1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,160 I had put more down on the outline, so I may dictate a little bit to you this evening because 2 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:11,900 these chapters are profound. 3 00:00:11,900 --> 00:00:19,480 If the assumption of a conflict between Jewish and Gentile believers is correct as the occasion 4 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:25,780 for the writing of the book of Romans, we can already trace how Paul has begun to address 5 00:00:25,780 --> 00:00:27,500 that problem. 6 00:00:27,500 --> 00:00:34,520 In chapter 1 he speaks about himself as a Jew being called by God to be an apostle to 7 00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:37,400 the Gentiles. 8 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:46,260 Again in chapter 1, this time in verse 16, he says that the gospel is for the Jews first 9 00:00:46,260 --> 00:00:51,100 and for the Gentiles. 10 00:00:51,100 --> 00:01:02,200 In chapter 2 verse 9, he says that God has placed all Jew and Gentile under sin. 11 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:07,360 In chapter 3 verse 29 and then again in verse 30, he asserts that God is the God of the 12 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:12,020 Jews and the Gentiles. 13 00:01:12,020 --> 00:01:19,000 In chapter 2 and again in chapter 4, he says that one is not accepted by God on the basis 14 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:25,960 of external rituals like circumcision, which was so important to the Jews. 15 00:01:25,960 --> 00:01:32,000 But whether one is circumcised or uncircumcised, in other words a Jew or a Gentile, God accepts 16 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:39,360 all on the basis of one thing and that is faith, just like Abraham. 17 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:44,260 As he begins to address this problem of Jew and Gentile relationships, there is another 18 00:01:44,260 --> 00:01:50,680 question that might arise in the minds of the readers of this book regarding Israel 19 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:53,480 in particular. 20 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:57,320 Because they were aware that God had a covenant with Israel and the question may be, well 21 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:02,600 what about the relationship between God and Israel now? 22 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:07,720 See Paul has just written in this book, in chapter 8 in particular, that salvation is 23 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:13,560 by grace through faith. 24 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:17,520 Salvation includes both justification and sanctification. 25 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:23,520 In other words, what God starts, he is going to finish with our glory one day. 26 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:30,280 He tells us that salvation began in eternity past with God's foreknowledge and predestination. 27 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:36,560 It continues in the present and will be consummated in the future. 28 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:43,360 He assures us that God keeps his promises, that nothing can separate us from the love 29 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:52,580 of God, that no one can legitimately bring a charge against God's elect. 30 00:02:52,580 --> 00:02:57,940 But all of these thoughts you see, particularly in the Jewish mind, would bring the question 31 00:02:57,940 --> 00:03:01,160 within what happened to Israel. 32 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:02,920 Weren't they also the people of God? 33 00:03:02,920 --> 00:03:07,920 Didn't they have a covenant with this same God who is faithful, Paul? 34 00:03:07,920 --> 00:03:12,420 And if there is no longer distinction between Gentiles and Jews, then exactly what is the 35 00:03:12,420 --> 00:03:18,240 relationship of the nation of Israel to God? 36 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:21,880 Did God fail in what happened to Israel? 37 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:24,080 Was his purpose for Israel frustrated? 38 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:26,600 Did God change his mind? 39 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:30,360 Has God's word failed? 40 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:34,840 And underlying all of those questions may be the thought, how can we be sure the same 41 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:42,880 thing won't happen to us and we'll not experience the salvation that you've been talking about? 42 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:48,600 Those may well be the thoughts as Paul is writing on now into chapters 9, 10, and 11 43 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:50,400 of the book. 44 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:57,200 It seems to me that in a certain sense, these chapters are the core chapters of the book, 45 00:03:57,200 --> 00:04:02,080 the core chapters of the book explaining to us the righteousness of God. 46 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:06,600 Now you'll notice some blanks here at the top of your outline. 47 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:08,360 Here's the sentence you may want to write in there. 48 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:16,600 The righteousness of God is demonstrated in every relationship he has. 49 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:21,240 We've talked about how God's righteousness is demonstrated in his relationship to the 50 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:24,120 world. 51 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:32,920 And we have seen in our study how God's righteousness is demonstrated in his relationship to believers. 52 00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:40,440 The fact is that his righteousness is demonstrated in every relationship, including his relationship 53 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:44,840 to the nation of Israel. 54 00:04:44,840 --> 00:04:51,200 The relationship of God to Israel is elaborated upon in the chapters that we're going to look 55 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:54,520 at tonight in our overview. 56 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:59,560 It may be helpful to notice the outline first of all. 57 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:07,680 He talks about the past in chapter 9, at least up through verse 29, and he explains to us 58 00:05:07,680 --> 00:05:13,920 the essence of the past dealings of God with the nation of Israel. 