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Israel has stumbled, yet only temporarily. Her stumbling has become the occasion of the Gentiles' salvation. And this, in turn, will make Israel envious and ultimately will bring about her salvation. The remnant guarantees this (vv.11-16).
The olive tree represents God’s people. Because of unbelief, some branches are broken off. Some Jews are not saved. Because of faith, some Gentiles are grafted into the olive tree to receive the blessings of salvation. However, if the Jews do not persist in unbelief, God can and will graft them back in. If the Gentiles do not remain in faith, God will cut them off. God will do this, but not because he is capricious. He has established the condition of salvation. Different human responses call forth God’s different actions (vv.17-24).
Vv.25-32 disclose a mystery. Israel is hardened in part until the Gentiles as a whole are saved. This means there will be “a vast harvest among the heathens” (Wesley, Notes, 395). After that there will be a vast harvest among Israel. God’s ultimate goal is to have mercy on them all. Through allowing human beings to exercise their freedom and his judicial act (1:24, 26, 28; 11:7), God brings this about. All human beings, both Jews and Gentiles, are imprisoned in their disobedience. They cannot escape, except through God’s mercy, which releases them.