Chapter # 11 Paragraph # 1 Study # 3
July 7, 2009
Lincolnton, N.C.
(509)
1769 Translation:
2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,
3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to
the image of Baal.
5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
6 And if by grace, then
is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if
it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
1901 ASV Translation:
2 God did not cast off his people which he foreknew. Or know ye not what the scripture saith of Elijah? how he pleadeth with God against Israel:
3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, they have digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have left for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal.
5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
6 But if it is by grace, it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace.
- I. Paul's Evidence For His Denial of God's Casting Away of His People.
- A. In the first place, there is the reality of "foreknowledge" [See Notes for June 30, 2009 (506)].
- B. Then there is the declaration of God to Elijah.
- 1. The Scripture says...
- a. The message of that Scripture (authoritative, dogmatic, Truth-claim) is designed to answer the major issue: can God's "Scripture-revealed" Truth be trusted. This is the use of "Scripture" to define God's meaning so that it can be seen to be "true" and, thus, trustworthy.
- b. The particular focus of that Scripture in this case is "in respect to Elijah", and the specific issue in respect to Elijah is that he was complaining to God against Israel.
- 1) The complaint was serious.
- a) They killed your prophets.
- b) They destroyed your altar.
- c) They are seeking to kill me as your sole representative.
- 2) The mindset of Elijah was focused upon what he had seen and could see.
- c. The response of God was contradictory to the complaint.
- 1) Paul does not say "God"; rather, he calls the response a "saying to him" from "the Most Valued One".
- 2) The response was, "I have left for Myself 7,000 males who have not bowed a knee to Baal."
- 2. The meaning of what the Scripture says.
- a. The issue is whether God has cast aside His people.
- b. His people are identified, not as those generally assumed to be such, but as a "remnant" who were to be saved according to the trustworthy word. Isaiah had boldly declared that even if "Israel's" (Jacob's) progeny multiplied to equal the sands of the sea for number, only a "remnant" of them would be saved (Romans 9:27 quoting from Isaiah 10:22). These, in turn, were identified by Paul as "the children of Promise" (9:8) and they are "explained" to be those to whom God determined to show mercy according to His own prerogative. Unless, or until, one can show that God has "cast aside" those whom He has "elected", it cannot be maintained that God is not trustworthy. Since this is impossible, Paul's thesis is indisputable: God remains worthy of trust.
- c. The further clarification is that God's response to Elijah contradicts his claim to be the "only" one left because God has reserved 7,000 Israelites for Himself. This means that God is the reason there are 7,000 remaining true to the faith. This also means that the "remnant" is identified by an identifiable "action of faith": refusing to bow the knee to Baal. Those who claim a relationship with Yahweh but bow the knee to Baal are self-deluded and seeking to deceive others also with their empty words. Salvation is not by this "action of faith", but by the faith that sponsored it. Actions do not save, but they do reveal much about the "faith" of the one performing them. In the last days what is known as "the mark of the beast" will be such a revealing action. People will not be saved by refusing the mark, nor will they be condemned for receiving it, but those who are saved by faith will refuse it and those having no faith will receive it.