59 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:22,760 And that can be summarized perhaps in one key word, the word election, election. 60 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:25,720 We are heading toward elections in this country. 61 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:28,400 Tuesday is the New Hampshire primary. 62 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:32,280 I will be so thankful when this primary is done. 63 00:05:32,280 --> 00:05:37,160 But the meeting will be on to the next one, and then the next one until we get past November, 64 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:41,960 whatever it is, and we have our presidential election this year. 65 00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:44,760 We're not talking here about that kind of election, of course. 66 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:51,920 When we talk about election, we're talking about God's sovereign choosing of some to 67 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:56,320 enjoy the blessings of salvation. 68 00:05:56,320 --> 00:06:01,160 I know that there are some people who stumble and have a hard time with the concept of election. 69 00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:02,480 Please don't blame me for that. 70 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:05,360 Blame God if you're going to blame somebody. 71 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:11,200 It is God who talks about his elect back in verse 33 of chapter 8. 72 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:19,560 It is God who talks about the fact that he foreknew us and predestined us in verses 29 73 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:22,000 and 30. 74 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:24,800 So election is God's idea. 75 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:26,800 It is God's work. 76 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:32,720 Election is God's choosing of some to enjoy the blessings of salvation. 77 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:37,360 Now Paul, as he begins this chapter, expresses to us something of his own burden for the 78 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:38,360 people of Israel. 79 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:46,360 In fact, he's just talked about how we cannot be separated from Christ and the love of Christ. 80 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:50,680 He goes on to say, but if we could be, he said, I would be willing to suffer that for 81 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:53,840 the sake of Israel. 82 00:06:53,840 --> 00:07:01,360 I am willing to be cursed to go to hell, to be separated from Christ if only my kinsmen 83 00:07:01,360 --> 00:07:06,220 according to the flesh would come to faith. 84 00:07:06,220 --> 00:07:09,080 That is his transition into the subject of Israel. 85 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:18,560 He explains to us in verses 1 through 5 some of the privileges enjoyed by the Israelites. 86 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:22,160 But he goes on in verses 6 through 9 to tell us about election. 87 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:30,040 He says in the first place, election, God's choice, is not based upon ancestry. 88 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:35,040 He points out that there is a distinction between physical descendants and spiritual 89 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:39,240 descendants of Israel. 90 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:43,720 True election was demonstrated in the life of the person who was chosen. 91 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:50,720 It is demonstrated by what we sang about just a few moments ago, faith and obedience, trust 92 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:51,720 and obey. 93 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:56,720 That's the demonstration that one is truly elect. 94 00:07:56,720 --> 00:07:59,920 Israel had not trusted or obeyed as a nation. 95 00:07:59,920 --> 00:08:02,640 They had rejected Christ. 96 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:09,160 Therefore, although they were the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, they 97 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:13,800 were not among the elect. 98 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:23,200 He illustrates this fact that election is not based upon ancestry by the sons of Abraham. 99 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:26,920 Although Abraham had a son before Isaac, what was his name? 100 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:27,920 Ishmael. 101 00:08:27,920 --> 00:08:34,320 It was Isaac, the one born later, who was the son of the promise. 102 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:40,320 His descendants were regarded by God as the ones chosen for his purpose, bringing the 103 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:42,860 Messiah into the world. 104 00:08:42,860 --> 00:08:46,440 The point that he's talking about here is that no Israelite could claim to be truly 105 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:54,200 one of God's chosen just because he was a physical descendant of Jacob, Isaac and Abraham. 106 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:59,560 And that God's elective purpose for Israel is not nullified just because the physical 107 00:08:59,560 --> 00:09:02,800 nation of Israel as a whole rejected his word. 108 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:05,520 God's purpose goes on. 109 00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:09,440 A point of application that we can draw out of these verses is this, that salvation has 110 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:15,080 nothing to do with physical ancestry or bloodline. 111 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:18,280 Nothing whatsoever. 112 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:22,680 I was talking with someone recently who was sharing that she is the only Christian in 113 00:09:22,680 --> 00:09:25,840 all of her family as far as she knows. 114 00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:32,840 That is her siblings, her parents, her aunts and uncles, the only one. 115 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:37,360 God has reached into the midst of that family, all of whom are lost to this point and saved 116 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:40,000 one. 117 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:46,520 Salvation is not based upon our ancestry, it is based upon our trust in Jesus Christ 118 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:50,000 and God's choice and God's perspective. 