Romans 9.33-Paul Quotes Isaiah 8.14 and 28.16 To Show That God Anticipated Israel's Rejection Of Jesus Of Nazareth As Their Messiah
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday April 29, 2009
Romans: Romans 9:33-Paul Quotes Isaiah 8:14 and 28:16 To Show That God Anticipated Israel’s Rejection Of Jesus Of Nazareth As Their Messiah
Lesson # 327
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 9:30.
This evening we will complete our study of Romans chapter nine by noting verse 33, in which Paul cites a mixture of Isaiah 8:14 and 28:16 to show that God anticipated Israel’s rejection of Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah.
Let’s read Romans 9:30-33 and then concentrate on verse 33 for the rest of the evening.
Romans 9:30-33, “What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, just as it is written, ‘BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.’”
Let’s now concentrate on verse 33.
“Just as” is the comparative conjunction kathos (kaqwv$) (kath-oce), which introduces a mixture of two Old Testament passages, namely, Isaiah 8:14 and 28:16, which supports Paul’s statement in Romans 9:32b.
Isaiah 8:14-15, “Then He shall become a sanctuary; But to both the houses of Israel, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over, and a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Many will stumble over them, then they will fall and be broken; They will even be snared and caught.”
Isaiah 28:16, “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed.’”
So in Romans 9:33 to validate his assertion that the nation of Israel stumbled in a spiritual sense by means of the stone, which causes stumbling, the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul quotes a mixture of Isaiah 8:14 and 28:16.
Romans 9:33, “Just as it is written, ‘BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.’”
“BEHOLD” is the second person singular aorist middle imperative form of the verb eidon (ei)don) (id-oo), which means “to consider” indicating that the Father wants the Israelites to consider what He is doing with reference to them by sending His Son into the world.
The word is used to emphasize the statement to follow that speaks of judgment for those in Israel who reject Jesus of Nazareth as their Savior and salvation for those who trust in Him as their Savior.
The verb prepares the reader for something significant and important for him to understand, namely that those in Israel who reject Jesus of Nazareth as their Savior are under eternal condemnation and those who trust in Him as such will never be disappointed but will receive eternal life.
“I LAY” is composed of the first person singular present active indicative form of the verb tithemi (tivqhmi) (tith-ay-mee), which means “to lay or put down a foundation” since the writer is using the stone motif.
“IN ZION” is composed of the preposition en (e)n), “IN” and the dative feminine singular form of the noun Sion (Siwvn) (see-own), “ZION.”
The noun Sion, “Zion” refers to the citizens of the nation of Israel since the word appears in the context of Israel’s rejection of Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah.
Romans 9:33, “Just as it is written, ‘BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.’”
“A STONE OF STUMBLING” is composed of the accusative masculine singular form of the noun lithos (livqo$) (lee-thos), “A STONE” and the genitive neuter singular form of the noun proskomma (provskomma) (pros-kom-mah), “OF STUMBLING.”
Paul used these two words in Romans 9:32b.
As was the case in Romans 9:32, the noun lithos in Romans 9:33 is used of the Lord Jesus Christ in relation to His rejection by the nation of Israel during His First Advent.
As was the case in Romans 9:32b, the noun proskomma is used of the Lord Jesus Christ being the cause the nation of Israel stumbling in a spiritual sense.
The noun functions as a “genitive of product” indicating that the Lord Jesus “produced” or “caused” the nation of Israel to stumble in a spiritual sense.
“A ROCK OF OFFENSE” is composed of the accusative feminine singular form of the noun petra (pevtra) (pet-ra), “A ROCK” and the genitive neuter singular form of the noun skandalon (skavndalon) (skan-dal-on), “OF OFFENSE.”
The noun petra is used in a figurative sense to describe the Lord Jesus Christ emphasizing that the foundation of salvation is built upon Him and thus the salvation of those who trust in Him is secure.
In Romans 9:33, 1 Corinthians 1:23, Galatians 5:11 and 1 Peter 2:8, the noun skandalon is used figuratively of that which gives offense or causes revulsion, that which arouses opposition, an object of anger or disapproval” (A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (page 753).
Therefore, in Romans 9:33, the word emphasizes that Jesus Christ and His crucifixion were a cause of revulsion to both Jews and Gentiles and hindered them from accepting Him as their Savior.
The word is used figuratively of the Lord Jesus Christ and His crucifixion, both of which were contrary to the expectations of the Jews concerning their promised Messiah and which became an “obstacle” to accepting Him as their Savior causing them to reject Him.
It describes the Lord Jesus Christ in relation to those Jews who reject Him as Savior as one who will offend and oppose them because He condemns with His teaching their self-righteous arrogance, and presumptuous ideas that their racial background, circumcision or observance of the Law could justify them.
It describes the Lord as one who will cause the Israelites revulsion because of His crucifixion.
The word describes Jesus of Nazareth as one who will be the object of anger and disapproval among the majority of Israelites because of His words and works.
The noun functions as a “genitive of product” indicating that the Lord Jesus “produced” or “caused” the nation of Israel to be offended because He opposed their self-righteousness.
Romans 9:33, “Just as it is written, ‘BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.’”
“HE WHO BELIEVES” is the articular nominative masculine singular present active participle form of the verb pisteuo (pisteuvw) (pist-yoo-o), which means to “to believe to the extent of complete trust and reliance,” thus, “to trust, place complete or absolute confidence in” someone or something.
The verb pisteuo refers to making the non-meritorious decision “to trust” or “place one’s absolute confidence in” the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ and His substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the Cross in order to receive the gift of righteousness that results in the Father declaring the sinner justified.
“WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED” is composed of the emphatic negative adverb ou (ou)) (oo), “NOT” and the third person singular future passive indicative form of the verb kataischuno (kataisxuvnw) (kat-ahee-skhoo-no), “WILL BE DISAPPOINTED.”
In Romans 9:33, the verb kataischuno is used of the disappointment of those whose confidence in someone or something is demonstrated as to be in vain.
The verb’s meaning is emphatically negated by the emphatic negative adverb ou indicating that those Israelites who exercise absolute confidence in Jesus of Nazareth as their Savior will “never be disappointed” in the sense that their confidence in Him will never be found to be in vain.
In Romans 9:33, the apostle Paul continues his explanation of his premise in Romans 9:6 that Israel’s rejection of Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah does not imply that the promises to the nation were nullified since not all racial Israel is considered by God to be spiritual Israel.
Romans 9:6 teaches that God makes a distinction between those Israelites who trust in His Son Jesus Christ as Savior and those who don’t and Romans 9:33 confirms this.
In fact, Paul quoting Isaiah makes it clear to his readers that God anticipated the Israelites rejecting His Son as well as those who would accept Him by faith.
Israel’s rejection of Jesus of Nazareth did not make God unfaithful in His dealings with the nation but rather Israel was at fault, which Paul will explain in detail in Romans chapter ten.
In Romans 9, Paul teaches that one of the results of Israel rejecting Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah is that it resulted in the Gentiles being exposed to the Gospel resulting in many getting saved.
Romans 9 confirms to Paul’s readers in Rome that God is faithful and indeed nothing will ever separate them from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus as he taught them in Romans 8.
It teaches his readers that God can be depended upon to keep the promises that Paul related to them in Romans 8.