The End of the Torah
Notes
Transcript
Recap
Recap
When we last met, Paul had begun to answer the following question: Does Israel’s rejection of the good news of Yeshua the Messiah mean that the promises made by Adonai to Beni Yisrael have failed?
We covered the first part of Paul’s response shown in Rom. 9:6 to Rom. 9:24. Here Paul answered the following questions:
Is God to blame? No! Rom. 9:6
Has God’s word failed? Rom. 9:6
Is God unjust by whom He choses to work through? Rom. 9:14
If it’s based on God’s choice, can we still choose? Rom. 9:15-18
Why does God find fault? Rom. 9:19-23
Since God choose the Jewish people, is there hope for the Gentiles? Rom. 9:24, Hos. 2:1,25, Isa. 10:22-23, Isa. 1:9
Today we will cover the next parts of Paul’s argument. Here Paul show that the zeal of Israel has been misdirected by asking and answering the following questions:
Is Israel to blame? Yes! Rom. 9:30-33
Gentiles attained righteousness, how? by a trusting faith Rom. 9:30
Israel did not reach the Torah, why? works without faith Rom. 9:32, Isa. 28:16
Is this a new thing? No, it is the same from Moses’ day. Rom. 10:5-10, Deut. 30:12-14
How does any person trust God? Rom. 10:11
How can you trust in someone you have not heard of? Rom. 10:14
How can you hear if someone does not proclaim? Rom. 10:14
How can someone proclaim if they are not sent? Rom. 10:15
Did the world hear? Yes, Ps. 19:4
Did Israel understand? Yes, Deut. 32:21, Isa. 65:1-2
So let us now read this section from Rom. 9:30-10:21
What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness—that is, a righteousness of faith. But Israel, who pursued a Torah of righteousness, did not reach the Torah. Why? Because they pursued it not by faith, but as if it were from works. They stumbled over the stone of stumbling, just as it is written, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and whoever believes in Him shall not be put to shame.” Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for Israel is for their salvation. For I testify about them that they have zeal for God—but not based on knowledge. For being ignorant of God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit themselves to the righteousness of God. For Messiah is the goal of the Torah as a means to righteousness for everyone who keeps trusting. For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on Torah, “The man who does these things shall live by them.” But the righteousness based on faith speaks in this way: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will go up into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Messiah down), or, ‘Who will go down into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Messiah up from the dead).” But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” —that is, the word of faith that we are proclaiming: For if you confess with your mouth that Yeshua is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart it is believed for righteousness, and with the mouth it is confessed for salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever trusts in Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all—richly generous to all who call on Him. For “Everyone who calls upon the name of Adonai shall be saved.” How then shall they call on the One in whom they have not trusted? And how shall they trust in the One they have not heard of? And how shall they hear without someone proclaiming? And how shall they proclaim unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who proclaim good news of good things!” But not all heeded the Good News. For Isaiah says, “Adonai, who has believed our report?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Messiah. But I say, have they never heard? Indeed they have, for “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” But I say, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, “I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation, with a nation empty of understanding I will vex you.” And Isaiah is so bold as to say, “I was found by those who did not seek Me; I became visible to those who did not ask for Me.” But about Israel He says, “All day long I stretched forth My hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”
Why didn’t Israel reach the righteousness of Torah?
Why didn’t Israel reach the righteousness of Torah?
Based upon what how Paul phrases the next question in the following way:
Gentiles were not persuing righteousness,
Gentiles attained righteousness by faith,
Israel pursued the Torah of righteousness,
Israel did not achieve righteousness, Why?
The very purpose of the Torah was to bring Israel to righteousness. This was the original goal as was stated in Lev. 18:4-5
You are to obey My ordinances and keep My statutes and walk in them—I am Adonai your God. So you are to keep My statutes and My ordinances. The one who does them will live by them. I am Adonai.
So the goal is that Beni Yisrael was to keep and obey all of Adonai’s ordinances, statutes and mitzvot, and by doing so they would live. This was repeated time and time again throughout the Torah as we see in Deut. 30:15-16
“See, I have set before you today life and good, and death and evil. What I am commanding you today is to love Adonai your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His mitzvot, statutes and ordinances. Then you will live and multiply, and Adonai your God will bless you in the land you are going in to possess.
