Israel’s Place in the Plan of God

Transcript

GR 2243
6/21/2020
Israel’s Place in God’s Plan
Romans 9:25-30
Gil Rugh

We’re going to Romans, chapter 9 and we’re going to finish this great chapter where Paul has been showing what we really have in chapters 9, 10, and 11 are basic foundational chapters for understanding God’s plan and program for the nation Israel. How does that fit in to what has taken place? The Messiah has come. The promised King of Israel. He was rejected. He was crucified. He was raised from the dead. What about Israel? Paul has walked us through, in detail, to God’s plan of salvation, the gospel, the good news about Jesus Christ. When we come to chapter 9, we need to answer the question, where does this leave Israel? What about all the promises? All the prophecies? There are many Christians today who think that God is done with Israel. Sometimes called replacement theology, the Church has replaced Israel. Israel by their sin came under the judgment of God and they have no particular future. The church has replaced them. But that creates major issues with the promises and prophecies of the Old Testament.

What Paul is doing in these chapters is moving through in detail to show this was clearly the plan of God revealed in the Old Testament. Some of the details had not been made known, but enough of them were made known. This is not surprising. We looked at a chart that I put together. It’s not inspired, but it’s to help clarify what is going on here in Romans. We can put that up. It shows the picture of the potter and the clay, and God’s sovereignty as the potter over the clay, in verses 20 and 21. Verse 21, “Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump…” that’s key. Now the problem comes when people say, well, that’s just all people and they’re innocent. That doesn’t seem fair. God created some people for destruction and some people for salvation. But really the lump that we’re working with, the lump of clay representing humanity, is sinners because there’s no other kind of humanity. Christ obviously being the exception. But from Adam we’ve already demonstrated in Romans, all are sinners. The clay that God is working with is fallen, sinful humanity, and He has sovereignty over that clay. He does not have to show mercy. And we use the angels as the example. Hebrews chapter 2, the angels sinned. God provided no savior for angels. Hebrews 2 tells us that Christ did not become an angel. He did not take upon Himself the nature of angels to pay the penalty for the sin of angels. God is not obligated to provide salvation for sinful beings. He does it as an act of mercy. So, from the clay He makes some as vessels of wrath, for dishonor, and ultimate destruction. He makes vessels of mercy, for honor and ultimate glory. And we noted, what was the basis of His choice? We looked at the passages. He decided within Himself. We looked in Ephesians 1 for example. It was according to what He was pleased to do. If we chafe under that, it’s a reminder, we have to remember that God is sovereign. We are not. He doesn’t have to answer every question that we might have.

I have some summary points. We didn’t have time for them last week, but I put these that may be helpful. If not, you can discard them because they’re not inspired either. They’re just my observations on the verses we’ve looked at. So, let’s look at that first set up. This comes from Romans 9:19-24, and I’m not going to work through the verses with this. We’ve been through this, but you can add these to our previous study if you like, and they’re available on the website. First point, these are some truths we simply, humbly submit to even though we don’t understand it. We’re not infinite. There’s much yet to be revealed. We are responsible for what has been revealed, but that doesn’t mean that I have the answers to everything. I can only go as far as revelation is given.

Point two, while we may not be able to harmonize the sovereignty of God and the accountability of man. We have no right to question it. However, it’s resolved, I know God always functions consistently with His character, His holiness, His righteousness. Abraham was confident even to address God. Shall not the God of all the earth do right? And of course, He will. He was praying consistent with the character of God as it has been revealed. And even though I may not be able to say this is how that perfectly works together, I’ve got it all worked out. I can still say God always works consistently with His character. What He is doing is consistent with His righteous character, with His holy character. But that doesn’t mean we have the answer. I can go back as far as God tells me. He decided within Himself, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He counseled with Himself. Well, I still have questions. I don’t doubt that. We do because we weren’t in that council. It took place before the creation occurred.

Point three, God uses some sinners to display His wrath and power. He could do that with all sinners, but He makes clear He will do that with some sinners. He is not going to redeem every sinner. And again, we could go back to the angels. He’s not going to redeem any fallen angels. That’s consistent with His character. He has to judge righteously. Sin has to be judged. He didn’t provide someone to step into the place of angels. He’s provided someone to step into the place of humanity with His Son.

