The Remnant of Israel: Romans 9:30-10:7-The Majority in Israel Rejected Jesus Christ Lesson # 6

The Remnant of Israel   •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  51:51
0 ratings
· 13 views

The Remnant of Israel: Romans 9:30-10:7-The Majority in Israel Rejected Jesus Christ

Files
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
View more →
Romans 9:30 begins the sixth and final paragraph that appears in the chapter, which ends in verse 33.
In fact, in Romans 9:30-10:21, Paul addresses God and Israel’s relationship from Israel’s perspective in that unsaved Israel’s culpable in other words, they are responsible for their own actions for rejecting Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah and will face the consequences in that they will suffer God’s wrath for all eternity.
Romans 9:6-29 addresses from God’s perspective Israel’s relationship to the gospel of justification by faith alone in Christ alone whereas Romans 9:30-10:21 addresses it from Israel’s perspective.
In Romans 9:6-29, we have seen that Paul speaks of God’s relationship with Israel from God’s perspective in that the national election of Israel was based upon God’s initiative and sovereign grace and totally independent of human merit.
In this passage, Paul addresses Israel’s relationship to the gospel of justification of faith alone in Christ alone.
Therefore, beginning in Romans 9:30 Paul is shifting the discussion from God’s sovereign grace to Israel’s volitional responsibility.
Romans 9:30 and not Romans 10:1 begins this new section regarding Israel’s culpability.
This is indicated first of all by the fact that the rhetorical question ti eroumen, “what shall we say?” that appears in Romans 9:30 is frequently used by Paul in the book of Romans to begin a new argument (Romans 4:1; 6:1; 7:7; 8:31; 9:14).
In Romans 9:30, Paul presents a paradoxical conclusion based upon what he taught in Romans 9:6-29 that the Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness like the Jews, obtained it by faith.
Romans 9:30 Therefore, what is the conclusion that we are forced to? That the Gentiles who, customarily and characteristically do not zealously pursue righteousness obtained righteousness, in fact a righteousness, which is by means of faith as a source. (My translation)
Then, in Romans 9:31, he teaches that in contrast to the Gentiles even though the nation of Israel zealously pursued righteousness that is based upon obedience to the Mosaic Law, they never measured up to the Law.
Romans 9:31 However, even though Israel customarily and characteristically zealously pursues a legal righteousness, they never measured up to the Law. (My translation)
Paul in Romans 9:32a teaches that the reason why Israel never measured up to the Law was that they never zealously pursued it on the basis of faith as the source of justification but rather on the basis of a meritorious system of works.
Then, in Romans 9:32b, he instructs his readers that Israel stumbled over the stumbling stone, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 9:32 For what reason? Because they, as an eternal spiritual truth, never zealously pursue it on the basis of faith (as constituting the source of justification) but rather as if it were possible on the basis of meritorious actions (as constituting the source of justification). They stumbled by means of the stone which causes stumbling. (My translation)
Then, Paul in Romans 9:33 cites the Septuagint translation of Isaiah 28:16 and combines it with the words from the Septuagint translation of Isaiah 8:14 in order to indicate the two contrasting reactions by men to “the Stone,” the Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 9:33 As it stands written for all of eternity, “I solemnly charge you to consider now for yourselves, I will most certainly lay a foundation among the citizens of Zion, a stone, which causes stumbling and in addition a rock, which causes offense. However, those who at any time do exercise absolute confidence in Him will never, as an eternal spiritual truth, be disappointed.” (My translation)
In this passage, the apostle makes it clear to his readers that God anticipated the Israelites rejecting His Son as well as those who would accept Him by faith.
By doing so he supports his premise in Romans 9:6 that God has remained faithful to Israel and that God makes a distinction between those Israelites who accept His Son and those who don’t.
Then, in Romans 10:1 Paul asserts that he desires and prays to the Father for Israel’s salvation.
Romans 10:1 Spiritual brothers, indeed, the desire produced by my own heart and in addition my specific detailed request on behalf of them is always for their deliverance. (My translation)
Then, in Romans 10:2, he testifies to Israel’s zeal for God, though he says it is not according to an experiential knowledge of Him in the sense that they did not personally encounter God through faith as He is revealed in the person and works of Jesus of Nazareth.
Romans 10:2 Because I testify concerning them that they possess a zeal for God, however by no means according to an experiential knowledge. (My translation)