So why did Israel not continue to live and thrive as a nation and a people? Paul states that the reason is that Israel did not atain righteousness, the goal of the Torah, was because they did not live a life filled with faithful trusting in Adonai. As the prophet Habakkuk said in Hab. 2:4
Behold, the puffed up one— his soul is not right within him, But the righteous will live by his trust.
Paul points directly to a prophesy in Isaiah 28 against the pride of the northern kingdom of Israel, also known as, Ephraim and the scoffers of the southern kingdom of Judah in Jerusalem. In this context, Adonai contrastsi Himself with the wicked leaders of Israel and Judah and states Isa. 28:16-17
Therefore thus says Adonai Elohim: ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a costly cornerstone, a firm foundation— whoever trusts will not flee in haste. But I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line. Hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and water will overflow the hiding place.
This passage along with a similar prophesy in Psalm 118: 21-26 were used by the Talmidim of Yeshua to show that trust in Yeshua, who is the corner/cap stone was essential for salvation.
Our problem, which is the same as the problem that the unbelieving Jewish people of Paul’s day, is that we prefer to be able to do it ourselves. We do not want to be reliant on someone else. And so we trip over the same “rock of offense” because it is humiliating to believe that we are not good enough for God.
Israel’s Misdirected Zeal
Israel’s Misdirected Zeal
There is no doubt that some of the most zealous people, who are seeking after the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish people. I know many Gentiles who, in their own zeal, have converted to Rabbinic Judaism in an attmpt to establish their own righteousness by following the Torah.
And Paul is not knocking their zeal, in fact when Paul was writing to the believers in Philippi he said: Phil. 3:4-6
though I myself might have confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he might depend on the flesh, I far more— circumcised the eighth day; of the nation of Israel; from the tribe of Benjamin; a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the Torah, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting Messiah’s community; as for Torah righteousness, found blameless.
The problem with Rabbinic Judaism today is the same as it was in Paul’s day, there is an attempt to establish their own righteousness, while at the same time being ignorant of the righteousness of God. Paul continues in his letter to Philippi by saying: Phil. 3:7-11
But whatever things were gain to me, these I have considered as loss for the sake of the Messiah. More than that, I consider all things to be loss in comparison to the surpassing value of the knowledge of Messiah Yeshua my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things; and I consider them garbage in order that I might gain Messiah and be found in Him not having my righteousness derived from Torah, but one that is through trusting in Messiah—the righteousness from God based on trust. My aim is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the sharing of His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death— if somehow I might arrive at the resurrection from among the dead.
This is the same agrument that he is making to the believers in Rome: Messiah Yeshua is the end-goal of the Torah, and it is He that makes us righteous for everyone who keeps on trusting.
The End of the Law
The End of the Law
Unfortunately many English translations and many commentators mistakenly see the word “end” in Rom.10:4 as meaning that the Torah has ended or finished. For example the Roman Catholic Jerusalem Bible translates this verse as:
But now the Law has come to and end with Christ, and everyone who has faith may be justified.
The problem is that, just as with the English word “end”, so also the Greek word telos does not mean simply “end” as in “finished”, but also “end” as in “goal”. When looking at the meaning of the word telos in The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament we see that:
From the Greek World, the word meant: “achievement”, “execution of a resolve”, “fulfillment” of a law, the “carrying out” of a prophesy. It also meant “completion” as a state or even “perfection” or “maturity” as in the sense of “to be full-grown”.
In the Septuagint, the Greek tranlation of the Hebrew Scriptures, the word “telos” is used to mean: the “goal” in Job 23:3 or the “result or “reward” in 4 Macc.5:7 or even “final result” in Ecc. 12:13
In the New Covenant the word is used in Lk. 22:37 to mean “fulfillment”
For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me: ‘And he was counted with the lawless.’ For what is written about Me is being fulfilled.”
or in 1 Tim. 1:5 it is the “goal”
Now the goal of this command is love from of a pure heart and a clear conscience and a genuine faith.
So why do most translations use the word “end” instead of “goal” or any of the other possible renderings? Does the Messiah complete and replace the Torah, or does the Torah finds it’s ultimate goal in Messiah? This is the question.
