Blessings Become a Curse
A Sermon on Romans 11:7-10
Originally preached Oct. 23, 1964
Scripture
7What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded 8(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) …
Sermon Description
How can something that the Lord created as a blessing become a curse? In this sermon on Romans 11:7–10 titled “Blessings Become a Curse,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones answers this question by preaching from the words of Paul when he refers to the law and the people of Israel. Paul acknowledges that the Jews were earnest and genuine in their search for salvation but they went about it in the wrong way. The passage says that those who were elect did in fact obtain it but that the Lord hardened the others. Israel was blinded and God gave them the spirit of slumber regarding the true message of the gospel. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains the passage by saying that the very blessing of the word of God, the law, was once a blessing but became a curse to the Jews. They had the wrong thinking about so many things and despite their best efforts, they still did not truly know Christ and did not receive salvation. The only way to receive this blessing is by faith. Dr. Lloyd-Jones also explains in great detail several other Old Testament passages which show the ignorance of the Jewish people and how they did not understand the gospel.
Sermon Breakdown
- Israel was earnestly and persistently seeking God's blessing and righteousness but did not obtain it.
- The election, the remnant chosen by grace, did obtain it.
- The rest of Israel was blinded.
- God gave them a "spirit of slumber"—a state of dim awareness and inability to understand or perceive spiritual truth.
- Their "table"—God's blessings and benefits—became a "snare and a trap." The very things that should have led them to God became a stumbling block.
- Their spiritual blindness and bondage was the result of their own hardness of heart and refusal to believe, not an arbitrary act of God.
- This spiritual decline had been happening in Israel for centuries in small ways, but now culminated in their rejection of the Messiah.
- Jesus himself taught that all the righteous blood shed through history would come upon "this generation" of Jews that rejected him.
- The root cause of Israel's failure was seeking God's righteousness not by faith but by works of the law. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone" of Christ.
- The greatest hindrance today to faith in Christ is often the institutional church, with its false gospels of works and ritual.
- We must be careful not to become proud or judge others, but remain humble before God, knowing we are saved by grace alone.
Sermon Q&A
Understanding Romans 11:7-10: Questions from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon
What is the main point of Paul's message in Romans 11:7-10?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the main point is that "Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for, but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded." This means that while the nation of Israel as a whole earnestly sought righteousness and God's blessing, they failed to attain it because they sought it in the wrong way. Only the elect (described as "the election") obtained it, while the rest were blinded or hardened to the truth. This passage reveals how God's chosen people missed what they were seeking because they attempted to gain righteousness through works rather than faith.
Why does Paul use the term "the election" rather than "the elect"?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Paul deliberately uses the term "the election" rather than "the elect" to emphasize that these people obtained salvation because of God's sovereign choice, not because of anything in themselves. He explains: "If he had said, 'the elect have obtained it,' we tend to think of the elect as individuals, and we might fall into the error of thinking that they were the best people and that as the result of their being that and what they'd done, they had obtained it." The term "the election" puts the focus on God's action rather than on the individuals, highlighting that salvation is entirely by grace.
What does the phrase "Let their table be made a snare" mean in this context?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains this phrase means that God's very blessings to Israel became a curse to them. The "table" represents all the benefits and privileges God gave to Israel - material prosperity, the law, the covenants, the promises, and even God's word itself. These blessings, instead of leading them to faith, became the very things that trapped them because they trusted in these gifts rather than in God Himself. They became spiritually proud of their privileges, which led to their blindness. As Lloyd-Jones states, "The terrible thing is this, that even God's blessings, if you look at them in the wrong way and abuse them, will become a curse to you."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones apply this passage to the modern church?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones warns that modern churches and evangelical Christians face the same danger as ancient Israel. He states: "God forbid, my friends, that when God chooses to revive his work again, that evangelicals should be the people who should be bypassed. Because they're living on a tradition rather than on a living experience of God. Because they've become proud of their knowledge of the scriptures, but have lost the spirit." He suggests that spiritual pride, affluence, and traditionalism can cause the church today to experience the same blinding that happened to Israel. Churches that were once spiritually vibrant can become spiritually dead when they begin to trust in their traditions or past blessings rather than maintaining a living faith.