Point four, God displays great patience towards sinners. We looked at Second Peter, why hasn’t judgement come? Because God is patient, not desiring that any should perish but that all should come to the knowledge of the truth. The provision has been made, but man left to himself rejects that provision. But God is still patient. Some are saved after much patience of God. We’ve all experienced that patience, but some in the plan of God were saved earlier in life. Some may have been exposed to the truth and saved later in life. Some didn’t get exposed to the truth till later in life. Again, the sovereignty of God at work. He displays patience in the working out of His plan.

Point five, and some of these are obviously repetitive, but that doesn’t hurt us. Unredeemed sinners are prepared for destruction. There are only two options, which are what we saw with God doing with the clay. The ultimate end is destruction for the part molded that way, the other. Now, this is not reprobation, reformed people. They weren’t created. God is not responsible for them being corrupted beings. We’re back to personal accountability. Something that is maybe even more difficult for people today theologically, because we’ve abandoned any concept of it in our society. Someone else is to blame for every problem I have. And I’d be a multibillionaire and honored and have the best of life, if it weren’t for what someone did. Someone else is always responsible. So, the idea of the accountability to God, which we all have to Him, is a more difficult concept because of more open rebellion against God.

Point six, God uses some sinners to display His mercy. Well, what if I’m not one of those? That’s your fault. If I’m not one of those, it’s my fault. Well, what do you say? As we’ve been through and I say to a person, God provided a Savior in love. Whosoever believes in that Savior will not perish but have eternal life. Can we bow right now, and you place your faith in that Savior? I’m not ready to do that. Well then, we know who’s responsible, right? Again, God is not obligated. He’s not obligated. What about the people who never hear the gospel? Who are born in a part of the world that’s never been evangelized? They grow up and die. They have the light of creation.

Remember we started in Romans 1, where there is no one in the world who has no revelation. That’s consistent with Psalm 19 as well, where we have what we call general revelation and special revelation. General revelation is the revelation of creation. It is enough to show that man is consistently responding negatively to the revelation of creation. Well, then they are justly condemned. They didn’t get special revelation. Now we’re saying that everybody needs to get the same amount of revelation. There’s enough revelation to show everyone, who are in a state of rebellion against God, persisting to reject the God who has revealed Himself. If that’s the question in your mind, you need to go back and start in Romans 1 and work through those arguments. I mentioned, it is important we build our theology upon previous revelation. If we forget that and start in Romans 9, we’re all over the place.

Point seven, redeemed sinners display God’s glory.

Point eight, redeemed sinners are prepared for glory.

Point nine, both Jews and Gentiles are the recipients of the mercy of God. That’s clear through the book of Romans. And he’s showing how the Jews fit into this salvation plan. That is included in their rejection of their Messiah. But that’s consistent with what God revealed in the Old Testament, like a great passage of Isaiah 53.

These are just some of the summary points that may help us remind ourselves of these truths. We’re going to pick up with verse 25. And we need the lead in here from verse 23, for the sentence as we have it. “And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy...” He’s been enduring, verse 22, “…with much patience vessels of wrath…” Look at our own country. It is so blessed by what we could call common grace. So prosperous with bibles available. So abundantly. As I’ve mentioned, I got on and looked at the internet for just English translations, and they even categorize them on the 10 best-selling English translations. And they give you the number of sales. And most of you probably have multiple copies of the bible. We are a blessed upon blessed as a nation. Does that mean that we are functioning more in accord with what God has reveled about Himself? We get more open in our persistent rebellion. But God patiently endures. And in His grace, He draws others.

But the “vessels of wrath”, they are on their way to destruction. Verse 23, “And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory...” You can’t get away from the sovereignty of God. We looked at Ephesians 1, where this was determined before the creation. But that doesn’t in anyway remove personal accountability for each one. Verse 24, “…even us, whom He also called...” Paul is writing about himself as a believing Jew. “…not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.” Paul himself is evidence that God has not totally done away with the Jews, because he’s a Jew. But His salvation work has moved from the nation Israel to the Gentiles. We’ll get to that in chapter 11.

