Confidence In God’s Irrevocable Call To Israel
As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. Romans 11:28,29
Paul’s conclusion to Romans 11 (except for the doxology) contains two statements. Each gives grounds for confidence that God has neither rejected ethnic Israel (11:1,2) nor allowed them to fall beyond remedy (11:11).
The first ground for confidence is that God’s election is irrevocable. ‘As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs’ (11:28). The Jews are enemies of God and under His judgement but yet loved by God at the same time. In relation to the gospel they are enemies because of you (believing Gentiles) but in relation to election they are loved because of the patriarchs.
The word ‘enemies’ here probably has both an active sense (those who hate God) and a passive sense (those hated by God). In the active sense Paul has described Israel’s failure using words like ‘hated,’ ‘hardened’ and ‘rejected’ by God (9:13,17-23; 11:7b-10,15,25). In the passive sense Israel has been disobedient, unbelieving and stubborn (9:31,32; 10:3,14-21; 11:11,12,20,23,30,31)
The Jews were not only rejecting the gospel but trying to prevent the Gentiles from hearing it. So in relation to the gospel, because God wants people to hear and believe it, He was hostile to them. On the other hand the Jews were the chosen people of God, the descendants of the patriarchs with whom the covenant was made and to whom the promises were given. So in relation to election and for the sake of the patriarchs (because God is faithful to His covenant and promises) He loves them and is determined to bring them to salvation.
Paul is not saying the patriarchs have done anything to merit God’s love for themselves or their descendants. From Galatians 3 and Romans 4, the significance of Abraham and the other patriarchs in the plan of salvation rested not on their own actions but on the promises that God made to them. It is not because of the patriarchs in and of themselves that the Jews are still loved but because of the promises God made to them.
‘For God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable’ (11:29). God doesn’t go back on His gifts or call. His gifts are the privileges He bestowed on Israel (listed in 9:4,5). His call was not rescinded because of God’s spoken, steadfast faithfulness. Israel still has a place in God’s plan because God is faithful.