Israel’s rejection of Jesus Christ was a denial of its own calling and redemption. It was as though an infant in the womb could somehow decide not to be born, and thus frustrate the rightful goal of its life. But contrary to expectation, Israel’s denial of its destiny does not frustrate God’s purpose. We saw in Romans 9 that God was prepared to make sovereign choices in history, even wrathful choices, in order to extend his mercy. The present section is closely tied to that argument. Verses 1–6 are a defense of God’s grace in the establishment of a believing remnant in Israel, while verses 7–10 are a polemical description of God’s hardening of greater Israel. But Israel’s hardening is neither total nor final. It is not total because God’s grace has preserved a remnant of Israel which has c…