Why Did Israel Miss the Messiah? Romans 9:25-33 Explained

Hello and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick. Okay, it's good to have everybody back again today, and we always like to let our television people know that we come in once a month and tape these four programs, and consequently, as I've told everybody so often, you're going to see the same people sitting in the same place for a whole month when it's on a weekly basis. But anyway, we're glad you're here, and as per usual, we're just going to give a quick mention of our books and tapes, which are a compilation of all our past programs. You know it's so thrilling, we just came back from Minnesota, and they have been using the old programs, beginning way back when we first taped in 1991, and oh, they've just eaten it up I guess I could say. So the time has no part in changing the Word of God, I don't think I would teach anything any differently if I were to start in Genesis again today. But anyhow, for those of you out in television who have missed the earlier part of our programs, we just love to have you call or write, and we'll send you what's available in the content. Now for those of you here in the studio, you've already turned to Romans chapter 9 where we're going to pick up where we left off in our last program, and that's at verse 25. Remember as I've got here on the board, that these three chapters in Romans, chapter 9 is Paul dealing with Israel's past, why they have been having the problems that they've had. Then we get into chapter 10, hopefully before we get out of here this afternoon, we're going to be dealing with how God treats Israel today. And of course never forget in Romans chapter 3, Paul gave us a hint of what that is when he said there is no difference. Today a Jew has to approach God the same basis that we as Gentiles do. And then we get into chapter 11, it will be dealing with Israel's future. God is not through with the nation of Israel like 90% of Christendom would like to tell us, but Israel's covenant promises are yet going to be fulfilled. But of course it cannot happen until God is through dealing with the Gentile church, and we'll see that so graphically in chapter 11. Now then coming back to chapter 9, still dealing with Israel's past, and so naturally Paul is going to be dipping back into the Old Testament, because Israel's dilemma was prophesied. God knew that Israel was going to be blind to these things, that Israel would not recognize her Messiah even when He came. So Paul makes reference then, even now in verse 25, to the old prophecy of Hosea. And he says, "...as he saith also in Hosea, I will call them my people, who were not my people, and her beloved, who was not beloved." Now I think in order to pick up what Paul is referring to, or even what Hosea was referring to, turn back to Acts for just a moment, and you remember there was the great consul trying to settle the controversy as to Paul going to Gentiles, whereas the Jewish believers in Jerusalem thought of course that he was way out in left field. And consequently they had called him up to Jerusalem to answer these things. But as you remember, Peter came to Paul's defense finally, and remembered that a good while ago God had sent him up to the house of Cornelius, and Peter's eyes were open to the fact that yes, God could save Gentiles without becoming proselytes of Judaism. But now in Acts chapter 15, and we're going to drop down to verse 12, and this is where they have now listened to Peter as he has shared with these Jews at Jerusalem, and I imagine that involved all 11 of the 12, as well as Peter, and some of the other leaders at Jerusalem. And now look at their conclusion. Verse 12 of Acts 15, "...then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience, or listened to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. And after they had held their peace," now you see, there had been an uproar. How in the world can you take this to Gentiles, because the Jews were jealous of their relationship with Jehovah, and they couldn't reconcile these things. But finally, I've often said, God does everything sovereignly. Had Peter not had that eye opening experience up at the house of Cornelius, Paul would have never gotten off the hook. Christianity would have never gotten off the ground. But God did open Peter's eyes 12 years earlier to the fact that Gentiles could be saved by simply believing. And so now it's concluded, and so verse 13, "...after Peter was able to quiet this noise of all these Jews who were in opposition to Paul, after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me, Simeon," or Peter, "...hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name." Then verse 15, "...and to this agree the prophets. For as it is written," and he goes back to the book of Amos, "...after this, after a calling out of a people for his name, I will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down, and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up." Now here the conclusion was made then, that yes, God is going to call out of the Gentiles a people for His name. Now I'm well aware of the fact that scripturally Gentiles certainly do not come into that intimate relationship that God had with Israel when He called them, My people. And then of course when they fell away, and in their obstinacy and their unbelief, then He said to Moses, Thy people. And it won't be of course until Israel comes back in complete belief, when the return of Christ has taken place, that once again they will then be called God's people, or My people. But other than this portion right here in Acts, where God says He's going to call out a people for His name, we as Gentiles are more correctly referred to as His born ones. We are the children of God, and