The Grief of Isra’el’s Past Paradox
9: 1-5
The grief of Isra’el’s past paradox DIG: In what ways does the Christian community overlook the Messianic community? Is “To the Jew especially, but equally to the Gentile” (1:16) a command or a choice? How and why does Paul express his concern for his people? How should each of these benefits he mentions here have drawn the Jewish people to Messiah?
REFLECT: Do you have a burden for Jewish people? Why? Why not? Why did so many Gentiles find righteousness, while most Jews have not? How do you think the link with Abraham can help solve conflicts between Jews and Gentiles? How did Paul feel when he thought of his kinsmen being lost? How great is your grief over Jews being lost?
In explaining his grief and Isra’el’s paradox, Paul spells out eight of her advantages.
Paul’s emotion: I am speaking the truth – even as the apostle to the Gentiles (1:5-6; 11:13), as one who belongs to the Messiah, I do not lie; and also bearing witness is my conscience, governed by the Ruach Ha’Kodesh. Since Paul’s ministry was to the Gentiles, perhaps some thought he would no longer be interested in the Jews. In this verse he affirms the sincerity of his grief over Isra’el’s failure, as a people, to honor their Messiah. My grief is so great, the pain in my heart so constant, always in the back of my mind, that I could wish myself, if it were possible, to actually be under God’s curse (Greek: anathema) and separated from the Messiah, if it would help my brothers who have rejected Him, my own flesh and blood (9:1-3), the people of Isra’el! The Greek word anathema corresponds to the Hebrew word cherem, meaning, set apart for destruction. Paul had that kind of concern for his own people.
When Isra’el apostatized and built the golden calf, Moshe prayed: These people have committed a terrible sin: they have made themselves a god out of gold. Now, if You will just forgive their sin! But if You won’t, then, I beg You, blot me out of the book which You have written. God’s answer to Moses was: Those who have sinned against me are the ones I will blot out of my book. Now go and lead the people to the place I told you about; my Angel will go ahead of you (Exodus 32:32-34a). The Angel has been identified as the pre-incarnate Yeshua Messiah, and the book is none other than the Book of life (Revelation 3:5, 20:12, 21:27). Every Rosh Ha’Shanah and Yom Kippur in the synagogue liturgy calls for Jews to pray that their sins will be forgiven and their names written in the Book of Life. Revelation 20:15 says that those whose names are not written in it will burn eternally in the Lake of Fire, the second death. Thus, Moshe, like Paul after him, was willing to be under Ha’Shem’s cherem judgment if it would help his fellow Jews.246
The tragedy of Isra’el’s present apostasy is compounded because she has so many advantages over the Gentiles. This subject was raised in 2:17-20 and again at 3:1-2 and 9.
1. Isra’el was adopted and made God’s children (9:4a). Moses was to say to Pharaoh, “This is what ADONAI says: Isra’el is my firstborn son, and I told you, ‘Let My son go, so he may worship Me.’ But you refused to let him go; so, I will kill your firstborn son” (Exodus 4:22-23). This is not only stated in Exodus, but is understood throughout the TaNaKh. Isra’el’s national adoption has never been disinherited, nor can it be as the prophets point out (Isaiah 63:16; Jeremiah 3:17-19, 31:9 and 20; Hosea 11:1).
2. Isra’el has the Sh’khinah glory (9:4b). The Sh’khinah, the visible manifestation of God’s presence, has been with them (see the commentary on Isaiah, to see link click Ju – The Glory of the LORD Rises Upon You). It was visible in the pillar of fire and smoke in the wilderness (Exodus 13:31; 33:9; Numbers 12:5, 14:14; Deuteronomy 31:15), and which was present in the Tabernacle (Exodus 40:36-38) and in the Temple (Ezeki’el 1:28, 3:23, 9:3, 10:4 and 18-19, 11:22-23, 43:2-5, 44:4; First Kings 8:11). Having YHVH visibly present was an obvious advantage to the Jewish people in helping them understand His work and ways. The writer to the Hebrews in Chapter 1 verses 2-3 declares to us: But now, in the acharit-hayamim (last days), God has spoken to us through His Son, to whom He has given ownership of everything and through whom He created the universe. This Son is the radiance of the Sh’khinah, the very expression of God’s essence, upholding all that exists by His powerful word; and after He had, through Himself, made purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of Ha’G’dulah Ba’M’romim (the Majesty in heaven).
