Have you ever seen two children squabble over a toy, and when a parent comes into the fray and sorts it out, if it turns out one of the kids actually earned the toy properly, they walk away gleefully as the winner, leaving the other child to sulk or cry? One child feels like they “got” something someone else wanted, while the other feels like something was taken away that should have been theirs. 

This is a worldly example of a spiritual truth we’ll be studying this week. Read Romans 11:1-24 and journal through the following questions: 

• What evidence does Paul provide that God did not reject Israel? (v. 1-6)

• Read 1 Kings 19:10-18. 

  • What happened in Elijah’s time, when it seemed God was utterly rejected? (v. 2-5)

  • Elijah told God twice that he was the only remaining believer in Israel. How does God respond each time? 

  • How does this story with Elijah illustrate Paul’s point in this week’s reading? (v. 5)

  • What does this mean for the people of Israel today? 

• How does Paul hope Israel will respond to the Gentiles being saved by the Gospel? (V. 11, 13-14)

• Read Ephesians 2:11-22. 

  • What does this passage tell you about the relationship between the Jews and Gentiles in the times of the first church? 

  • How does this change the way you read this week’s passage? 

• What did the rejection of Israel (“loss”) mean for the Gentiles? (v. 12)

• Read this short description of a grafted olive tree, then answer the following questions: 

  • What is the olive tree meant to illustrate? (v. 17)

  • What happened to the original branches? What about the wild shoots? (v. 17-24)

  • What does it take to be grafted into the olive tree? 

• Who are the Gentiles that Paul is writing this to? Does it apply to us today too? Why or why not?

• How should what happened to the Jews make us feel, and not feel? (v. 20-21)

• How do we prevent being “cut off” ourselves? (v. 22)

• Read John 15:1-17. 

  • What are the benefits of being grafted into the olive tree? 

  • How does one stay rooted to the true vine? 

• Is there any hope left for Jews then? Why or why not? (v. 23-24)

Reflect & Respond

• What does this passage teach me about God?

• How does this change the way I live? 

Scripture to Memorize

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” -John 15:4

Catch up on previous weeks here.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Yelena is the founder and editor in chief Tirzah. Yelena works as an attorney in tax and in her spare time, she is working on her first book for unmarried twenty-something women in extended waiting seasons and running Tirzah. She has a passion for pointing young women to Christ, and enjoys reading, writing, traveling, and spending time with her family. Yelena lives in Indiana with her husband, Daniel.