 |  |
Romans 11: 11-32.
A | 11-25. ISRAEL'S FALL occasions GENTILE RECONCILIATION.
B | C1 | 11. PROVOKE. "If."
D1 | 12. FULNESS of Israel.
C2 | 13-15. PROVOKE. "If."
D2 | 16. FIRSTFRUIT.
C3 | 17-24. PROVOKE. "If."
D3 | 25. FULNESS of Gentiles.
A | 26-32. MERCY TO GENTILES occasions ISRAEL'S RESTORATION.
B | E | 26. All Israel shall be saved.
F | 26. Deliverer; turn away ungodliness.
G | 27. The covenant.
H | 28. Enemies. Gospel. For your sakes.
H | 29. Beloved. Election. For the fathers' sakes.
G | 29. The gifts and calling.
F | 32. Concluded in unbelief.
E | 32. Mercy upon them all.
It is evident that the Apostle is speaking here of the dispensational aspect of truth, for
no Gentile could be justified by being placed in the position forfeited by one of the
natural branches of Israel's olive tree. No believer, who is justified by faith, can ever be
separated from the love of God, or can ever be condemned (Rom. 8:), so that the threat
of excision in Rom. 11: 22 must refer to the dispensational position which then obtained.
In endeavouring to understand the various factors in this presentation of truth, let us
first seek an answer to the question: "What does the Olive Tree represent?"
In attempting to answer this question we do not propose to quote the parable of
Jotham given in Judges 9: 1-15. Jotham's purpose in the parable is simple and evident,
and it would seem to be a distortion of the context to make the Olive, the Fig and the
Vine in the parable stand for different aspects of Israel's privileges. The O.T. passages
with which we are most concerned are to be found in Jeremiah. In Jer. 11: we read:
"The Lord thy God called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit . . . . .
the branches of it are broken" (Jer. 11: 16).
Not only does Paul take the figure of the olive tree, and its broken branches, from
Jeremiah, but he also refers to Jer. 31: 31. In Rom. 11: 27, where the olive tree is
once more complete. There are some who have sought to show that the olive tree of
Rom. 11: is to be found in Christendom to-day, but such teaching is contrary to Jer. 11:
and 31: & Rom. 11: alike.
The Book of Jeremiah consists of fifty-one prophecies, each introduced by some such
phrase as "The word of the Lord came". The opening prophecy is indicative of all the
rest:
"See, I have this day set thee over the nations, and over the kingdoms, to root out, and
to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build and to plant" (Jer. 1: 10).