What About the Jews?

Rom. 9:1-32

1. In a communist country, big ads appeared, "free flour tomorrow."Early crowds gathered. At 8 a.m. The commissioner spoke over the loud speaker: Free Flour today, but first are there any Jews here? A few raised their hands. You may go home; there is no flour for you. He went inside. Two hours later he appeared before the waiting crowd. Are there any people who are not party members. Many hands went up. He said, "You may go home for there is no free distribution of flour for you. Then two hours later he came out: "Comrades, do you have your membership cards. All of them held up their cards. "Now come closer, comrades." You can see what a glorious privilege it is to be party member and receive preferential treatment. Now unfortunately, comrades, there is no free distribution of flour. You may go home." As all the people began to go, one muttered to himself, "those dirty jews, they're always getting the best treatment, they went home hours ago.”

2. In our journey through Romans we have seen how God has brought salvation to the non-Jews, or Gentiles. This has magnified the mercy of God. Now comes a serious problem. The Jews in large numbers rejected the Messiah, the Christ. (Keep in mind that the first Christians were Jews.) Not only did Israel reject the Messiah, but it seems that the promises of God were lost by the Jews. The result is that a great problem arises: Did God's word of promise lose its validity? Once before Paul raised the question (3:3-4), "Does their faithfulness nullify the faithfulness of God? and he answered it, "by no means!" Let God be true though every man be false."
Now Paul shows that the gospel of faith is not in contradiction to the promises of God.

3. Before turning to the exposition of the chapter, we must consider the relation of chapters 9-11 to the rest of the book. Some have argued that it is a digression because you could turn from the end of chapter 8 to chapter 12 and feel that nothing is missing. But the chapters are really a vital part of the book. In the eight chapter Paul was talking about the election of the gentiles to salvation, and it is natural to turn and consider the rejected for a moment. The "rejecting" appear in a strange position because they have been a vital part of the Old Testament story. What about them? Paul considers this question in these 3 chapters.

4. Paul answers in three ways about the Jews.

I. Paul attempts no theodicy--defense of God. 19-20

1. Why is one born brilliant and another average in intelligence? Why is one boy handsome and another ugly? Why was I born in America where there is plenty of food and not in India where life is precarious? Why does one child have musical ability and another become a monotone? These questions cannot be answered. Why does one person come to believe and another reject the Gospel? This question cannot be answered. Why did the Jews come to reject Jesus as the Messiah? Why is there a"momentary" wrath upon the Jews?
These questions are not answered by Paul for two reasons:
(1) Salvation is by mercy and grace and therefore cannot be earned. You cannot have reasons for love, except that one loves and (2) a theodicy is a blasphemy of God. Trying to defend God or trying to judge God's actions is to attack him in his divinity and sovereignty. "There is a basic problem in all that concerns theodicy: it measures God by human standards. But when man sets out to judge God's dealings by man's own standards, the results cannot be other than the conclusion that God's goodness is faulty” (Nygren,p.365) It further means that "God is pulled down to man's level and has to be defended before the bar of human reason" and means that man is able to ascend up to the level of deity to bring accusation against God.

2. These are hard words perhaps. Moreover, it is difficult to distinguish between a defense of God on the one hand, and the attempt to understand the actions of God on the other. I don't think that we are prohibited in asking questions about our world and what happens in it. We have seen that God reasoned with various people in the past; but what Paul will not do is to permit himself to accuse God of injustice and unfairness. (the pot has no right to talk back to the potter)

3. There is an area in theology that is called apologetics. This means that one sets forth a defense of the faith. Since the existence of Christian Faith, critics and skeptics have attacked it. Naturally, there arose a response from the Christians and this centered on the word, apologia, or a defense of one's faith. This work was necessary and will continue to be necessary as we Christians face new critics. Most of us are not well versed in how to answer critics who object from the vantage point of science, or philosophy, or some other area. We need to continue to study and read, but we must not confuse the real issue in faith in Christ. The real problems are not intelle ctual. A century ago, Kierkegaard wrote in his journals after he had rejected Christianity and returned," They would have us believe that objections against Christianity come from doubt. This is always a misunderstanding. Objections against Christianity come from all insubordination, unwillingness to obey, re1bellion against all authority."

