Israel’s Unbelief and the Prophets of God

We come back to this marvelous passage of Scripture of Romans 9. Over the last few weeks we've covered what I believe is Paul's answer to the Jews to understand the gospel. Really, what Paul is talking about is that Israel’s unbelief is part of God's sovereign plan. What we know is that Israel has a unique place in God's plan of redemption for mankind. In fact, the Old Testament tells us that God set apart the nation of Israel, gave them covenants and promises and blessings, so they could present to the world Messiah Yeshua.

Yet now we come to a very interesting question that Paul is answering because when the Messiah showed up God's chosen people rejected him, and they rejected the message of the Apostles who proclaimed the Gospel. And the question that Paul is answering through chapters 9 – 11 is if the gospel is true how can the people of God reject it? So, what we have here is an apologetic of the gospel and how Israel did and still fits in with God's plan

Israel’s Unbelief and the Prophets of God

and if you remember that I said Paul is presenting 4 main points in Chapter 9

Israel’s Unbelief and the Prophets of God

First of all, in Romans 9: 6-13, Paul points out that the unbelief of Israel does not violate God's promise. Here he uses Isaac and Jacob as illustrations.

Secondly, verses 14 through 24 demonstrates that the unbelief of Israel does not violate God's person. In other words, God is not being unfair nor is he being unjust. Because if he was being just we all would be condemned. And Paul uses 2 scriptures to explain his point exodus 33: 19 and exodus 9: 16 which talk about pharaoh. All of those points to God's sovereignty. In other words it's his mercy that saves us. We have no right to ask for salvation nor deserved to get it from God. We are recipients of God's mercy & grace.

Mercy being rooted in God's compassion (eleos) and grace being rooted in God's favor (charis). Mercy being the act of withholding deserved punishment period grace being the act of giving unmerited favor. In his mercy, God does not give us the punishment we deserve, namely hell. In grace, God gives us the gift we do not deserve, namely eternity.

Israel’s Unbelief and the Prophets of God

For the Jews, this was hard to accept, because they were the covenant people of God. How can God exercise mercy on gentiles if Israel are the apple of God’s eye. What Paul is explaining here in Chapter 9 is that the unbelief of Israel does not violate God's promise with them, it does not violate God's person, and the nearer we draw to God the better we understand that. This brings us to the Third Point, that the unbelief of the jews does not violate God's plan.

Romans 9:25–10:4 ESV

25 As indeed he says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’ ” 26 “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.’ ” 27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, 28 for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” 29 And as Isaiah predicted, “If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah.” 30 What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” 1 Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Israel’s Unbelief and the Prophets of God

Here in this passage, Paul is referencing 2 Old Testament prophets in a very systematic way. Here, Paul is referencing Hosea and Isaiah.

In verse 25 Paul is paraphrasing Hosea chapter 2. Hosea is a very interesting prophet. He was called by God to marry a prostitute, Gomer. And through her Hosea has three children: the first son is named Jezreel, which means “scattered.” The second child born is a girl named Lo-ruhamah, means “pitied.” The third child, a son, is named Lo-ammi, “not my people.” All of this is a picture of Israel.

Israel’s Unbelief and the Prophets of God

Hosea marrying a prostitute is the picture of Israel worshipping false gods which gives birth to them being scattered, pitied, and not my people. This is the image of adulterous Israel and the children of adulterous Israel. And when you think about it this truly is the picture of Israel today is it not? Scattered. Pitied. And not God's people.

But there's an important point in all of this, because Hosea too says that God is going to bring them back. This is the important picture.

Hosea 2:14 ESV

14 “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.

Hosea 2:19 ESV

19 And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy.

Israel’s Unbelief and the Prophets of God

so, Hosea says that Israel is not going to be God's people for some time but there will be a day when they will be brought back to being the people of God. What the prophet is talking about is Israel’s judgment and then their restoration. And Hosea lived to see some of that. He lived to see the northern Kingdom conquered by the Assyrians. God took his hand off the nation they were scattered and God brought them back didn't he? God brought them back and gave them back their land, their temple, their identity. What Paul is going here is providing the double fulfillment of Hosea. What you have here is a prophecy related to Israel being scattered, not any longer pitied or cared for by God, and no longer having a relationship with Him and yet some day being brought back from that and becoming a people that God intended them to become.

Romans 9:25 ESV

25 As indeed he says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’ ”

Israel’s Unbelief and the Prophets of God

So listen, when Hosea wrote, that had an immediate historical fulfillment, didn’t it?? As the people were severed from God, and carried off into captivity from which eventually God brought back the southern kingdom and a remnant of the northern kingdom. So the prophecy was historically fulfilled in the restoration after the Babylonian captivity. But that was only the first and historical fulfillment. There was yet a future prophetic perspective. And Paul here identifies it with the unbelief of the Jews during the time of Christ. What happened to Israel in 70 A.D.? They were scattered, pitied, and not His people. But this isn’t permanent. So the unbelief of Israel fits in with the plan of God.

