The Olive Tree – Surrendering to the Root, for I am merely a branch

Hello friends and welcome back to The Book of Romans Series. Today we are exploring chapter eleven. Yesterday we talked about sharing the good news of the gospel and how, in doing so, we should remember that it is not us that can save, but God. We can only sow a seed and it is up to God to decide whether or not that seed will grow. So, sometimes our seed will grow (whether before our very eyes or not) and sometimes, as seen in the book of Isaiah, nothing will come of it. Paul continues off of that today:

I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah – how he appealed to God against Israel: “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me.”? And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; it if were, grace would no longer be grace. (Verses 1-6)

God foreknew all of us who will believe in Him – whom He will save. He spoke our names before the creation of the earth. Only few out of many are chosen by grace.

“And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; it if were, grace would no longer be grace.” (Verse 6)

How wonderful it feels to be chosen. It really puts things into perspective too. God chose me! Out of thousands – He chose me?! I wasn’t even first to be chosen in school when we played sports. In many earthly things I have been and will be last – but in this! In this, the single most important thing of all, I am CHOSEN! Glory, glory to the Lord Almighty! Hallelujah! Praise His name!

What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened, as it is written:

“God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see and ears that could not hear, to this very day.”

And David says:

“May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them. May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.” (Verses 7-10)

We are born blind and unless we are born again, we will continue to walk blind. So, even if we try our hardest to instill in some the seed of faith – they will not be able to receive it; no matter how hard we try. Just like how the people who saw Jesus, God in the flesh, perform miracles right before their very eyes, they did not believe in Him.

I know I’m not the only one who has said this before I was born again, “God if you just prove to me your real, I will believe it.” So, then those who are not predestined may say that also, but even if God gave them the ‘proof’, they would still not believe. If God decided to give them said ‘proof’:

• It would go in one ear and out the other.

• It would slip through their fingers.

• It would glide off their back like water on ducks.

• It would be like striking a cold dead body with a book. The body would not be able to feel it or see it.

Again, I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss mean riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring! (Verses 11 & 12)

I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry in hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches. (Verses 13-16)

If some of the branches have been broken off and you through a wild olive shoot. Have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. (Verses 17-22)

Consider, therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree! (Verses 23 & 24)

God is the root of this metaphorical olive tree that Paul writes about and we are the branches.

I believe Paul means that the Jews are natural to this olive tree but if they do not believe, they get cut off. This leaves space for non-Jew branches that do believe to be grafted. All the branches on the tree share in the nourishing sap from the tree, in other words, they become just as natural to the tree as the branches that weren’t grafted. No branch on the tree is superior to the others because it is the root (God) that supports the entire tree not the work of one branch. Do not be arrogant to the branches that were cut off either, for they can be grafted back on if they gain their faith back.

Even though we are chosen, and we are on God’s olive tree, doesn’t mean that we are above or superior to those who have yet to be grafted in/will not be grafted. No human is above another in the eyes of God, unless you count Jesus who became flesh and bone.

I have to say that I am so thankful to be on the olive tree, to be chosen. God’s eyes could have slid right past my name when He spoke the names of His chosen people before the creation of the earth, but it didn’t. I owe everything to God. He has given me more then I could have ever asked for – freedom, forgiveness, righteousness. If you told my childhood self that I would be the daughter of the one true king. I wouldn’t have believed it. A child that had basically nothing had everything. I didn’t even know it. If you are in the same boat – smile! Today I surrender to the root, for I am merely a grafted branch.

Looks like this is going to be another two-parter. We still have 12 verses to go and this is getting long. So come back tomorrow and we will continue in this chapter.