Romans 11 is an expansion of the provocation in
chapter 10:19 where we are assured the people, or Gentiles were the
means whereby God would provoke His people.
Rom 10:19 But
I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to
jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will
anger you.
So, does the word nation as opposed to people create any problems? No!
Here is the problem solved. The original word for
“nation” in Roms.10:19 is the very selfsame word “people” in the same
verse thus;
Rom 10:19 But I say, Did not Israel know?
First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no
ethnos (people), and by a foolish ethnos (nation) I will anger you.
The Jews understood ethnos to mean those who were not Jews or Israelites and they would read it thus;
Rom 10:19 But
I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to
jealousy by them that are no ethnos (not Jews), and by a foolish ethnos
(non-Jews) I will anger you.
Here is the verse in some other translations to
show their consistent translation of the same word ethnos, and they use
nation each time;
Rom 10:19 But
I say, Did not Israel know? First, Moses says, "I will provoke you to
jealousy by a non-nation (people), by an unwise nation (people) I will
anger you." LITV (literal)
Rom 10:19 But
again I ask, didn't Israel understand? First Moses says, "I will make
you jealous by those who are not a nation (people); with a senseless
nation (people) I will provoke you to anger. NET
Rom 10:19 But
I say, Did Israel not know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to
jealousy with that which is no nation (people), With a nation (people)
void of understanding will I anger you ASV
Here is the verse in which we use people twice;
Rom 10:19 But
I say, Did Israel not know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to
jealousy with that which is a no people, with a foolish people will I
anger you.
Where is the problem?
In other words, people refers to the Gentiles who
were cast off in Gen.10 and without understanding, did they make up a
nation per se? No, the two original words are the same. These people
(Gentiles) were previously without hope, but now included by the grace
of God as members of that elect remnant of grace of prophesy. Their hope
was also the promises made to the fathers. This is the “nation”, the Gentile “people” who were God’s requiting instruments to provoke his people, Israel.
Let us go back to Romans 11 and put the word ethnos
where it belongs to show the link between 10:19.. First 10:19, then
11:7-14;
But I say, Did Israel not
know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy with that which
is a no ETHNOS/people, with a foolish ETHNOS/people will I anger you.
Rom 10:19
What then? Israel has
not obtained that which it seeks, but the election obtained it, and the
rest were hardened even as it is written, "God gave to them a spirit of
slumber, eyes not seeing, and ears not hearing" until this day. And
David said, "Let their table become for a snare and a trap and a
stumbling block and a recompense to them. Let their eyes be darkened so
that they may not see, and their back always bowing." I say then, Did
they not stumble that they fall? Let it not be! But by their slipping
away came salvation to the ETHNOS/people (nation in 10:19), to provoke
them to jealousy.
But if their slipping away is the riches of the
world, and their default is the riches of the ETHNOS/people, how much
more their fullness?
For I speak to you ETHNOS/peopole; since I am the apostle of the ETHNOS/people, I glorify my ministry;
if by any means I may provoke those who are my flesh to jealousy, and might save some of them. Rom 11:7-14
See how Paul’s original words tie 10:19 with
11:7-14? Nation, people, Gentiles it’s the same word translated
different ways. I’m sorry; I know the KJV-only arguments, but here
we see a problem created that doesn’t really exist. Nation of People
means the Gentiles who believed.
While we are here in Romans 9-11, it is helpful to
see that both Peter and Paul use the same prophesies of Isaiah and Hosea
to describe this remnant of the Acts period which included Jews and
people (Gentiles or nation).
Here is Peter and Paul using Isaiah 28;
1Pe 2:6 Therefore
also it is contained in the Scripture: "Behold, I lay in Zion a chief
corner Stone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him shall never be
ashamed."
Isa 28:16 Therefore
thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a
stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he
that believeth shall not make haste.Rom 9:33 As
it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of
offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Rom 10:11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Both Peter and Paul use the cornerstone image of prophesy:
1Pe 2:7 Therefore
to you who believe is the honor. But to those who are disobedient, He
is the Stone which the builders rejected; this One came to be the Head
of the corner,
Psa 118:22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.Rom 9:33 As
it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of
offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Rom 11:9 And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:
Rom 11:11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall?
Both Peter and Paul speak of the appointment by God of some to wrath and some to honour:
1Pe 2:8 and a Stone-of-stumbling and a Rock-of-offense to those disobeying, who stumble at the Word, to which they also were appointed.