3. Isra’el has the covenants (9:4c). God made four unconditional covenants with Isra’el. The Abrahamic Covenant (see the commentary on Genesis Eg – I am the LORD, Who Brought You Out of Ur of the Chaldeans to Give You This Land), the Sinai Covenant (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Fm – Renewal of the Covenant), the Davidic Covenant (see the commentary on the Life of David Ct – The LORD’s Covenant with David), and the B’rit Chadashah (see the commentary on Jeremiah Eo – The Days are Coming, declares the LORD, When I Will Make a New Covenant with the People of Isra’el). Although not a formal partner of the New Covenant, the Gentiles in the Church “participate” when they make the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua, Lord of their lives (Ephesians 1:13-14).
Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for having such great love to make a New Covenant where the instructions for how we are to live are not written on any type of paper nor parchment, but written on our hearts. Yes, I will write it on their heart. I will be their God and they will be My people (Jeremiah 31:32). Praise You for giving to all who love you the Spirit of truth, also called the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, to live in all believers to help and to guide them. I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper so He may be with you forever – the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him. You know Him, because He abides with you and will be in you (John 14:16-17).
How gracious and wonderful to have You, our Father God living within those who love You. Yeshua answered and said to him: If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him (John 14:23). You are a joy and a delight to please. Even when I am mocked for following Your ways, I will remember Your great sacrificial love by dying as my sin offering (Second Corinthians 5:21) and I will keep my heart focused on the shortness of this life’s trials and the eternal joy with You in heaven. For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen
4. Isra’el has the Torah (9:4d). The fourth advantage consists of two parts. First the Torah itself, containing the very words of YHVH for the guidance and edification of the nation, had been its constitution for more than 1,300 years when Paul wrote Romans. But second, and more important, is the actual giving of the Torah. This was the formative event which, together with the Exodus from Egypt, has shaped the destiny of the Jewish people throughout history. In that moment when God gave the Torah to Moshe on Mount Sinai, the divine and eternal met the human and temporal in a way equaled only by the birth, death and resurrection of our Lord Himself. For the Torah was given through Moshe; grace and truth came through Yeshua the Messiah (John 1:17).
5. Isra’el had the Temple service and the promises (9:4d). The Temple service (Greek: latreia) was not merely a daily reminder to the Jewish people of God’s provision for their spiritual survival and continued existence, cleansing them from sin through the sacrificial system. This is an expression that is used specifically for Tabernacle and Temple worship. It is found in this sense in Hebrews 10:1-3. The Temple service includes offerings, the priesthood, and the Levitical offerings.
6. Isra’el has the promises of the prophets (9:4e). The promises of redemption, reconciliation and ultimate victory through the Messiah were made to Isra’el – for the TaNaKh is nothing if not a record of God’s promises to the Jewish people. These include promises to Isra’el in general, and the Messianic promises in particular.
7. Isra’el has the Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (9:5a). And from them (Deuteronomy 10:14-15; Hebrews 11:1-12:2), Isra’el received the promises above, and the faithfulness of ADONAI guarantees the fulfillment of those promises (Second Corinthians 1:20). Non-Messianic Judaism traditionally banks on their upright behavior, or “the merits of the Fathers,” as being advantageous to them, though this is not the point here.
8. Isra’el has the Messiah (9:5b). Finally, then, as far as his physical descent is concerned, came the Messiah, who is over all. This is no cause for ethnic pride, since Messiah is for all mankind and not only for Jews; yet, it is a great honor and advantage which one would not have expected the Jewish people to ignore. Also, since He is over all (Isaiah 9:6-7; First Corinthians 15:27-28; Colossians 1:15-19) – which means that He is in charge of everything – all the more should Isra’el have heeded and accepted Him.
Praise be ADONAI forever. This is the language of a Jewish blessing; in Hebrew it would be, “Barukh ADONAI l’olam va’ed.” In Jewish liturgies a recital of God’s attributes or deeds, such as here, elicits a blessing.
Amen. This word instructs the congregation hearing Paul’s letter being read aloud to affirm the b’rakhah with their own Amen, just as “And we say Amen” serves the same function in the Kaddish.247
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