Hath God cast away his people?

Jeremiah prophesied of the deportation of Judah to Babylon and the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in chapters 1-29. Then beginning of chapter 30 his theme was the return of the people and the restoration of Jerusalem. As prophesied, the Babylonian captivity lasted 70 years, but I noticed promises that seemed to look to a time beyond Babylon, to a greater return and restoration, one that involved the son of David.

Does Israel still have a future as a nation? Or, Hath God cast away his people? A friend of mine commented on one of my Christ in Jeremiah posts, “the promises to Old Covenant Israel were either made void, were fulfilled in Christ, or remain in Spiritual Israel which is the True Israel, the Church.” Is this true? Did God spend all those years making all those promises only to void them? I’m no fan of John MacArthur but I do agree with what he said about this issue, “Now, the question of God keeping those promises is a bigger question than just dispensational debate. The question of God keeping those promises is a question of divine integrity because if God has obviated, cancelled, changed His promises to Israel, we're all in a lot of trouble because we have a God who can't be trusted and who may as readily change His promises to us as He did to them.  Now that's the bottom line consideration in understanding what's before us in this chapter.” (you can read the entire message here.)

As I read through Jeremiah I found two passages where God addressed this very question

Jeremiah 31:35-40
35 Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name:  
36 If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.  
37 Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD.  

Jeremiah 33:19-26  
19 And the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, saying,  
20 Thus saith the LORD; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season;  
21 Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers.  
22 As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me.  
23 Moreover the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying,  
24 Considerest thou not what this people have spoken, saying, The two families which the LORD hath chosen, he hath even cast them off? thus they have despised my people, that they should be no more a nation before them.  
25 Thus saith the LORD; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth;  
26 Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them.

This looks to me like God is saying He will not cast off the seed of Jacob nor the seed of David.

What about Jesus? Hasn’t he negated all the promises to Israel? Or spiritualized them? Were they all fulfilled in Him? What about Paul? Wasn’t he clear that God is through with Israel? The answer for both Jesus and Paul is, No. Paul takes up the question of Israel and the Gospel in Romans 9-11. I want to consider chapter 11 because, well, the chapter begins with my question, Hath God cast away his people? I don’t want to attempt to exegete the chapter, that would take a while, I only want to get the gist of what he says because I’m convinced that will answer our question.

1  I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2  God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Know ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,
3  Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
4  But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
5  Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
6  And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

Has God cast away his people? Paul doesn’t simply jump into the deep end, this is where chapters 9 & 10 have brought him. Israel has stumbled by unbelief and the gospel is going out to Gentiles, so this is a timely question, Is God done with Israel as a people? He answers his own question twice in the first two verses: (1) God forbid; or if you prefer the NKJV, Certainly not! or the ESV, By no means! We’ll just say, No. (2) He declares it plainly, God hath not cast away his people. In defense of this he offers first himself, he is an Israelite and he believes; then using Elijah he mentions the remnant, even so at this present time also there is a remnant. I think everyone would agree so far - individual Jews can and are being saved. Others might object ‘Yeah, individuals, not the nation.’

7  What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
8  (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

Israel has been judged by the Most High. It’s not that they wanted to believe and He wouldn’t let them, they refused to believe so he gave them the spirit of slumber. Not all, as in rejection of them as a people, for there is a remnant who believe in Jesus.

11  I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
12  Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
13  For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
14  If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
15  For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

Have they stumbled so as to fall away, to be cast off? Is this spirit of slumber God’s final word on them? God forbid. Actually, this judgment on them opens the door for the Gentiles, through their fall salvation is come to the Gentiles. Then he offers a couple of ‘if…then’ :

if the fall of them be the riches of the world…how much more their fulness?

if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead?

Israel is the covenant people of God, God gives them the spirit of slumber and salvation comes to the rest of the world! When they are received back it will bring life from the dead, the resurrection! Is God through with Israel? Oh no, Israel still has a future!

16-24 He pictures the people of God as a cultivated olive tree: Abraham is the root, Israel is the branches. But because of their persistent unbelief the branches of Israel were cut off. When the gospel came to the Gentiles and they believed, the branches of this wild olive tree were grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree. This is where the concept spiritual Israel comes from. Notice all of what he says here: we were grafted in by faith, they were broken off because of unbelief; we can also be cut off because of unbelief, and if they believe they can be grafted back in.

This fall of Israel is not total - there is a remnant, nor is it irreversible – they can be grafted back in.

25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

This is one of the mysteries of the New Testament: blindness in part has happened to Israel until. It is not total, it is only in part. It is not permanent, it is temporary. When the fulness of the Gentiles be come in that blindness is lifted. Israel has a future.

26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27  For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

All Israel shall be saved. There you have it. Hath God cast away his people? No, all Israel shall be saved. Is the blindness total? No, there is a remnant. Is it permanent? No, all Israel shall be saved. God is not finished with Israel.

There is no way we can spiritualize this to mean the church, throughout the chapter he has been distinguishing between Gentiles and Israel. It is Gentiles who are saved in v 25, and Israel who is saved in v 26. I confess, I don’t know how God will determine all Israel, just like I don’t know when or how many the fulness of the Gentiles is. I just accept what he says, and that means the promises aren’t voided. God made covenants and promises to Abraham and to Israel and He will keep those promises.

When? He quotes Isaiah 59:20 (LXX), There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer. In other words, when Christ comes again and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. How will this work? I believe Zechariah described it: And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn... In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. (12:10, 13:1)

This is my covenant with them, when I shall take away their sins – This is Jeremiah 31:31-34. He’s compacted it, reduced it to the basics, but clearly the new covenant applies to them.

28  As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
29  For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

God called them and has not changed his mind.

30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
32  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

He repeats what he said earlier. We received mercy through their unbelief, and through our faith they will receive mercy. God will once more have mercy on them all.

How will this work? I don’t know. I just know God made promises to Israel which he is going to keep. Yes, we have been grafted in and now partake of the promises, but we obviously don’t exhaust them because the Holy Spirit says clearly, And so all Israel shall be saved.


(Here is an interesting article on this)