That’s fits the plan of God as it is been unfolded. Israel is under the judgement of God. That does not mean no Jews will be saved. Paul, Peter, James, John, the original disciples and apostles were. And on the day of Pentecost, 3,000 Jews were saved. And then we move through the book of Acts, and we’ve gotten to 5,000 Jews who were saved. So, it’s not like the nation has been wiped out. But the focus of God’s work of salvation has moved from Israel, primarily, to Gentile nations. But that’s part of the plan. Now what He’s going to show, is that this does not mean God is done with Israel. And you’ll note, if you just scan through chapters 9, 10, and 11, not right now, but you’ll see all the quotes from the Old Testament. They’re set aside in those capital letters as you’re aware of. And you can see, he keeps going back to the Old Testament because he’s showing from the Old Testament that this is consistent with what God is doing today. In focusing His work of salvation primarily on Gentiles, is consistent with His plan for Israel, which has not been rejected.

It begins, verse 25, “As He says also in Hosea, ‘I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’ and her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.’ And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘you are not My people,’ there they shall be called sons of the living God.’” Now, there’s some misunderstanding, and I have some quotes that I’m going to read you on these verses. Some take them to mean, well, see now, I will call those who were not My people, My people. They pick that up from the end of verse 24, “even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.” That what Hosea talked about, now is transferred to Gentiles. That’s not what is being said. He’s still talking about the Jews. Remember, he explains, in chapters 9, 10, and 11, what about the Jews? It seems like the Gentiles have been cancelled with this reference to them. Which those in reformed theology, who believe in replacement theology, believe the Jews were replaced by the Church, the new Israel. They’ll call it, spiritual Israel. It has nothing to do with physical connection to Israel.

That’s why the land promises are no longer operative in that theology. This is serious business. Important to understand this correctly. He quotes from Hosea, and maybe I’ll take you back to Hosea and then I want to read you from some of those who believe Israel has been replaced. Come back to the book of Hosea. Hosea is in those small prophets. We call them minor prophets, not because they are not important, but because they are small. Right after Daniel. Your bible may be a little more worn to the book of Daniel. The next book after Daniel is Hosea. We look and see what he says about Hosea in the quotes. We’ll start in chapter 2 of Hosea. Then we’ll go to chapter 1. Verse 23, “‘I will sow her for Myself in the land. I will also have compassion on her who had not obtained compassion, and I will say to those who were not My people, ‘You are My people!’ And they will say, ‘You are my God!’” Now, He’s talking about physical Israel here.

Verse 19 fits with this. It’ not the direct quote, but you can see the same idea. Still in Hosea 2, “‘I will betroth you to Me forever; yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, in lovingkindness and in compassion, and I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you will know the Lord.’” He’s talking about a future time. And you’ll note in verse 23, they will be in the land. And those who were not His people, will now be called His people. Come back to Hosea chapter 1. Here the picture is Hosea, Hosea the prophet. He’s called to go marry a woman who will be unfaithful. His children will be a sign, the names given them. First one is Jezreel. We won’t get into that, but you can trace your cross references back to what happened to the sons of Ahab and the punishment because of what Jehu did to the 70 sons of Ahab, the punishment that comes.

But come down to verse 6. Hosea 1:6, “Then she conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. And the Lord said to him, ‘Name her Lo-ruhamah...’” And as you look in the margin of your bible, where it has that little number two in front of that name, Lo-ruhamah. I don’t believe we have any female babies that have been named Lo-ruhamah. So, if you’re looking for a unique name, there you’ve got it. It means not compassioned. Lo, not, ruhamah, you’ll see the ending where it means, they’re not My people. So, the name of this child is a reminder that God is disclaiming Israel. But I’ll have compassion on Judah, the southern kingdom. They’ll have a longer existence as a nation than the northern kingdom had. Then after the birth of Lo-ruhamah, in verse 6, she conceived again in verse 8, and named him, Lo-ammi, “not My people”. Not compassioned, “not My people”. “‘…you are not My people and I am not your God.’” Well, it says there, God is going to reject Israel. He’s talking about Israel here.