119 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:57,400 Now in verses 10-13 he tells us that neither is election based upon merit. 120 00:09:57,400 --> 00:10:01,160 We don't gain points with God and therefore God chooses. 121 00:10:01,160 --> 00:10:02,160 That isn't the idea. 122 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:08,880 There are some who might argue that Isaac's choice was based upon his being the son of 123 00:10:08,880 --> 00:10:15,480 Sarah, the free woman, while Ishmael was the son of a slave woman. 124 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:18,680 But his next illustration shows that that premise is not true. 125 00:10:18,680 --> 00:10:24,400 There's no human merit at all involved in God's free choice. 126 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:30,640 He talks about Esau and Jacob who were born to Isaac as you know. 127 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:34,420 These twin boys had the same parents. 128 00:10:34,420 --> 00:10:42,600 Neither had any merit over the other because of his parentage and God chose Jacob prenatally 129 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:47,180 while he was still in the womb of his mother. 130 00:10:47,180 --> 00:10:53,640 So the God's choice of Jacob was not based upon the conduct or the character of either 131 00:10:53,640 --> 00:10:56,200 one of the children. 132 00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:59,440 God's choice is not based upon human merit. 133 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:01,920 It is God's free choice. 134 00:11:01,920 --> 00:11:03,320 Now why is this so? 135 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:10,160 Well he explains in verse 11 so that God's purpose according to election might stand, 136 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:15,040 that is it's not frustrated by the failures of man. 137 00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:21,320 God's purpose will stand even if men fail. 138 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:27,360 Israel's failure in this case will not nullify the ultimate destiny of God's purpose for 139 00:11:27,360 --> 00:11:28,360 that people. 140 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:33,880 There is a point of application that we can draw from this and that is the salvation today 141 00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:37,920 has nothing to do with works or personal merit. 142 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:42,960 We don't get brownie points with God by what we do that's good. 143 00:11:42,960 --> 00:11:44,600 We don't have demerits with God. 144 00:11:44,600 --> 00:11:50,920 It has nothing to do with our works, with personal merit or worth. 145 00:11:50,920 --> 00:11:54,440 It has to do with God's free choice. 146 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:59,240 And that is what he talks about now in verses 14 through 29. 147 00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:05,520 First he's told us that election is not based upon ancestry nor upon merit, but it is rather 148 00:12:05,520 --> 00:12:13,880 based upon God's grace and is according to his free choice. 149 00:12:13,880 --> 00:12:20,520 A couple of questions arise in Paul's mind as he imagines his readers trying to comprehend 150 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:22,000 what he's talking about. 151 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:30,800 The first question is, well isn't God unjust in selecting one and overlooking another? 152 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:33,400 He deals with that question in verses 14 through 18. 153 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:37,420 He says no, God is not unjust at all. 154 00:12:37,420 --> 00:12:42,640 Now rabbinic Judaism in that day just like humanistic and liberal theology today says 155 00:12:42,640 --> 00:12:47,800 that God is merciful to those people who deserve it. 156 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:52,400 And they're unaware of the very contradiction in that statement. 157 00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:55,560 You see mercy has nothing to do with what a person deserves. 158 00:12:55,560 --> 00:12:58,840 If it's deserved it's not mercy. 159 00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:01,360 But that's the general idea. 160 00:13:01,360 --> 00:13:03,520 And that's what you'll hear in many pulpits today. 161 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:06,640 God is merciful if we deserve it. 162 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:10,840 But the fact is the only true mercy is free mercy. 163 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:14,200 It is totally undeserved. 164 00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:20,280 And he illustrates this by God's dealings with both Moses and Pharaoh. 165 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:27,980 God is merciful to those whom he wishes to be merciful to and he hardens those whom he 166 00:13:27,980 --> 00:13:31,480 would harden. 167 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:38,800 By the way in the hardening of Pharaoh, remember that God was not overruling Pharaoh's heart. 168 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:44,440 God was simply allowing Pharaoh's heart to go its own way. 169 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:48,200 Pharaoh's heart was already hardened therefore God hardened it further. 170 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:53,320 It was a judicial hardening you see. 171 00:13:53,320 --> 00:13:59,320 The point is that God reached down and chose Moses who was not worthy of salvation and 172 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:00,320 saved him. 173 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:03,000 God had mercy on him. 174 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:05,000 God did not have mercy upon Pharaoh. 175 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:06,000 Why? 176 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:07,200 Because God chose not to. 177 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:10,880 God simply allowed Pharaoh to go his own way and to harden his heart and to do what he 178 00:14:10,880 --> 00:14:11,880 would. 179 00:14:11,880 --> 00:14:16,600 And the marvelous thing is that God even used the wickedness of Pharaoh to accomplish his 180 00:14:16,600 --> 00:14:20,420 sovereign purposes. 