Romans Review 9-11 (#53.2026.09.27)

Scott Keffer [: 00:00:02

Hi, if you're looking for greater hope, assurance, and confidence through the shifting sands of life, then join me on today's episode as we dig deep into the Bible to discover rock-solid truth for life and living from the God of the Bible. I'm your host, Scott Keffer. Hi, and welcome to today's episode. As always, for a deeper experience, you can go to the show notes and download the blank insight sheet Fill in the blanks along with the group. Depending on how you're listening to this, there will be a link to the episode website at beholdingbibeltruth.com, and a sheet with the answers is included as well. Enjoy today's episode. Okay, so we are taking a flyover, if you will, of sections of Romans that we've been through in detail and spent 52 weeks Going through Romans. So this, hopefully this bird's-eye view, 10,000-foot view, has been helpful as we walk through the various sections of Romans 1 through 5 and then 6 through 8.

Scott Keffer [: 00:01:09

So this time we're going to go through 9 through 11. Oh my. You've been there before, 9 through 11. Oh no, stay away from those. Oh, 9 through 11. Oh my. Yeah, a lot of concepts. that are deep and critical, critically important.

Scott Keffer [: 00:01:28

Understand as we go through here that even among believers there are various views about the things in Romans 9 through 11. As best by God's anointing and power, trying to make that as clear as possible, uh, for you. So what I did is I took my sketches and I actually had AI create a diagram based upon my notes and my sketches. So that's what this is. So if you'll grab the Very colorful diagram. I didn't draw this by hand. So the fundamental question in 9 through 11 is this: has Israel's unbelief nullified the promises of God? So we have all the gospel for you believers, as I said, from 6 to 8, right, where it's really clear, these amazing promises, right? Um, he who did not spare his own Son, how will he not also with him freely give us all things? For I'm convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor things present nor things to come nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. Now we head into 9 through 11.

Scott Keffer [: 00:02:36

So fundamentally, the question is, we live in a time where Israel, right, if you look at generally those who are coming to Christ are, are Gentile, they're not Jewish. So what about all the promises to Israel. So that's what we're gonna— we're gonna talk about here is Israel's unbelief. Has it nullified God's promises? And the answer is, it is not as though the Word of God has failed. So God's sovereignty sits above all of this. And at the end of 11, he's gonna summarize what is the umbrella as well as the foundation over all things, and that is from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory, to him be the glory forever. So he talks about an olive tree, an olive tree, one olive tree.

Scott Keffer [: 00:03:27

And so you have this believing Jewish remnant, right? You have these believing Jewish remnant, and then you have Gentiles, believing Gentiles. Jews are natural branches, Gentiles are wild branches, but you have believing Jewish remnant, and then you have— what about the unbelieving? Jews, right? What about unbelieving Israel? And then of course then there's a warning for believing Gentiles. So we'll go through this, but this gives you a kind of an overview. And the idea that in— to be in the tree, if you will, be in Christ, it's not by ethnicity, it's not by birth. You don't get born into, into the tree, if you will, right? Believing Jews remain, believing Gentiles are grafted in, and unbelieving Jews are broken off. Romans 9, we're going to talk about has God's word failed? Romans 10, why is Israel largely unbelieving? And then 11, what about Israel, right? Are they permanently rejected? And so we'll go through past, present, and future of Israel. And so if you look at the sequence there, Jewish rejection led to Gentile mercy. Everybody see down in the corner? Jewish rejection led to Gentile mercy.

Scott Keffer [: 00:04:44

Mercy, which led to Jewish jealousy, which would lead to Jewish salvation, right? And at the bottom of that, Israel— Israel's rejection is not total, not final, and not purposeless. So that's an overview. So let's walk through. So you can keep that over on the side as we walk through your sheet to fill in. So has Israel's— here we are at the top— has Israel's unbelief— Israel's unbelief, because that's the question here. Here are these amazing promises in Romans 8. Has Israel's unbelief nullified God's promises, the promises of God to Israel, to the patriarchs, right, to the fathers, if you will? Has Israel's unbelief nullified the promises of God? Because inherent in that question is, if these are the promises to believers, right, particularly in Romans 8, if these are these glorious promises to believers who, right, we're overcomers, who will separate us, right, right, who will bring a charge against God's elect? If God's promises to Israel have failed, why would we be able to stand on his promises to the church? Does that make sense? So he's answering it. So Romans 9, has God's words failed? No, God is sovereign.