But the rest of it goes on, verse 10, “Yet the number of the sons of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered; and in the place where it is said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ it will be said to them, ‘You are the sons of the living God.’” In other words, God makes clear, this rejection of Israel is not permanent, final. Those who were “not My people”, will again be “My people”. That’s the state of Israel today. That’s why in one sense we support Israel, but in the other sense we recognize that Israel’s immediate future, the near future, is bleak and getting bleaker. Because they are going to the 70th week of Daniel, the 70th year tribulation. There is no restoration of the nation. That does not mean we don’t share the gospel with the Jews, and individual Jews do get saved. But the national restoration of Israel and all that’s promised to them is on the other side of the 70th week of Daniel, as we have studied. So, that’s where Paul is quoting from. To help you understand, we’re talking about Israel, the “not My people” becoming “My people”. When the verses that we read in chapter 2, where in verse 19, they will again become the wife of Jehovah. They again will be the object of His love. Down in verse 23 of chapter 2, where it said, you are not My people. Those who were not My people, now, yes, they are God’s people.

When we get into the kingdom, the millennium, when Christ returns, what will be said? Israel will be the center of the world. It will be the capitol. The nation will experience a national salvation. We get to that in chapter 11 of Romans when Paul talks about all Israel will be saved. So, what he is doing is showing everything that has happened is consistent with what God prophesied. But don’t pick up pieces of this and say God is done with Israel. Let me read you, and this bothers me because these are evangelical writers. In many ways their commentaries are very good when it comes to the basic gospel and so on, the opening chapters. When they get to Israel, it’s like I don’t even know these men. One very fine commentary, in my opinion, is perhaps the best commentary of the book of Romans. “But a potentially more serious instance of what seems to be arbitrary hermeneutics on Paul’s part, is his application of these Hosea texts to the calling of Gentiles. For the prophet Hosea is predicting a renew of God’s purpose towards the rebellious northern tribes of Israel. Those whom God rejected named Lo-ruhamah, not pitied. Lo-ammi, not My people. And again, they are to be shown mercy.” Then skipping, because this is a long paragraph, he then says, “Therefore, we must conclude that this text reflects a hermeneutical supposition, for which we find evidence elsewhere in Paul and in the New Testament that Old Testament predictions of a renewed Israel find their fulfillment in the Church.”

Wait a minute! I don’t think that’s what this says in Romans 9. You can come back to Romans 9. He’s talking about Israel. These chapters are all about Israel. Remember how chapter 9 began? “I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites…” When we get to chapter 10, “…my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.” When we get to chapter 11, “I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be!”

How can this man, who so clear on the gospel in his commentary, which probably runs close to a thousand pages, and he couldn’t be any clearer on the gospel when it gets to Israel, write the following? “We must conclude that this text reflects a hermeneutical supposition, for which we find evidence elsewhere in Paul…” But his “evidence elsewhere in Paul” is no sounder that what he says here. “…Old Testament predictions of a renewed Israel find their fulfilment in the Church.” It’s the exact opposite of what Paul is writing! You know I re-read and re-read, and God’s final revelation in Christ gives to him a new hermeneutical key by which to interpret and apply the Old Testament? You see what? “We’re changing the hermeneutics, how we now interpret the Old Testament. You don’t interpret those Old Testament prophecies literally. This is a key. But it’s a key that doesn’t fit the lock.” We’re reading it. Is that what you have to say? Does Paul say, I want to give you a new understanding of Hosea? When his whole point is to show that God has not cast away His people because Hosea said, those who are not my people will become my people. Oh, that must refer to Gentiles. Says whom? Two more aspirin and go to bed and wake up in the middle of the night, saying this is ridiculous! He’s not the only one. He’s written another major commentary that’s come out in recent years.

“Both these verses in 9:22 and 26, were originally addressed to the Northern Tribes of Israel. Paul applies them to Gentile Christians who are now God’s people. Beloved and Sons and Daughters of the living God. The application of these terms to the Church constitute firm evidence that the Church formed the new people of God in Pauline thought. The Church is the renewed Israel. And the arena in which God’s promises find their fulfilment.” You see, these are important portions of the word of God. The vast majority of what we call evangelicalism. The vast majority of seminaries, churches, have adopted this theology. If we’re not clear on it and hold the line, where is it? God’s done with Israel; the church is God’s plan for today? And you think, boy these are scholars, they must know what they’re talking about. Well, we’re reading these verses. Their scholarship has led them astray from the simplicity of accepting what it says.