181 00:14:20,420 --> 00:14:26,120 As he did with the nation of Israel by the way when the nation of Israel rejected Christ. 182 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:28,880 God was not frustrated by that. 183 00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:31,440 And as we're going to see God knew ahead of time it was going to happen. 184 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:33,440 God predicted it would happen. 185 00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:36,280 And God said what he would do when it happened. 186 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:41,000 Now there's a second question that might come to mind that Paul deals with in verses 19 187 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:42,000 through 29. 188 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:49,960 It is how can a sovereign God find fault with a man or with a nation like Israel who cannot 189 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:53,840 resist him? 190 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:56,160 How can God find fault with a mere creature? 191 00:14:56,160 --> 00:14:58,880 A creature can't resist God. 192 00:14:58,880 --> 00:15:02,980 Well Paul deals with this question several ways. 193 00:15:02,980 --> 00:15:07,040 First of all he has a follow up question to the question. 194 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:11,360 He says who are you to reply to God? 195 00:15:11,360 --> 00:15:13,560 He says God is the potter, you're the clay. 196 00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:19,640 The clay has no right to question the potter. 197 00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:24,960 And he says basically that we're all out of the same lump anyway, the lump of sin. 198 00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:30,720 And so what if the potter chooses to take out of the lump of sin some clay and make 199 00:15:30,720 --> 00:15:36,680 that a vessel of mercy and other clay to become in vessels. 200 00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:38,160 So that's the potter's choice. 201 00:15:38,160 --> 00:15:39,160 He can do what he wants to do. 202 00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:40,160 He's sovereign. 203 00:15:40,160 --> 00:15:45,200 But then he gives an enlightening statement in verses 22 to 24. 204 00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:49,760 He says you know God really is patient with sinners. 205 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:53,400 If God gave sinners what they deserved we'd all be damned and judged and condemned and 206 00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:57,960 in hell immediately upon our first sin. 207 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:00,440 God is patient with sinners. 208 00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:03,200 Why is God so patient with sinners? 209 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:06,980 Because in the time that he's patient with sinners he is at the same time having mercy 210 00:16:06,980 --> 00:16:15,240 upon some and calling them out to be vessels of mercy in whom he is going to show his glory. 211 00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:21,840 And he says that means us folks, you and me, we're vessels of mercy not because we deserve 212 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:28,240 it, mercy is not deserved, it's free, it's without cause. 213 00:16:28,240 --> 00:16:36,160 We're out of the same lump as everybody else, sinners, but God has had mercy and has chosen 214 00:16:36,160 --> 00:16:44,160 in his grace to make us vessels of mercy in whom he would show forth his glory. 215 00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:49,380 Then in verses 25 through 29 he gives a prophetic fulfillment. 216 00:16:49,380 --> 00:16:54,400 He sees a prophetic fulfillment in what's happened to Israel. 217 00:16:54,400 --> 00:17:01,560 God's actions are according to what he himself foretold Israel would do as a nation. 218 00:17:01,560 --> 00:17:06,280 And yet even in the midst of that God would spare a remnant, he would save a remnant and 219 00:17:06,280 --> 00:17:11,120 Gentiles would be included in all of that. 220 00:17:11,120 --> 00:17:17,400 He quotes from Hosea and then again from Isaiah to prove his point that God had said ahead 221 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:26,520 of time what would happen, that this nation would turn from him and that those who were 222 00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:33,100 not the sons of God would be called the sons of God and that God nonetheless has saved 223 00:17:33,100 --> 00:17:36,140 a remnant even out of Israel. 224 00:17:36,140 --> 00:17:40,360 If God had not chosen to do that then we would all be like Solomon and Gomorrah and get what 225 00:17:40,360 --> 00:17:43,360 we deserve. 226 00:17:43,360 --> 00:17:48,640 Verse 29 tells us that except God had shown sovereign grace and mercy all of us would 227 00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:52,400 be justly judged. 228 00:17:52,400 --> 00:18:01,100 We need to keep in mind that God never exercises his will to force a person to do something 229 00:18:01,100 --> 00:18:03,760 over what they would choose. 230 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:05,960 That's the other side of the coin. 231 00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:11,360 Some people see election as a very hard-nosed kind of a doctrine and it's not. 232 00:18:11,360 --> 00:18:17,920 It is mysterious and we don't really understand in our minds how it works together with man's 233 00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:20,520 will and man's choice. 234 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:26,040 It does in God's perfect mind, perfect plan. 235 00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:29,000 Some people feel that election overrules man. 236 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:30,180 That isn't the point at all. 237 00:18:30,180 --> 00:18:37,760 God never uses his will, his sovereignty to overrule the will of the person. 238 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:42,360 God in grace may work in the will of the person to accomplish what he wants. 239 00:18:42,360 --> 00:18:46,120 As Paul said to the Philippians, it's God who works in you both the willing and the 240 00:18:46,120 --> 00:18:49,040 doing. 241 00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:52,480 The willing and the doing of his good pleasure. 