“25 I don’t want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you will not be conceited: A partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.”
In the previous devotionals, Paul has been warning the Gentiles against ignorant and arrogant behavior toward the unbelieving Jews. Don’t the Gentiles have a right to boast? After all, they have believed and God has saved them, meanwhile God’s chosen people Israel have, at large, rejected Jesus as their Savior. Paul says no! As we discussed previously, it is not because of anything any one Gentile has done, or any Jew has not done, that has resulted in anyone being saved from their sins! It is only by God’s grace and mercy that anyone has salvation through faith in Jesus. Why did it transpire this way? Paul declares this to be somewhat of a mystery, yet he calls us to not remain in ignorance.
Paul shows us that God has used even the unbelief and disobedience of His chosen nation Israel to bring salvation to the Gentiles. This begs the question, would any of the Gentiles have been saved if Israel had not rebelled? I think yes! Instead of God bringing the Gentiles into His covenant through Israel’s disobedience, the Gentiles would have been brought in by their obedience! The Israelites would have gone out and shared the good news of the Gospel to all nations so that God’s elect would hear, repent, and believe, and thus be saved. It might have been this way, if only Israel had believed in Jesus as the Messiah. Even so, things being the way that they are, God has accomplished His purposes of providing salvation in Jesus to the Gentiles despite Israel’s rejection of Him. Now it is not God’s intention that things will stay this way, but only “Until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” (v. 25b) In God’s perfect timing, the remnant of Israel will repent and many will be saved. More on that in the following devotionals.
In order that the Gentiles not be arrogant, Paul reminds them that, for the present time, God has allowed a partial hardening in the hearts of the Jews. Remember what Paul said earlier in the chapter:
“What then? Israel did not find what it was looking for, but the elect did find it. The rest were hardened,…” — Romans 11:7
It is important for us to remember then, whether as Jews or Gentiles, that it is solely God who has the power to save those whom He wills. This truth should have a humbling effect on us. What a great God we serve, that He would choose to save any from the eternal punishment they deserve.