Israel's Unbelief And The Prophets Of God Series

Israel’s Unbelief and the Prophets of God

September 25, 2024

Dr. Bradford Reaves

Crossway Christian Fellowship

Romans 9:25-10:4

www.mycrossway.org

We come back to this marvelous passage of Scripture of Romans 9. Over the last few weeks, we’ve covered what I believe is Paul’s answer to help the Jews understand the Gospel. Paul is talking about Israel’s unbelief being part of God’s sovereign plan. We know Israel has a unique place in God’s plan of redemption for mankind. The Old Testament tells us that God set apart the nation of Israel and gave them covenants, promises, and blessings so that they could present to the world Messiah Yeshua.

Yet now we come to a fascinating question that Paul is answering because when the Messiah showed up, God’s chosen people rejected Him and the message of the Apostles who proclaimed the Gospel. The question that Paul is answering through chapters 9 – 11 is, if the Gospel is true, how can the people of God reject it? So, what we have here is an apologetic of the Gospel and how Israel did and still fits in with God’s plan, and if you remember that, I said Paul is presenting four main points in Chapter 9.

First, in Romans 9: 6-13, Paul points out that Israel’s unbelief does not violate God’s promise. Here, he uses Isaac and Jacob as illustrations.

Secondly, verses 14 through 24 demonstrate that the unbelief of Israel does not violate God’s person. In other words, God is not being unfair or unjust. If he were just, we all would be condemned. Paul uses two scriptures to explain his point: Exodus 33: 19 and Exodus 9: 16, which talk about the pharaoh. All of those points to God’s sovereignty. In other words, it’s his mercy that saves us. We have no right to ask for salvation nor deserve to get it from God. We are recipients of God’s mercy & grace.

Mercy is rooted in God’s compassion (eleos), and grace is rooted in God’s favor (charis). Mercy is the act of withholding deserved punishment, while grace is the act of giving unmerited favor. In his mercy, God does not give us the punishment we deserve, namely hell. In grace, God provides us with the gift we do not deserve, namely eternity.

For the Jews, this was hard to accept because they were the covenant people of God. How can God exercise mercy on Gentiles if Israel is the apple of God’s eye? Paul explains here in Chapter 9 that the unbelief of Israel does not violate God’s promise to them; it does not violate God’s person, and the nearer we draw to God, the better we understand that. This brings us to the Third Point that the unbelief of the Jews does not violate God’s plan.

5 As he says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’” 26 “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’” 27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, 28 for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” 29 And as Isaiah predicted, “If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah.” 30 What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” 1 Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. (Romans 9:25-10:4)

In this passage, Paul is referencing 2 Old Testament prophets in a very systematic way: Hosea and Isaiah.

In verse 25, Paul paraphrases Hosea’s chapter 2. Hosea is a very interesting prophet. God called him to marry a prostitute, Gomer. Through her, Hosea has three children: the first son is named Jezreel, which means “scattered.” The second child born is a girl named Lo-ruhamah, which means “pitied.” The third child, a son, is named Lo-ammi, “not my people.” All of this is a picture of Israel.