242 00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:57,800 Why was it that you perhaps received Christ and your sister or your brother did not receive 243 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:00,680 Christ in your home? 244 00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:06,480 Well God graciously worked in your heart making you willing to do what he wanted you to do. 245 00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:12,600 I could talk about that some more but we need to move ahead to chapter 10. 246 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:17,400 It actually begins in chapter 9 verse 30 where we find the present. 247 00:19:17,400 --> 00:19:22,840 He's talked about the past with Israel and he said that God chose this nation. 248 00:19:22,840 --> 00:19:30,000 God chose this nation by his elective plan and purpose. 249 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:37,000 And now in chapter 10 beginning with chapter 9 verse 30 actually he tells us about the 250 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:44,160 present and that can be summarized also in one word and that is the word rejection. 251 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:48,320 This section of the book of Romans chapters 9, 10, and 11 is dispensational in character 252 00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:54,040 and explains why Israel is presently where she is. 253 00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:58,280 That is set aside in the program of God. 254 00:19:58,280 --> 00:20:02,520 Chapter 9 gives us the story from God's viewpoint. 255 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:08,240 His sovereign will and plan is being carried out in this nation being set aside and a new 256 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:13,200 people a new entity being called forth the church. 257 00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:19,440 In chapter 10 he tells of Israel's rejection from the human viewpoint that the nation failed 258 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:24,040 God in its unbelief. 259 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:26,120 So here's what happened with Israel. 260 00:20:26,120 --> 00:20:30,240 He says the nation was ignorant. 261 00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:34,080 Chapter 9 verse 30 through chapter 10 verse 4. 262 00:20:34,080 --> 00:20:37,720 The nation was ignorant of true righteousness. 263 00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:41,160 You see there are two kinds of righteousness. 264 00:20:41,160 --> 00:20:48,220 There is faith righteousness and works righteousness. 265 00:20:48,220 --> 00:20:55,280 Faith righteousness obviously means that one believes God and is counted righteous. 266 00:20:55,280 --> 00:20:59,880 False righteousness is what one does to try to become righteous. 267 00:20:59,880 --> 00:21:00,880 It's self-righteousness. 268 00:21:00,880 --> 00:21:12,600 And he says Israel in ignorance tried to accomplish righteousness through its own works. 269 00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:17,280 Verse 3 says of chapter 10, not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish 270 00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:30,760 their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. 271 00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:37,000 In chapter 10 verse 5 through verse 17 he explains then that the nation failed in its 272 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:39,520 ignorance. 273 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:42,640 The nation failed. 274 00:21:42,640 --> 00:21:44,460 It failed to do what? 275 00:21:44,460 --> 00:21:47,520 It failed to believe God. 276 00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:52,600 It failed to believe his son, Jesus Christ. 277 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:56,680 You see righteousness with God is not something that we have to work for. 278 00:21:56,680 --> 00:22:00,880 It's not something we even have to search for as though we had to go up to heaven or 279 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:03,300 down to hell. 280 00:22:03,300 --> 00:22:08,080 He says it's actually very close to us, this word of salvation and righteousness with God. 281 00:22:08,080 --> 00:22:09,440 It's very close to us. 282 00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:12,560 It's near as he says in verse 8. 283 00:22:12,560 --> 00:22:16,840 In fact all we have to do is have a transaction in our heart. 284 00:22:16,840 --> 00:22:22,560 Verse 10 says with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness. 285 00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:26,520 With the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 286 00:22:26,520 --> 00:22:29,800 The scripture says whoever believes in him will not be disappointed. 287 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:32,320 There's no distinction between Jew and Greek. 288 00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:38,800 And notice again Paul is talking about the relationship between Jews and Gentiles. 289 00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:40,960 He says now there's no distinction between them. 290 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:46,400 The same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches over all who call upon him. 291 00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:52,200 Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. 292 00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:54,320 Well that's good news. 293 00:22:54,320 --> 00:22:55,980 That's good news. 294 00:22:55,980 --> 00:23:02,440 A preacher is necessary of course as he describes in verses 14 and 15, great missionary verses 295 00:23:02,440 --> 00:23:03,840 here. 296 00:23:03,840 --> 00:23:11,440 But the problem is that Israel as a nation now did not listen to that message. 297 00:23:11,440 --> 00:23:21,160 Verse 16, they did not all heed the glad tidings about how one could be right with God through 298 00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:25,560 faith in Jesus Christ, through his death and through his resurrection. 299 00:23:25,560 --> 00:23:27,440 They did not heed the good news. 300 00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:34,200 They failed to attain the righteousness of God because of that. 301 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:40,480 And so in verses 18 through 21 he explains that the nation was replaced. 302 00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:42,360 God patiently had dealt with Israel. 303 00:23:42,360 --> 00:23:47,760 He waited for the nation to return to him in faith and obedience, but their unbelief 304 00:23:47,760 --> 00:23:50,480 persisted. 