The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament goes out of its way to claim with certainty that since Paul is contrasting the righteousness attained by keeping the Law with the righteousness that is found by faith in Yeshua the Messiah, therefore that must mean that Yeshua abolished the law.
My problem with this explaination is that it completely contradicsts what Yeshua said in Matt. 5:17
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Torah or the Prophets! I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.
So if I am going to interpret Paul, I am first going to look at the words of Yeshua and then read Paul through that lens. And when there might be some ambiguity in a passage, I will lean heavily on the passages that are clearly stated. For this reason, the Greek-Engilsh Lexicon of the New Testament states under the definition of telos as “goal” the following:
3. The goal toward which a movement is being directed, end, goal, outcome.
Therefore, based upon the words of Yeshua, the way that Paul uses this word elsewhere, and based upon the argument that he is about to make, the best way to understand this verse is:
Complete Jewish Bible Chapter 10
4 For the goal at which the Torah aims is the Messiah, who offers righteousness to everyone who trusts.
The Goal to which the Torah points
The Goal to which the Torah points
Paul now quotes from Deut 30:12-14 and shows how Messiah Yeshua fulfills this passage.
It is not in the heavens, that you should say, ‘Who will go up for us to the heavens and get it for us, and have us hear it so we may do it?’ Nor is it across the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross over for us to the other side of the sea and get it for us, and have us hear it so we may do it?’ No, the word is very near to you—in your mouth and in your heart, to do it.
And what is the word that is near you, even in your mouth and heart? Now Pauls gives one of the best summaries of the Good News Rom. 10:9-10
For if you confess with your mouth that Yeshua is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart it is believed for righteousness, and with the mouth it is confessed for salvation.
But Paul is not done. He was to point out that the Hebrew Scriptures, not only demonstrate that trusting faith in the Messiah has always been a requirement, but also that the spreading of the Good News to the Gentiles has also always been a part of God’s plan.
Paul once again quotes from Isa. 28:16 and from Joel 3:5 to show that that trust in the promised Messiah has been around for hundreds of years if not thousands, and more than that, Paul is showing that “everyone” refers to more than just the Jewish people.
Then all who call on Adonai’s Name will escape, for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be rescue, as Adonai has said, among the survivors whom Adonai is calling.”
How can any be saved?
How can any be saved?
Paul has just stated in Rom. 10:12 that there is no distinction between Jewish people and Gentiles. But what about the Pygmies in Africa? This was a question that used to be asked, until around 1992:
“When Christian couple Tugume and Barbara Gerald heard of their plight, they decided to step in. … The Geralds moved from Kampala to the small village of Kisoro and began spreading the Gospel to the Pygmies. "I began by preaching the message of hope to the hopeless," Gerald said. As a result, hundreds of Batwa Pygmies became touched by the love of God. Nyirakayanje, for one, was one of the first to pledge his life to Christ. "It was the first time anyone had ever told us about Jesus," Nyirakayanje told CBN News. "We were servants of the devil, but then we heard Christ died for our sins, and that changed our lives!"”
I think that Paul would say, “How beautiful are the feet of those who proclaim good news of good things!”
But the question still remains, “What about the people who have not yet heard about Yeshua?”
Well firstly, if the Ruach HaKodesh is touching your heart with a specific people group, then go. And we will help send you!
Secondly, Paul quotes from a Psalm of David, Ps. 19:2-5
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky shows His handiwork. Day to day they speak, night to night they reveal knowledge. There is no speech, no words, where their voice goes unheard. Their voice has gone out to all the earth and their words to the end of the world. In the heavens He pitched a tent for the sun.
God has placed eternity in the hearts of all mankind, and the creation around us point us to know that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.
I have heard most of the athiestic, evolutionary arguments, and none of them have sufficient evidence to make the claim that God does not exist. Instead, what you find is that in every field of science, there is enough evidence to demonstrate the nature and characteristics of the Creator, but not enough evidence to force you choose to follow and trust Him. There is always the choice. Will you or won’t you choose to bow your knee to the Creator?
Did Israel not understand?
Did Israel not understand?
