Gold for the heart - Romans 9-11

Romans 9

Christ is over all and came for all

God is eternally, infinitely happy

1 I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie, my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. 3 For I wish that I, myself, were accursed/separated from Christ for my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh: 4who are Israelites; to whom belongs the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; 5 whose are the fathers, and from whom Christ came in the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen/definitely/I believe it.

Paul desperately wants all Israelites to be saved.

6 Not as though the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel, who are of Israel: 7 neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac your seed is called. 8 That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. 9 For this is the word of promise, At this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son. 10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac. 11 (For before the children were born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calls;) 12 It was said to her, The older will serve the younger.

God calls to earth all day long.

Psalm 50:1 The mighty God, even the LORD, has spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down of it.

He raises up to show His mercy

13 As it is written, Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated. 14 What do we say then? Is God unrighteous? Never! 15 For he said to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then it is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that shows mercy. 17 For the scripture says to Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name/person might be declared throughout all the earth. 18 Therefore he has mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardens. 19 You will say then to me, Why does he still find fault? For who has resisted his will? 20 No, O man, who are you that replies against God? Does the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why have you made me like this? 21 Doesn’t the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor, and another for dishonor?

Isaiah 64:8 But now, O LORD, you are our father; we are the clay, and you our potter; and we all are the work of your hand.

He wants to make known His power and the riches of His glory to those He loves

He now calls us His children

22 What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath made for destruction: 23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had before prepared for glory, 24 even us, whom he has called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? 25 As he says in Hosea, I will call them my people who were not my people: and her beloved, who was not beloved. 26 And it will happen in the place where it was said to them, You are not my people; there they will be called the children of the living God. 27 Isaiah also cries concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant will be saved:

The Lord has made us beloved children of the living God.

28 For he will finish his word, and cut it short in righteousness: because the Lord will make a short word on the earth. 29 And as Isaiah said before, Except the Lord of armies had left us a seed, we would have been like Sodom and been like Gomorrah. 30 What do we say then? That the Gentiles, who did not follow after righteousness have attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith. 31 But Israel, who followed after the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. 33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offence: and whoever believes on him will not be ashamed.

In verse 28 God will finish His word, saying, account in the earth.
He will make it a short work.
God’s power is so great that He often does His works by just simply speaking it.
That’s how He created the universe (Psalm 33:6,9).
That is also how He will destroy evil (2 Thessalonians 2:8).

1Peter 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Romans 10

God is rich to all who call upon Him

Christ is the end of the law for all who believe

1 Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. 2 For I bear record that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 Being ignorant of God's righteousness, they try to establish their own righteousness and have not submitted themselves to the righteousness from God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believes. 5 For Moses describes the righteousness which is by the law, That the man who does those things will live by them. 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says this, Do not say in your heart, Who will ascend into heaven? (to bring Christ down from above:) 7 Or, Who will descend into the deep? (to bring up Christ again from the dead.) 8 But what does it say? The word is near you, even in your mouth and in your heart: that is, the word of faith that we preach; 9 That if you confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

How many times did Jesus say, Have you not read?
You do err not knowing the scriptures or the power of God (Matthew 22:29).’

10 For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture says, Whoever believes on him will not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich to all that call on him. 13 For whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 14 How then can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without a preacher? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those that preach the gospel of peace, and bring joyful news of good things! 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our report?

God builds faith in us by His word

17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes truly, their voice went into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. 19 But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses said, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are not a people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. 20 But Isaiah is very bold and says, I was found by them that did not seek me; I was manifested to those that did not ask after me. 21 But to Israel he says, All day long I have stretched out my hands to a disobedient and gainsaying people.

“Gainsaying’ means to refuse and dispute.
God’s people dispute with each other and with Him. They refuse him often.
He longs for them anyway. He provokes them to jealousy.
Psalm 19 speaks of God’s message to man written in the stars from creation.
That is the voice in ancient times that went out into all the earth.
Pictographs were the first writing of man. The message of God was written by God in word pictures with its meaning clearly revealed to man by God.

Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows his handiwork. 2 Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night shows knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world….

Romans 11

God has not cast away the Jews

1 I say then, Has God cast away his people? Never! For I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not cast away his people that he foreknew. What do you think the scripture says of Elijah? How he pleads with God against Israel, saying, 3 Lord, they have killed your prophets, and dug down your altars; and I alone am left alone, and they seek my life. 4 But what is the divine answer to him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. 5 Even so then, at this present time also, there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then is it no longer of works: otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, then is it no longer grace: otherwise work is no longer work.

The Jews rejected God when He sent His Son to die for their sins.
Did He turn away from them forever for this?
God gives His answer through Paul in Romans 11.
This chapter explains in full and shows what our attitude should be toward Israel.

He is bringing life from the dead to all who will believe

7 What then? Israel has not obtained that which he seeks; but the election has obtained it, and the rest were hardened. 8 Even as it is written, God has given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that do not see, and ears that do not hear; until this day. 9 And David says, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumbling-block, and a pay back to them: 10 let their eyes be darkened that they may not see, and bow down their backs forever. 11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? Never! But rather through their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy. 12 Now if their fall is the riches of the world, and their default is the riches of the nations; how much more will be their fullness? 13 For I speak to you nations, since I am the apostle of the nations, I glorify my office: 14 If by any means I may provoke to jealousy my fellow countrymen, and might save some of them. 15 For if their casting away is the reconciling of the world, what will their receiving be but life from the dead? 16 For if the first fruit is holy, the lump also is holy: and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

The Lord grafted us wild Gentiles into His olive tree

17 And if some of the branches are broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and partake with them of the root and fatness of the olive tree; 18 Do not boast against the branches. But if you boast, you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

Israel was the custodian of God’s revelation and the means through which God sent the Savior of the world.
So Israel is the root of the tree. Nothing will change that truth.
Since the fall, God has to keep bringing down man’s pride.
In the book of Daniel God showed Nebuchadnezzar the design of world ruling empires before it happened.
Nebuchadnezzar was the first ruler of the whole world. He was the head of gold.
However, he disregarded the rest of the revelation and in pride made himself to be everything.
He made an image of gold and forced all the people to fall down and worship the image (Daniel 2).

His gifts and calling are irrevocable

19 You will say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. 20 Well, because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be high-minded, but fear: 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will no spare you either. 22 Therefore observe/consider the goodness and severity of God: on those that fell, severity: but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness: otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not remain in unbelief they will be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted, contrary to nature, into a good olive tree: how much more will these, that are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? 25 For I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, lest you be wise in your own conceits; that hardness in part is happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so, all Israel will be saved: as it is written, The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and will turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant to them, when I take away their sins. 28 From the standpoint of the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but from the standpoint of God’s choice, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. 29 For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For as you in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 31.Even so these have not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

God doesn’t turn people away from Him.
He does everything possible to woo them to Himself, but He also does not force them to believe.
Through the Jews salvation was brought into the world. That is God’s mercy upon us.
Now, Christian nations send missionaries to Israel. That again is God’s mercy.

The depths of His wisdom and knowledge are unsearchable

32 For God has concluded all in unbelief, that he might have mercy on all. 33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, unfathomable are his ways! 34 For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? 35 Or who first gave to him that it be repaid to him? 36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to him is glory forever. Amen.

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SUMMARY: Romans 9-11

Christ is over all and came for all
God is eternally, infinitely happy
He raises up to show His mercy
He wants to make known His power and the riches of His glory to those He loves
He now calls us His children
God is rich to all who call upon Him
Christ is the end of the law for all who believe
God builds faith in us by His word
God has not cast away the Jews
He is bringing life from the dead to all who will
The Lord grafted us wild Gentiles into His olive tree
His gifts and calling are irrevocable
The depths of His wisdom and knowledge are unsearchable