MPC 9th July 2006.July 9 - Romans 9-11 - "Israel, God & Us"
Garnet Swann MPC 9th July 2006.
Have you noticed the phenomenon of interest ex-celebrities? There's that show on channel 7 - Where are They Now? I've never seen the show but I take it presents stories of past TV stars we all used to watch and tell us what they're up to.
When I ever hear about past TV actors who've moved out of limelight - it's interesting to realise most of them seem to end up living very normal lives - car salesman, financial adviser, restaurant owner. But there's also those cases where they've really fallen from the position they were in. Classic case are some of those child-actors. Every now and then you hear about a child actor who's really ended up in a mess - you know - dodgy manager swindled away their money, got into drugs, broke, took to crime, finally in jail.
Macabrely - I think they're the stories we find more fascinating. They're the stories that are more interesting. They were so high in standing. Now have been brought so low.
Now, I raise that because if we've been following along this series in Romans, we're supposed to have come to a conclusion about 'Where are they Now' with the nation of Israel. Where are the people of Israel now - in relation to God? And what we see is that Israel now is far from God. What we've seen is that the gospel is being proclaimed, the message of Jesus. But rather than embracing Jesus, putting their faith in Him. On the whole they've rejected Him.
Israel was high up - chapter 9v4-5 makes this clear - they had the adoption as sons, the covenants, the law, the temple. They were like that with God. But now they're like that. They had it great with all the privileges. They were at the centre of things. Now when it comes to God they're sorta on the sideline. We read in 9v3 - Paul's pain over this. Pretty amazingly he's willing to cut himself off from Christ if only they'd come to Christ. Paul feels the anguish - the horrible grating between what they had in the past and what they have in the present.
And so this morning I want us to ask why is this the case with Israel. Is it that God's failed them? Is it that God had promises for Israel but has just given up on them? Or is something else at work? And for those who are Gentile Christians - how should we think of Jewish people anyway. We see that Paul felt for his own people - he was a Jew - but how should Gentile Christians think of the Jews. In fact how does God think of them? That should probably guide our thinking. Well, this whole issue of Israel - the Jewish people - and how with Jesus they've fallen away from God, is what we're looking at today.
Well, firstly - we need to understand. That though most of the Jewish people - are apart from God. Because of Jesus, not one of God's people. It's not because God has failed Israel.
Now we can sort of see it from their perspective - if He gave Israel so much, if they had all the promises and privileges, but now it's mostly from the Gentiles who are God's people - the Jews are left out in the cold, what does this say about God? Doesn't this leave God with a credibility problem? Is he weak in keeping his promises?
But Paul says it there in chapter 9v6. It's not as though God's word had failed.
And the point that Paul makes is that you Jews need to understand the relationship you had with God in the first place. You're thinking you have a birth right to relationship with God. But this was never the way. God's never related to people because of ancestry. It's always been about God choosing people to have relationship with Him.
And he proves his point by looking back into the history of Israel.
In v7 Paul points to the evidence of Abraham's son Isaac. If it was all about who was related to who, all about the family tree - Abraham's first born Ishmael and his descendents should be part of God's people. But they were not. The promise of God fell to the line of the second born Isaac.
And in v10-13, he points to the evidence of the twin sons of Isaac. And this choosing of God is even more obvious, maybe a bit harsh for us. But Isaac had twin boys. And while these 2 boys Esau and Jacob were in their mother's womb, God chose Jacob and his family line, over Esau.
The word used in v11 of this choosing is 'election'. In other words - selection. God chooses those who'll belong to him.
Now Paul wants to make this point very clear. The Jews should've known this - but I guess over time - with all their religious activity and great history - they begin to think that God is bound to them because of their race. But God's never been bound to race. He's never been bound to anything As he says in v6 - not all who are descended from Israel are truly Israel - it's not about all those people who possess the certain gene - no - God's had a much narrower focus than that - he's chosen those who belong to him.
Now can I say - this is a very important to remember for us - God's relates to a certain group of people - not because of ancestry. But on that principle - he doesn't either relate to people because of their accomplishments. He doesn't look at your CV and think - yes, you're worthy - I'll have to pick you. He's not bound to kind and generous people. He's not bound to sincere people. He's not bound to people who've been baptized and go to church. A big part of us wants him to operate like that because we can put ourselves in one of those categories. But nothing's ever bound him. He… simply… chooses.
But back to what Paul's writing about, with the Jews now on the outside with God - is it because God's failed? Paul's not having any of that. No way says Paul - God chooses. For a while - God chose you - the family line of Isaac, then the family line of Jacob and now in his own purposes - God is choosing others.