What were the four doctrines or lessons that Dr. Lloyd-Jones identified in this passage?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones mentions four key doctrines or lessons from this passage:
- The wrong way of seeking God's blessing (by works rather than faith)
- Judicial blindness (God's act of blinding those who persistently reject the truth)
- Imprecatory psalms (psalms that involve calling down judgment)
- Messianic psalms (psalms that point to Christ)
Though he only had time to address the first point in detail, he emphasizes that Israel's fundamental error was seeking righteousness through works rather than faith. Their zeal was genuine but misdirected, which is why they failed to recognize Christ when He came.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say this passage should be approached with reverence?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones urges approaching this passage with reverence because it deals with "ultimate mystery" and the sovereign ways of God that are beyond full human comprehension. He states: "We certainly are entering into the realm of ultimate mystery. Therefore, let us, as we approach this passage metaphorically, take off our shoes from off our feet, for the place on which we stand is holy ground." He warns against the tendency to rebel against difficult doctrines we don't understand, noting that this was precisely the error of the Jews who rejected Stephen's teaching. Lloyd-Jones reminds us that when dealing with divine truths beyond our full understanding, we should approach with humility rather than presuming to judge God's ways.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones connect this passage to Jesus' teachings about Jerusalem?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones connects this passage to Jesus' parables and pronouncements about Jerusalem, particularly in Matthew 21 and 23. He quotes Jesus saying, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killest the prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee. How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not behold, your house is left unto you desolate." Lloyd-Jones explains that Jesus was indicating that while Israel had rejected prophets throughout its history, their rejection of Him as the Son of God represented the culmination of their disobedience. This is what Paul is expounding in Romans 11 - that what had been foreshadowed in Israel's earlier hardening was now fully manifested in their rejection of Christ.
What warning does Dr. Lloyd-Jones give about religious activities?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones warns that religious activities, when done in the wrong spirit or with the wrong understanding, can become hindrances rather than helps to salvation. He states: "If you are relying upon the fact you've got a Bible or the scriptures. Or that you're a church member. Or that you go to a particular building. Or that you're doing certain good works, you're like the Jews. You're outside, you're blind and you haven't got it." He emphasizes that many people are genuinely zealous and sincere in their religious pursuits (as were the Jews), but this doesn't guarantee salvation. The only way to salvation is through simple faith in Christ alone, not through religious activities, no matter how sincere.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones suggest is the "greatest hindrance" to true Christianity today?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones makes the sobering claim that "the greatest hindrance to true knowledge of God in Christ and salvation in this country today is the so-called Christian church in this country." He argues that much of institutional Christianity misrepresents the gospel and has become, like the Judaism of Jesus' day, an obstacle rather than a pathway to true faith. He states: "Christendom, as it's called, is today the greatest hindrance to the true faith and the true Christian position, not only in this country but in the whole world." He includes both Roman Catholicism and official Protestant denominations that have departed from the doctrine of justification by faith alone as part of this hindrance.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones interpret the word "blinded" in this passage?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones defends the King James Version's translation of the word as "blinded" rather than "hardened" (as many modern commentators prefer). He explains that while the Greek word literally means "hardened," the context justifies translating it as "blinded" because the quotations that follow refer to blindness: "eyes that they should not see." He suggests that the authorized translators "were showing themselves to be expositors" by choosing this translation. The meaning, as Lloyd-Jones explains it, is that "a kind of callosity, if you like, a callous mass has come over the eyes which has prevented their seeing." This spiritual blindness was both a natural consequence of Israel's own choices and a divine judgment upon their persistent rejection of truth.
The Book of Romans
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.