Scott Keffer [: 00:06:16

That's a new concept in this class, huh? In his purpose underlying mercy. Then why is Israel largely unbelieving? There's a question in 10. What about, what about those who, who, what about Israel? They pursued righteousness wrongly, right? And they refused God's righteousness in Christ. They refused God's righteousness in Christ. So in Romans 11, all right, has Israel therefore been permanently rejected? The answer would be no. There is a remnant now and a future And a future for corporate Israel. A future for corporate Israel. Okay, so Romans 9.

Scott Keffer [: 00:07:15

Many people want to avoid 9, steer around it, jump forward, go over this 9 through 11 section because it deals with some tough stuff. But it also deals with— if you, if you push past where I am in my thinking, or where what I feel is appropriate or right. You're going to see some, some deep truths that should give you great confidence. So we're going to see God's sovereignty in 2 things— well, in many things— but election and mercy. God's sovereignty in election and mercy. To which, if you're a natural human, you're going to say, how can that be? How can all this be? So let's walk through that. So, so the Spirit of God through the Apostle Paul goes from this unspeakable joy in Romans 8 to great sorrow and unceasing grief. Why is that? Because he's, he's born Jewish.

Scott Keffer [: 00:08:13

He's a, he's a natural-born Jew. So he is— his heart is broken, right, for his, right, for his country. For the sake of my brethren, I wish, he said, I, I could wish that I myself were accursed. He's saying literally, I would almost be willing to be separated for the sake of those who are unbelieving. So that is what he's saying. That's his heart and passion, right? So the big question is, the majority of Israel, those who've been born a Jew, has rejected the Messiah. Has the word of God failed? Has the word of God failed? Well, the answer is very clearly no. The word of God has not failed.

Scott Keffer [: 00:09:03

Physical descent alone does not make one a child of promise. Child of promise. So he says in Galatians, therefore Be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. Oh, really? How's that work? The scripture foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith. So, because here's the question, if God made these promises to Abraham to bless Abraham and all the nations, how do we How do we have any say in those promises as Gentiles? How do we have any say in the promises he made to Abraham? Anybody Jewish, born Jewish in here? So how do you have any say in the promises to Abraham? Not. That's the question here, right? It's exactly the question, right? Because he said it's about being not a child of Abraham, but a child of Abraham. And what is the child of Abraham? A child of Abraham is a child of promise. A child of Abraham is a child of promise.

Scott Keffer [: 00:10:25

A child of promise. So he says, therefore the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham. Preached the what? Gospel. The gospel. The gospel was preached to Abraham just like the gospel was preached in the garden The gospel was preached to Abraham. What was the gospel? All the nations will be blessed in you. Well, that doesn't sound like the gospel. But he's saying the gospel was preached.

Scott Keffer [: 00:10:56

So the question would be, how will all the nations be blessed in Abraham? Because we're not gonna all be born of the seed, the physical seed of Abraham, right? But then he says in, in Galatians, for you are all Sons of God. How? Through faith in Christ Jesus. So he says, because in sons of God there's neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you're all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants. Heirs according to the promise. Not just sons, but heirs, because a son is an heir. That make sense? So we are, we are heirs according to the promise. Is that good news? Great news.

Scott Keffer [: 00:11:55

That's great news. How do we have a connection in all this? So then he deals with The thing that's hard for all of us to understand, that God is free to choose. That God is free to choose. In his sovereignty as God, he has the right. Isaac, not Ishmael. Jacob, not Esau. Wait a minute. God chooses.

Scott Keffer [: 00:12:29

He doesn't choose all. Then is God— is he just? How can he choose? How can he choose one versus the other? How could he choose? So that's the next question in there. If God chooses— this is what he says tonight, this is the flow— therefore, is there injustice with God? Because that's what— that's what our natural thought would be, right? And then he quotes from Exodus where Moses says, show me your glory. And God says, I will have compassion on whom I'll have compassion, right? And I'll show mercy to whom I'll show mercy. I'll have compassion. I'll have— wait a minute. He says, I'm going to show you my goodness. I will have mercy— underline on whom, and then circle I.

