Why did Israel Reject God?

The theme of this chapter is Israel’s present rejection.

You would think that Israel as a nation would have been eagerly expecting the arrival of their Messiah and been prepared to receive Him.

For centuries they had known the Old Testament prophecies and had practiced the Law, which was “a schoolmaster” to lead them to Christ.

Galatians 3:24 NASB 2020

24 Therefore the Law has become our guardian to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.

God had sought to prepare the nation, but when Jesus Christ came, they rejected Him.

John 1:11 NASB 2020

11 He came to His own, and His own people did not accept Him.

To be sure, there was a faithful remnant in the nation that looked for His arrival, such as Simeon and Anna; but the majority of the people were not ready when He came.

How do we explain this tragic event?

Paul gives several reasons why Israel rejected their Messiah.

Reason 1: They did not feel a need for salvation

Romans 10:1 NASB 2020

1 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.

Matthew 3:9 NASB 2020

9 and do not assume that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’; for I tell you that God is able, from these stones, to raise up children for Abraham.

There was a time when Paul would have agreed with his people, for he himself opposed the Gospel and considered Jesus Christ an impostor.

Israel considered the Gentiles in need of salvation, but certainly not the Jews.

In several of His parables, Jesus pointed out this wrong attitude:

The elder brother

Luke 15:27–32 NASB 2020

27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. 29 But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you never gave me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; 30 but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you slaughtered the fattened calf for him.’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’ ”

The Pharisee:

Luke 18:10–12 NASB 2020

10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and began praying this in regard to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, crooked, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’

Israel would have been happy for political salvation from Rome, but she did not feel she needed spiritual salvation from her own sin.

Reason 2: They were zealous for God

Romans 10:2 NASB 2020

2 For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.

Here as an interesting question for you:

Is/ was Post Dispersion Israel more or less zealous about God than Israel was during the Temple Worship period?

I would argue that their zeal for God was significantly higher AFTER the dispersion.

On what evidence?

Well what evil practice plagued Israel from the time in the wilderness all the way to the exile?

Idolatry.

BUT NOTE:

Ever since Israel returned to their land from Babylonian Captivity, the nation had been cured of idolatry.

In the temple and the local synagogues, only the true God was worshiped and served, and only the true Law was taught.

So zealous were the Jews that they even “improved upon God’s Law” and added their own traditions, making them equal to the Law.

This is the Talmud.

Paul himself had been zealous for the Law and the traditions.

Galatians 1:13–14 NASB 2020

13 For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it; 14 and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions.

Easy to see problem: It’s not like Israel forgot about God. Their devotion INCREASED. Their commitment INCREASED. Their dedication INCREASED.

What a wonderful thing is zeal for God!

HOWEVER!!!

Romans 10:2 NASB 2020

2 For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.

Their zeal was not based on knowledge.

What does that mean?

It simply means that their “zeal”.. what is zeal?

To have zeal is to have motivation for action.

Israel had wonderful zeal, wonderful motivation to serve God.

But their zeal was not based on knowledge meaning that all the motivation, effort and work they did in this service to God, was placed in a completely wrong understanding of God.

Covid Camera fail.

I preached that sermon with zeal, fire, passion!

But it accomplished NOTHING!

Israel is working and trying so so hard, yet they are failing because:

Romans 3:20 NASB 2020

20 because by the works of the Law none of mankind will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes knowledge of sin.

Reason 3: They were proud and self-righteous

Romans 10:3 NASB 2020

3 For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.

Paul says something very interesting about Israel here that we must not miss:

Paul says that Israel did NOT KNOW about God’s righteousness.

HOWEVER later Paul will say the opposite, in fact Paul anticipates a question and gives the answer:

Given that Jesus Christ is the fulfilment of the Law, is it possible that Israel rejected Jesus simply because they did not KNOW to look for Him? IE: They were ignorant?

And how does Paul answer this?

Romans 10:18–21 NASB 2020

18 But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? On the contrary: “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, And their words to the ends of the World.” 19 But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they? First Moses says, “I will Make you jealous with those who are not a nation, with a foolish nation I will anger you.” 20 And Isaiah is very bold and says, “I was found by those who did not seek Me, I revealed myself to those who did not ask for Me.” 21 But as for Israel, He says, “I have spread out My hands all day long to a disobedient and obstinate people.”

Israel was ignorant of God’s righteousness, not because they had never been told, but because they refused to learn.

Not all ignorance is the same.

There is an ignorance that comes from a lack of opportunity. Think of this more as innocence than ignorance.

Then you get an ignorance that exists on purpose.

This is willful ignorance and its sinful.

It is this ignorance that is Israel’s problem.

A problem God already made clear through Hosea:

Hosea 4:6 NASB 2020

6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Since you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the Law of your God, I also will forget your children.

In their case, it was an ignorance that stemmed from willful, stubborn resistance to the truth.

They would not submit to God.

They were proud of their own good works and religious self-righteousness, and would not admit their sins and trust the Saviour.

Paul knows this well as this was what originally kept Paul from the gospel.

Paul had made the same mistake before he met the Lord.

Philippians 3:1–11 NASB 2020

1 Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble for me, and it is a safeguard for you. 2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; 3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and take pride in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh, 4 although I myself could boast as having confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he is confident in the flesh, I have more reason: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. 7 But whatever things were gain to me, these things I have counted as loss because of Christ. 8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them mere rubbish, so that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11 if somehow I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Conclusion:

Poor Stewardship

Misplaced Zeal

Pride and Self Righteousness.