that's a term of course that Israel has never enjoyed and never will, and that's what I stressed even in our seminar last Saturday. We as members of the Body of Christ, we enjoy a position that even Israel will never attain to. And of course I have the impression that the Church will be the Bride of Christ, and as such of course we're joined heirs with Christ. We're going to rule and reign with Christ, and that means that everything that is His will be ours, and everything that is ours of course is His. But this is that tremendous relationship now that we have as being the very born ones of God Himself, by virtue of our salvation experience. But I think this is what, back to Romans chapter 9, now verse 25, I think these are the people that are in reference here by the Apostle Paul, that these Gentiles who were never reckoned in the Old Testament to have anything to do with Israel's God, but now they are indeed a people that God has called out from amongst the Gentiles, called them to Himself, and then of course when He's through with that, as we'll see in Romans 11, He will then turn back to His covenant people, Israel. Alright, but now let's continue on in chapter 9 of Romans, and into verse 26. Romans 9, and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, When you are not My people, there shall they be called the children of the living God." Now that's us, that's the Gentiles. We are not a covenant people like Israel was. Never buy into this covenant relationship. We are not under covenants. We are under a, what shall I say, we are under again the born ones. We have been born from above by work of the Holy Spirit the moment we believe. And so this I think is exactly what we have to emphasize, that last part of verse 26, that we will be called the children of the living God. Alright, now then you come back to verse 27, and again Paul's going to go to yet another portion of the Old Testament, he's going to go to Isaiah. And even Isaiah crieth concerning Israel, "...though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved." Now I've stressed this before, I think in the program, or at least in our classes here in Oklahoma, that there is what I call a doctrine of the remnant. All through Scripture, God has never enjoyed the majority. It's always been that small remnant. Now I guess the first one that you could refer to of course would be the flood. Out of all those billions of people, at least that I think were on the earth at the time of the flood, how many remained true to God? Eight, see? And even some of them became rather despicable afterwards, but nevertheless only eight, that little tiny remnant. And then when finally the nation of Israel comes into view, as we pointed out in one of our last programs, the Word would light on Jacob, the whole nation, but how many out of Jacob would respond and believe? Just a few, and they were usually referred to as Israel. Now it's the same way here from this portion in Isaiah. God has always had His remnant, even within the nation of Israel. Now you all know the account of Elijah there on Mount Carmel, when he confronted all the prophets of Baal, and under the scrutinizing eye of old Jezebel, who was about 14 -15 miles to the east. But yet do you remember that account there, and oh Elijah, after he heard the threat from Jezebel that he would be the next day like all her priests were today, and what poor old Elijah must have been in good shape, because I don't know how long it took, but all of a sudden from Mount Carmel clear up there in northern Israel, we find him clear down there, I think at the mount where the Ten Commandments were given, which would be down in the southern area, and he ran, ran, ran, and finally as he's all puckered out, he sits down under a juniper tree, and what does he say? Lord take my life, and let's just end your dealing with Israel, because I'm the only one left. But what did God tell Elijah? Hey, old boy, you may not know it, but I have 7,000 that still have not bowed their knee to Baal. Well 7,000 out of a few million is still only a little remnant. And so this is what's always been the case. Now when you come to Christ's first advent, oh we like to think, and I think most people think, that the Jews were for the most part an obedient people. Were they? No. Only a few were left as true believers, and that of course were the parents of John the Baptist, Zacharias and Elizabeth, Joseph and Mary. Just that little few that were still true believers of the God of Abraham. The rest had been cloaked in nothing more than their religion. That's all they had. Just a dead religion, and that's why Jesus called them whited sepulchers, because they were a dead religion with no spiritual life whatsoever. And so then you come on up to even the end of Christ's earthly ministry, and again I always like to use the Scripture because some of these statements are rather graphic. I know they are. Come back to Acts chapter 1, verse 15, and here we are after Christ's three years of earthly ministry, up and down the highways and byways of the little nation of Israel. And oh I think again, most people are totally misled. They think all those multitudes that followed Jesus everywhere He went were all believers. No they weren't. No they weren't. Why did they follow Him? Not because He was the One that they were placing their faith in, but He was the One that was handing out free lunches, and people were no different then than they are today. You promise a free lunch, and the multitudes will come. You promise a healing meeting, and the multitudes will come. I'll guarantee you they will. But they weren't believers. The only reason He healed them all is because He was proving who He was, and He wouldn't have a miscarriage. And so everything that He healed was healed, but they weren't believers. They were just a multitude trying to cash in on something that was for nothing. But by the end of His three years, and after His crucifixion and resurrection, this group of believers meet in the Upper Room in Jerusalem. Now I'm not saying that this is all there were all the way from northern Israel, but I think this is all there were in the area of Jerusalem. Now look at verse 15, and in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and he said, "...the number of names together were about 120." And I think that was it. I think this was the sum total of the true believers of Jews, at least in the area of Jerusalem and Judea. 