Scott Keffer [: 00:13:30

On whom I— who's I? God. On whom is who? He chooses. Same way, I will have compassion on— so he says on Whom I— And then he says, I will. On whom I will. That means God has will and the power and the authority to will it and to do it. Yeah, but I don't understand. I don't— doesn't make sense. Well, I mean, all that stuff that goes through our head, right? That's why he answers that.

Scott Keffer [: 00:14:22

God is free to choose. Then he says, here's what's happening. Men harden their own hearts. Men harden their own hearts. And then God hardens them judicially. God hardens them judicially with complete justice and integrity. So I wrote there, no one receives— Injustice. Injustice.

Scott Keffer [: 00:15:03

So we have to remind ourselves, no one receives injustice. In other words, Men have started by rejecting God. What's the consequence of rejecting God? The wages of sin is— Death. Death. So who's sinned? All have sinned. So everyone gets justice. Some receive mercy. Some receive mercy.

Scott Keffer [: 00:15:33

This is hard. Who gets to choose the Son? He says, I will. Well, wait a minute. Now we're back to, well, that doesn't seem right. Is there injustice with God? No, never. No, never. So he then goes on to say, because he is a righteous judge and he has indignation every day. What does that mean? 7 billion people in the earth today with how many sins rolling forth each day, each minute.

Scott Keffer [: 00:16:26

Right, pouring forth up before a holy God. 2 sins apiece, 3, 5, 10, 70 billion sins floating up from the earth, if you will. Physically not that, but God's seeing them all. All actions, all inactions. All desires, all right, all evil. He sees it all. So he says he has indignation every day. So he says he, he endures with much patience, with much patience.

Scott Keffer [: 00:17:14

Because we go back to this and say, well, how's God just in all this? Well, he says the soul that sins must Die. Why isn't it that you don't die the minute you sin? Why isn't that the case? Nobody wakes up and says, hey, why are, why are a lot of sinners living? Why are some sinners saved? So underline in order. This is like so that, in order. So that— so why is it that God is enduring every second of every minute of every hour of every day of every week of every month of every year of every decade of every century of every— why is God enduring sin for all this time? Why is holy God in indignation Why is he doing that? In order. There's an in order. So that— here's the purpose. In order is purpose. In order.

Scott Keffer [: 00:18:22

So you follow that. Okay, Lord, so what are you doing? In order to make known, to demonstrate, to bring out into the open the riches, the riches Of his glory upon vessels of mercy. Raise your hand if you're a vessel of mercy. Well, he's saying there are more vessels of mercy, and this is why he is enduring, right, sin over centuries for vessels of mercy. Oh, really? When were they prepared? Beforehand. Huh. Beforehand would suggest purpose, plan, design, timing, sovereignty, power, authority. Does that make sense? This is not a surprise.

Scott Keffer [: 00:19:31

This is not a surprise. Prepared beforehand for what? Glory. We're prepared for beforehand for glory. In order to make known. So what happened to Israel? What happened to Israel? Israel stumbled because they pursued righteousness by, by works, by law rather than faith. And the chief cornerstone became a stumbling block, a stumbling stone, right? Right, they stumbled over the stumbling stone. What's the stumbling stone? Christ. Christ.

Scott Keffer [: 00:20:35

A Messiah that hangs on a tree? Cursed is the man who hangs on a tree. Messiah can't be Messiah that hangs on a tree. Cursed is the man. Hmm. So that's 9, God's sovereignty and election and mercy. And it opens this question of how did Israel stumble? What about Israel? So in Romans 10, we said whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. So he starts out 10 by saying, you know, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for fellow Jews is for their salvation. So God's sovereignty over salvation does not remove the need to pray And share.

Scott Keffer [: 00:21:20

Apostle Paul was an example. Pray and share. We started Romans, I'm not ashamed of the gospel. So he says in Romans 10, unbelieving Jews have a zeal for God. They have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. A zeal for God not in accordance with knowledge. We live in an age where there are many who apparently have a zeal for God. There's a spirituality component, right? Spirituality component.

