Did God Reject Israel?
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In episode 8 of “Israel, the Church, and God’s Promises,” Bryan Catherman and Josiah Walker turn to Romans 9-11 and ask Paul’s question: Did God reject Israel? After walking through Abraham, Sinai, the land, exile, the prophets, Jesus, and the church, Paul now forces us to slow down and hold several truths together.
Romans 9 begins with grief. Paul is not treating Israel as a detached theological puzzle. He loves his kinsmen according to the flesh and aches over their rejection of Christ. If our theology makes us indifferent toward Jewish people, we are not following Paul.
At the same time, Paul insists that God’s word has not failed. Israel had real privileges, but physical descent never guaranteed salvation. “Not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel.” God’s promises are fulfilled by grace, promise, and faith, not mere bloodline.
Romans 10 shows that Israel’s problem was not a lack of religion or zeal. They stumbled over Christ. Romans 11 then gives us the category of the remnant. God has not rejected his people, and Paul himself is evidence. A remnant remains by grace.
This episode sets up the final question in the series: “What should Christians think about modern Israel?” Before we answer that, Romans 9-11 gives us the categories we need. God has not failed. Unbelief matters. Christ is central. Subscribe and listen wherever you get podcasts, watch on our YouTube channel, or listen here:
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