Rom 9:21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
Rom 9:22 What
if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured
with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
Rom 9:23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
Also note that stumbling block and foolishness
occurs in 1Cor.1:20-. The remnant would have been considered a foolish
bunch, certainly by the Greeks and it was certainly spoken against, Acts
13:45 (x2), 28:19, 22 and Roms.10:21.
Both Peter and Paul use Hosea to speak of the believing remnant;
1Pe 2:9 But
you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a
people for possession, so that you might speak of the praises of Him who
has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
1Pe 2:10 you who then were not a people, but now the people of God, those not pitied then, but now pitied.
Hos 2:23 And
I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her
that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my
people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.Rom 9:24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
Rom 9:25 As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
Rom 9:26 And
it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them,
Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the
living God.
Rom 9:27 Esaias also crieth concerning
Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of
the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
Here are some other passages speaking of this remnant from again, Isaiah and Hosea:
Isa 10:20 And
it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such
as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him
that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel,
in truth.
Isa 10:21 The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God. Isa 10:22 For
though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of
them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with
righteousness.
Isa 10:23 For the Lord GOD of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.
Hos 1:10 Yet
the number of the sons of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which
cannot be measured nor numbered. And it shall be, in the place where it
was said to them, You are not My people, there it shall be said to
them, You are the sons of the living God.
Hos 1:11 Then
the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel shall be gathered together,
and shall set over themselves one head, and they shall come up out of
the land. For great shall be the day of Jezreel.
As a side note, isn’t it interesting that the
remnant in prophesy is linked to the restoration of the entire nation in
the prophesy context? In Romans the goal of chapters 9-11 is the
salvation of all Israel, perfectly in harmony with the prophesies about
the remnant Paul uses in that section.
In 2Peter3 the apparent delay of the Lord is for the repentance of Israel.
It is very critical that we acknowledge Peter and
Paul are using the same prophesies when referring to the saved one of
the Acts period, whether Jews or Gentiles and there really wasn’t any
difference, because by faith, the Gentiles were in Christ and the seed
of Abraham.
During Acts, the Lord would bestow prophetic
blessings on the cast off nations/people, they would receive Israel’s
spiritual things, Roms.10:27. This would provoke Israel to see Gentiles
with the Old Testament blessings of promise. The fact that these
Gentiles/people spoke in strange languages was another provocation. This
is seen in 1Cor.14:21 which is straight from the very Isaiah 28 passage
we have already seen in Peter and Paul;
1Co 14:21 In
the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I
speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me,
saith the Lord.
Isa 28:11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
Isa 28:12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
The rest, the refreshing that was promised to
Israel would be seen in the no-people, those with stammering lips (the
gift of tongues) and yet despite the provocation and Gentile inclusion,
Israel would not hear.
Thus far we have seen that Roms.10;19 refers to a
no-people and a foolish people (nation). The remnant included gentiles
the no-people. These Gentiles, so far as God’s wisdom is concerned, were
certainly void of the “oracles of God”, Roms.3:2, and 9:3-5. The word
foolish, (asunetos) has already appeared in Romans in 1:21, 31 (without
understanding). It was these Gentiles who sought the Lord while the
ancient people who had the oracles of God, ignored Him, Roms.10:20,
Is.65:1-2, & 11:10.
These Gentiles were to provoke Israel to jealousy
and let us put Roms.10:19 and 11:11, 11:14 and 1Cor.10:22 together since
they are the only verses in the NT which contain the original word,
parazeloo = to provoke to jealousy. This should really seal the answer
that THE nation is THE people already mentioned in Roms.10:19 and refers
to the Gentiles. Here it is again;
Rom 10:19 But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke (you) to jealousy by them that are no PEOPLE, and by a foolish PEOPLE I will anger you.
Rom 11:11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the PEOPLE, for to provoke (them) to jealousy.
Rom 11:14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
1Co 10:22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?
(interesting context about “no-gods” Deut.32:21, and the devils of 1Cor.10:21)
Roms.10:19 has the word ethnos twice in the
original but the translators used people the first time and nation the
second. The same word people or nation appears in chapter11 in the
provocation passage. There is no doubt the nation is the people or
Gentiles included who were to provoke Isael.
Finally, Romans 10 concludes with Isaiah 65 which
confirms the foolish nation was the foolish (Gentile) people who did not
seek the Lord (see also in Is.52:15).
Rom 10:20 But
Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not;
I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.
Rom 10:21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.
The Gentiles who had not the oracles of God
(foolish) were now included and were also the elect, the chosen ones,
those without the knowledge of God, those who did not seek and were
included to provoke Israel theo ones to whom God was stretching out His
hands all through Acts.
I hope this helps.
Blessings,
Brian
