Why did salvation come to the Gentiles in Romans 11?
In Romans 11, Paul explains that salvation came to the Gentiles through Israel's fall or stumbling. Israel missed their Messiah, but God did not completely reject them. Instead, He raised up Saul of Tarsus as the apostle to the Gentiles, sending him far hence to bring salvation to them, though Paul also went to the Jews.
Les explains that Israel stumbled over their Messiah, but that did not mean God was through with His covenant people. Rather, through their fall, salvation came to the Gentiles, but under a whole different format. In the Old Testament, Israel was to be a nation of priests to bring Gentiles to a knowledge of Jehovah, but they missed it. So God raised up one Jew, Saul of Tarsus, a renegade zealous for the law, saved by grace on the road to Damascus. God told him, 'I'm going to send you far hence to the Gentiles.' He would also go to the Jew, but primarily he was the apostle of the Gentiles.
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.
More Questions
How did Israel's rejection bring salvation to the Gentiles?
Israel's fall, namely their rejection of all these promises, resulted in salvation coming to the Gentiles.