Romans 9-10: Israel rejected Jesus...

We read Romans 9 and 10 and feel Paul’s heartbreak for Israel while he insists God’s word has not failed. We wrestle with mercy, hard questions about election and hardening, and the wide-open promise of salvation for anyone who believes. 
• Paul’s grief for Israel and the privileges given to them 
• God’s purpose in election apart from works or heritage 
• mercy and compassion as God’s choice not our leverage 
• the stumbling stone and why zeal can miss the truth 
• righteousness by faith for Gentiles and Jews alike 
• confession and belief as the clear path to salvation 
• why preaching and sending matter for faith to grow 
• Israel’s resistance alongside God’s patient, open hands 
• teasing Romans 11–12 and the claim that Israel’s rejection is not final 

At outloudbible.com, you can find free resources to help you study the Bible. And while you’re there, send us a message to say hi, or start a conversation about having us at your church or event. 

If Outloud Bible has been a valuable part of your understanding of the Bible, please consider supporting the ministry by visiting outloudbible.com.

Transcript

Copy Transcript Copied

Welcome And The Israel Question

SPEAKER_00 0:11

Hey, welcome back to the Out Loud Bible Podcast. This is Mike. We've been reading through the book of Romans, where Paul is addressing a church he has not visited. He didn't start this church. He just has heard of their faith and wants to encourage them and also guide them in the truth of what the gospel really is, because there's conflicting messages from the Jews who are now Christians and some Jews who are not Christians, and the Gentiles who are now Christians. Of what exactly is the role of the Jewish law in all this? And what about Israel? I mean, Israel's been God's chosen people for thousands of years. What does it mean now that God's Holy Spirit is living inside people who are not understood to be God's people, the Gentiles? What's Israel's role in all this? And this is a very important discussion today. It's a fairly commonly held view today that the church is the replacement of Israel as God's people now. And what do we do with the fact that Israel rejected God? What is where do we stand now? Where does Israel stand in all this? It's a question now, and it's a question back then. So Paul's going to address some of this today in Romans chapter 9, and we're going to read 9 and 10 as Paul tries to give some perspective here. So it's a very important conversation that doesn't stay stuck in the first century AD. So let's get into it today. I think we're going to find some things that are relevant to today. And as we continue going through the book of Romans from here on out, this remains an important discussion. So let's get into it here, Romans chapter 9 and 10 in the New English Translation. I'm telling the truth in Christ. I'm not lying, for my conscience assures me in the

Paul’s Sorrow For Israel

SPEAKER_00 1:58

Holy Spirit, I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed, cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, my fellow countrymen who are Israelites. To them belong the adoption as sons, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from them by human descent came the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever, amen. It's not as though the word of God had failed, for not all those who are descended from Israel are truly Israel, nor are all the children Abraham's

Election Mercy And God’s Purpose

SPEAKER_00 2:47

true descendants. Rather, through Isaac will your descendants be counted. This means it's not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, rather the children of promise are counted as descendants. For this is what the promise declared, about a year from now I will return and Sarah will have a son. Not only that, but when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our ancestor Isaac, even before they were born or had done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose in election would stand, not by works, but by his calling, it was said to her, the older will serve the younger. Just as it's written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. What shall we say then? Is there injustice with God? Absolutely not, for he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I'll have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then it doesn't depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may demonstrate my power in you, and that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth. So then God has mercy on whom he chooses to have mercy, and he hardens whom he chooses to harden. You'll say to me then, why does he still find fault? For who has ever resisted his will? But who indeed are you, a mere human being, to talk back to God? Does what is molded say to the moulder, why have you made me like this? Has the potter no right to make from the same lump of clay one vessel for special use and another for ordinary use? But what if God, willing to demonstrate his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience the objects of wrath prepared for destruction? And what if he's willing to make known the wealth of his glory on the objects of mercy that he's prepared beforehand for glory? Even us, whom he's called, not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles. As he also says in Hosea, I will call those who were not my people my people, and I will call her who was unloved my beloved. And in the very place where it was said to them, You are not my people, there they will be called sons of the living God. And Isaiah cries out on behalf of Israel, though the number of the children of Israel are as the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved. For the Lord will execute his sentence on the earth completely and quickly. Just as Isaiah predicted, if the Lord of heaven's armies had not left us descendants, we would have been like Sodom, and we would have resembled Gomorrah. What shall we say then? That the Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness obtained it. That is, a righteousness that is by faith. But Israel,

Why Israel Stumbled Over Faith

SPEAKER_00 6:15

even though pursuing a law of righteousness, did not attain it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith, but as if it were possible, by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, just as it's written. Look, I am laying in Zion a stone that will cause people to stumble and a rock that will make them fall. Yet the one who believes in him will not be put to shame. Brothers and sisters, my heart's desire and prayer to God on behalf of my fellow Israelites is for their salvation. For I can testify that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not in line with the truth. For ignoring the righteousness that comes from God and seeking instead to establish their own righteousness, they didn't submit to God's righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law, with the result that there is righteousness for everyone who believes. For Moses writes about the righteousness that's by the law. In your mouth, and in your heart that is the word of faith that we preach. Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you'll be saved.

Saved By Belief And Confession

SPEAKER_00 8:03

For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation. For the Scripture says every one who believes in him will not be put to shame. For there is no distinction between the Jew and the Greek. For the same Lord is Lord of all, who richly blesses all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How are they to call on one they've not believed in? And how are they to believe in one they've not heard of? And how are they to hear without someone preaching to them? And how are they to preach unless they're sent? As it's written, how timely is the arrival of those who proclaim the good news? But not all have obeyed the good news. For Isaiah said, Lord, who has believed our report? Consequently, faith comes from what is heard and what is heard through the preached word of Christ. But I ask, have they not heard? Yes, they have. Their voice has gone out to all the earth and their words to the ends of the world. But again I ask, didn't Israel understand? First, Moses says, I will make you jealous by those who are not a nation. With a senseless nation I will provoke you to anger. And Isaiah is even bold enough to say, I was found by those who did not seek me. I became well known to those who did not ask for me. What about Israel? he says, All day long I held up my hands to this disobedient and stubborn people. Okay, let's pause there. It doesn't look good for Israel in this section. We're going to continue this conversation next episode as we read Romans eleven and twelve.

Israel’s Hearing And The Open Door

SPEAKER_00 10:06

But today we see, you know what? God will have mercy on whom he has mercy, and he will have compassion on whom he has compassion. He will harden those he wants to harden.

What This Means And What’s Next

SPEAKER_00 10:19

All of this is God's plan ultimately to bring all of mankind back to himself. It was through Israel, but even through Israel's rejection, he's still going to accomplish his word. Israel may reject God. That doesn't mean God rejects Israel. It may mean that he opens the gate a little wider than they were expecting him to, but even that he said he was gonna do. None of this should be a surprise. I was found by those who did not seek me. I became well known to those who did not ask for me. That's a beautiful insight to the sovereignty of God and the heart of God. We'll continue this conversation next time. This is an important one, one worth digging into. We'll leave it hanging here today. How it looks like Israel is what? Is Israel just going to take a back seat? Are they in the vehicle at all? Where are we going? As we check out next time, where we find that Israel's rejection is not complete, nor is it final. We'll read that next time on Out Loud Bible Podcast. Thanks for joining me here today. We'll see you then.