Scott Keffer [: 00:22:00

So he says, seeking to establish their— underline— own righteousness. Oh. did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. We'd love to have our own righteousness, don't we? If I have my own righteousness, then I deserve it, then I've earned it, then it's mine, that's mine. So he says Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the goal and culmination of the law. That Christ is the goal and the culmination of the law. Because the question, well, what about the law? Because they're stewards of the law. They received the law.

Scott Keffer [: 00:22:44

And in Galatians he says the law has become our tutor. It's our, it's our, um, uh, our guide, if you will. But where is the law to lead? Christ. There's the so that. So that you may be justified by faith. Justified by faith. Okay, so flip over. So he says the word of faith is near and it's accessible to all.

Scott Keffer [: 00:23:17

And when scripture says all, right, depending on how that's used, it generally will mean all kinds of people, Jews and Gentiles, right? Jews and Gentiles. If you were a Jew, particularly in first century when the Lord Jesus Christ showed up, you would say, Gentiles? No, Gentiles are unclean. Yeah, they're unclean. They don't, they don't, they don't get into the promises of Abraham. They don't. It's just— What? What? So he says, well, how is it that it happens? You confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart God raised him from the dead, and you will be saved. You will be saved. Which makes us a little confused.

Scott Keffer [: 00:24:15

We think it's literally repeating words, but he says clearly You have to have your heart of stone replaced with a heart of flesh, and only God can do that. But it is— we confess with our mouth what has already happened in our heart. We've been born again. We've been given a new heart, a heart of flesh, a heart that can confess, a heart, right? A living heart from a dead heart. Dead heart to a living heart. So he's saying No distinction between Jew and Greek, the same Lord abounding in riches for all who call on him. Which reminds us, right, all who call on him, which is not only Jew and Gentile, it's all economic, right? All economic layers, neither male nor female. There's, there's, there's, there's no gate.

Scott Keffer [: 00:25:14

to enter in, right? Those who call upon the Lord, all will be saved. So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. The word of Christ. What was his name? He was a, um, a bad man in Las Vegas, had prostitution rings and drugs and all that. And, and a guy came in his office I think multiple times. I forgot exactly how the story— and he would, he would, I think it was a vendor, and he would continue to share the gospel with him. He would, they would physically throw him out of the office. He would physically throw him out of the office until one time the Lord just broke him.

Scott Keffer [: 00:25:57

And he came to Christ. And he really, because the guy would say, read this, read this, read this. So I think it was, I think it's How to Share Your Faith Without an Argument. Anybody ever read that or been through that? So he would literally just get with people and he would say, read that. Just read a verse. What does that say to you? Oh, okay, now read this verse. What does that say to you? Oh, now read this one. What's that say to you? Rather than saying what it says, he would have them read the word because he said the word is living and active, sharper than a 2-edged sword.

Scott Keffer [: 00:26:26

Read the— he just said, read the word. What's that say to you? A lot of words. He said, okay, now read this one. So the word is power. It's the word of Christ. Faith comes from hearing, hearing by the word of Christ, right? You're handing out Bibles, you're handing out— right? When we were in Russia, we had the Gospel of John. Hand it out, you know. Hand it out.

Scott Keffer [: 00:26:48

Let the word go forth. God promises that his word will not go forth and not, not return void, accomplish that for which it has been sent. So then he asked about Israel, right? Well, maybe they haven't heard. Maybe they haven't heard. And then he answers, uh, no, they have. And then he says, well, maybe they didn't know. And then he says, uh, no, they didn't. Then he ends with what? But as for Israel, God says, all day long I've stretched out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.

Scott Keffer [: 00:27:28

You study through the Old Testament. It's a it it's an amazing revelation about the Lord Jesus Christ everywhere, everywhere, everywhere. It's also an amazing. Does this sound like the same story? Right? God God has mercy. They rebel. God has mercy. They rebel. God has mercy.