305 00:23:50,480 --> 00:23:55,520 And what both the law through Moses and the prophets through Isaiah had warned about came 306 00:23:55,520 --> 00:24:05,640 to pass, that God would replace that nation one day with a new people. 307 00:24:05,640 --> 00:24:07,760 God had pled with this nation. 308 00:24:07,760 --> 00:24:10,760 He had delivered the message to them. 309 00:24:10,760 --> 00:24:16,960 Verse 21 says, all the day long I've stretched out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate 310 00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:17,960 people. 311 00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:18,960 Who is he talking about? 312 00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:20,840 The nation of Israel. 313 00:24:20,840 --> 00:24:21,920 But they did not heed. 314 00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:23,560 They did not listen to the gospel. 315 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:26,040 They rejected Christ. 316 00:24:26,040 --> 00:24:28,920 As a result of their unbelief, they were rejected. 317 00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:33,320 They were set aside. 318 00:24:33,320 --> 00:24:37,040 But were they rejected forever? 319 00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:42,640 Have they fallen away from God never to experience the blessings that God promised to them in 320 00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:43,640 the Old Testament? 321 00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:47,000 Why, he says, no, that's not the case at all. 322 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:53,180 And so in chapter 11 he talks about the future. 323 00:24:53,180 --> 00:24:58,840 And the word that summarizes the future is the word restoration. 324 00:24:58,840 --> 00:25:03,800 Election, rejection, and now restoration. 325 00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:07,600 And if you want to outline chapter 11, you may do it this way if you want. 326 00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:12,380 Verses 1 through 10, God's program. 327 00:25:12,380 --> 00:25:19,420 Verses 11 through 24, God's purposes. 328 00:25:19,420 --> 00:25:24,680 Verses 25 through 32, God's promises. 329 00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:29,480 And then finally, verses 33 through 36, God's praise. 330 00:25:29,480 --> 00:25:31,680 What is God's program? 331 00:25:31,680 --> 00:25:35,480 Going back to the first 10 verses of chapter 11. 332 00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:44,760 Well, basically he says here that Israel's greatest days are ahead. 333 00:25:44,760 --> 00:25:48,420 For Israel still has a place, you see, in the program of God. 334 00:25:48,420 --> 00:25:54,200 And Paul himself is an illustration of the nation's future conversion. 335 00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:56,880 And he points to himself as that. 336 00:25:56,880 --> 00:26:03,560 He says, has God rejected his people, that is permanently, forever? 337 00:26:03,560 --> 00:26:05,760 The idea is, may it never be. 338 00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:09,800 I, too, am an Israelite. 339 00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:12,680 And he explains his pedigree there. 340 00:26:12,680 --> 00:26:18,120 He points to himself as actually an illustration of how Israel will one day be restored to 341 00:26:18,120 --> 00:26:19,120 God. 342 00:26:19,120 --> 00:26:20,120 What happened to Paul? 343 00:26:20,120 --> 00:26:24,080 Well, he was spiritually blind and hostile to Christ. 344 00:26:24,080 --> 00:26:25,800 He fought against the gospel. 345 00:26:25,800 --> 00:26:29,920 And my friend, that's exactly where the Jewish nation is today. 346 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:37,480 And it has been for the last 1900 years, except for the remnant that God has graciously saved 347 00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:40,080 out of the Jewish people. 348 00:26:40,080 --> 00:26:47,440 But as a whole, as a collective group, the nation has been just like Paul was in his 349 00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:52,080 pre-conversion days, hostile to the gospel. 350 00:26:52,080 --> 00:26:59,560 But then Paul had a spectacular vision of the glorified Christ on the road to Damascus. 351 00:26:59,560 --> 00:27:03,840 And when he had that vision, there was repentance. 352 00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:07,120 And he placed his faith in the Lord. 353 00:27:07,120 --> 00:27:09,920 And that's exactly what's going to happen to Israel one day. 354 00:27:09,920 --> 00:27:16,140 Zechariah talks about it in chapter 12 and verse 10 when he says, they will see him whom 355 00:27:16,140 --> 00:27:18,320 they have pierced. 356 00:27:18,320 --> 00:27:23,440 And the spirit of repentance will be poured upon them. 357 00:27:23,440 --> 00:27:28,680 The nation of Israel will one day follow Paul's example. 358 00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:33,960 God's program for the nation is that they are temporarily set aside in unbelief. 359 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:35,600 They are hostile toward God. 360 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:39,520 But one day God is going to restore them. 361 00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:43,840 Even now there is a remnant, just like there was in Elijah's day, as he talks about in 362 00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:45,960 verse 5. 363 00:27:45,960 --> 00:27:51,040 The one day the remainder, now spiritually blinded, will have its eyes opened. 364 00:27:51,040 --> 00:27:53,480 That's God's program. 365 00:27:53,480 --> 00:27:57,400 He talks about God's purposes in all of this in verses 11 through 24. 366 00:27:57,400 --> 00:28:01,280 Why did God allow Israel to stumble? 367 00:28:01,280 --> 00:28:11,160 Well, he tells us that through Israel's falling, Israel's stumbling, the Gentiles have received 368 00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:13,420 grace. 369 00:28:13,420 --> 00:28:21,120 This has brought much blessing to the Gentiles, those who are not God's people, those who 370 00:28:21,120 --> 00:28:27,600 were not a part of God's program in the Old Testament. 371 00:28:27,600 --> 00:28:33,380 He says in verse 11, by their transgression, the Jews' transgression, salvation has come 372 00:28:33,380 --> 00:28:38,120 to the Gentiles to make them, the Jewish people, jealous. 