Romans Nine Part 5
Romans 9:25–31 (AV) “25 As he saith also in Hosea, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. 26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God. 27 Isaiah also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: 28 For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. 29 And as Isaiah said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodom, and been made like unto Gomorrha. 30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. 31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
Nelson's NKJV Study Bible writes in its comments, “The question is: Since Israel had the law and pursued righteousness, why have they not attained it? Was it because they were not elected? The answer is that they did not obtain righteousness because they did not believe. They tried obtaining righteousness by the works of the law. Being committed to a righteousness by works, they stumbled over the righteousness of faith offered in Christ.”
Paul will go on in Romans 10:20-21 (AV) to say, “20 But Isaiah is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. 21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.
The Gentiles had been without hope and without God in the world. (see Ephesians 2:12) They had not been seeking God. Nevertheless, He was made real to them and they found Him.
The message of Romans chapter nine is not one of God hating some people. The message is that we, as God’s created beings, do not get to choose how God works and we do not get to talk back to Him and say that He is wrong. We simply do not know enough to do that. Instead we must lose our life by giving up the idea that we have something to offer that could make us righteous. In this way we find our life, which is Christ in us, our only hope of glory.
The next two verses make that point with great clarity. Romans 9:32–33 (AV) “32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; 33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”
Jesus is the rock. We find His shadow throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. Perhaps most clearly, when Moses strikes the rock water, which is needed for life, flows from it. Jesus was stricken and by His stipes we are made whole. Paul is clear about the rebellion of the Israelites. In chapter 10, Paul will say this Romans 10:1-3 (AV) “1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”
Do you see that? They tried to establish their own righteousness by trying to keep every one of the six-hundred thirteen provisions of the Mitzvah. They knew they could not do it, but they would not accept Jesus when He came and said He would do it for them.
Lest anyone be tempted to think that this is all and only about the Jewish people, let me be clear. Each of us is in this position unless and until we change our minds about our ability to live pure sinless lives and about Jesus and His finished work being the only way for us to become righteous. Therefore, like Paul, let us say, Though the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: we preach Christ crucified. This is a stumbling block to the Jews, and foolishness to the Greeks. But to those which are called, those who respond with belief, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. (see 1 Corinthians 1:22-24)
Romans nine warns against acting like petulant children. It declares in graphic terms that we are ill advised to be rebellious, argumentative, backtalkers where God is concerned. Instead, we are counseled simply to trust that what He says is true and accept His word that righteousness is a gift He has placed on our doorstep.