Romans 11:1 ESV

1 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.

Romans 11:26–27 ESV

26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; 27 “and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”

1 Peter 2:10 ESV

10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Hosea 2:23 ESV

23 and I will sow her for myself in the land. And I will have mercy on No Mercy, and I will say to Not My People, ‘You are my people’; and he shall say, ‘You are my God.’ ”

Israel’s Unbelief and the Prophets of God

Paul's point is that future restoration of Israel, demands a falling of Israel. You can't restore what hasn't been lost. And the point is that Paul is saying we're not shocked by Israel’s unbelief because the prophets said this time would come. But God is a God of restoration. In other words Israel’s unbelief was planned and prophecy, and it was the plan of God that one day the Jews would be restored from their unbelief.

So, Paul chooses another prophetic verse from Isaiah in verse 27, Isaiah 10:22-23.

Isaiah here is talking about a remnant that shall be saved. In other words, Israel may be scattered, pitied, and not considered God's people, but a remnant remains. We would call them today Messianic Jews.

Amos 3:11 ESV

11 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “An adversary shall surround the land and bring down your defenses from you, and your strongholds shall be plundered.”

Israel’s Unbelief and the Prophets of God

Here again, Paul is saying that Israel’s rejection of the gospel is no violation of God's plan. Israel's rejection of the gospel was predicted by Josiah and predicted by Isaiah. So was God's plan interrupted? No, not at all the plan was fulfilled just as God said it was going to happen. And to wrap it all up, Paul quotes from Isaiah again in verse 29:

Romans 9:29 ESV

29 And as Isaiah predicted, “If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah.”

Israel’s Unbelief and the Prophets of God

I love how Isaiah contrasts this: if God had not left Israel a remnant they would have been no better than Sodom and Gomorrah. Quoting from Isaiah 1:9 Paul is saying that the Lord of hosts has a plan for Israel because if God was done with Israel they would have ended up like Sodom and Gomorrah. In other words, they would be desolated, literally burned to extinction. If the prophets are saying this, there has to be a plan. Paul is showing the Jewish believer all of that using Scripture.

The Unbelief of Israel Does Not Violate the Prerequisite of God

The unbelief of Israel does not violate the prerequisite of God. So, what is the prerequisite of God for relationship to Him? Faith. Here in the divine election of God's sovereignty, we still find the need for faith. There is a paradox in God's plan for Israel and all of humanity. It's faith. What a thought. Before the world was even formed on its foundation, God's sovereignty is not an opposition to our humanity. They're in perfect harmony and the catalyst to all that is found in one simple word.

The Unbelief of Israel Does Not Violate the Prerequisite of God

What Paul is saying is that the unbelief of Israel was due to their own rejection of what God put in place for them. Their guilt is their own responsibility because of their own belief. So what does that have to do with us? Our salvation is no different. Without God, we are without hope. That takes us right back to Romans 1 where we are given over to our lust, are evil, and are reprobate minds. The point that Paul is making, is that the greatest obstacle to salvation isn't sin. The greatest obstacle to salvation is self-righteousness; thinking that we can obtain salvation through our own good works. That’s been the point of Romans. It’s the heart of the gospel We are justified through faith. The gentiles are saved because they are elected, they have faith. Israel was elected by God and they missed it because they didn’t have faith. Look at the close verses where Paul again quotes from Isaiah 8:14-15, Isaiah 28:26, Psalm 118:22.

Romans 9:30–33 ESV

30 What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

The Unbelief of Israel Does Not Violate the Prerequisite of God

Jesus himself quotes from these references in Matthew 21:42. Amazing.

This brings Paul around full circle

Romans 10:1–4 ESV

1 Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

The Unbelief of Israel Does Not Violate the Prerequisite of God

My friends, the message tonight is very clear. Do you believe? Are you resting in the salvation of God. Or are you full of fear and gripped with anxiety that you are failing Him. Listen to me, you alone are unrighteous.

Some of us are going down the road of life 100 miles an hour saying to ourselves I'm OK. Jesus is going to step out in the middle of your road and say, “no you're not. You are a wretched Sinner and all your self righteousness adds up to filthy rags because you can't get to God through your works.” And he is going to make you stumble and fall and offend you to abandon the foolishness and put your trust in him that's justification by grace through faith.

The Unbelief of Israel Does Not Violate the Prerequisite of God

If you're sitting here under the weight of condemnation and I want to urge you tonight to put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. It's not up to you. Put your faith in God through Jesus Christ take up your cross, put away your own self-righteousness or self-condemnation, and follow him. All right