rising again, of many in Israel,
Lu. 2:34 .—
Were blinded; eporothesan —
they were hardened; so some. They were seared, and made brawny and insensible. They could neither see the light, nor feel the touch, of gospel grace. Blindness and hardness are expressive of the same senselessness and stupidity of spirit. They shut their eyes, and would not see; this was their sin: and then God, in a way of righteous judgment, blinded their eyes, that they could not see; this was their punishment. This seemed harsh doctrine: to qualify it, therefore, he vouches two witnesses out of the Old Testament, who speak of such a thing.(1.) Isaiah, who spoke of such a judgment in his day,
ch. 29:10 ; 6:9. The
spirit of slumber, that is, an indisposedness to mind either their duty or interest. They are under the power of a prevailing unconcernedness, like people that are slumbering and sleeping; not affected with any thing that is said or done. They were resolved to continue as they were, and would not stir. The following words explain what is meant by the spirit of slumber:
Eyes, that they should not see, and ears, that they should not hear. They had the faculties, but in the things that belonged to their peace they had not the use of those faculties; they were quite infatuated, they saw Christ, but they did not believe in him; they heard his word, but they did not receive it; and so both their hearing and their seeing were in vain. It was all one as if they had neither seen nor heard. Of all judgments spiritual judgments are the sorest, and most to be dreaded, though they make the least noise.—
Unto this day. Ever since Esaias prophesied, this hardening work has been in the doing; some among them have been blind and senseless. Or, rather, ever since the first preaching of the gospel: though they have had the most convincing evidences that could be of the truth of it, the most powerful preaching, the fairest offers, the clearest calls from Christ himself, and from his apostles, yet to this day they are blinded. It is still true concerning multitudes of them, even to this day in which we live; they are hardened and blinded, the obstinacy and unbelief go by succession from generation to generation, according to their own fearful imprecation, which entailed the curse:
His blood be upon us and upon our children. (2.) David (
v. 9,
v. 10), quoted from
Ps. 69:22,
Ps. 69:23 , where David having in the Spirit foretold the sufferings of Christ from his own people the Jews, particularly that of their giving him
vinegar to drink (
v. 21, which was literally fulfilled,
Mt. 27:48 ), an expression of the greatest contempt and malice that could be, in the next words, under the form of an imprecation, he foretels the dreadful judgments of God upon them for it:
Let their table become a snare, which the apostle here applies to the present blindness of the Jews, and the offence they took at the gospel, which increased their hardness. This teaches us how to understand other prayers of David against his enemies; they are to be looked upon as prophetic of the judgments of God upon the public and obstinate enemies of Christ and his kingdom. His prayer that it might be so was a prophecy that it should be so, and not the private expression of his own angry resentments. It was likewise intended to justify God, and to clear his righteousness in such judgments.
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