The Rock of Zion
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30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith;
31 but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness.
32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, 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 offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”
We we began Romans chapter nine we noted that Paul’s intent in this chapter was to answer the question of why Israel who is God’s chosen nation has fallen short of the promises of God and does this mean that God’s word cannot be trusted or has taken no effect? If Jesus truly is the Messiah and righteousness is through faith then way has Israel failed to accept this truth if they are indeed God’s holy nation? This is certianty a pertinent question. Paul has undertaken to answer this question
1. God has not been unfaithful to His promises, because He has kept every word as it relates to true Israel.
2. God is not unrighteous in His purpose according to election. He has mercy on who He wills and who He wills He hardens and this is His Glory, because He is I AM that I AM.
3. God is still righteous and just to hold us accountable for our actions and we are in no place to judge the almighty God.
4. God always acts in accordance with His own character and according to Old Testament Prophecy.
And now we come to Paul’s own conclusions as to why his own country mens according to the flesh have become accursed from Christ and yet Gentiles have become truly God’s own people
He begins by saying “what shall we say then.”
which means here “what shall we conclude”
30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith;
The Gentiles Attained Righteousness
The Gentiles Attained Righteousness
The Gentile that is the heathen nations. Israel, God’s own chosen nation were given the Law. But Gentiles did not have the Law. They never even pursued righteousness. They never strived to keep the Law of God, never made sacrifices or kept the feast days, or observed the Sabbath. And yet even though they never pursued righteousness yet many upon many of them attained a perfect righteousness. A righteousness which exceeded the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees.
And how did they attain this righteousness? It came to them by way of faith. Now is this some new thing? a New way to have righteousness? Did not God demand that Israel keep the Law in order to be righteous? Paul has taught us already that Abraham by faith believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness. Heb 11 teaches us that the Old Testament saints all obtain a good and righteous report by faith. In fact it says of Noah...
7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking that God is like us. We sometimes change our minds we misjudge recalculate rethink and adjust and change. And so we create in our own mind a God that is like us. Like the Greek gods or the Norse gods who are only a little higher than man but they still change their minds or can be deceived. God does not change. He is constant and faithful and true.
Revelation tells us of a book that was written before the foundations of the world. That means before “in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The book is called “the Book of life of the Lamb slain.” It is a book that only the Lamb who was slain is worthy to open. Now consider that for a moment. God wrote a book before creating anything in this world and the title is the Book of Life of the Lamb slain” Jesus is the Lamb that was slain. But Jesus only became the Lamb that was slain in order to redeem fallen mankind. That means that God’s plan to redeem mankind was established before man first sinned and required a redeemer.
So God doesn’t change His plan of redeeming mankind has not be refined through the centuries. We are not on plan version 5.3. The only hope that mankind has ever had to attain righteousness is by faith in the redeemer.
so wether Jew or Gentile the only way to be righteous is by faith in Jesus Christ.
But....
Israel Did Not Attain Righteousness
Israel Did Not Attain Righteousness
31 but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness.
Why is it that those who pursued righteousness did not succeed in attaining it? Because they did not seek it by faith.
32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone.
They pursued righteousness by trying to keep the Law of God. the problem is no one can keep the Law
10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.
11 For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
And Paul says
12 For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law
13 (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified;
So those who attempt to attain righteousness through the Law will be condemned by the Law.
So it was not through lack of desire that Israel fell short of righteousness. They sought after righteousness, they pursued it with every fibre of there being and yet it was out of their reach.
So what happened? Did God shift the goal post on Israel?
No. The Law was never given that righteousness might be attained through the keeping of it. That was never the purpose of the Law
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
God gave the Law to humble us not to puff us full of pride. Because the Jew thought they could attain righteousness through their own works by the keeping of the Law they excluded themselves from the righteousness which is by faith. Pride will exclude you from the graces of God
5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
This is why the Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness attained it. Because when they heard that Jesus died for them to take away their sins they had no trouble knowing that they were sinners and so they were able to humble themselves before God and receive the grace of God through salvation.
And this is why Israel stumbled. Because they thought they were already God’s people and did not require a Saviour. They were puffed up in pride because they had the Law. They thought that their best efforts to keep the Law would save them. Rather than learning from the Law that they were sinners they thought that their efforts in keeping the Law proved that they were not.
So when God lay the Rock is Zion. When they saw Christ on the cross dying for their sins instead of receiving the grace of God through faith they were offended that anyone would think that they needed someone to die for their sins.
So what about you. Are you so offended that God would suggest that you are a sinner that you can’t receive the grace of God by faith? Paul is speaking in general when he says the the Gentiles attained righteousness and Israel stumbled. There is a remnant of Israel who did not stumble at the Rock of Zion and there are many Gentile who have stumbled for pride and believe that the message of Christ is foolish.
21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom;
23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,
24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Are you offended at the Rock of Zion this morning. Does this seem foolish to you? Or is this message of Christ the power of God in you.
22 The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This was the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.
Is the Rock of Zion and stumbling stone or is He the cornerstone upon which your life is built?