Israel, the Church, and the Nations – Part 3

God is Lord over all, and He is so rich in salvation and grace that He has included all people in His Son’s redemptive work. Now everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. A redemptive-historical and prophetic interpretation of Romans 9—11.

As he did with chapter 9 of Romans, Paul begins chapter 10 with a personal confession regarding his people.

Israel: The Subject of Prayer
“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God” (Rom 10:1-3).

The Bible urges us to pray: for all people, for those in authority, for brothers and sisters in the faith, for the suffering, sick, and persecuted, for preachers, and for the reach of God’s Word (1 Tim 2:1; Eph 6:18-20; Col 4:3; 2 Thess 3:1; Heb 13:3; Jas 5:16).

But Paul also serves as an example, prompting us to pray for Israel. He knows that Israel hasn’t been rejected forever on principle, and that God hears prayer. Unfortunately, this has largely vanished in Christianity.

What should prayer for Israel look like? Not that they would be militarily strong, having victory over their enemies and wiping them out. Nor should it be about their economic well-being, or their producing more Nobel Prize winners. No, it’s entirely about spiritual matters: that Israel would know righteousness through Christ.

We see from Paul’s words that it should be a brotherly prayer that every believer can pray along with. In the word “brethren,” I also see a call for the Church to pray for Israel. It should come from a sincere heart, and even be a plea. Its only concern should be Israel’s salvation; that they would recognize and accept righteousness through Christ. We should be keeping Israel’s spiritual need top of mind. Since they are trying to establish their own righteousness (because they do not believe in Jesus), they are ignoring God’s righteousness.

So verse 4 says, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”

The Significance of Jesus for Israel
“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom 10:4-13).

God created something new, and Paul is explaining just how He did it.

Jesus is the Law’s ultimate goal. Everything reaches fulfillment in Him. All of Scripture testifies of Him (John 5:39). He Himself says, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am come not to destroy, but to fulfill” (Matt 5:17). Jesus fulfilled the Law’s every requirement. Everyone who believes in Him will be declared righteous before God.

To make his argument, Paul quotes from the five books of Moses, which the Jews understood well. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, he also supplements them and applies them to Christ in the context of the Gospel. If all Scripture points to Christ, this includes the books of Moses. For example, he who does the Law will live by it (Lev 18:5). Jesus was the only One who accomplished this perfectly, so He is the only way to life.

Moses said, “For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it”(Deut 30:11-14).

Moses speaks of the commandment, of doing, and of it being beyond the sea. Paul lays it all on Christ. Instead of using the word “commandment,” he uses the name of Christ, because He is the fulfillment of that very commandment. Instead of doing, Paul speaks of faith. And instead of the sea, Paul speaks of the “deep” that Jesus descended into.

“But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach” (Rom 10:6-8).

Paul is declaring that salvation is within reach, and that the Law is fulfilled in Christ. Jesus came from heaven to earth to become human. We didn’t have to bring Him down, or do anything ourselves to receive salvation. He came to earth of His own accord. And Jesus rose from the dead and ascended back into heaven.—The complete fulfillment of the Law and perfect redemption lie in these two things.

No one needs to do anything more to be redeemed, just receive this gift in faith. “But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise…” Nobody has to personally ascend into heaven to bring down life in Christ, of whom Moses spoke prophetically. And nobody has to personally descend into the realm of death to bring life up.—No: everything has already been accomplished. Jesus is the fulfillment.

Now it has come within reach: “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Rom 10:8-9).

The Hebrews no longer need to perform works to be redeemed; they must believe in Him, who accomplished every work for them. And that applies to all people, Jews and Greeks (Gentiles), without exception. The separating partition has been lifted. God is Lord over all, and He is so rich in salvation and grace that He has included all people in His Son’s redemptive work. Now everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

“How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people” (Rom 10:14-21).

In this passage, there are six big questions that explain Israel’s current spiritual situation and how it came about. It is evidence that Israel heard the Gospel but refused to believe it.

The two verses that immediately precede this passage say that God doesn’t just have His eye on Israel, but on all nations: “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom 10:12-13).

The Gospel message must be preached throughout the whole world, among Jews and Gentiles. To explain this, Paul uses a series of four “how” questions which follow, each from the last, like links of a chain. First, how will they call on the one they haven’t believed in? Second, how are they supposed to believe 
if they haven’t heard of Him? Third, how are they supposed to hear without a preacher? Fourth, how can a person preach without first having been sent?

Paul and his fellow workers in particular were constantly on the move to fulfill this commission. The Apostle refers to a quote from Isaiah 52:7 as his basis for the mission’s importance among Jews and Gentiles: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings.” But not all have obeyed the Gospel; as Isaiah says, “Lord, who hath believed our report?” (Rom 10:15-16).

The majority of Israelis have rejected the message of the Old Testament prophets, the message of Jesus in the Gospels, and the message of his disciples in the Acts of the Apostles.

Paul answers two further questions on the subject. The first of them reads, “But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world” (Rom 10:18).

Paul is quoting from Psalm 19:4: “Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun.” In my opinion, he’s saying that in the same way the vault of heaven extends over the whole earth, the sound of the Gospel after Jesus’ ascension extended over the whole world: reaching both Jews and Gentiles, largely through Paul and his fellow laborers (Col 1:6, 23). Paul always went to the synagogues first.

The second question is, “But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people” (Rom 10:19-21).

Israel’s jealousy of the nations, which Paul could especially relate to, is further evidence that they heard the Gospel. Paul refers to it again in Romans 11:14: “If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.”

In verses 19-21 (just quoted), Paul is also referring to Deuteronomy 32:21 and Isaiah 65:1-2. In doing so, he is explaining from the Old Testament that God was already aware of everything, and has only now fulfilled what had been foretold long ago. The nations heard sooner and better than God’s own people: “I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.”

We can determine three things about Israel: First, the men that God sent out preached the Word. Second, the Gospel expanded like the vault of heaven over Israel and the world of nations. Third, Israel was made jealous by the Gentiles’ conversion. Yet few believed. What has now become reality was included in God’s foreknowledge and plan, because nothing can surprise God.

News from Israel - 03/2022