Chapter 11 Part 2     Consider The Olive Tree      

Romans 11:11-24 Part 1

This portion of scripture has been used to teach two false doctrines

·        The church has replaced Israel because God is through with them.

·        God will cut some off from being saved, you can loose your salvation

We know both of these doctrines are heresy. These verses do not deal with salvation but service.

We will consider how they deal with individuals and nations .

*The Root (16,18): Jesus Christ, The Word of  God

Proverbs 12:12 ¶ The wicked desireth the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit.

Revelation 5:5 the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David,

·        In Psalm 52:8 David likens himself as a green olive tree - David's root is the LORD, Jesus Christ, The Word of God (Rev 5:5) .

Revelation 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. (Isa 11:10 with Rom 15:12)

·        Isaiah 53:2 Jesus is seen as a root in dry land

·        John 1:1 Jesus Christ is the Word 

·        Apart from God There is nothing holy

·        The root is Jesus Christ and the oracles of God (His word) (3:2)

·        The phrase "the LORD spake unto Moses" is seen in 105 verses. Israel was to live by the words the LORD spake unto Moses.

*The good olive tree (V17): The Nation of Israel

·        Jeremiah 11:16 The LORD called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.

 [What is the fruit of the olive tree? the olives with the seed within them.

·        So the purpose of the olive tree is to produce goodly olives that can reproduce.

*The Branches (V17): Tribes of Israel and the people of Israel

·        Hosea 14:4-7

*The wild olive tree (17, 24): The Gentile nations as group

*The wild branches (V24): individual Gentile nations and individual Christians

Lump (16): a cluster of fruit (olives) 2Kings 20:7

Firstfruit (16): the first ripe fruit of a tree (olives) ready for the harvest

Branches (holy) (16): (Deuteronomy 7:6, 14:2 , 26:18-19 & Isaiah 62:12)

Fatness of the olive tree (17): when the olive is crushed you get the oil

·        Olive oil was used for light in the tabernacle.

·        Ps 65:11 Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness.

·        Jeremiah 31:14 And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the LORD.

·        Psalm 31:19 ¶ Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!

·        Isaiah 49:6 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

·        Fatness is the goodness, and blessing of God that He wants to pour out upon the nation of Israel. (Not the land).

·        Isa 11:10 with Hebrews 3:1,4:1-3

·        Gentiles will partake in the rest that is in Christ and His heavenly calling.

V10 Israel's nature

·        See 11:8 with Isaiah 6:9-10

·        Hosea 11:4-7 Israel's nature is to back away from their God.

V11. You can stumble but not fall. The Jews stumbled when they began to think everything was about themselves and not about worshipping their LORD who is the stumbling block of the N.T. Jews.

The Jews were not going to seek to reconcile the world unto God. (Matthew 28:18-20). They were not going to spread the gospel to the Gentiles or other Jews. It was though their fall the word of reconciliation (2Co 5:19) came to the Gentile local N.T. churches. Salvation was offered to the Gentiles so some Jews might be saved through their jealously of the Gentiles relationship with their God.