Scott Keffer [: 00:27:49

They rebel. It's like copy paste, copy paste, copy paste. Generation after generation after generation. And God's mercy, loving kindness extends through there. No, he says all day long, all day long. So that leads to 11, which would say, okay, if God has reached out all day long, maybe he's done with Israel, right? That'd be a good question, right? Has God rejected Israel? And the answer is God has not rejected Israel. There are these promises, right, to the patriarchs, covenant promises, covenants he's made, eternal covenants to David, to others. So he asks, has God rejected Israel? Absolutely and emphatically not.

Scott Keffer [: 00:28:42

Because Paul says, hey, I'm an Israelite, right? You can see he has not given up. So God always— here he talks about in Romans 11, God always preserves a remnant. He always has a remnant. He always has a remnant. So there's this remnant in there, really. And where did that remnant come from? God's gracious Choice. That's it. Scripture says God's gracious choice.

Scott Keffer [: 00:29:21

It's a choice of grace. Choice of grace. So there are 3 uses for the word Israel in this section. And unless you follow it, as I always said, one of the schemes of the evil one is to neuter language. Because in the beginning was the word. The word was with God. The word was God. The word became flesh.

Scott Keffer [: 00:29:51

The word. So he neuters the word, which means no ability to communicate, because you strip, right, all meaning out. And now we just make up words. We don't have names. We make up words by putting silly sounds together. Like, have we turned into idiots? Yes, yes. Watch the MacArthur again. We're, we're in the age of idiocy, you know.

Scott Keffer [: 00:30:16

So there's an ethnic national Israel, which means physical descendants of those, uh, of Abraham born Jewish, born Jewish. So if your mother's Jewish, you're born into that family, you are Jewish by birth. So he talks about that, called, you know, essentially that's ethnic or national Israel. Then there's the elect, true Israel, the believing saved remnant. So the idea is these are all who are born Jewish, right? All who are born Jewish. So that would be ethnic, right? Mm-hmm. Then there's a subset of these that are elect, subset of these that are elect, or what he calls true, right? Elect or true Israel. And then I put a big circle around it because he also uses this in the context of corporate Israel.

Scott Keffer [: 00:31:24

In other words, the, the— when he talks about the nation of Israel all as a whole through redemptive history. All right, so the 3 are: one, you're born Jewish, right? So ethnically you're a Jew. Ethnically you're a Jew. That makes sense, that one. Within that, some of those will become believing, right? Which he's saying that these are son— these are true sons of Abraham. Not this by ethnicity, but the fact that you are elect or true. And then there's this corporate Israel that is moving through history, what God means to do with, with Israel, the nation as a whole, in God's redemptive plan. So he's saying Israel's rejection at this moment in time is not total.

Scott Keffer [: 00:32:15

There's a remnant now, right? They're— what do they call— Messianic Jews, right, who now have come to Christ. It's not final and it's not purposeless. Then he gives us a picture— the olive tree, the olive tree, the olive tree. So jump back over to the visual. So you see there's one olive tree and the root Right? The root is what? The patriarchs. The patriarchs and the covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, right? The patriarchs, if you will, right? One olive tree rooted in that, right? So standing in the olive tree is by faith, if you see, not ethnicity. So you see over on the left, right, are Israel, or natural branches, those who are descendants of Abraham. That's ethnic Israel.

Scott Keffer [: 00:33:17

All within that, there's 2 groups: believing Jewish remnant and the unbelieving Israel. Does that make sense? Questions on that? So again, if you look, think about in the, in the Old Testament, always thinking, if you think about this, these are all that are born Jewish, right? In the Old Testament, in terms of those who came, I don't know, Generally, but those who came to Christ, these were all essentially all, right, other than who? Rahab, right? Right. You go through here and think about, right? And now, right, if you look at all believers, right, it's a small number of Jews. He's saying, and then in the future, those who come to Christ are going to be mostly Jews. There's a future. There's a future where those who are coming to Christ, right? To Christ, right? To Christ. The Old Testament, now, and then future. All right, so he's saying, well, so he said, wait a minute, they're natural branches.

