Coffee House Chapel #3

February 16

Romans 11:1, “I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.”

We embark on a very important section of God’s Word. Boice asks, “Has God’s Word Failed?” I do not like to even think about the possibility that God and His Word could fail. I am of the opinion that if Jesus could have sinned - He would have sinned and if God’s Word could fail - it would fail.

Perhaps we should do a bit of review about why Paul wrote Romans 9-11. Romans 8 ended with a powerful statement on the believer’s eternal security. That statement leads to an obvious question - How can we believe that the Christian is eternally secure - if the Jews as a whole are not responding to the preaching of the gospel, are not being saved? If God has rejected Israel (and it might appear that He has) - how can we trust this same God not to reject us as well?

Boice outlined Romans 9-11 as follows - “God’s historical purpose toward the Jewish nation has not failed, because:

1. All whom God has elected to salvation are or will be saved (Romans 9:6-24).
2. God had previously revealed that not all Israel would be saved and that some Gentiles would be (Rom 9:25-29).
3. The failure of the Jews to believe was their own fault, not God’s (Romans 9:30-10:21).
4. Some Jews (Paul himself was an example) have believed and have been saved (Romans 11:1).
5. It has always been the case that even in the worst of times a remnant has been saved (Romans 11:2-10).
6. The salvation of the Gentiles, which is now occurring, is meant to arouse Israel to envy and thus be the means of saving some of them (Romans 11:11-24).
7. In the end all Israel will be saved, and thus God will fulfill His promises to Israel nationally (Romans 11:25-32).”

Note, points four through seven are all based in Romans 11. John MacArthur outlines this chapter with three points - “God Has Not Cancelled His Promises to Israel:

1. His Setting Aside of Israel Is Partial - verses 1-10.
2. His Setting Israel Aside Is Passing - verses 11-24.
3. His Setting Israel Aside Is Purposeful: To Glorify God - verses 25-36.

It will take some time to get through this chapter, and we will be looking at a host of other passages as we take this trip. Paul begins with a rhetorical question - which he answer himself. The question - Has God Rejected His Ancient People? The answer is the strongest negative phrase in biblical Greek - me genoito - May it never be! Although Paul categorically states in this first verse of the chapter that God has not discarded Israel, he goes on to give several proofs to back up his statement. May God bless us as we study this chapter!

Adapted from “Romans” by Boice and MacArthur.

In Christ,
Dan Todd

 

Thank you Blackbird!

 

February 18

Romans 11:1, “I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid.”

Can God be trusted? The answer to that question is inexorably tied to Israel. If God has cancelled His promises to Israel, then He cannot be trusted. If God has kept, is keeping, and will keep His promises to Israel, then He can be trusted. There is no message in Scripture that is clearer or that is repeated more often than the unqualified declaration that God can be trusted. Who is the source of truth? God! Who is the measure of truth? God! God and His Word are either totally trustworthy - or God and His Word are of no value. There is no middle ground with this issue. “By definition, His divine Word is absolutely trustworthy. Whatever He says is true and whatever He promises comes to pass.” (Mac Arthur)

The following passages are testimony to the truthfulness and trustworthiness of God and His Word:

Joshua - Joshua 23:14, “And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.” Joshua 21:45, “There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.”

David - Psalm 31:5, “ Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.”

Solomon - 1 Kings 8:55-56, “And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying, Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.”

Jesus - John 17:17, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”

Paul - Titus 1:2, “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.”

The Holy Spirit (through the writer of Hebrews) - Hebrews 10:23, “for he [God] is faithful that promised.”

“God’s promises never fail because everything He says is wholly true, without a trace of error.” (MacArthur)

The text we have been looking at for several months, Romans 9-11, eloquently articulates God’s truthfulness and trustworthiness. Paul began this section of Romans stating that he “could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises (Romans 9:3-4). God made clear and specific promises to His chosen people, Israel. Many of those promises were conditional - conditional upon the obedience of Israel. But the greatest of all the promises to Israel were unconditional - they were grounded solely in God’s righteous integrity. “Were God to fail in those promises, He would be less than righteous and just. He would be what God cannot be.” (MacArthur)

Next time, we will look at the covenant God made with Abraham, and confirmed with Isaac and Jacob. This Abrahamic covenant was made by God with God, regarding Abraham and his physical seed that would descend through Isaac.

Adapted from “Romans” by MacArthur.

In Christ,
Dan Todd

 

February 19

Romans 11:1, “I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid.”

The key to understanding God’s relationship with Israel is understanding the covenant God made with Abraham and then confirmed with Isaac and Jacob. Today we begin to look at those covenants by looking at several passages that outline God’s promises to Israel through the patriarchs.

God called Abram when he lived in Ur of the Chaldees. Abram moved as far as Haran, and when his father died, God told to pack up and leave and made this first installment of the Abrahamic covenant with him: Gen 12:1-3, “Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

After Abram arrived in Canaan - Gen 13:14-16, “And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.”

Later God reiterated the promise - Gen 15:5, “And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.”