120 after three years of His kind of a ministry. And then we wonder why our numbers today are small and getting smaller all the time. And if you don't know we're getting smaller in number, you don't really know what's going on, because the true believing element is getting attacked from every direction. I'm sure you're all aware of the article that was in the last U.S. News & World Report, where these great so-called famous theologians are just gutting the Scripture. They are disclaiming all the claims of Christ. They're telling us that He was nothing but an imposter. And I think the most ridiculous statement that one of those fellows made, now here's again, you know, a bunch of letters behind a guy's name doesn't always mean everything. But here one of these theologians, with a whole string of degrees behind him, made the asinine statement, and that's the best word I can find for it. How in the world can people believe that when the writers of the Gospel went back and quoted what Jesus supposedly said, they were asking people to remember word for word things that had been said 10, 15, even 20 years previously. Now logically, yes. Logically, you couldn't expect people to remember all the words of Jesus as He gave the Sermon on the Mount, or as He gave the Beatitudes. Of course they couldn't, but they didn't. And that's why I'm always emphasizing that every word of this Book is not picked from somebody's notes, it's not put together from research. It is put together as the Holy Spirit moved these writers, and they didn't have to stop and wonder, how did Jesus put this? Maybe I better reconstruct it so it's a little better. No, they didn't. They wrote as the Holy Spirit moved them to write. See in these intellectual theologians, they don't know that. They're just strictly looking at all this from the human standpoint, and I'll agree, it's impossible for someone to have remembered 20 years later the Sermon on the Mount word for word. What do they think about Moses writing the Book of Genesis, for goodness sakes? Moses wasn't there at creation, and I guess that's why they can't believe it. Moses didn't come back and all of a sudden find a whole book of records depicting the early days of creation, no. So how did he write it? By inspiration. How did he write about his own death? By inspiration. And so it is with every writer of Scripture. And the same way with this writer, the Apostle Paul. He did not have to sit and contemplate and think and wonder. He wrote as the Holy Spirit gave him utterance. All right, now then, coming back to Romans chapter 9 again, God has always had that remnant. Now since we're dealing with Israel's past, with regard from Paul's point of view, he's now going to be able to include some of the Jewish believers since Pentecost, even in his own ministry. You remember he always went to the Jew first. Some believed, but most believed not. And so this is what he's making reference to then, that there would be a remnant that would be saved. Now it's the same way again at the end of the age. I used to think that maybe most of Jews would be saved during the tribulation, but no way. Again it's only going to be a remnant of Jews that will be saved at the end of the tribulation. Just a small percentage. In fact, what is it, Zechariah? Only a third. Two-thirds are going to lose their lives. A third will come through. Again it'll be a remnant. Now let's come on up to verse 28, "...a remnant shall be saved, for he will finish the work." God never does anything halfway and then quit. You know a lot of people, that's their malady, isn't it? They'll start something, and they're exuberant, and they've got all kinds of energy, but about the time they get the job half done, they lose steam, and they lose interest, and it falls apart. God doesn't work that way. What God starts, He finishes. And He started a work with Israel 2 ,000 B.C., and He hasn't forgotten it. And He is yet going to finish what He started with Israel. Now granted, there's been a 1,900 and some year gap that Israel has been out there, and He hasn't been dealing with them on covenant basis, but He is still going to finish it. Verse 28, "...he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness." In other words, once that tribulation seven years starts, it's going to be seven years of God dealing primarily with the Jew, and He's going to deal with the Jew according to His righteousness. And you can't go beyond that. And His righteousness is going to mandate that by the time that seven years is ended, the unbelieving element are going to have suffered His wrath and His judgment, but the believing remnant are going to come in to the glory of His rule and reign when He sets up His Kingdom. So it's going to be cut short in righteousness, because a short work, seven years, is not a very long time in the light of the 6,000 years we've now covered since Adam. And so a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. Now that's also referenced to Matthew 24, when it says, "...except those days be shortened, no flesh would be saved." Well you know how I've always taught