The Faithful Remnant

Having established in Chapter 10 the willful rejection by the Jews of the Messiah sent by God and His message of salvation, the Good News, in Chapter 11:1-6 Paul goes on to indicate the future plan of God for these rather disobedient and arrogant people.

Paul’s opening question is, “Did God reject His people?” In disgust, had God finally decided to reject the Jews, the people of His choice, whom he called through Abraham, nurtured through Jacob, sent to Egypt following Joseph and the famine, rescued from the hands of Pharaoh and slavery, brought and planted in the Promised Land - will He now reject them?

Paul’s vehement answer to this question is a big resounding ‘No.’ God will never do it. Paul’s destiny is wound so tightly with that of the Jews, for he himself is an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. So, he cannot bear to think even that God would reject His people.

But, why not? Paul’s justification is God will never reject His people, whom he foreknew. Psalm 94:14 says thus: “For the Lord will not reject His people; He will never forsake His inheritance.” In spite of their rebellion and sin against God, God would never forsake His chosen people, whom He selected and nurtured to be His “Servant.” Isaiah 41:8. 

God foreknew them and had made His promises to them, the promise being, He would bless the whole earth through the seed of Abraham. Genesis 12:1-3. God is not a man to change his words of promise. In Numbers 23:19 it is written, “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?”

So, the promises of God once given are not changed by him. He is not a whimsical God, to promise one thing today and change it the next day when it was inconvenient to Him. To quote Paul, 2 Corinthians 1:20, “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ.” A little later in Romans 11:29, Paul will affirm, “for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.”

So, Paul’s contention is that God’s promises to Israel will be fulfilled by Him. But how? Paul answers this with the illustration of Elijah and his discouragement, after he boldly proclaimed Yahweh as the only God and killed some 850 priests of Baal and Asherah, at Mount Carmel. 1 Kings 18-19.  

Soon after this great victory, he was on the run, fearing the sword of King Ahab’s wife, Jezebel. When God encountered him, Elijah defended his action saying he was the only one left of those who were loyal to Yahweh, the God of Israel, and that they were trying to kill him off.

God in His reply to him, mentioned that He has reserved 7000 in Israel "whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouth have not kissed him.” 1 Kings 19:18. In that remnant the future hope of Israel resided. Despite all the rebellion of Israel through history, there was always a remnant, who were loyal and faithful to their God. 

Similarly, Paul argues that in the present times too God has kept for Himself a remnant, a remnant out of Israel, chosen by God, by His grace. It is definitely not by works that the Lord has chosen these remnants, but purely on grace. Grace is grace and salvation is a gift. No one can earn salvation by their good works.

This has a great lesson to us even today. No church or nation is saved en mass. The relationship with God is always individual. Every person who is to be saved must give his or her own heart to the Lord and surrender their lives to Him. A person is saved when he/she makes a personal decision to follow Christ, and not because they are members of a church or a community.

This takes off the element of pride from us. Each one must humble himself/herself before God. It is not our merit that saves us, but God’s grace. We need to respond to that offer and accept it to enjoy salvation and relationship with God here on earth and in eternity.

May we strive to be the remnant even in these days, acceptable to God and pleasing in His eyes.

Amen.