What happened to Israel's favored position as God's covenant nation?
Israel fell from its preeminent place as God's covenant favored nation after rejecting the King, the kingdom, and the Messiah. Through that fall, salvation came to the Gentiles to provoke Israel to jealousy. Yet God did not utterly cast them away; the answer to whether they stumbled to fall is God forbid.
Les explains that God deals with the Jew on two different levels, nationally and individually (s388–s390). Paul writes to the Gentile church at Rome, asking if Israel stumbled so as to fall; the answer is God forbid—God would not cast them out of His sight (s392–s399). But through their fall, salvation came to the Gentiles (s400–s407). Israel had every opportunity to have the king, the kingdom, their Messiah, and redemption, but they rejected it (s401–s403). Thus they fell from that place of preeminence, of being the covenant favored nation (s414–s416). Salvation came to the Gentiles to provoke the Jew to jealousy; as Les notes, jealousy and envy are the same, and it was working (s418–s423).
I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.