Here’s a different writer. Again, these are only some. I haven’t gone out to the fringes. I’ve taken these of the best of the evangelical commentaries that I have. And I have over 60 in my own personal library. These I’ve picked out as some of the best overall, but when you get to dealing with Israel, they just turn to mush. They don’t interpret the gospel portions like the first 8 chapters of Romans this way. They use consistent literal hermeneutics. You get to Israel, and now we’ve got a new key. We have new hermeneutical principles for re-interpreting the Old Testament. The problem with this theology, even though these men I’m quoting are evangelical, once you open the door, now we have the right to go back and re-interpret the Old Testament. Where does that stop? Everybody has their own idea. The Land is no longer the Land because that’s just the spiritual reality. Well, now the next stage, it gets carried to is the resurrection of Christ, was just a spiritual reality. “The physical resurrection may or may not have happened. But the spiritual truth being conveyed is what’s important. You make sense out of that, you become the orthodox, which is the new orthodoxy.” That’s not orthodoxy at all, it’s the old heresy. You have to listen to this, because I have to do it, to teach you.

Here’s another writer, different author than the one. “Paul reapplies Hosea 2, from Israel to Gentiles…” Note this, and these he puts in quotation, “The ‘innovative boldness’ of Paul’s hermeneutic in reinterpreting the Hosea text, is hard to imagine. You are in the world of imagination, Alice in Wonderland.” He realizes what’s happened. Paul is using innovative boldness and a hermeneutic which reinterprets the Old Testament. This becomes the key. You have to understand, I dear say, most of the evangelical churches in Lincoln hold to this theology. Or they just don’t have a view. E-Free Church, I shared this with you, and I don’t mean necessarily this individual church, but as a denomination. They took out of their doctrinal statement, the clarity of distinction of God’s promises to Israel, because we want to be broad enough to include everyone. Well, you open the door and you are on what Spurgeon called “the slippery slope.” And this is the view of interpreting the scripture that always gets broader, broader, broader. Who decides what of the Old Testament gets reinterpreted? And when you are reinterpreting enough of the Old Testament, soon you’re using those same principles to spiritualize the New Testament.

One more. Different commentator still. “In context, this passage is from Hosea 2, and 1…” those passages we read. “…where it referred to the northern ten tribes but here Paul refers to Gentiles. This is typical of New Testament authors’ use of the Old Testament. They see the church as the fulfillment of the promises to Israel.” Then he gives three different passages in the New Testament that as I go back again and again, they have nothing to do with reinterpreting. I don’t know what blindness comes to people on these subjects. “And when we come back to Romans chapter 9, verse 25, ‘I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’ and her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.’ He’s showing this is consistent with what Hosea wrote.” This is not new material. It’s not reinterpreted. Hosea himself says those who were not My people will be My people. Paul said the same mercy that was moved to include Gentiles didn’t change anything for Israel. They are still the recipients of mercy. Now those quotes we’ve read them, verses 25 and 26.

We come to verse 27, “Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, ‘Though the number of the sons of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved...” But we’re still talking about the nation Israel. Paul wants us to understand, as he is in these chapters in Romans, that God never said He was going to save the nation as a nation, and everyone in the nation. There will be an ultimate salvation, but as a result of the judgment of God on the nation, it didn’t end with the Assyrian captivity of the northern ten tribes. That judgment didn’t end with the captivity under the Babylonians of the southern two tribes, Judah and Benjamin. That judgment of God came with a fuller force with their rejection of their Messiah. Now the nation as a nation is under the rejection of God, but that doesn’t mean the promises are cancelled out, and God still is saving some Jews. Paul, himself, is the example. The book of Isaiah prophesied that the salvation will be a remnant. When you get to the end of the tribulation and we’re ready for the national salvation of Israel, it will be a remnant because the larger number, the majority of the Jews will have been wiped out. Look at how many Jews are dying lost today. We take a poll how many Jews are saved. By God’s grace some are, but primarily Gentiles.

Come back to Isaiah, chapter 10. They missed the point. We’re going to reinterpret the Old Testament. Paul’s whole point is we’re finding that God is operating consistent with what He has revealed in the Old Testament. Rather than changing it, we see the reality of it, Israel under judgment. We’ll start in chapter 10 then we’ll jump back to chapter 1. I think I’ll do that while we’re here. Look at verse 20, where God is talking about judgment and so on. You can read the previous verses. But pick up with verse 20 and note the word remnant, “Now in that day the remnant of Israel, and those of the house of Jacob who have escaped...” Remember, the house of Jacob, is another name for Israel. “…will never again rely on the one who struck them…” like the Assyrians that they looked to for help. When they went to Egypt, these pagan nations, they’ll have learned their lesson. They should turn to the living God, the God of Israel. “…but will truly rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. For though your people, O Israel, may be like the sand of the sea, only a remnant within them will return; a destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness. For a complete destruction, one that is the decreed, the Lord God of hosts will execute in the midst of the whole land.”

