23. God, the Gospel, and Israel (Romans 11)
Periodically in Thrive's Romans series, we're pausing to take up a "hot potato in Romans"—a topic that is culturally "hot" and hard to handle. In this talk, Michael Bouterse, Thrive Harbor's local director, addresses what Romans 11 says about Israel—a nation and people group never too far from political and theological controversy.
The story of Israel as told in the Old Testament revolves around God's promise, expressed and developed through multiple covenants, to one day bring salvation through a Messiah descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In Romans 11, Paul reveals that even though God has temporarily cast Israel aside due to their rejection of Jesus as Messiah, their being cast aside is neither total nor permanent. One day God will again take up His dealings with the Jewish people. He will regather them to their ancestral homeland, visit salvation upon a Jewish remnant, and, as a result, bring renewal to the entire world. These events belong to Israel's future, not because human beings are righteous, but because God is faithful; and for that reason, the future of Israel is one of the greatest exhibits in Scripture of God's lavish, unmerited grace.
Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Genesis 3:14-15; 5:29; 12:2-3, 7; Deuteronomy 28:15, 20-21; 2 Samuel 7:12-16; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 11:19; 36:26; Isaiah 2:2-4; Matthew 1:1; Romans 11:1-32; Isaiah 11:11-12; Ezekiel 36:8-12; Zechariah 10:6-10; 14:4; 12:10; 13:1; and Genesis 45:1-7.