Romans 11:2, commentary and pictures

God has not cast away His people which He foreknew, meaning Israel, the Jewish people, the seed of Abraham. This faithfulness held even though Israel rejected His Son and, as Israel according to the flesh, failed in unbelief the high destiny to become the light of the world, despised His mercy, and forfeited their blessings as His chosen people. The verse recalls Elijah making intercession to God against Israel, complaining that they had killed the prophets and thrown down the altars so that he alone was left. To this God answered that He had reserved to Himself seven thousand men who had not bowed the knee to Baal.

As God had preserved a faithful remnant in Elijah's day, so in Paul's day there also remained a remnant according to the election of grace. Israel as a nation stumbled and fell and failed, but this did not make it impossible to rise again. A goodly remnant remained to be saved, seen at the Saviour's advent in faithful men and women who received the message of John the Baptist with gladness, studied anew the prophecies concerning the Messiah, recognized Jesus of Nazareth as the Promised One, and formed the early Christian church.

The glorious purposes God undertook to accomplish through Israel are still to be fulfilled, for all who through Christ become children of faith are counted as Abraham's seed and inheritors of the covenant promises, called as Abraham was to guard and make known the law of God and the gospel of His Son. The light of the gospel shining through the disciples to those in darkness draws thousands from Gentile lands to its rising, and this increase and prosperity is the increase and prosperity of Israel. The Jews are therefore not to be despised, for the Lord has mighty men among them who will proclaim the truth with power. Many of the seed of Israel may yet accept Christ and be grafted into Christ Jesus as the true stock.

The chapter to which the verse belongs outlines a present work for the Jews that must not be ignored but must be treated with special wisdom. It requires the wisdom of God and righteousness to clear the King's highway and to give the Jews every opportunity of coming to the light. That work for the Jews will be successful if held to patiently, and Jews who accept Christ and are cut off from their people for it need a place of refuge where they are sheltered and taught to work for their own people.