God’s economy in His selection is firstly with the remnant reserved by grace and secondly with the nations, the Gentiles saved through Israel’s stumbling. In verse 11 Paul says, “I say then, have they stumbled that they might fall? Certainly not! But by their false step salvation has come to the nations to provoke them to jealousy.” In 9:32 Paul said that Israel “stumbled at the Stone of stumbling.” Now in 11:11 he says that they have not stumbled that they might fall. Paul developed his argument very carefully, saying that they stumbled, but that they did not fall. In the next part of verse 11 Paul describes their stumbling as a “false step.” As a result of this false step of unbelief, salvation has come to the nations. What a case Paul presents, and what an attorney he was! No one can defeat him. Everyone must submit to him. In 11:12 Paul says, “Now if their false step is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the nations; how much more will their fullness be?” The false step made by Israel has become the riches of the world and their loss the riches of the nations. Who other than Paul is capable of arguing in this way?
In 11:13 Paul says that he magnifies his ministry among the nations. “For I speak to you, the nations. Since I am indeed an apostle of the nations, I glorify my ministry, if somehow I may provoke those of my flesh to jealousy and save some of them.” Although Paul was glorifying his ministry among the nations, he was actually debating for Israel.
We need to read verse 15 carefully. “For if their casting aside is the reconciliation of the world, what will be their receiving back but life from among the dead?” Please notice that Paul did not say “casting away.” To cast away is one thing; to cast aside is another. In 11:1 Paul asks, “Has God cast away His people?” Paul answered the question himself saying, “Certainly not!” Hence, there is a significant difference between being cast away and being cast aside. To be cast away means to be given up, while to be cast aside means to be put aside for a period of time. Therefore, Paul’s thought was that God had cast aside Israel, not that He had cast them away.
Let us read verses 16 through 18. “Now if the dough offered as the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them and became a fellow-partaker of the root of the fatness of the olive tree, do not boast over the branches; but if you boast, remember that you do not bear the root, but the root you.” Who is the root of the olive tree and who is the dough offered as the firstfruit? I believe that the correct answer is Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In 11:28 Paul says that Israel is “beloved for the fathers’ sake.” The “fathers” refers to the patriarchs, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These three patriarchs were the root of the olive tree and the dough offered as the firstfruit.
We need to be clear regarding the difference between the dough offered as the firstfruit and the lump. Suppose you have a lump of dough for baking cakes and you take a piece of dough out of that lump. That piece of dough may be called the firstfruit. In the Bible the dough offered as the firstfruit was not for the people to eat; it was first offered to God and then given to the priests to be their food. According to Numbers 15:18-21, God told Israel that after they had entered the land they had to offer the first piece of dough to the Lord. That piece of dough was termed the firstfruit, and the phrase “the dough offered as the firstfruit” in Romans 11:16 is a reference to it. The Apostle Paul uses this first piece of dough to illustrate Abraham along with Isaac and Jacob. When we come to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the life-study of Genesis, we shall discover that these three patriarchs should be considered as one person and that the spiritual experiences of the three are actually the experiences of one person. These three patriarchs were and still are the first piece of dough offered to God as the firstfruit, and all of their descendants are the whole lump. Likewise, the three patriarchs were and still are the root of God’s cultivated olive tree (Jer. 11:16), and all of their descendants are the branches. Therefore, Paul’s argument is that if the dough offered to God is holy, then the entire lump is holy. This means that all the Israelites are holy. Furthermore, if the root, the patriarchs, is holy, then all the branches, the descendants of the patriarchs, are also holy. Although Israel has stumbled, they did not fall. They have been cut off temporarily; later they will be grafted in again.
In Romans 9 the chosen ones of God are likened to clay and in Romans 11 they are likened to a lump of flour used for making cakes. Which do you think is better? Would you like to be a piece of clay or a piece of dough? Although I prefer to be a piece of dough, it is still good to be clay because clay is used to make vessels of mercy to contain Christ. Thus, in 2 Corinthians 4:7 we are told that “we have this treasure in earthen vessels.” Furthermore, 2 Timothy 2:20 says, “there are…vessels of gold and of silver…to honor.” We have seen that the clay vessels in Romans 9 are filled by calling on the name of the Lord as revealed in Romans 10. The same is true for the vessels in 2 Timothy 2:20. In verse 22 of that chapter we are told that the seekers of the Lord need to call upon Him out of a pure heart. Therefore, the way in which the vessels of honor are filled is by calling upon the name of the Lord.
Romans 9 shows us that we are pieces of clay made into vessels which contain Christ. This is wonderful. However, I am even happier to be a piece of dough, a part of the lump. Clay has no life, but the lump is a matter of life, being made from fine wheat flour. Although clay is useful in making vessels to contain Christ for the glory of God, the lump is for the satisfaction of God; it is offered to God as food for His satisfaction. A piece of lifeless clay cannot satisfy God. Only in the lump do we have the living element which satisfies God.
While the dough is for God’s satisfaction, the root is for our satisfaction. Romans 11:17 says that we, “being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them and became a fellow-partaker of the root of the fatness of the olive tree.” When we come to the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in our life-study of Genesis, we shall see that they were the root of the fatness of the olive tree. The entire olive tree depends upon their fatness. Praise the Lord that we, the wild olive tree, have been grafted into God’s cultivated olive tree that we might be fellow-partakers of its root of fatness! This is our enjoyment. God enjoys the dough; we enjoy the root. Both the dough and the root are of the plant life, the life which satisfies God and man. Both the wheat and the olive produce enjoyment and satisfaction for God and man. Praise the Lord! Once again we see how deep a writer was Paul. Nothing in Romans is superficial.
In verse 17 Paul says that we, the Gentiles, “being a wild olive tree, were grafted and became a partaker of the root.” Grafting is a matter of life. For the branch of a wild tree to be grafted into a cultivated tree is for it to receive the life of the cultivated tree. Hence, it is not a matter for us Gentiles to change our religion, but to receive the life of the root, which life is Christ. Many Gentiles have turned from their heathen religions to the Christian religion without ever receiving the life of Christ. They have never been grafted into the olive tree cultivated by God with Christ as life. But we have been grafted in to enjoy the riches of Christ’s life with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Praise the Lord!
Paul, speaking on behalf of the Gentiles, says in verse 19, “You will say then, Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” The Gentiles may think this way. Paul answered, “Right. They were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be high-minded, but fear; For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you. Behold then the kindness and severity of God; on those who fell, severity; but on you the kindness of God, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off” (vv. 20-22). How wise is Paul’s word.
Therefore, by Israel’s false step, by their stumbling, salvation has come to the nations. However, Israel did not fall; they only stumbled. This is God’s economy in His selection.