Scott Keffer [: 00:34:33

You Gentiles So how many were around before the time of the Gentiles? None of us. So generally today, you think most who are coming to Christ are Gentile, right? Gentiles. This is the time of the Gentiles. So you don't think, well, what about Jews? And what about the Old Testament promises? And where are they? And what's going on with that? You know. Because we're in the time of Gentiles. So you think, well, the Gentiles belong here. Like, we're— the Jews are rejecting him. I think we deserve it.

Scott Keffer [: 00:35:16

So he's saying, no, no, no, no, no, no, you're wild branches. The Gentiles are wild branches. You cannot put a wild branch on a tree. You don't belong there, if you will, right? Non-Jews, we're brought by Faith, we are grafted in. We're grafted into the olive tree. In other words, we're latecomers. We don't belong here. Wild branches do not belong on an olive tree.

Scott Keffer [: 00:35:46

Does that make sense? So what's the warning? Don't be arrogant. Be arrogant. To watch. And we're at a time when there's a lot of thoughts about Jews, a lot of thoughts about Jews, a lot of people angry at Jews, right? There's a lot of stuff that have got— that's happened before in history. So he's reminding Gentiles, reminding Gentiles. Believing Jews remain, believing Gentiles are grafted in, unbelieving Jews are broken off for a time. So Romans 9, has God's word failed? No. Romans 10, why is— why are they largely unbelieving? They pursued righteousness wrongly and they've refused Christ.

Scott Keffer [: 00:36:34

Romans 11 is, is God permanently done with them? No, no, there's a remnant. There's a remnant. Is that helpful? Any questions so far? A lot of stuff. You know, Zionists aren't the same as true Israel. So, you know, the argument over homeland and land and all that, it's a different— it's a different thing than this. So we don't get confused, right? So there again, there's those who are natural branches who are right in the midst of this, right? We have Israel. So it's good to recognize what we're talking about here. Has that been helpful? The political argument today of what right does— what right do Jews have in the Promised Land and all of that, we would generally say God made a promise about a piece of land, and how it's going to be carried out politically is not generally something I don't think we get a whole lot involved in.

Scott Keffer [: 00:37:39

In terms of praying for Jews, like Paul said, sharing with Jews, I think that's ours. And standing with Jews who are being, certainly with Jews who are being persecuted, that would be absolutely true. I saw an interview, I don't wanna get political, with John Fetterman, who's the senator from Pennsylvania, who I wasn't sure where he was, but he said if our party cuts the line on supporting Israel, he said, I'm gone, I'm gone. I thought that was a bold, statement. But certainly praying, sharing, and believing that God has a purpose, right? God still means to save from the Jewish, right, from Jewish people, right? That's different than the political cure. Is that— that make sense? Scott, are you saying that when you said Zionist, were you meaning that politically? Yes, we, we deserve the land. This is the land. Yes, because I think Zionist differently from the Bible saying from Zion will come your king.

Scott Keffer [: 00:38:44

Yeah, I don't think that's what— I think Zion means this is the land, and they're arguing land. That, that's not my area, so I try and stay out of the political discourse about all of that. But it's the— what I have noticed with some, it's that general feeling that Jews have done this and this, and Jews crucified Christ, and that they don't, you know, they don't deserve— there's All of that kind of mixes in there. That's what this is speaking about. We still have a heart for Jews. There's going to be a time when all Israel will be saved. We'll talk about that in here in a second. We should pray and share, should pray and share for that.

Scott Keffer [: 00:39:24

Yes, there's a millennial kingdom. There's stuff to happen. That's the point. Not every— not everyone believes the same about that, but it's Generally get our heart like Paul's. Paul, if you look at it, what did Paul say? He said, I wish I would be accursed for the sake of my brethren. And then he shares that I pray, right? That I pray. That I pray. All right, so olive tree.

Scott Keffer [: 00:39:52

So therefore, next, if you go back to the film Levites, after the olive tree, Gentiles, do not be arrogant. Do not be arrogant, but fear. And he says, here is the nature of God. Behold the kindness and the severity of God. Do not fear. So I watch where there becomes a better than, we deserve it, they don't. The Jews have messed things up. The Jews, right? There's a lot of that going on, right? They're, they're, you know, yeah, for sure.