Look at chapter 11, verse 1, “Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse…” and you have the prophecy of the coming Messiah Savior and the ultimate kingdom. It’s a remnant. I have underlined in my bible, “the remnant of Israel” back in verse 20 of chapter 10. Verse 21, “A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob...” Verse 22, “…only a remnant…” You understand, Israel is under judgment, but it will never be annihilated. We saw the holocaust in World War II under Hitler with millions of Jews dying, but he couldn’t annihilate them. The anti-Christ will be more successful than the holocaust was and the whole world will join in that attempt to annihilate the Jews under the world leadership of the Antichrist. They won’t be successful, but they will dwindle the numbers of the Jews down. The most severe judgment of God is yet future. That’s what the bible says. We’ve studied prophecy, the seventieth week of Daniel. I mean this is consistent.

Come back to Isaiah chapter 1 while we’re here. It relates to a verse we’re coming up to. God is giving a call to the nation to turn to Him. In those opening chapters, even animals respond to the call of the parent animal. God is the parent of Israel, but they don’t listen to His voice. Verse 3, “An ox knows its owner, and a donkey its master’s manger, but Israel does not know, My people do not understand.” It’s a sinful nation weighed down with iniquity. “They have abandoned the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel…” They’re permeated with the disease of sin from head to toe, verses 5 and 6. Verse 9, “Unless the Lord of hosts had left us a few survivors, we would be like Sodom, we would be like Gomorrah.” What? It’s mercy. It’s grace that Israel doesn’t get totally wiped out. If it wasn’t for that mercy and grace, there wouldn’t be any survivors. They’d be like Sodom and Gomorrah. Every inhabitant had to be wiped out. And then God calls the Israel of Isaiah’s day “Sodom and Gomorrah.” What a slap in the face that is. “You rulers of Sodom…you people of Gomorrah.” Because I look at your hearts and your attitude towards me and you’re just like those two cities. You deserve to be wiped out, but the invitation is given in verse 18, “Come now, and let us reason together…”

So, this is where we are. Come back to Romans chapter 9. Israel’s place in the plan of God. Verse 27, “Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, ‘Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved…’” So, we’ve picked up these verses “‘…for the Lord will execute His word on the earth, thoroughly and quickly.’” And that’s from where we just were in Isaiah 10, and you can follow those Old Testament references. “‘…for the Lord will execute His word on the earth, thoroughly and quickly.’” It’s the remnant that will be saved. “And just as Isaiah foretold, ‘Unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left to us a posterity, (the Lord of hosts) we would have become like Sodom, and would have resembled Gomorrah.’” We just read that in Isaiah 1. If it wasn’t that God restrained it, it would have been just like the complete destruction that rained on Sodom and Gomorrah.

These aren’t prophesying a new hermeneutic, a new way of interpreting the Old Testament. That’s the devil’s interpretation, and I don’t care if it’s professing believers doing it. It is a twisting of the Scripture to deny the promises God gave to His people. What assurance do you have that there won’t be a second New Testament that replaces our New Testament and our promises get wiped out? This idea that Paul had a new hermeneutic, a shocking reinterpretation. What have they been on? Paul’s whole point is to show this is consistent with Old Testament revelation. Where do you get the right to say this is for the church? The “new people of God” is the church? What arrogance! There’s just no excuse for it. It’s too serious just to be allowed. Well, we want to be broad enough to include, as long as they believe the facts of the gospel. Was God talking to Himself when He gave us this whole revelation?

