In our last lesson we looked at the mercy of the gospel. God’s mercy generates two outcomes: either people will respond to his mercy and be saved or people will reject his mercy and remain lost. God’s patient mercy brought about Pharaoh’s hardening of his heart. Further, God’s patient mercy toward Israel only brought about a further rejection of God. Before we look into the next paragraph in Romans, I want us to think about why it is so important for us to look at the example of Israel. Twice in Romans the apostle Paul has marked off all of the blessings and privileges that Israel experienced (cf. Romans 3:1-4; 9:4-5). In 1 Corinthians 10:1-5 he also lists off some of those blessings. But then Paul says these words: “Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness” (1 Corinthians 10:5). A few verses later Paul will say, “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come” (1 Corinthians 10:11). These things are recorded for us so that we will learn from their example and not fail like they did. In Romans 9 we saw that it was not that God’s mercy or promises had failed. God was not the problem. God did what he said. God patiently offered mercy to Israel. So the word of God did not fail. So what happened so that the Jews are excluded and Gentiles have come into the kingdom of God? In Romans 9:30-10:4 the apostle Paul is going to explain what happened to Israel. In particular, he is going to help us understand why they failed so that we will not fail like they did.
Failed Pursuit (Romans 9:30-33)
We need to begin by carefully considering why Israel failed. It is important to begin by noticing in Romans 9:31 that the problem is NOT that they did not pursue a law leading to righteousness. They did pursue the law. We cannot read about Israel in their history and think that they were not trying. The problem was not that they had no regard for God at all. They did pursue a law of righteousness but they did not succeed. Why did they not attain what they were pursuing? Why did Israel not find righteousness? Paul says that the reason they did not attain what they were pursuing was because they did not pursue it by faith but as if it were by works (Romans 9:32).
What is Paul saying? This is a really important question to ask. Is Paul saying that the people of Israel tried hard to obey the Law of Moses and they should not have done that? Is Paul saying that the people of Israel should have just had faith in God and should not have tried to obey the Law? If this is the case, then nothing in the Old Testament makes any sense. It does not make any sense when you read what the prophets were telling the people to do. It does not make any sense when you read how Israel was condemned. The condemnation of Israel in the scriptures was never that they were trying to obey God and they need to stop it and just have faith. Paul made the point that we are justified by Abraham when we walk in the footsteps of faith (cf. Romans 4:12). Paul also said that it is not the hearers of the law we are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified (Romans 2:13). So what was Israel pursuing by works and not by faith?
When you read what the prophets were teaching to Israel in the Old Testament, when you read what John the Baptizer was proclaiming to prepare the way for Jesus, when you read what Jesus was teaching the people of Israel, and when you read what Paul will say later in this very letter to the Romans, you will see that there were certain things that they did which made them distinct from the rest of the world and showed that they were in covenant relationship with God. They would point to their bloodlines, being children of Abraham. Paul already dismantled that idea in Romans 9:6 saying that not all who descended from Israel were truly Israel. When the temple existed, we see that the people thought that if they had the temple then they were safe and belonged to God (cf. Jeremiah 7:4). We also read that they thought by keeping circumcision laws, food laws, feast days, and holy days that these things proved they were in relationship with God. Paul is going to talk about these things in Romans 14-15 and also speaks about them in Galatians 2:11-16. Jesus told three consecutive parables in Matthew 21-22 to show the problem that Paul is revealing in Romans 9:30-33. We will read one and summarize the other two for the sake of time for this lesson.
In Matthew 21:28-32 Jesus tells a parable about two sons. They were both told to go and work in the vineyard. One said he would not but later changed his mind. The other said he would go but then did not. Jesus then asks in Matthew 21:31 which one did the will of his father. The clear answer is the first. Although he initially refused, he later did what the father said. Jesus then says that the sinners and outsiders are all entering the kingdom of God instead of them. Now listen to verse 32 because it mirrors what Paul is saying. “For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him.” In other words, the Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness initially have now attained it. Israel who did pursue righteousness initially have not attained it. In Matthew 21:33-44 Jesus tells a parable about tenants in the vineyard. When the master of the vineyard sent his servants for fruit, the tenants all mistreated and killed the servants. Then they are going to kill the son of the master. So the kingdom would be taken away from them (Israel) and given to those who people producing its fruits (Gentiles/remnant). In Matthew 22:1-14 Jesus told a parable about a wedding feast where those who were invited (Israel) refused to enter. So those who had not been invited previously (Gentiles) were now invited to enter.
Paul’s point in Romans 9:32 is not that they tried to obey the Lord but failed because they were wrong for trying to obey. Paul’s point is that they did not have a faith that led to obedience. Paul is saying that they acted like they obeyed the Lord when they had not at all. They pointed to their privileges as noted in Romans 9:4-5 and did not pursue God by faith. The quotation in Romans 9:33 which comes from Isaiah 28:16 proves this point. When you read the context of the prophecy you will see that the prophecy begins by calling his audience “scoffers” (Isaiah 28:14). They had taken refuge and hope in their lies (Isaiah 28:15). But the cornerstone was going to come and prove their failure and bring judgment (Isaiah 28:16-17).