373 00:28:38,120 --> 00:28:46,200 He goes on to say, and if their transgression be riches for the rest of the world, and their 374 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:51,640 failure be riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be? 375 00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:56,520 In other words, when God restores Israel one day, the blessings to the whole world will 376 00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:59,240 be even greater than now. 377 00:28:59,240 --> 00:29:06,840 If Israel's failure was a blessing to the Gentiles, how much more will be her restoration 378 00:29:06,840 --> 00:29:08,760 to God one day? 379 00:29:08,760 --> 00:29:14,840 He uses a powerful illustration here of an olive tree in these verses. 380 00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:22,440 The tree in its roots pictures the nation of Israel going all the way back to Abraham, 381 00:29:22,440 --> 00:29:28,760 Isaac, and Jacob, whom God chose. 382 00:29:28,760 --> 00:29:35,320 He says that God has broken off the natural branches of this tree because of their unbelief, 383 00:29:35,320 --> 00:29:39,000 that is, the nation of Israel. 384 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:46,400 Why did God break off those natural branches so that he might graft in some wild olive 385 00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:47,400 tree branches? 386 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:48,400 Who's that? 387 00:29:48,400 --> 00:29:51,800 The Gentiles. 388 00:29:51,800 --> 00:30:00,200 God has broken off the natural branches and replaced them with wild branches, Gentiles, 389 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:07,760 who are now growing and prospering in the roots of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 390 00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:16,600 He tells us that one day the natural branches are going to be restored in verse 24. 391 00:30:16,600 --> 00:30:20,520 The church now enjoys God's blessings. 392 00:30:20,520 --> 00:30:21,920 It does. 393 00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:27,560 And those blessings come to us in part from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but the particular 394 00:30:27,560 --> 00:30:37,000 blessings given to Israel in the Old Testament are still hers and will one day be delivered 395 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:40,600 by God to that people when they are restored. 396 00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:43,000 God is not finished with Israel. 397 00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:49,440 The church has not taken Israel's place in God's purposes. 398 00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:52,480 Israel as a nation will be restored by God. 399 00:30:52,480 --> 00:30:53,480 That's his promise. 400 00:30:53,480 --> 00:30:57,240 Look at verses 25 to 32. 401 00:30:57,240 --> 00:31:01,240 He tells us that one day God's plan for the Gentiles will be fulfilled. 402 00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:05,080 Look how he puts it. 403 00:31:05,080 --> 00:31:08,840 He says a partial hardening has happened to Israel. 404 00:31:08,840 --> 00:31:11,200 Why is it partial? 405 00:31:11,200 --> 00:31:17,040 Because there's still a remnant of the Jews being saved. 406 00:31:17,040 --> 00:31:22,000 Until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 407 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:24,160 The fullness of the Gentiles, yes. 408 00:31:24,160 --> 00:31:29,360 It doesn't mean that every Gentile is going to be saved, but it means that all of those 409 00:31:29,360 --> 00:31:34,880 chosen by God from among the Gentiles will one day be complete. 410 00:31:34,880 --> 00:31:39,440 Its fullness will be arrived at. 411 00:31:39,440 --> 00:31:44,200 And he says, thus all Israel will be saved. 412 00:31:44,200 --> 00:31:46,200 Does that mean every Jew will be saved? 413 00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:47,200 No. 414 00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:51,880 But all those God whom God has chosen out of the nation will be saved. 415 00:31:51,880 --> 00:31:55,600 It's a collective expression here. 416 00:31:55,600 --> 00:31:56,880 When will they be saved? 417 00:31:56,880 --> 00:32:01,480 When God has finished his dealings with the Gentiles. 418 00:32:01,480 --> 00:32:02,480 When is that? 419 00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:05,640 The end of the church age. 420 00:32:05,640 --> 00:32:09,880 You see the church is largely Gentile. 421 00:32:09,880 --> 00:32:16,200 Some Jewish brethren are amongst us and there's really no distinction now in Christ between 422 00:32:16,200 --> 00:32:17,440 us. 423 00:32:17,440 --> 00:32:25,000 But the fact is in heritage, natural heritage, the church is largely Gentile. 424 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:28,720 And someday the church as a body is going to be complete. 425 00:32:28,720 --> 00:32:33,040 The last one is going to be saved. 426 00:32:33,040 --> 00:32:38,720 Now my conviction is that when that happens, when that last one trusts the Lord, we're 427 00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:41,000 leaving here. 428 00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:44,200 We're being called out of the world at that point as a people. 429 00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:47,360 The rapture of the church will take place. 430 00:32:47,360 --> 00:32:54,040 And then God is going to turn to Israel and he is going to finish his program and his 431 00:32:54,040 --> 00:32:56,040 purposes with that nation. 432 00:32:56,040 --> 00:33:06,120 As a result of that, as a nation all Israel will be saved, he says. 433 00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:14,320 The future mercy upon Israel is just as sure as the current mercy that God has upon the 434 00:33:14,320 --> 00:33:16,920 Gentiles. 435 00:33:16,920 --> 00:33:26,920 Now in these rather complex chapters, Paul has explained to us how God in his sovereign 436 00:33:26,920 --> 00:33:33,880 and providential purposes has worked to accomplish his will. 437 00:33:33,880 --> 00:33:36,640 Keep that in mind. 438 00:33:36,640 --> 00:33:45,320 Nothing has happened in all of history that's caught God off guard. 439 00:33:45,320 --> 00:33:50,040 God has not overruled the will of man. 440 00:33:50,040 --> 00:33:55,420 God allows man to make his choices and his decisions. 441 00:33:55,420 --> 00:34:02,380 God allows man to take his actions, but in his sovereignty God uses every one of those 442 00:34:02,380 --> 00:34:08,520 choices and actions, even of the ungodly, ultimately to bring everything out to his 443 00:34:08,520 --> 00:34:10,920 purpose. 