THE “RETURN OF THE JEWS.”
In both the ninth and tenth chapters of Romans Paul had shown over and over, giving the full reasons for it, that there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek. He had shown that all alike are called to the salvation of God, and all must receive it alike—as the free gift of God by faith of Jesus Christ. “For the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” He had shown that all have heard, but not all have obeyed. He then had shown by the word of Isaiah, that the Lord had been found of them that sought him not, and was made manifest unto them that asked not for him. This was the Gentiles. While to Israel he saith: “All day long have I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.” Rom. 10:21. Since, then, while the Gentiles had found God, and he had been made manifest to them, the Jews, whom he had called his own people, and to whom he had stretched forth his hands all the day long, had refused him and all that he had done, had he, in consequence of their disobedience and gainsaying attitude, cast them away? Therefore the question: “I say then, Hath God cast away his people?” And the answer is, as everywhere else in the Bible, on such a subject, “God forbid.” In spite of all their gainsaying and rejecting of him, his salvation is still for them; and they can be saved, as well as the Gentiles, if only they will believe the Lord. Therefore, whatever they have done, or whatever they might do, God had not, and he will not, cast them away.217 And now he gives proof that the Lord had not cast them away. Note carefully his first proof. What evidence is there that God hath not cast them away? “For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.” And I, being thus an Israelite, am saved by the Lord. Now, if he had cast away his people, I, Paul, would have been cast away: I should not have had this salvation. Therefore, “God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew.” Next, as proof that God hath not cast them away, he cites Elijah and his time. “Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.” Rom. 11:2–5. The time of Elijah, therefore, is an illustration, chosen by Inspiration, of the times of Paul, and of the standing of the Jews before God. And it is an illustration, in the fact that there was a remnant that had not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. And now, says Paul, “even so then at this present time also there is a remnant.” This, of itself, shows that there is no promise at all of any salvation of the Jews as a whole people, altogether, because they are such; any more than there is a promise of universal salvation of the human race altogether, and just because they are such. But according to the scripture, in the words of the prophet, “a remnant” believed,—“a remnant” were faithful,—and so were saved. Even as Paul had already quoted in Rom. 9:27: “Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, ‘Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved.’” And except it had been for this remnant, there would have been none at all saved: the whole people would have gone, as Sodom and Gomorrah went. Even “as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodom, and been made like unto Gomorrah.” Rom. 9:29. Thus quoted in Romans, the passage in Isaiah speaks of “a seed”—“except the Lord had left us a seed.” But the passage in Isaiah itself saith: “Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.” Isa. 1:9. How is it with Sodom and with Gomorrah? How many of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah were saved?—A very small remnant—Lot and his two daughters. And will the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, who were consumed in the fire, and were sunk in the waters of the Dead Sea that day—will these be saved? Will these return to Palestine, or to the plain of Sodom and Gomorrah, and meet there great and grand manifestations of the Lord, to convince them and get them to believe because they see, and so be saved? To ask these questions is to answer them. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah will never return to their own land. That which alone awaits them is “the judgment of the great day.” 2 Peter 2:6; Jude 6. And even as Jesus said of the Jews, and to the Jews: “I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of Judgment, than for thee.” Matt. 11:24. More than a remnant could have been saved, just as well and just as easily as the remnant itself were saved. The whole people could have been saved, just as well and just as easily as were the remnant saved. But the great body of the people would not believe the Lord: they would not receive him. Only a few, “a remnant,” and even “a very small remnant”—only these believed. Only these would believe, and so only these could be saved. Therefore, as for anything more than “a remnant” of the nation and people of the Jews being saved, it is no more true than that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah will be saved. As for the Jews returning to Palestine, it is no more true than that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah will return to the plain of Jordan. Eze. 16:55, Even as further says the scripture: “Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election [“the remnant,” verse 5] hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded [“hardened,” margin] (according as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear) unto this day. And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumbling block, and a recompense unto them: let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back ALWAY.” Rom. 11:7–10.