To finalize the questions, Paul now asks whether or not Israel should have understood that Gentiles would come to faith. Paul does this by quoting from both the Torah and the Prophets. The first is a quote of Moses from Deut. 32:15-21. Now just for context, “Jeshurun” is a nick-name for Israel.
But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked— you got fat, you grew thick, you gorged! He forsook God who made him. He mocked the Rock of his salvation. They made him jealous with strangers, with abominations they angered Him. They sacrificed to demons, a non-god, gods they had not known— to new ones who came in lately, ones your fathers had not dreaded. The Rock who birthed you, you ignored. You forgot God who brought you forth. “Adonai saw, and He spurned His sons and His daughters out of vexation. He said, “I will hide My face from them, I want to see their hereafter. For they are an upside down generation, children with no faithfulness in them. They made Me jealous with a non-god. They vexed Me with airy idols. So I will make them jealous with a non-people. With a foolish nation I will vex them.
Because of those in Israel who comitted idolatry and those Israelites who rejected the Rock of Adonai’s salvation , Adonai declares that He will hide His face and wait for a time in the future. In this future time, Adonai declares through Moses that he will make Beni Yisrael jealous with a non-people, a foolish nation, or as Paul quotes from the Septuagint, “a nation empty of understanding”.
And then Paul quotes from the prophet Isaiah 65:1-2
“I was sought by those who did not ask for Me, I was found by those who did not seek Me. I said, ‘Hineni, hineni!’ to a nation not called by My Name. I have stretched out My hands all day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own thoughts.
Paul is pointing out that, not only would Adonai be sought by the Gentiles, who were not asking for Him, but also that many in Israel have throughout history rebelled against Adonai. Therefore it should be obvious to anyone who plainly reads the Hebrew Scriptures, that Adonai has worked through a remnant of Jewish people and would then use a nation not called by His name to cause Israel to be jealous of the mercies of Adonai.
Conclusion & Application
Conclusion & Application
So to conclude Romans chapter 10, we see that Paul has answered the following questions?
Is Israel to blame? Yes! Some of them. Rom. 9:30-33
Gentiles attained righteousness, how? by a trusting faith Rom. 9:30
Israel did not reach the Torah, why? Some had works without faith Rom. 9:32, Isa. 28:16
Is this a new thing? No, it is the same from Moses’ day. Rom. 10:5-10, Deut. 30:12-14
How does any person trust God? Rom. 10:11
How can you trust in someone you have not heard of? How can you hear if someone does not proclaim? How can someone proclaim if they are not sent? Rom. 10:14- 15
Did the world hear? Yes in general, but now specifically Ps. 19:4
Should Israel have understood? Yes Deut. 32:21, Isa. 65:1-2
What are we called to do?
What are we called to do?
If you are Jewish, then you are called to be a faithful remnant of believing Israel, who has put your trust in the Messiah of Israel. Dr. Michael Brown points out that
Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus, Volume 1: General and Historical Objections Objection 1.1: Jews Don’t Believe in Jesus
Since [the first century in
You are called, as Isaiah says in Isa. 42:6-7
“I, Adonai, called You in righteousness, I will take hold of Your hand, I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations, by opening blind eyes, bringing prisoners out of the dungeon, and those sitting in darkness out of the prison house.
And if you are a Gentile, then you are called as a foolish nation, to recognize that Adonai uses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise, as Paul writes in 1 Cor. 1:26—31
For you see your calling, brothers and sisters, that not many are wise according to human standards, not many are powerful, and not many are born well. Yet God chose the foolish things of the world so He might put to shame the wise; and God chose the weak things of the world so He might put to shame the strong; and God chose the lowly and despised things of the world, the things that are as nothing, so He might bring to nothing the things that are— so that no human might boast before God. But because of Him you are in Messiah Yeshua, who became to us wisdom from God and righteousness and holiness and redemption— so that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in Adonai.”
And as a Gentile believer, you are also called to provoke Israel to jealousy as Paul will articulate in the next chapter of Romans.
Ultimately we are all called to the be the hands and feet of Yeshua on this earth. We are called to walk as Yeshua walked, and to represent Him to the world both through our deeds and words. We are all called by Yeshua in Matt 28:19-20
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, immersing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Ruach ha-Kodesh, teaching them to observe all I have commanded you. And remember! I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
This is the end-goal of Torah!