that. That doesn't mean that He's going to shove the seven years down into six and a half, but it does mean that when that seven years is complete, God's through. He's in total sovereign control. Now verse 29. I'd like to get to the end of the chapter in this half hour, but as Isaiah said before, "...except the Lord of Sabaoth," or Jehovah Adonai, I think is the Hebrew, "...except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodom, and we'd been made like unto Gomorrah." Now again, what's the reference? Had it not been for the remnant every time, what would have happened to the nation of Israel? God would have had to destroy them like He did Sodom. And that's exactly what Paul is making reference to. But even though Israel was constantly turning back in unbelief, beginning all the way, especially of course at Kadesh Barnea, when they could have gone in and had the land of promise, in unbelief they turned around and went back into the wilderness, but again there's always been that remnant of true believers. And the same way as we come to the end of the age, there will be that remnant of Israel that will cause God to spare the nation. Now then verse 30. What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, oh those pagan Gentiles, but that the Gentiles who followed not after righteousness have attained to righteousness. They've come out of their bleak, dark, godless, idolatry, paganism, and they have stepped into the glorious light of God's grace, something that Israel could never understand. But see, Paul again is reminding them that these Gentiles, who of course had not been following after righteousness, but they've attained it. Why? Because they had faith. And see, that's what the Jew even today cannot comprehend. Again, I made mention of the fact, I think in our Minnesota seminar the other day, that our First Lady in the White House, if I can believe everything I read, made a statement to the effect that she was so thankful that America was finally throwing away absolutes. Well, if they could only see that that's our problem. But you see, this is a book of absolutes, and I usually stress two of them in particular, and most of you know what they are. Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission. Absolute one. Absolute two is, Hebrews 11, verse 6, I think, without faith, it is impossible to please Him. That's an absolute. Well, and that was Israel's problem. They couldn't believe what God said. But here come these Gentiles, here come these Gentiles, and they hear the Apostle Paul preaching, and they could believe it. And Israel just shook their head. That's exactly what he's talking about. And so, "...Israel, who followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness," why? Because they sought it not by faith. Now we're not that much different today. Again I would have to just in generalities, I'm not being explicit, but in generalities I would say, 90% of Christendom tonight. Now when I say the word Christendom, I'm including Protestantism, Catholicism, and all the cults, anything that uses the Bible as their rules of order, or however you want to put it. 90% of them are still living under a works religion. Do this, do that, and then maybe God will accept you. But see, Paul screams, it's not of works. It's all of faith. Faith plus nothing. Oh nothing thrills my heart more when people who have been steeped in this kind of a religion will come up to total strangers and tell me, oh what a difference when I realized it was faith plus nothing. And this simply relies on the finished work of Christ on our behalf. Alright, I still want to finish this chapter before the break. So they attained not, because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law, for they stumbled at that stumbling stone. And who has been the stone of stumbling? The Christ, Jesus of Nazareth for Israel, and He's still the stone of stumbling for the world today. They stumble over these precious truths concerning Christ and His finished work of the cross. Alright, now then, in verse 33, As it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. And so we know who the stone of all Scripture is, it's Christ in all the various aspects of a stone, but here He is a stone of stumbling. I don't know if I'll have time to run this through, but there's a legend, not scriptural, but it's a legend, and it's so apropos that when they were building the first temple, you remember, all the stones were cut up to quarry. Nothing was ever hammered up the side of the temple. So the quarry sent in the head cornerstone, the one that was to be the final stone to hold everything together, and it came in too early, and the builders didn't know what to do with it. And so what did they do? Well, they threw it off into a vacant lot. Now remember, this is just a legend, but it has a tremendous meaning. So they took that chief cornerstone, they couldn't find a place for it, they threw it out in a vacant lot. Well, over time the weeds grew up around it, and over time people would use that vacant lot for a shortcut. And as they would take a shortcut through that vacant lot, what would happen? They'd stumble over that stone that had been misused by the builders. And if that isn't the perfect picture of what was going to happen, it's not going to happen. Thank you for watching Through the Bible with Les Feldick, a weekly Bible study. If you would like more information about the Les Feldick Ministries, a Bible study in your area, or about this program, write to Les Feldick Ministries, Route 1, Box 760, Kinta, Oklahoma, 74552. That's Route 1, Box 760, Kinta, Oklahoma, 74552. Through the Bible with Les Feldick is viewer supported, and your gift is appreciated. Thank you, and be sure to tune in next time for Through the Bible with Les Feldick.