II Heritage is inadequate 1-5,8.

1. The Jews had come to conceive of their religious heritage as being passed on from father to son. It was only necessary to stand in line and one would receive the blessing of God.

Take a look briefly at their religious heritage:
(1) sonship,-- they were the adopted sons of God. Paul has in mind Old Testament passages like: 'Exod. 4:22, "Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn," or Jer. 31:9,"1 am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my first born."

(2) the glory-- This refers to the brilliant appearance of God in the form of a cloud in the tabernacle or at Mt. Sinai.
Exod. 24:16 "The glory of the Lord settled on Mt. Sinai.”
Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel.

(3) the covenants--referring to the one oovenant that
was renewed from time to time with new leaders.
(4) the giving of the Law.
(5) the worship and the sacrifices of the Temple.
(6) the promises to Abraham
(7) the patriarchs, men of faith.
(8)the race thru which the Messiah came according to flesh. What a tremendous heritage! What can be said about it?

The true children of God are children of faith. If the children of heritage forsake the nromises of God, then they are not children of God. If those who were not of the heritage accept the promises, then they become the true sons of Abraham.

2. What does this say for us? It can be commented on in several ways: (1) We don't have the same compassion for the Jews as Paul did. Paul talked of great sorrow in his heart and even wished that it were possible to give his life for his brethren by race. History has shown that man has had a great passion to take the life of the Jews. Not only for the Jews, but for all men, and especially the Jews, we do not have concern and compassion. This means we must banish all derogatory statements that offend such as “Jewing him down,” etc. (2) It means that we must not become smug in our own salvation. Confidence in salvation is sometimes confused with arrogance. (3) In contrast to the Jewish approach to heritage, we must teach our children that being brought up in the church is inadequate. Our children must come to make their own commitments to Christ or they stand out side of God's mercy and grace. We cannot make commitments by proxy for other people and this includes our children.
Young people you must also realize that just as Dad can't decide what you will be, do, and say in life, neither can the parents decide your salvation. It is up to you.

III. God's promise will not fail. v.6.

1. What was the promise. To Abraham, God said, "I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and by you all t he families of the earth will bless themselves." Gen. 12:3.)

The faithfulness of God in fulfilling this promise is seen in two ways:
(1) in the remnant of the Jews that have been and are being saved. This can be seen in the fact that the early Christians were Jews. Paul saw this in his travels to synagogues when he went into a town to preach. It was always to the Jews. There were many converts. This is seen throughout the history of the Christian movement. It can be seen presently in the fact that many Jews are finding Christ. They are describing themselves as “completed Jews.”

(2) God's faithfulness in his promise is seen in the salvation of the non-Jews, or gentiles. By Abraham and his descendants all the families of the earth have been blessed. Around the world there are diverse peoples of diverse languages who are true sons of Abraham because of their faith in Christ.

2. God's promise to the Jews has remained unfailing. Although many Jews have hardened their hearts, countless others have come to Christ and of these we hear little because they have been assimilated into the Church. But in 11:25 Paul declares"I want you to understand this mystery, brethren; a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles come in, and so all Israel will be saved."

3. God's promises are unfailing and although we may not
fathom them, we can rely on them. There is a story about Frederich the Great who once asked his personal physician Zimmermann of Brugg, in Aargau: "Zimmermann, can you name me a single proof of the existence of God?" And Zimmermann replied,”Your majesty, the Jews." By that he meant that if one wanted to ask for a proof of God for something visible and tangible,that no one could contest, which is unfolded before the eyes of all men, then we should have to turn to the Jews. Quite simply, there they are to the present day. Hundreds of little nations; and this one tiny nation has maintained itself. In fact, if the question of a proof of God is raised, one need merely point to this simple historical fact. For in the person of the Jew there stands a witness before our eyes, the witness of God's covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and in that way with us all." (Barth, Dogmatics in Outline, p.75.)