Has God Rejected Israel?
Rev. (Rtd.) Osei Kwabena Nkrahene | Tuesday, October 13, 2026 | Romans 11:1
KEY VERSE: “I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.” — Romans 11:1 (ESV)
MESSAGE:
Romans chapters 9 to 11 deal largely with Israel and God’s dealings with His people. Chapter ten closes with a striking picture of God saying, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.” Israel had resisted God’s word, yet God’s outstretched hands revealed His continuing appeal to them.
This naturally raises the question that Paul opens chapter 11 with: “Has God rejected his people?” After all the resistance, unbelief and disobedience described in the previous chapters, had God now abandoned Israel and brought His purpose for them to an end? Paul answers immediately and emphatically, “By no means!” He then points to himself. Paul is an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin. He belongs to the very people under discussion, and his own life becomes part of the answer.
Our first encounter with Saul in Acts 7:58 places him among those connected with the stoning of Stephen. In Acts 9, his reputation as a persecutor caused fear among believers. Yet Christ met him, transformed him and appointed him as His chosen instrument. Paul could therefore speak from personal experience. His own salvation was evidence that God had not rejected His people. Paul’s life should make us careful about the conclusions we draw. There are times when a person, family, church or situation may appear so far gone that we are tempted to believe nothing more can come from it. Paul’s story reminds us that what we see today may not be the final chapter.
God’s purposes are never exhausted because we cannot yet see their fulfilment. Paul had once fiercely resisted Christ, yet grace reached him. The persecutor became a servant of Christ, and his life became evidence that God had not abandoned His purpose. There may be someone around you whose present condition has caused you to lose hope. Do not make a final judgment where God is still at work. Keep praying, keep trusting His grace, and keep hope alive.
FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE:
Bring before God someone you have almost given up on. Pray with renewed hope, speak with grace when the opportunity comes, and trust God to continue His work in ways you may not yet see.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus Christ, help me not to lose hope in the people and situations around me. Let Paul’s story remind me that Your grace can reach, restore and redirect a life. Keep me prayerful, patient and trusting in Your purposes. Amen.
THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING.
SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!
The 365 DAILY BIBLE READING
Day 286 Jonah 1–4 — God’s Mercy Reaches Beyond Our Boundaries
DAILY word study: REJECTED The Greek word translated “rejected” is apōtheomai (ἀπωθέομαι), pronounced ap-oh-THEH-oh-my. It carries the sense of pushing away, thrusting aside, or repudiating someone.
In Romans 11:1, Paul asks whether God has finally rejected Israel and brought His dealings with them to an end. His emphatic answer is, “By no means!”
Paul himself becomes part of the answer. His salvation shows that Israel’s resistance had not brought God’s purposes for His people to an end.
Reflect on This:
Have you written someone off, even though God may still be at work in that person’s life?
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