Rom
11:7-12 (NIV) What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but
the elect did. The others were hardened, 8 as it is written:
"God
gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes so
that they could not see
and
ears so that they could not hear,
to this
very day." 9 And David says:
"May
their table become a snare and a trap,
a
stumbling block and a retribution for them.
10 May
their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
and
their backs be bent forever."
11
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. 12 But if their transgression means riches for the world,
and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will
their fullness bring!
NOTE: Again we see
the strong interconnection of God's sovereignty and man's choice. It says God gave them a spirit of stupor, but then says, did they stumble so as to fall beyond
recovery? In one case, God blinds them,
but in another they stumble. Also Paul
answers his question with a very emphatic "not at all!" Still later it says that salvation has come
to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.
If there is no choice, what good is envy of salvation. There is clearly a connection between God's
control and man's choice which is entirely consistent to Paul, but is difficult
for us to understand. Both fit together
without any grammatical gymnastics, they just fit together. And who am I with my finite mind to
understand the infinite mind of God? How
foolish can man be!
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