What did Israel want according to the context of Romans 11?
According to Romans 11, Israel wanted all those things promised in the Old Testament—the promises about the coming King and the suffering Savior. Yet they refused to search the Scriptures, remained in unbelief, and failed to recognize what God had plainly foretold concerning the One who would come.
Les explains that in Romans 11 Israel should have known from the Old Testament, but they refused and were in unbelief. Israel wanted all the things promised in the Old Testament, including the two parallel lines of prophecy pictured as railroad tracks: a suffering Savior who would come to suffer and die for the sins of Israel, and the promised King. Even though the Scriptures were plain, they did not search them. As an example, when Herod asked where the King of Israel was to be born, the priests had to dig into the Old Testament and found in Micah that He would be born in Bethlehem. They should have known immediately, but they did not. Likewise in Romans 11, Israel wanted the promised things but missed them through unbelief.
What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
More Questions
What was Israel seeking but did not obtain according to Romans 11:7?
Israel did not obtain what it was seeking; what Israel sought was the King and the Kingdom.
Who is 'the election' in Romans 11:7 that obtained what Israel sought?
In Romans 11:7, 'the election' refers to those who were believing and accepting the gospel — they obtained what Israel sought, while the rest were blinded.
Is the blinding of Israel in Romans 11 the same thing as God giving people up in Romans 1?
The same judicial giving-up that happened in Romans 1 is what is happening with the nation of Israel in Romans chapter 11.
How is Romans 11 the same as Romans 1's giving them up?
The same judicial giving-up that happened in Romans 1 is also what is happening to the nation of Israel in Romans chapter 11.