This is hard for us, isn't? Not because it's a hard to understand. But more because it's hard to accept. It's like you go to a doctor - you've got a headache and to fix that, the doctor stamps on your foot - gives you another problem - you're so distracted now - don't care why you came in the first place. Sort of like what's going on here. Original thing to work out - has God failed? No. But now we've got all sorts of other things to think about.
Well, Paul goes onto say - v14 - don't for one minute think this means that God's unjust either. In fact justice and injustice are the completely wrong categories. It's about mercy. Justice and injustice implies there is something deserving within people that binds God to make a decision for them over others.
No - there's nothing deserving in anyone. In Romans we've already seen that Jew and Gentile are equally sinful and accountable to God. God has mercy on whom he has mercy and he has compassion on whom he has compassion. How God relates to people - resides completely in His will alone.
I think both our feet have been stamped on - and we can struggle with this.
But I think you and I have to have a lot of humility. If we find it difficult - you know, and say something like, "Oh... God wouldn't be like that" it's probably wise to think the problem arises in our thinking not with God. If we think 'oh God wouldn't be like that' maybe we desire to make up God the way we would like him to be - rather that how God the creator of all the world really is. We do need humility.
But on this first point that we're looking at this morning - notice what Paul says in v24. In God's choosing, in his merciful choosing - he has called those to be his people - not just from the Jews, but now also from the Gentiles.
God hasn't failed Israel. He is the one who always elects, selects. And in this age of Christ and needing to have faith in him, He's selecting a people again.
Well, we now come to our second point.
Now, if God chooses those who'll belong to him, maybe then we can sort of blame God for the fact that so many Jews are on the outer. But no - we can't do that. Can't blame God, because Israel has failed God.
If we start there in 9v30 it does sort of look like Israel has tried - v30 says, What then shall we say? That the Gentiles who didn't pursue righteousness - that is right relationship with God - have obtained it, while Israel who pursued a law of righteous have not attained it?
You might think there's no harm in pursuing righteousness - the Jews have the law they've sought to obey it - it just that that righteousness has come to the Gentiles who haven't really tried at all.
Reminds me of my old school's cricket team. There was this kid who wasn't at all interested in playing, was pretty hopeless, was just there to make the numbers. And during one of the games - this kid was out on the boundary rope sitting down just playing with the grass - not even taking any notice. Up at the pitch the ball was bowled, the batter took a big swing and hoisted the ball in the direction of the kid sitting down. And the funniest thing ever -- the ball landed in his lap. No effort, no trying at all. This kid was a hero. Classic catch of all classic catches.
Sort of similar here - the Jews tried - they've pursued righteousness through obedience to the law. It's just that someone else, not even bothering has ended up getting it. Can't blame us!
But have a look at 10v3 since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. God's way is now all about Jesus and faith in him. But what has Israel done - they've sought to go on their own - law keeping - they've not submitted to God.
And verse 4 tells us - with Christ - the law has ended.
With this insistence on law keeping as a way to be in right standing with God - not only is it rebellious - refusing to submit to God, it's foolish - the age of the law is done away with anway.
Sort of reminds me if say somebody today all of a sudden decided to only pay money in the old imperial pounds system. If you did that - you're actually trying to rebel against the government - its not legal tender. But it's also foolish - that time is gone and done away with. It just doesn't fit with the age we're living in
Has God failed Israel for where they standing with Him now? Not at all. Israel has failed God. They have refused to accept the way that God has provided - that is faith in Jesus.
Paul goes on in chapter 10 to show just how blameworthy Israel is. We don't have time to look at it all and some of it is difficult to precisely work out. But he basically makes the point - Israel can't use the excuse that they're ignorant of faith in Christ or they haven't been given the chance to accept Jesus.
v8 - Paul quotes from Deuteronomy in the OT to make it clear that they're not ignorant of the message of Jesus. v8 - But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," and goes onto say that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved".
In v11 Paul quotes from Isaiah in the OT to show that they have the message of the Jesus - Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame" And they have the Psalms, a quote from the Psalms in v13 - Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
See, Israel is not like the deepest darkest Africa where it was hard for them to hear about Jesus. They have the message of Jesus. They're really the original bearers of this message.
Funny thing is, it's the Gentiles who've accepted the message, the message of faith in Jesus Christ. What has Israel done? 10v21 - But concerning Israel he says, "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people."
God has not failed Israel. God elects, selects - it's his choice. He calls people to belong to him.
But Israel has failed God. If anyone calls on they name of the Lord, they'll be saved. It's just that for most of Israel in their disobedience and obstinacy they have not.
