1. Those who were hardened (7-10)

God's redemptive purpose will not be thwarted by man's unfaithfulness. God chose Israel and lavished his love on her. Israel rejected his gift of love when they rejected the Christ. Rejection of love results in the hardening of the heart. Deuteronomy 29:1-12 tells how God loved Israel and how she rejected that love (8). In Psalm 69, David pronounced a curse on those who rejected him, God's chosen king. Jesus is God's chosen one. To reject Jesus is to reject God and bring hardness and curse upon one's self (9-10).

2. Riches and greater riches (11-12)

God called a new people of God from among the Gentiles. Is there any hope, then, for Israel? In God there is always hope, for God is not a fatalist. God hoped to make Israel jealous enough to repent and return. If the world was blessed by Israel's failure, how much more will it be blessed when they come to Christ.

Application: Thank you, Lord, for your costly grace. Help me to live as a debtor to you.
One Word: God wants all men to be saved