What does Romans 12 say about Israel's branches being broken off and Gentiles being placed on Abraham's root?
The transcript recalls Romans 12 as the place where Israel’s branches were broken off and Gentiles were placed on Abraham’s root and fatness. That teaching is linked to God’s grace and mercy rather than fair judgment, showing His sovereign freedom to extend compassion to whom He wills.
Les explains that when he was in Romans 12, he showed how Israel had the branches broken off and the Gentiles are now placed on the root and the fatness of Abraham. He then made the analogy that if God had reacted without grace and mercy—according to what was fair—He would have wiped out the human race and Israel time and again. As an illustration, when Israel demanded that Aaron make a golden calf while Moses was up in the mountain, and they danced in lewdness and immorality, God could have destroyed them with one thought. But later in Deuteronomy 33 He told Moses, “I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy,” because He is sovereign and can do whatever He wants. This shows mercy rather than wrath and judgment.