The example of Israel vs. 1-13

• A heavy heart… vs. 1-3
  • Paul’s Love for Israel… vs. 1-3
    • Paul was an Israelite – called by God to be the Apostle to the Gentiles (Peter to the Jews)…
      • I Timothy 2:7 – “I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, teacher of the Gentiles.”
      • For that reason many Israelis questioned Paul’s love for his people – Acts 21:21
      • Paul uses Israel in Romans 9 as a negative example of trusting in works to be saved…
      • Perhaps reinforcing the perception he did not have a love for the Jewish people…
    • So Paul opens with a triple witness to his Love for His people – Israel…
      • I tell the truth in Christ / I am not lying / my conscience bears witness in the Spirit

The children of God are those who believe – salvation by grace through faith in Jesus!

I have great sorrow – continual sorrow in my heart for Israel…

Paul knew the majority of the Jews had rejected Jesus as their Messiah (savior)

They trusted in the Law of Moses – good works – to get them into heaven…

Paul knew his fellow Jews – we destined for Hell – because they had rejected Jesus

Galatians 2:16 – “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ…”

Perhaps we can relate to Paul – we have family who do not have faith in Jesus…

Friends who think they ‘might’ get into heaven because of their ‘good works’…

Those who believe in religion – no real relationship with God – empty rituals…

Our heart breaks for them – wishing they could have the abundant life in Jesus

Paul was at the point of wishing – he would go to Hell – if they could go to heaven…

It was not possible – but out of a broken heart for his people – Paul almost wished

He loved the Jews so much there was nothing he would not do to help save them!

We see this in Paul’s 3 missionary journeys in the book of Acts…

In every city Paul went into – the 1^st place he went was the Jewish synagogue…

Even if they beat him – tried to kill him – Paul came kept giving them the Gospel!

We know what happens to those who do not have faith in Jesus…

Can we say like Paul we would do almost anything to assure their salvation…

Are we bold – recognizing what is at stake – the urgency of the need for Jesus…

Or are we embarrassed – concerned about what they might say or think of us…

Not all Israel – is Israel… vs. 4-13

Israel had it all… vs. 4-5

Israel had everything they needed – more than any other people – to be saved…

They were ‘adopted’ as the chosen people of God – Deuteronomy 7:7

They saw the ‘glory’ of God at Mt. Sinai – Deuteronomy 5:24

They received the ‘covenants’ from God – Abraham & Circumcision – Genesis 15:18

They were given the ‘Law’ of God – definition of ‘good’ – Exodus 24:12

They were called into the ‘service’ of God – Exodus 23:25

They received the ‘promises’ from God – Jeremiah 31:31-33

All of the prophets – all of the ‘fathers’ of the faith – were Israelites…

Even Jesus – according to the flesh (Mary) – was an Israelite!

Jesus who is over all – THE ETERNALLY BLESSED GOD…

Side note: Jesus was not just a man – Paul here blatantly confirms – Jesus is God!

The world is full of false faiths – posing to be from God – but denying the TRUE Jesus…

They talk about a Jesus – but they are cults – their Jesus is not THE Jesus of the Bible

They say Jesus is ‘a god’, or ‘an angel’, or ‘just a man’…

But the Jesus of the Bible is THE ETERNALLY BLESSED GOD…

I John 5:7 – “For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.”

Titus 2:13 – “Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ…”

Don’t be fooled by the counterfeits – the false religions – and the cults… 

Jesus is God – and simply – only – by faith in Him – can we be saved!

The point being Israel had it ALL – if anyone should have been saved – it was them!

They had God’s Word – they had EVERY blessing – they should have believed…

But they did not – it is not that the word of God had no effect…

God’s Word is powerful – it changes hearts – it transforms lives…

Hebrews 4:12 – “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two–edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Romans 10:15 – “Faith come by hearing and hearing by the Word of God…”

But like a seed – the Word can only bring fruit when it falls on good soil…

If you take good seed and ‘plant’ it on a hardened road – it will not grow…

Take the same seed and put it in good soil – it bears a LOT of fruit…

It is not about the ‘seed’ (Word of God) it is about the soil (hearts of men)

God gave Israel GOOD seed – but not all of the people of Israel were GOOD soil…

Have you even noticed how one person is blessed by a Bible study…

While another – listening to the same Word – is bored – perhaps falling asleep…

It is not the Word of God that is the problem – it is the heart of the listener…

If your heart is not open – your ears will not listen – your eyes will not see – Jesus!

Not everyone who is a Jew (Israel) is ‘Governed by God’ (Israel)… vs. 6

Just because someone was born an ‘Israelite’ does not mean they follow God…

The Jews assumed because they were ‘Israelites’ they were saved – going to heaven…

Matthew 3:9 – “Do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.”

Just because someone is born in the Philippines – does not make them a Christian

If you father was a Christian – even if your grandfather was a pastor…

It is no assurance you will go to heaven – God has no grandkids – only children…

Just because someone goes to church – does not make them a Christian…

We can say all the right things to sound like a Christian – come to church every Sunday…

But it is not about what we say – or where we are it is about the actions from our lives

John 8:39, 44 – “‘Abraham is our father.’ Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham… You are of your father the devil…”

If you live like the devil – then it’s a good bet you are not a child of God…

In Isaac your children will be called… (Son of the promise)… vs. 7-9

Abraham was the father of ‘Israel’ – but Abraham had more than 1 son…

God had promised to give Abraham a son – but he was already 85 years old!

So he tried in his flesh to give God a ‘helping hand’ – he had Ishmael (through Hagar)

God did not even recognize Ishmael as Abraham’s son – Genesis 22:2

The descendants of Ishmael were not God’s chosen people – they were not ‘Israel’…

The promise to be ‘God’s chosen’ people only came through the son of Promise – Isaac!

At 100 years old – God did the impossible – He gave Abraham & Sarah a child…

God’s chosen people came through Isaac – the child of Promise (work of the Spirit)

The picture being – God does not recognize a work of the flesh…

Those who try and be saved by good works ‘flesh’ – are not the children of God…

Only those who receive the promise of God – ‘salvation by the spirit’ – are saved!

A similar example – Jacob vs. Esau… vs. 10-13…

Isaac was the son of promise – but Isaac had more than 1 son – he had twins…

Before they were even born – having done neither good nor bad – God chose…

God knew everything about the two boys from the beginning – therefore he said…

‘Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated’ – Malachi 1:2-3

When we first look at the lives of these men this can seem confusing…

Esau seemed at first to have been a ‘pleasant’ enough guy – a hard working man

Yet looking at the life of Jacob – Genesis 25-49 (mentioned 164 times)

He was not a nice guy – he cheated and lied his way through most of life

Not by works – but of Him who calls…

But… God knew that Esau would be a worldly man – not interested in the Lord

God knew that Jacob – would be a man who would one day follow the Lord

God does not see us as we are today – God does not see us from the outside

God sees the heart – I Samuel 16:7 – He sees us as we will be one day

How amazing that when God looks at us He does not see sinners…

He sees the saints that we will one day be – by the Grace of God!

The next time you look in the mirror and ask – why me God…

Remember God looks at a very different mirror – He looks at the heart

He looks at the man of God He is making us to be!

Those who believe by faith – are the sons of promise – the chosen children of God…

Like Israel – it does not matter how much we think we have going for us – blessings…

It does not matter where we were born – it does not matter who our family is…

It does not even matter what we do – we are not saved by any of these things…