Well, let's just recheck where we've come from so far. This is meaty stuff. On the home stretch now. But in the face of the gospel of Jesus Israel finds itself - from its high position with all its privileges and closeness to God - seemingly on the outer.
We've seen that Paul was in pain - he would give anything to have the Jews restored. Yet God has not failed Israel. Israel can only blame itself - they have refused to accept the message of Jesus. But now let's look at what God himself thinks of Israel. And maybe it's a bit surprising, but what we see is that even with Israel disobeying God, rejecting Christ, God has not rejected them. God has not abandoned them.
We see it there in 11v1 - 'Did God reject his people?' Better translation - 'Has God rejected his people?' By no means! God has a love for this people and he remains committed to them.
As evidence, he points to himself in v1 - I'm one of his own and I'm a Jew. I'm a pure a Jew as you're going to get and God hasn't given up on me.
As further evidence in v2-4 he points to a time in the Old Testament when just about all Israel had turned away from God - yet God preserved a small number, 7000 men who were faithful to him.
See, God never gives up on his people. There's always some group that God calls out of Israel who'll love and follow him. Takes us back to what we looked at in chapter 9 - God elects, God selects. It's true - even now, though the vast majority seems to be Gentiles who have come to faith in Christ, there are always those Jews however small in comparison come to faith in Christ as well.
We should not think there was plan A which involved Israel and now God has scrapped that - couldn't be bothered with Israel anymore and gone plan B that has a focus on everyone else.
As Paul said right back at the start, in introduction to this letter - "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it's the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile."
See, God has set his love upon the people of Israel a long time ago. And God will not revoke it.
We should notice those verses in chapter 11 where Paul talks about the hope for the Jews returning back to God, vs 11:
Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring! I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them.
Paul is saying here - with the rejection of the gospel by the Jews, that is their transgression - something wonderful happened - the message went out to the Gentiles. Well, how great it is - as the next step happens - that is the gospel goes back to the Jews and this time they receive it, because this time they realise all the blessing that could be theirs by putting their faith in Jesus.
This particular chapter of Romans has raised lots of discussion for people over the years, particularly about the timing of when the Jewish people will come to Christ. Particularly controversial is 11v25-26:
I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved.
There's a lot of opinion about this. When will all of Israel be saved? For my part I don't think it's a prediction of what God will do one day. But more of a statement about what God is already doing, in that Jews are already coming to Christ. We've already seen in chapter 9 that not all of Israel is Israel. So this all Israel that will be saved - I take it is all those of Israel, however many, God has chosen.
But the point of the matter is God has not abandoned Israel. Never has. Never will. He longs that Jewish people come to Christ. And over time, there are a number that are.
Well, let me end with this last point of 'our attitude'. What do we make of all of this? For you, how do you respond to this stuff about Israel?
Well, Paul wrote this letter to the Christian church in Rome that consisted of Christians of a Jewish background and Christians of a Gentile background. You get the sense there was a bit of trouble going on between the Jewish law-keeping Christians and the Gentile non-law laissez-fair free spirited Christians. Bit of rivalry, bit of judgementalism. Bit of opposition.
But in the light of what he's said about God and Israel, Paul says to the Gentile Christians - don't be arrogant. He actually says it 3 times in chapter 11 starting at v18 - do not boast, v20 do not be arrogant, v25 do not be conceited.
And what he's saying to the Gentile Christians is - know your roots - know your origins. Paul says - it's from Israel that Christ and the message of the gospel has come. And sure - many Jews in God's choosing don't belong to God, but it's only by God's choosing that you Gentiles do belong to God and have been brought in to what started with Israel in the first place. Don't be arrogant that much of Israel has failed God. Actually as v20 - you better continue in faith otherwise God will cut you off as well.
Now - we're not a church like the Roman church back then - with such a mix of Gentiles and Jews. And I suspect for most of us - we would know very few Jewish people at all, if any. And look - this passage points us towards sharing the gospel with Jewish people. But you can only do that as you have opportunity.
But I think the message is still there for us and still very relevant for us. Let's not be arrogant. Let's not presume on God. Let's not think that we're somehow better than others, that God is somehow bound to us. Sort of taking on that original Jewish attitude of thinking we deserve God. Let's understand that God is free to choose. For those that are Christian here - he chose us. Why? - because in his mercy, he wanted to.
And a non-arrogant attitude will be reflected in how we relate to people and go about presenting ourselves as Christians. We should do it with a great deal of humility. As we go about evangelism as a church our approach won't be, "Hey, look at us, aren't we are special group of people?" but rather - look at Jesus, isn't it marvelous that people such as us are saved.
And the warning and encouragement is there - let's keep going with our trust in Jesus. Let's keep going to the end.