What is man to say that part of it is not that important anyway? Everybody can have their own ideas. Everybody can’t have their own ideas! Doesn’t mean we aren’t all working to understand as clearly as possible, but we just can’t say what is clear and what is not clear because I don’t like it. So, I just say Paul developed a new hermeneutic here. And I am to say, well, that’s alright if that’s the way you see it? You have your right to interpret it, and I have my right. You don’t! Interpret this the same way you interpreted the first eight chapters, and if you don’t, you become dishonest with the scripture. And that cannot be taught here. I’ve got papers in my file and notes. Well, you ought to be open at Indian Hills to have other views taught in your classes. We are not open to other things that we see the Scripture clearly teaches. I’m sorry you don’t see it. I just don’t have any time for it. I’m too old, time is running out. I can’t allow for that.

Look at verse 30, “What shall we say then? That Gentiles...” Now here’s the Gentiles “…who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness...” And the key word here is righteousness. Four times in these verses, I think it’s four. “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...” And here we go back to the Old Testament again. It’s what the Old Testament said would happen. “‘Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense...’” And we won’t go back to Isaiah. You have the verses this is quoted from in your margin. “‘…and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.” Put to shame. In other words, they will receive the salvation. They didn’t believe in something that was powerless to save. This is consistent.

The Gentiles come in because Israel persisted in their unbelief. They would not pursue their relationship with God by faith. They transferred it over to by works. So that’s where Isaiah was, remember? We didn’t read it all but you’re familiar with it. Don’t bring those sacrifices anymore. It’s a sacrilege. You don’t honor Me. Why? You don’t come with faith. What did we do in Romans 5, verses 4 and 5, and the end of chapter 3? We emphasized faith. Righteousness comes by faith. Israel will not put their faith in the God of Israel. They’ll put their faith in the Mosaic Law and their own carrying it out. It’s where Paul declared his faith was, in his testimony in Philippians 3. He had to realize that was all fit for the dung heap, because without faith, it is impossible to please God. That’s why we have the heroes of the faith, as we call Hebrews 11. That has always been faith.

The Jews as a nation have come under the judgment of God, and the Gentiles have entered into the salvation provided by the Jewish Messiah while the Jewish people are under the judgment of God. And missing out on the salvation that their Jewish Messiah provided. That’s the point! Verse 30, the Gentiles heard the message and believed it. Most of you are Gentiles, but how did you get righteousness? This is why, some people can come to Indian Hills all their life and die and go to hell. Because no one ever got saved by keeping the Law. No one ever got saved by coming and taking up a seat in a church, even a bible-believing church. Not good enough to have bible-believing parents. It comes when I place my faith in Christ and realize He is the One who provided righteousness for me by His death. Israel? Well, God is done with them then. The Gentiles are here. No!

When we get over to chapter 11, we’ll be told in verse 29, “…the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” I have no room for this. The evangelical seminaries have eroded on this doctrine. But when you give up your consistent hermeneutics in interpreting Scripture it’s only a time and a short time until you abandon the truth of the gospel. It’s not ours to pick and choose. We don’t sort through this and say, yeah, I take… We have to have consistence with our hermeneutics. This is a serious matter, this inroad. The seminaries that were recommended when I was going, if they’re not completely gone, they’re all mixed up these days. Well, there’s a mixture here and just insert the poison little, by little, by little. And we don’t want to get into a fight over it. It seems that we’re always fighting about something. You know why? The devil won’t stop! The doctrine of demons keeps coming and coming and coming.

This is where we are in the book of Jude. And the people are going to sleep. We get intimidated. We get fearful of the results. We see it happen on another level, in another realm, in the country. The people that are vocal and riot and burn, and they won’t allow another view. And everybody else gets intimidated. Well, we don’t want to go, we’ll have to go out and fight them in the streets. This is the way we are. The church doesn’t want to fight anymore. We’re changing our doctrinal statement so we can be more inclusive. We’re changing our doctrinal statement because the word of God, we misunderstood it. Oh no, no! We still hold the same view, but we want to be open to people who don’t hold it. I don’t want to be open to people who hold an unbiblical view! Even if they hold it claiming to be a Christian. Now we may end up when all is said and done, with no more people in the auditorium than we have now, but that’s alright. We didn’t have very many when I came. We didn’t have as big an auditorium. It wasn’t quite as evident, but I’m confident the Lord has His people and He’ll bring us back. But we can’t use that as a measure.