On that occasion (Gen 15:8-21), God instructed Abraham to do something that seems quite odd when we look at it with our modern day societal rose-colored glasses. Abraham was to cut certain prescribed animals in half - laying the two parts opposite each other. This was the way covenants were made in Abram’s day. The parties to the covenant would kill the animals, cut the large ones in half, put one half on one side, and the other half on the other side, then each party would pass between the severed animals. The imagery of this ceremony was that whoever broke the covenant would become as the dead animals.

Only one person walked between the severed animals. Abram fell into a deep sleep, Gen15:12, “And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram. And, lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon him.” And God alone walked between the severed animals, Gen 15:17, “And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch that passed between these pieces.” Then God promised Abram and his descendants the land, Gen 15:18-21, “In that day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates. The Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim, and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the Jebusite.”

What I want you to see here is that except as an observer - Abraham did not participate in the confirmation of that covenant. Only the Lord passed between the pieces of the animals, thus signifying that He (God) alone had dictated and would fulfill the covenant. God’s promise to Abram was not contingent on Abram doing anything. The covenant was an unconditional - eternal promise to Abram and his descendants.

God’s covenant with Israel through Abram was introduced in Gen 12:1-3. The covenant was actually made in Gen 15:18-21. It was reaffirmed in Gen 17:1-21 (ver 19), And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.”

The covenant was renewed with Isaac in Gen 26:2-4, “And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.”

Next time we will look at a passage dealing with Jacob, and passages dealing with the eternal nature of this covenant.

Adapted from “Romans” by MacArthur.

In Christ,
Dan Todd

 

February 20

Romans 11:1, “I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid.”

The key to understanding God’s relationship with Israel is understanding the covenant God made with Abraham and then confirmed with Isaac and Jacob. Today we continue by looking at the confirmation of the Abrahamic covenant with Jacob. Gen 28:10-17, “And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

This covenant that God established is an everlasting covenant, note the following passages:

Gen 17:7-8, “And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

1 Chron 16:16-18, “Even of the covenant which he made with Abraham, and of his oath unto Isaac; And hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant, Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance.”

Psalm 105:7-12, “He is the Lord our God: his judgments are in all the earth. He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations. Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac; And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant: Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance: When they were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it.”

The Abrahamic covenant consists of four elements:

1. Seed - Gen 17:2-7, “And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.”

2. Land - Gen 15:18-21, “In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”

3. A nation - Gen 12:2, “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing.” Gen 17:4, “As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.”

4. Divine blessing and protection - Gen 12:3, “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

This covenant is unconditional! God made it with Abraham unilaterally, as Abraham was not a party to the confirmation of this covenant. Next time we’ll consider its national importance to Israel.

Adapted from “Romans” by MacArthur.

In Christ,
Dan Todd

 

Dr. Bob asked:

Between evangelsitic meetings and a surgerical emergency with a member of his church - Blackbird asked me to cover for him on the 19th!

A PM from Blackbird tells me the member is doing well - the meetings are great - and he will be back on the 21st!

Dan

 

Thank you Blackbird - until you're better paid!

 

February 22

Romans 11:1, “I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid.”

The everlasting (eternal) nature of God’s covenant with Israel is repeated time and again throughout the Old Testament.

2 Kings 13:23, “And the Lord was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet.”

1 Chron. 16:15-22, “Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations; Even of the covenant which he made with Abraham, and of his oath unto Isaac; And hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant, Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance; When ye were but few, even a few, and strangers in it. And when they went from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people; He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes, Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.”

Nehemiah 9:7-8, “Thou art the Lord the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham; And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous.”

The covenant God made with Abraham, even though the entire world has been blessed by it, was for the benefit of Abraham and his descendants. The terms of the covenant were unconditional because it was sworn to and affirmed by God with Himself. God made an inviolable (cannot be dishonored or broken) covenant with Himself to keep His promises to Abraham. This covenant was and is not dependent on anything that Abraham or his Israelite descendants might or might not do. God Himself promised to fulfill the covenant in every detail.

This divine covenant was founded on God’s sovereign election of Israel as His chosen people. Heb 6:13-20, “For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.”

What is God’s promise to Abraham and to his descendants through Isaac (the son of promise)? That the nation of Israel always be divinely preserved. If God has replaced Israel with the church, then God has not fulfilled His irrevocable promise to her. But what has God done for Israel, He caused her to outlast all the nations who were contemporary with her. He continues to preserve her today. In 1948, God brought Israel back to her own land, and now she enjoys independence, and is recognized by most nations.

“God’s character and integrity - His trustworthiness and faithfulness - depend on His continued preservation of Israel. God has obligated Himself to ultimately redeem the nation of Israel and to establish her as a purified and glorious kingdom above all other in the world.” (Mac Arthur)

God promised to bless the world through Abraham and his descendants. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is the fulfillment of that promise. Though Jesus arose from Israel, the redemption He offers is to Jew and Gentile alike. Romans 1:16. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

The Jews, as a nation, rejected their Messiah. Because of that, Paul tells us that Israel has been temporarily set aside. Rom 11:25, “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.” But, with unfailing certainty, Israel shall be saved, 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.” In that day, Israel shall have all the land God promised her and Jesus Christ Himself shall set on David’s throne in Jerusalem.

God has promised through Jeremiah, Jer 31:31-33, “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

Adapted from “Romans” by MacArthur.

In Christ,
Dan Todd