444 00:34:10,920 --> 00:34:13,760 My goodness, what kind of power does it take to do that? 445 00:34:13,760 --> 00:34:20,600 What kind of wisdom does it take to take all of the choices and all the actions of every 446 00:34:20,600 --> 00:34:26,680 person who has ever lived and make all of those varieties of choices and actions come 447 00:34:26,680 --> 00:34:30,320 out to what you want them to be? 448 00:34:30,320 --> 00:34:33,080 That's exactly what God has done. 449 00:34:33,080 --> 00:34:37,200 That's why Paul concludes these three chapters with praise to God. 450 00:34:37,200 --> 00:34:45,160 He says, oh, the depth of the rich is both the wisdom and the knowledge of God. 451 00:34:45,160 --> 00:34:51,000 The knowledge of God is his divine intuition, which foreknows the outcome of all the factors 452 00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:54,480 in history before they come to pass. 453 00:34:54,480 --> 00:34:56,760 God knows it all. 454 00:34:56,760 --> 00:35:03,500 The wisdom of God may be defined as God's designing of all the elements in his knowledge 455 00:35:03,500 --> 00:35:08,960 into a revealed purpose for mankind. 456 00:35:08,960 --> 00:35:13,160 These attributes, Paul says, are inexhaustibly full. 457 00:35:13,160 --> 00:35:23,220 And beyond our being able to trace out, we just get started and we get lost in the maze 458 00:35:23,220 --> 00:35:28,000 and the complex mind of God. 459 00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:32,200 It defies human explanation, he says. 460 00:35:32,200 --> 00:35:35,520 God in his purpose, indeed, owes none of us any explanations. 461 00:35:35,520 --> 00:35:38,040 He is after all God. 462 00:35:38,040 --> 00:35:40,720 But he is the God of all grace and all glory. 463 00:35:40,720 --> 00:35:43,400 None of us can know his mind. 464 00:35:43,400 --> 00:35:46,200 None of us can advise him. 465 00:35:46,200 --> 00:35:51,320 None of us can claim God as his debtor. 466 00:35:51,320 --> 00:35:59,000 He concludes this portion of the book by saying, from him, through him, to him is everything. 467 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:01,980 He's the source of everything. 468 00:36:01,980 --> 00:36:03,840 It's from him. 469 00:36:03,840 --> 00:36:08,080 Not an exception to that in the whole universe. 470 00:36:08,080 --> 00:36:11,160 And he says, through him is everything. 471 00:36:11,160 --> 00:36:14,580 He is the sustainer. 472 00:36:14,580 --> 00:36:21,920 There is nothing in the universe that exists currently that is not sustained by God. 473 00:36:21,920 --> 00:36:24,160 Nothing. 474 00:36:24,160 --> 00:36:27,640 Even evil. 475 00:36:27,640 --> 00:36:33,120 It's not that God originated evil, but God has allowed it and he allows it to be sustained. 476 00:36:33,120 --> 00:36:36,720 Just as he will one day deal with it, and that brings us to the final point. 477 00:36:36,720 --> 00:36:40,000 To him is everything. 478 00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:43,880 Everything in the universe is headed on one track toward the judgment of God. 479 00:36:43,880 --> 00:36:47,960 He is the source, he's the sustainer, he's the judge. 480 00:36:47,960 --> 00:36:50,200 The judgment of God is coming. 481 00:36:50,200 --> 00:36:58,320 And he says, to this great God of wisdom and knowledge be glory forever and ever, amen. 482 00:36:58,320 --> 00:37:06,680 The obvious point of application here is that this God who has planned the ages is a God 483 00:37:06,680 --> 00:37:09,480 who is able to control your life and my life. 484 00:37:09,480 --> 00:37:12,600 He's able to give us direction. 485 00:37:12,600 --> 00:37:18,280 There are times when you and I feel lost and confused as though we're living in a fog 486 00:37:18,280 --> 00:37:22,360 and we wonder, well, what's next, or what's around the corner, how is this going to turn 487 00:37:22,360 --> 00:37:25,960 out, or what good is this experience? 488 00:37:25,960 --> 00:37:29,800 But overseeing the whole thing is God. 489 00:37:29,800 --> 00:37:37,440 And God knows what he's doing, and you and I can trust him, we can rest in him. 490 00:37:37,440 --> 00:37:43,200 How much better it is to live that way, and to live life filled with worry and anxiety 491 00:37:43,200 --> 00:37:47,480 and resistance and rebellion against God and questioning God? 492 00:37:47,480 --> 00:37:53,760 How much better to say, God, I don't understand it, but I trust you, because you are God and 493 00:37:53,760 --> 00:37:58,560 you know what you're doing, you're full of knowledge, you're full of wisdom, you don't 494 00:37:58,560 --> 00:38:02,400 owe me an explanation anyway. 495 00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:08,480 I just trust you with my life and where I am today, and where I'll be tomorrow, and 496 00:38:08,480 --> 00:38:09,480 where I'll be forever. 497 00:38:09,480 --> 00:38:11,400 It's a great way to live. 498 00:38:11,400 --> 00:38:13,800 It's the only way to live. 499 00:38:13,800 --> 00:38:16,800 Let's pray. 500 00:38:16,800 --> 00:38:29,320 Almighty Father and God, God of all knowledge, wisdom, how unsearchable are your judgments, 501 00:38:29,320 --> 00:38:35,360 untraceable your ways. 502 00:38:35,360 --> 00:38:43,480 We admire and worship the wisdom that we see displayed in these chapters, and even though 503 00:38:43,480 --> 00:38:49,560 they're written here for us to understand, our minds can hardly grasp them. 504 00:38:49,560 --> 00:38:59,680 And yet we praise you for the display of your wisdom and knowledge as history has fallen 505 00:38:59,680 --> 00:39:00,680 out. 506 00:39:00,680 --> 00:39:05,200 And God, tonight afresh we commit our lives to you. 507 00:39:05,200 --> 00:39:08,360 We commit to you what tomorrow holds. 508 00:39:08,360 --> 00:39:13,800 We commit to you the experiences and circumstances we're passing through. 509 00:39:13,800 --> 00:39:20,680 Father, there are some in our church family who've lost jobs in recent weeks that were 510 00:39:20,680 --> 00:39:22,760 thought to be secure. 511 00:39:22,760 --> 00:39:33,640 And there are others who are struggling with unexpected situations at home, and some who 512 00:39:33,640 --> 00:39:43,120 are facing the possibility of life-threatening illness. 513 00:39:43,120 --> 00:39:50,080 Some are wondering what decision needs to be made in light of the circumstances. 514 00:39:50,080 --> 00:39:53,160 Some have exciting choices to make. 515 00:39:53,160 --> 00:39:57,760 In all of these, we pray that each one of us will seek your will and your direction, 516 00:39:57,760 --> 00:40:03,260 for we cannot direct our lives ourselves. 517 00:40:03,260 --> 00:40:07,080 Please direct us. 518 00:40:07,080 --> 00:40:12,560 Be the Lord of our choices and our decisions, and use every one of them to accomplish your 519 00:40:12,560 --> 00:40:17,120 ultimate purpose for us too. 520 00:40:17,120 --> 00:40:19,160 This we pray in Jesus' name. 521 00:40:19,160 --> 00:40:33,840 Amen.