What happens when the people of God lose their heart for the word of God? When I don’t have the stomach for the battle anymore? I’m just weary. I had a professor and I appreciated him. He was one of the evaluators of my dissertation. He just said to me one day, Gil I’ve pastored large churches, and I’m just worn out. I don’t want to fight anymore. So, I’m here teaching these classes and I’m semi-retired. I just got tired of fighting. I said, Lord, don’t let me ever get tired of the fight because that means I’m tired of being faithful to the Lord. You think the devil gives up? Says, oh, tell the demons don’t attack Gil. Don’t attack that church. Don’t attack those people. They’re tired. You know what he says? Go stomp on them! Hit them a little harder! They think they’re tired, today? Wait until we are done with them tomorrow.

And then believers say, well, there’s a lot of good Christians who don’t hold this. That’s fine. I may see them in heaven, but we’ll give an account. Were we faithful with the truth God has given us? You may hear this sermon in Jude, but it’ll be a different sermon. You have to hear it again. But I come to passages like this in Romans and I read evangelical commentary after commentary after commentary. I say, what has happened? They were doing so well through Romans interpreting the bible consistently, literally? They get here and now, you heard it, Paul has a new hermeneutic for interpreting the Old Testament. Paul’s boldness in developing a new hermeneutic. Wait a minute! You would have to have awfully, awfully, good, clear, strong biblical evidence to support that. And they throw out a couple of verses. Not all Israel, are Israel. No! Not every Jew is going to receive the promised blessings. That’s what Paul is saying.

Understand this time in the nation of Israel’s life is what was prophesied in the Old Testament. Judgment for persistent unbelief. Now the clarity of God working with the Gentiles was not there. That’s additional revelation, but that additional revelation doesn’t mean we go back and redo the Old Testament. It helps us understand what that judgment will entail. God didn’t quit offering salvation, providing salvation in bringing people to salvation. He just closed the door on the nation of Israel. But for His grace in drawing some, the nation continues under the judgment of God. That’s why I am supportive of Israel as God’s chosen nation, and they have the right to the land. But I can’t go out on a crusade for the nation Israel, because I know what the bible says is their condition, and what their more near future is. I can’t act like the bible has changed. Israel’s problem is not the nations around them. Israel’s problem is Israel’s refusal to believe in their Messiah. And it will take the seventieth week of Daniel, the seven-year tribulation to bring them to their knees. When they have been sifted and brought down to a small remnant, and then that remnant in despair will turn and call for the salvation of the Messiah. Consistent with what the Old Testament said, their eyes when they turn in faith, will be opened.

We can’t abandon the Scripture. We want to stand firm and call people. You’re going through it with me. I’m reading some material, then I’m done. I’m concerned. A couple of books I’m reading from, an evangelical seminary, their hermeneutics are getting so complicated that I don’t know if I understand what they’re talking about when they talk about interpreting the scripture here. Seems we’ve moved into a realm of semi-subjectivism. This is awful complicated, and I think they’re really moving away from the simplicity. Paul was writing this to believers in a church at Rome, not to scholars. The scholars, because they won’t accept it in its simplicity and want to make use of their scholarship, end up undermining it and changing it. So, it will take us average people to hold to faithfulness.

Let’s pray together. Thank You Lord, for the promises of Your word. And thank You Lord, that You are a God who keeps Your promises. Our confidence, our assurance, our hope is founded upon that You are the God who keeps Your word. You have made promises to Your people. You made promises to Israel as a nation. You will not go back on those promises. You will not change those promises. We’re being reminded even with this later revelation given through Paul, that it all fits exactly what You said. Israel is under Your judgment. Today they are not Your people as a nation. Your work of salvation centers in the Gentile world in the church, not in Israel and in the Jews. But that has not changed what You promised and prophesied for the nation of Israel. Right now, they are experiencing the judgment of what You promised and prophesied for unbelief. And sad to say, that the Old Testament reveals as well as the New Testament confirms, that the worst for Israel is yet ahead. But in it all, Your grace will bring that remnant that is left, to the salvation that will bring the fulfillment of all that was promised to the nation. Small as it may be when they turn in faith, which will enable the establishing of the kingdom promised to Israel. May we be faithful to the Word as You have given it, as Your church in these days no matter what the opposition. No matter what the challenges. Make us faithful this week in our walk as we represent You in various places, with various people. May You be pleased to draw some to salvation through the gospel that we share. We pray in Christ’s name. Amen.