Scott Keffer [: 00:40:37

So he says it's a mystery. What's the mystery? So he says a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. So again, if this is a block of those who are believing, right, but these are blocks of belief. Just so in the Old Testament, they were fundamentally Jewish by descent, right, ethnic. And there were a couple over here, right? I probably put a thin slice. And then here in the time of the Gentiles, very few Jews, mostly Gentiles. And he's saying, right, there is a time, right, until the fullness of Gentiles. So it's mostly Gentiles believing, and then in the future it'll be mostly ethnic Jews.

Scott Keffer [: 00:41:43

Or mostly, yeah, ethnic Jews coming to belief in the future. When would that be? I don't know. When's he coming back? I don't know, but soon. Sooner than when this was written. I can't tell you that. I guarantee it's sooner than when this was written. He said it's a mystery. And then all Israel will be saved.

Scott Keffer [: 00:42:10

What does that mean? What does that mean? Corporate Israel, all Israel in the future. In the future, that's what this is, right? He's essentially saying all Israel will be saved. Majority of those coming will be Jews, right, turning to Christ, but not every Jew. He's not saying every Jew. Not every Jew. Well, there must be a purpose here. Jewish rejection turned into Gentile mercy. So Jews' rejection became a gift and the glory for Gentiles.

Scott Keffer [: 00:43:00

And then our, right, mercy will turn into Jewish Jealousy, which will then turn into Jewish Israel's salvation. And so he makes a point about Israel. He says, from the standpoint of God's choice, you just read that they are the apple of his eye. Why is that? Because they are beloved. It says in 11, for the sake of the The fathers, the patriarchs. God's love rests upon them. He says in Deuteronomy, I loved you because I loved you. That's all he says.

Scott Keffer [: 00:43:43

Not because you're the greatest nation or, you know, uh, better than, you know. I loved you because I loved you. They're beloved for the sake of the patriarchs, the fathers. Then he says the gifts of calling of God are Irrevocable, irrevocable, without change, without ability to change, not revocable. To which you'd say, well, yeah, that's interesting. But I'm safe, so who cares? You could say that. Or you say, so what does that have to do with me? Well, that has to do with everything with you, because if that's not true, then Romans 8 isn't true. Then neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor things present nor things— nor things to come nor any other created thing shall be able to separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus.

Scott Keffer [: 00:44:49

How can we stand on that? No charge can ever be brought against you. How will he not freely give you all things in Christ? Why can I stand? Why is my hope unshakable? Because he's saying, in case you were wondering, which you may or may not have been, what happened to all the promises to the patriarchs? What's happening to Israel? He's giving us some sense. Then your hope is unshakable. Your hope is unshakable. To which, until you walk through this, you don't necessarily make that connection, right? Then you walk through this and go, oh yeah, his gifts and his calling are irrevocable. My hope is unshakable. So God's sovereignty, it does not— it doesn't eliminate human responsibility, right? We have that under the umbrella of God's sovereignty. Israel's unbelief does not invalidate God's promises and God's underlying faithfulness.

Scott Keffer [: 00:45:51

What to do? It guarantees his redemptive purpose will be accomplished. So we see his sovereign purpose has not failed. Israel is responsible for its unbelief, and Israel's unbelief is neither total No more final. Now, what does that mean? If God is sovereign over, right, thousands of years, evil, unbelief, all of that stuff, right? Is he really sovereign over all of it? Is his— are his purposes really being carried out? Is he really faithful to his promises? He's saying, yes, it's true, whether you can see it or understand it or not. But Understand I am, which means if that's true in all of history, it's true for you. It's true for your story. It's true for whether you can see your story folding out, unfolding or not, whether you understand it, whether it makes sense to you. Is God— are his promises really true for me? For me? Well, if they're true in all of history, then they're true for every one of his.

Scott Keffer [: 00:47:05

True for every one of his who has, who has freely chosen beforehand for his glory. You've been freely chosen beforehand for his glory, for his glory. So how do we respond? Well, Lord, I hope there's not a test. Are you going to make us answer this correctly? No, fortunately. Christianity is not a test. What should I do? I should be in awe of a God who's inexplicable, who's incomparable and incomprehensible, right? And completely— that he's revealed a crack of his glory to us. That's all. He's cracked the door of his glory over.

