Fact Sheet for “A Remnant” :1-10 Pastor Bob Singer 10/23/2020

Wouldn’t you like to be able to know what would happen tomorrow, or in the next month? But of course we can’t. God has not given us that ability. However, He has given us many promises which, if we live by them, can definitely affect our future. Here are two of many (Psalm 1:1-3; Proverbs 3:5-6).

Ultimately our future will be with God in eternity. What will that be like? We are only given a few glimpses of that in the , such as this one (Revelation 21:1). Other than glimpses like this one we don’t have the ability to see all that’s in our future.

We also do not have the ability to know all of how God has directed the affairs of people in the past, nor how He will direct them going forward. We can however see some of the results of God’s past actions with people… and we can learn from them.

Thousands of years ago God worked through , , and to choose an ethnic people for Himself. Although this choice did not guarantee the eternal salvation of any of them, the message of salvation by faith could be found among them. When the Messiah, Christ eventually appeared, many of God’s chosen ethnic people rejected Him, while many of them believed. Questions would naturally come to mind in Paul’s day if you were Jewish.

Here in his letter to the Romans Paul asked a first question in 10:18a… “But I ask, have they not heard?” But they had heard. Then he quickly asked a second question in 10:19a… “But I ask, did not understand?” But many proved to be disobedient and contrary.

Today we will be looking at his third question in Romans 11:1. Then next week will be considering his fourth question in Romans 11:11. So let’s begin today in Romans 11:1. We will see God’s sovereign maneuvering in the affairs of man that we don’t fully understand. We will see the very different choices that people have made. We will see God’s response to their choices. And we can these things for us today. So, here is Paul’s third question in this portion of Romans.

ESV 1a I ask, then, has God rejected his people?

Has God rejected His chosen ethnic people, the Jews, as He has opened the Gospel to the nations, the Gentiles? (See Romans 10:19-20).

Paul gives the example of himself as proof that God has not rejected the .

1b By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2a God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.

If you remember from our discussion of :29, “foreknew” almost could be translated “foreloved”. God specifically chose them among all the peoples of the earth to bless.

Paul then reminded them of a story from their history that would point out that even the Jewish people could choose to reject God. That story is about following that great day on Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18- 19).

The king of Israel was Ahab, who was married to Jezebel. Both were highly steeped in the worship of Baal and his mother, the fertility goddess Asherah. As 1 Kings 18 opened it had not rained for 3½ years in Israel by the word of Elijah. Now God sent Elijah to Ahab. Read what he said in 1 Kings 18:19. When that day came Elijah challenged all the people to choose the true God (1 Kings 18:21). That morning Elijah directed that two sacrificial bulls were to be chosen, cut in pieces and laid on wood, but with no fire. This was the test. Whichever deity would light the fire was the true God! At Elijah’s direction that morning the prophets of Baal had first crack. They called upon Baal from morning to noon, but no answer. Elijah taunted them (1 Kings 18:27). They cried aloud, cut themselves, and raved on until evening… but there was no answer. Now it was Elijah’s turn. Read 1 Kings 18:31-35. Elijah then prayed a simple . Fire from the Lord and consumed the offering, the wood, the stones, the dust, and the water. The people said, “The Lord, He is God.” The prophets of Baal were seized and killed. Elijah prayed for rain and told Ahab to leave so that his chariot would not get stuck. Then Elijah outran Ahab’s chariot. Then Jezebel threatened Elijah’s life. So Elijah fled past Beersheba into the wilderness. Now we pick-up in Romans 11, when God spoke to Elijah in the wilderness.

2b 3 Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? "LORD, THEY HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS, THEY HAVE DEMOLISHED YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND 4 THEY SEEK MY LIFE." But what is God's reply to him? "I HAVE KEPT FOR MYSELF SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL."

Don’t miss God’s words, “I have kept for Myself…”. How God in His sovereignty did this… we don’t know. But we do know that those 7,000 men chose to follow God, not Baal! Here is Paul’s application in Romans.

5 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

The remnant Paul spoke about were those Jews who had placed their faith in Christ and His righteousness for their salvation.

They were not trusting in their own adherence to the Mosaic Law for their salvation.

7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were 8 hardened, as it is written, "GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR, EYES THAT WOULD NOT SEE AND EARS THAT WOULD NOT HEAR, DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY." (Deuteronomy 29:4)

R.C. Sproul wrote, “Their blindness was punishment for their sin.”1

9 And says, "LET THEIR TABLE BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP, A STUMBLING BLOCK AND A RETRIBUTION 10 FOR THEM; LET THEIR EYES BE DARKENED SO THAT THEY CANNOT SEE, AND BEND THEIR BACKS FOREVER." (Psalm 69:22-23)

When you remind yourself of this story from Elijah’s life, isn’t there something inside of you that says, “If I had been living in Elijah’s day I would not have bowed the knee to Baal!” When you read about this remnant in Paul’s day, don’t you place yourself in that remnant in your mind’s eye? Well, here’s a real live opportunity.

Remember that being part of the 7,000 in Elijah’s day came with a cost. Given the population of Israel at that time 7,000 was just a small percentage of the people. They had to live faithfully for the Lord while most of those they lived among practiced idolatry with all of its evil practices.

Being part of this remnant in Paul’s day called for a choice to believe in Christ, even though the majority of those around them rejected Him.

In today’s era of political correctness Christians are coming more and more under attack for our beliefs, our morals, and our ethics.

When you think of the 7,000 in Elijah’s day and the remnant in Paul’s day… what do you want to stand for today? Are you willing to pay the cost?

1 R.C. Sproul. “Romans: An Expositional Commentary, p. 336.