Paul has said a lot of seemingly negative things about Israel, regarding their failure to obey the gospel, their failure to believe Christ. So has God rejected Israel? In fact Paul puts it even more potently, "Did God reject His people?" Israel is not just any nation, it is not just a group of people, they are God's people.
Paul's answer is a resounding no. Then he points first to himself. Paul was an Israelite, from the tribe of Benjamin and he believed. Then he cites the example of Elijah. Elijah felt like all of Israel had rejected God, but God told him that He has "reserved seven thousand people for himself." Likewise, there was still a remnant chosen by God, chosen by grace. Things are not always as bad as they seem. There was a remnant in Paul's day, and there was a remnant for the future as well.
All this is by grace, not works. The fact that Israel had failed to fulfil the Law did not mean that God's plan was overturned, for salvation is by faith, not works. Grace, not merit.
So some Israelites accepted the gospel, but most did not, and their hearts were hardened.
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