Scott Keffer [: 00:47:56

He dwells in unapproachable light. You like— so he's cracked his glory. We see this bit of glory, you're like, ah, what should I do? What Moses did. Moses made haste to bow low toward the earth and worship. And worship. We should stand with this. Lord, I don't fully understand this. I don't even fully agree with it.

Scott Keffer [: 00:48:21

I don't fully get it. Yes. But you're doing it. You're doing it, and that's awesome. Phones aren't awesome. Computers aren't awesome. Ice cream's not awesome. The Lord is awesome.

Scott Keffer [: 00:48:37

His purposes are awesome. He is awesome. That's why he ends with, okay, so how do we think about all of this? I don't even know how to think about all this. He says, oh, it's very, very easy. There's him. And so from him and through him and to him are, are this and all things. All things. All things in all of time, all things in all of history, all things in your life.

Scott Keffer [: 00:49:23

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. And then he says, truth. Amen. True. Amen says truth. True, true, truthfully, right? All of this Really, Lord? I don't get it, but I'm sure glad you're in charge. I'm sure glad you're controlling.

Scott Keffer [: 00:49:52

I'm sure glad it's your plan and your responsibility. So he says, at the end of the day, this is mine. I got it. Stay on your plot, dwell on the land, cultivate faithfulness. And trust, trust that I have purposes for you. If you're still breathing, he's got purpose for you. If you're still here, he still has a plan for you. He said, I'm worrying about all this.

Scott Keffer [: 00:50:21

You dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness and worship the fact that we've been called by a God who is unbelievable. Unbelievable. All right, write down insight. All right. Question, thought. So why should we do it? Well, so you could, you could answer that with— in a couple of ways. You could say because he said so, but he's saying the means— he's not— not only is he sovereign over the result, he's also sovereign over the means. And the means, he says, to call us to be co-laborers with him, right, to, to share the word, right? Because he says, how will they hear? How will they— well, he's given that to us.

Scott Keffer [: 00:51:05

How will they hear unless you hand out a Bible? How will they hear unless you share the gospel? How will they hear unless— yeah. So he's also, he's also sovereign over the means, and that is share the gospel. Share the gospel. Does that make sense? Can we stay here? Can we stay here together? Let's do this together. Can we do this together? Can we do this together? Together, like together? Maybe not. Okay. Today. When shall you listen? Today.

Scott Keffer [: 00:51:37

When shall you listen? Today, right? How will they hear without a preacher? That's what he says. How will they hear without a preacher? Who are the preachers? Raise your hand. We get to preach. We get to preach. You share. Yeah. Who else? Anybody leave with more questions? You should leave with quite— no, the answer is you should. You know, if you're following the Lord of the Bible and you don't have questions, you're not looking at scripture.

Scott Keffer [: 00:52:03

You're not. You're, you're not. Or you're, you're trying to avoid things. But the deep things of God will create more questions than they do answers in some ways, right? More questions than they should. But I'm saying, how should I respond? at the end in worship. Lord, I don't know, I don't get it all, but you're on your throne. The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice, let the many islands be glad. Clouds and thick darkness surround him.

Scott Keffer [: 00:52:32

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. What's that mean? Everything that I can't understand is righteous and just. I don't get it. That's okay. That's because I'm righteous and just. You aren't. You're becoming right. And you will be the righteousness of God out of grace from me.

Scott Keffer [: 00:52:50

And may the God of all grace, who called you out of darkness, may he bless you and keep you. May he cause his face to shine upon you. May he lift up his countenance and grant you shalom deep into the soul of your soul, so that you walk in peace and walk in the fact that you are his, both now and forever. Amen. May he bless you and keep you always. Amen. Amen. Thanks for listening.

Scott Keffer [: 00:53:24

I hope you have greater hope, assurance, and confidence in your life, and a deeper trust in the God of the Bible and his Son Jesus Christ. Until next time, may the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to May the Lord continue to shine upon you and be gracious to you. And may the Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you His peace, His shalom, in your soul and in your life. Until next time, may God bless you and keep you. Amen.