Failed Zeal (Romans 10:1-2)
Now Paul does not write these things in a heartless, mean way. Notice in Romans 10:1 that Paul reiterates that it is his greatest desire for them to be saved. Paul does not write these things to say, “I am glad I am in. Too bad for you.” Paul is urging them to listen to their righteousness problem. Now notice the next part of Israel’s problem in Romans 10:2. They have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. We need to hear this. It is possible to be zealous for God and be completely wrong. It is possible to think that you are right with God and be completely wrong. It is possible to think you are serving God and be completely wrong. They have a zeal for God but it is not according to God’s revealed truth. Jesus said this as well. He said that there are going to be people who will say, “Lord, Lord” and will have done works in God’s name but he is going to tell them that he does not know them (cf. Matthew 7:22).
Friends, zeal is not enough. Having a heart for God is not enough. God did not give his word to us that we would believe that if we think happy thoughts about God then we are a Christian. Zeal must lead to doing what God says to do. Desire must lead to following the truth of God’s word. Imagine teenagers in the home, saying how much they loved their parents, but then did not obey what the parents were telling them to do. You can say that you have zeal, heart, and love. But your zeal has been proven empty if it is not according to knowledge. You see that Israel had zeal. They wanted to be God’s people. But they did not want to listen to what God said to do. You see Paul make this point in Romans 10:3-4.
Failed Righteousness (Romans 10:3-4)
What did Israel do? They did not submit to God’s righteousness. Instead, they were seeking to establish their own righteousness. Friends, this failure is so much easier than we think. It is so easy to want to create our own path of righteousness to God. One of the popular ways to do this today in the world is to just be a decent person. The point our culture holds on to is that if you are not a really bad person then you are going to be fine. If there even is a God, then God will be happy with you. God wants to you to just be the best version of yourself. God just wants you to be happy. These are the lies of the world today. What is happening is this is trying to establish your own way of righteousness.
But churchgoers try to do the same thing that Israel did. Israel pointed to their circumcision, their covenant, their lineage, and their obedience to food laws and feast days and believed that this meant they were God’s people. This was their path to righteousness that they established. But we can do the same thing. We can try to point to growing up in the church and going to church all our lives. We can try to point to taking the Lord’s Supper every week. We can try to point to our baptism. We can try to point to not being as bad as other people we know. We can try to point to the fact that we help people. We try to create standards that we are already obeying so that we can think that we are in a relationship with God. But Paul is telling us that we can have this zeal but fail because we are not submitting to God’s righteousness.
Notice in verse 4 that Paul says that the goal of the law is to get you to Jesus. Everything about the Law of Moses was to bring you to see Jesus. Righteousness is only attained by full submission to Jesus. The Law was pointing to him. The Law of Moses was designed to bring people to faith in Christ. The same is true with the law of Christ today. There is nothing that is given to us by Christ that we are to merely do as a checklist. Everything we do is to connect us to Christ. Baptism is not just some work you do as if it is another box to be checked. Baptism is to unite us to Christ, having our sins washed away, and rising up to walk in a whole new way of life led by our Savior and Lord. The Lord’s Supper is not just making sure you swallow a piece of bread and juice. The Lord’s Supper is a participation with Christ in which we are proclaiming the Lord’s death until he comes. We are reuniting ourselves under the blood of the covenant and proclaiming we belong to this new covenant and we will obey it. Prayers are not offered because we think God wants them. We pray because this is our way to communicate with our Father who loves us, hears us, and cares for us.
Seeking Righteousness
True zeal for the Lord will seek God’s righteousness, not our own. There are a lot of churches. But if they are not doing what God has said to do, then they have a zeal that is not according to knowledge. They are trying to establish their own way of righteousness rather than submitting to God’s righteousness. But we must also point this finger at ourselves. If we as a church are unwilling to submit to God’s ways because it might be hard or uncomfortable, then we are trying to establish our own way of righteousness rather than submitting to God’s righteousness. When we try to justify and excuse the sins in our lives rather than going to war to fight those temptations and sins, then we are seeking to establish our own way of righteousness rather than submitting to God’s righteousness.
We asked the question at the start of the lesson, “Why did Israel fail?” God’s mercy did not fail. The problem was that Israel failed to submit to God. This is the big conclusion of Romans 10:3. They did not listen to God’s teaching through the prophets or from Jesus because they were content to think they were approved by God because they had their own way to righteousness. Do we have our own way to righteousness? Friends, we are not going to be perfect. We are certainly going to fall down. As John said, if anyone says they have not sinned, they are a liar and we make God a liar and his word is not in us (cf. 1 John 1:10). But are we resisting listening to what God is telling us to change in our lives through his word? Do we fail to produce the fruit of the Spirit but are not working to cultivate that fruit because we have our own way of righteousness? Do we point to going to church or some other work and refuse to submit to God’s will?
Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4:5-8 ESV)
Quite simply, submit to the righteousness of God. Humble yourself. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands and purify your hearts. God gives more grace and wants to dwell with you. But you must submit your will for his will.