Next, the apostle Paul in Romans 10:3 teaches that the reason why unsaved Israel did not have an experiential knowledge of God is that they rejected God’s righteousness, which is offered in the gospel.
He also teaches in this passage that because the Jews zealously sought to establish their own righteousness, they never submitted to God’s righteousness, which is offered in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Romans 10:3 Because they have in the past rejected the righteousness originating from God the Father and continue to do so up to the present moment. In fact, because they have in the past zealously sought to establish their own and continue to do so up to the present moment, they never submitted to the righteousness originating from God the Father. (My translation)
In Romans 10:4, Paul presents the reason for what is implied in Romans 10:3, namely, that the Jews were wrong for not submitting to God’s righteousness because they zealously sought to establish their own righteousness.
They were wrong “because” faith in Christ is the goal or purpose of the Mosaic Law resulting in the imputation of divine righteousness to everyone who believes in Christ as Savior.
Romans 10:4 Because (faith in) Christ is, as an eternal spiritual truth, the purpose of the Law resulting in righteousness for the benefit of each and every member of the human race to those who at any time do exercise absolute confidence (in Christ). (My translation)
Then, in Romans 10:5, Paul cites Leviticus 18:5 to support his teaching in Romans 10:4 that the purpose of the Law was to lead Israel to faith in Christ.
Romans 10:5 Because Moses writes concerning this particular righteousness, which is based upon obedience to the Law (as constituting a source of justification): “The person who obeys them will cause himself to live by means of them.” (My translation)
The apostle in Romans 10:5 presents the reason why faith in Christ resulting in the imputation of divine righteousness and justification has always been the ultimate purpose of the Law rather than obedience to the Law and to support this he begins to cite a series of Old Testament passages.
In Leviticus 18:5, Moses writes concerning the righteousness that is based on obedience to the Law that the Jew who obeys the commandments of the Law perfectly will live by them or in other words, obtain eternal life.
Of course, every person born into the world is spiritually dead and possesses a sin nature, making it impossible to render the perfect obedience that the Law requires.
In Romans 10:6-8, Paul is personifying the righteousness originating from and based on faith in Christ.
In Romans 10:6, the apostle quotes from Deuteronomy 9:4 and 30:12 to teach that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ is non-meritorious and attainable unlike perfect obedience to the Law.
Romans 10:6 However, the righteousness originating from and based on faith speaks in the following manner: ‘Do not think in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?” This does imply bringing Christ down. (My translation)
Paul quotes from Deuteronomy 9:4 to teach that the righteousness originating from and based on faith in Christ is non-meritorious since in the context of this passage the Lord emphasizes with Israel that He would bring them into the land of Canaan not on the basis of their own righteousness.
Paul quotes from Deuteronomy 30:12 to teach that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ does not ask the question “Who will ascend into heaven?” which is an implicit denial of the incarnation.
This question also implies that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ is not an impossibility and is attainable unlike attempting to obey the Law perfectly, which he mentions in Romans 10:5.
Next in Romans 10:7, Paul does not quote exactly from Deuteronomy 30:13 but rather only the principle taught in this passage to further emphasize that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ is not an impossibility and is attainable unlike attempting to obey the Law perfectly.
Romans 10:7 Or, “Who will descend into the abyss?” This does imply bringing Christ up from the dead ones. (My translation)
In this passage, Paul cites the principle taught in Deuteronomy 30:13 to teach that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ does not deny the resurrection has taken place in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.
Just as he used the question “Who will ascend into heaven?” in Romans 10:6 as an implicit denial of the incarnation, so he uses the question “Who will descend into the abyss?” in Romans 10:7 as an implicit denial of the resurrection.
Just as Paul taught in Romans 10:6 that it is impossible for someone to ascend into heaven since that would imply that Christ did not come in the flesh so in the same way he teaches in Romans 10:7 that it is impossible for someone to descend into the abyss since that would imply that Christ did not rise from the dead.
Just as Paul taught in Romans 10:6 that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith does not reject the incarnation, so in Romans 10:7, he describes this righteousness as not reject the resurrection as well.
Related Media
See more
Related Sermons
See more