791 O God , the nations have invaded Your inheritance ; They have defiled Your holy temple ; They have laid Jerusalem in ruins . 2 They have given the dead bodies of Your servants for food to the birds of the heavens , The flesh of Your godly ones to the beasts of the earth . 3 They have poured out their blood like water round about Jerusalem ; And there was no one to bury them. 4 We have become a reproach to our neighbors , A scoffing and derision to those around us. 5 How long , O Lord ? Will You be angry forever ? Will Your jealousy burn like fire ?
6 Pour out Your wrath upon the nations which do not know You, And upon the kingdoms which do not call upon Your name . 7 For they have devoured Jacob And laid waste his habitation . 8 Do not remember the iniquities of our forefathers against us; Let Your compassion come quickly to meet us, For we are brought very low . 9 Help us, O God of our salvation , for the glory of Your name ; And deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name's sake . 10 Why should the nations say , "Where is their God ?" Let there be known among the nations in our sight , Vengeance for the blood of Your servants which has been shed . 11 Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You; According to the greatness of Your power preserve those who are doomed to die . 12 And return to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom The reproach with which they have reproached You, O Lord . 13 So we Your people and the sheep of Your pasture Will give thanks to You forever ; To all generations we will tell of Your praise .
801 Oh, give ear , Shepherd of Israel , You who lead Joseph like a flock ; You who are enthroned above the cherubim , shine forth ! 2 Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh , stir up Your power And come to save us! 3 O God , restore us And cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved . 4 O Lord God of hosts , How long e will You be angry with the prayer of Your people ? 5 You have fed them with the bread of tears , And You have made them to drink tears in large measure . 6 You make us an object of contention to our neighbors , And our enemies laugh among themselves. 7 O God of hosts , restore us And cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved .
8 You removed a vine from Egypt ; You drove out the nations and planted it. 9 You cleared the ground before it, And it took deep root and filled the land . 10 The mountains were covered with its shadow , And the cedars of God with its boughs . 11 It was sending out its branches to the sea And its shoots to the River . 12 Why have You broken down its hedges , So that all who pass that way pick its fruit? 13 A boar from the forest eats it away And whatever moves in the field feeds on it. 14 O God of hosts , turn again now , we beseech You; Look down from heaven and see , and take care of this vine , 15 Even the shoot which Your right hand has planted , And on the son whom You have strengthened for Yourself. 16 It is burned with fire , it is cut down ; They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance . 17 Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand , Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself. 18 Then we shall not turn back from You; Revive us, and we will call upon Your name . 19 O Lord God of hosts , restore us; Cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved .
111 I say then , God has not rejected His people , has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite , a descendant of Abraham , of the tribe of Benjamin . 2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew . Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah , how he pleads with God against Israel ? 3 "Lord , THEY HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS , THEY HAVE TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS , AND I ALONE AM LEFT , AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE ." 4 But what is the divine response to him? " I HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL ." 5 In the same way then , there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice . 6 But if it is by grace , it is no longer on the basis of works , otherwise grace is no longer grace . 7 What then ? What Israel is seeking , it has not obtained , but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened ; 8 just as it is written , " GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR , EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT, DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY ." 9 And David says , " LET THEIR TABLE BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP , AND A STUMBLING BLOCK AND A RETRIBUTION TO THEM. 10 " LET THEIR EYES BE DARKENED TO SEE NOT, AND BEND THEIR BACKS FOREVER e ."
11 I say then , they did not stumble so as to fall , did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles , to make them jealous . 12 Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles , how much more will their fulfillment be! 13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles . Inasmuch e then as I am an apostle of Gentiles , I magnify my ministry , 14 if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world , what will their acceptance be but life from the dead ? 16 If the first piece of dough is holy , the lump is also ; and if the root is holy , the branches are too . 17 But if some of the branches were broken off , and you, being a wild olive , were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree , 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches ; but if you are arrogant , remember that it is not you who supports the root , but the root supports you.
(Read Romans 11:1-10)
There was a chosen remnant of believing Jews, who had righteousness and life by faith in Jesus Christ. These were kept according to the election of grace. If then this election was of grace, it could not be of works, either performed or foreseen. Every truly good disposition in a fallen creature must be the effect, therefore it cannot be the cause, of the grace of God bestowed on him. Salvation from the first to the last must be either of grace or of debt. These things are so directly contrary to each other that they cannot be blended together. God glorifies his grace by changing the hearts and tempers of the rebellious. How then should they wonder and praise him! The Jewish nation were as in a deep sleep, without knowledge of their danger, or concern about it; having no sense of their need of the Saviour, or of their being upon the borders of eternal ruin. David, having by the Spirit foretold the sufferings of Christ from his own people, the Jews, foretells the dreadful judgments of God upon them for it, Psalm 69. This teaches us how to understand other prayers of David against his enemies; they are prophecies of the judgments of God, not expressions of his own anger. Divine curses will work long; and we have our eyes darkened, if we are bowed down in worldly-mindedness.
(Read Romans 11:11-21)
The gospel is the greatest riches of every place where it is. As therefore the righteous rejection of the unbelieving Jews, was the occasion of so large a multitude of the Gentiles being reconciled to God, and at peace with him; the future receiving of the Jews into the church would be such a change, as would resemble a general resurrection of the dead in sin to a life of righteousness. Abraham was as the root of the church. The Jews continued branches of this tree till, as a nation, they rejected the Messiah; after that, their relation to Abraham and to God was, as it were, cut off. The Gentiles were grafted into this tree in their room; being admitted into the church of God. Multitudes were made heirs of Abraham's faith, holiness and blessedness. It is the natural state of every one of us, to be wild by nature. Conversion is as the grafting in of wild branches into the good olive. The wild olive was often ingrafted into the fruitful one when it began to decay, and this not only brought forth fruit, but caused the decaying olive to revive and flourish. The Gentiles, of free grace, had been grafted in to share advantages. They ought therefore to beware of self-confidence, and every kind of pride or ambition; lest, having only a dead faith, and an empty profession, they should turn from God, and forfeit their privileges. If we stand at all, it is by faith; we are guilty and helpless in ourselves, and are to be humble, watchful, afraid of self-deception, or of being overcome by temptation. Not only are we at first justified by faith, but kept to the end in that justified state by faith only; yet, by a faith which is not alone, but which worketh by love to God and man.
