What about the Jews? 3

Sovereign Grace Family Church

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November 4, 2011

00:00: Alright, let's begin with a word of prayer, and then we will open up our scriptures together and begin our study.
00:09: Our Father and our God, we thank you for, again, this opportunity to open up your Word together, to study what you have to tell us.
00:18: And we pray, O Lord, that we would be faithful to the Scripture, that we would seek to know what it is saying and not try to impose upon it our own ideals of what it should say, or our ideas of what it should mean, but that we would just seek its meaning.
00:37: And Lord, not only Lord, that we would know what it means, but that we would know how we ought to apply it.
00:44: And I pray, Lord, as you give me wisdom to teach, I pray that you would keep me from error, keep me from wanting to follow after my own vain opinion, and help me to focus on the truth and to speak it clearly.
01:01: I pray for the hearts of the people, Lord, that you would open up their minds and hearts.
01:06: And Lord, that in everything that we do, we would seek in every way to glorify you.
01:11: In Jesus' name we pray.
01:14: Amen.
01:17: If you want to open up your Bibles with me, we're going to be tonight in Romans chapter 11.
01:23: I forget how many weeks we've been in chapter 11, but tonight it is the hope of the evening that we finish chapter 11 and move into chapter 12.
01:33: Not that I'm in a hurry, but I think that Romans chapter 11 has a centralized focus, and I think we have talked about it, and we've discussed it, and we've addressed it.
01:45: And if you haven't been here, which I think most of you have, but if you haven't been here, just to kind of reiterate, Romans 11 is Paul answering the question, Has God rejected Israel as a nation? Paul's answer to that is, No, because I'm an Israelite.
02:02: If God had rejected us all, then I wouldn't be here.
02:04: So that's his first argument.
02:06: And then he goes on to talk about the fact that Israel is the root of the tree.
02:13: Out of Israel has grown the Messiah.
02:19: And of course, we as Gentiles have been grafted into the tree, and there are those who were born part of the tree ethnically, but because they do not have faith in the Messiah, have been removed from the root.
02:34: As he said, some have been cut away, and some have been grafted in.
02:38: And that's what we spent a lot of time last week, talking about the fact that there have been some of the Israelites, many of the Israelites, who have not believed, and they're not a part of true Israel, because even though they might be ethnic Israel, they are not in Christ.
02:58: And if they're not in Christ, Jesus said, He said, If you were of God, you would believe what I say, but if you don't believe what I say, you're of your father, the devil.
03:08: Jesus was very clear, because they all said, What? We have Abraham as our father.
03:12: And he said, No, you don't.
03:13: If you were true sons of Abraham, you would have believed in me.
03:17: So being the physical descendant of Abraham was not enough.
03:22: You had to also share the faith of Abraham, which was the faith in Christ.
03:28: And tonight we get to a very difficult portion.
03:32: Difficult not in the sense that it is hard to understand, but difficult in that it is hard to know for certain what exactly Paul is referring to, because he's going to use the phrase, All Israel will be saved.
03:53: And that has led to so many confusing conversations and so many confusing theologies.
04:00: As I mentioned to you a few weeks ago, I wanted to reiterate tonight.
04:05: I was watching, you know, I guess it's the 700 Club, and I don't normally watch Pat Robertson, but I just happened to be flipping through the channels, and he's interviewing a man who was a Jew by ethnicity and I guess by faith.
04:23: But he was not a Jew or he wasn't a Christian.
04:26: And the man said to Pat Robertson, he said, Well, am I going to hell? Now, this would have been a great opportunity for Pat Robertson to share the gospel.
04:36: You know, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.
04:40: You know, he who believes will be saved.
04:42: He who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the only begotten Son of God.
04:46: He could have just quoted scripture to him and answered the questions, obviously.
04:51: But instead, he chose to go to Romans 11.
04:54: He says, Well, you know, Romans 11 tells us that all Israel will be saved and you're a Jew, so you're okay.
05:02: And I thought, there you just threw away an opportunity to share the gospel.
05:07: You've left the man who was already condemned and his position of condemnation.
05:12: You have not tried to reach him with the gospel of Christ.
05:14: And you basically said to him, Because you are a Jew by birth, you are by nature born again.
05:21: And you're not.
05:25: In fact, Paul makes that point so clear in Romans 9 when he says, I would myself to have been accursed if it meant the salvation of my kindred, my brethren, according to the flesh, which are the Jews.
05:36: Why would he wish himself accursed for their salvation if they're saved by their ethnicity? It wouldn't make any sense.
05:42: So I always go back to that because I remember going, Well, that's just one more reason why we know better than we should know better than to get our theology from certain television characters, because just because they're on TV does not make them good theologians.
06:00: In fact, oftentimes being on television can can cause people to become so fascinated with fame that they lose their their convictions.
06:12: I don't know if that's what happened to him or if he just never had solid convictions to begin with.
06:17: But let's begin.
06:18: We're going to begin at Romans 11, 25.
06:20: We're going to read to the end of the chapter.
06:22: And that, I believe, is 11 verses.
06:25: Yes, down to verse 36.
06:29: We begin in verse 25.
06:31: It says, Lest you be wise in your own sight.
06:34: I want you to understand this mystery, brothers.
06:39: A partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
06:48: And in this way, all Israel will be saved.
06:53: As it is written, the deliverer will come from Zion.
06:57: He will banish ungodliness from Jacob.
07:01: And this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.
07:06: As regards the gospel, they are enemies of God for your sake.
07:12: But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers.
07:20: For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.
07:25: For just as you were at one time disobedient to God, but now have received mercy because of their disobedience.
07:32: So they, too, have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you, they may also now receive mercy.
07:42: For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.
07:49: Oh, the depth and riches and wisdom of and knowledge of God.
07:55: How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways.
08:00: For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid for from him and through him and to him are all things to him.
08:16: Be glory forever.
08:18: Amen.
08:19: May God add his blessing to the reading of his inspired word.
08:26: Now, going back to verse 25, I want to reiterate something I said last week.
08:33: And trust me when I say this is not a cop-out.
08:38: I said last week at the beginning of the message, there are certain parts of scripture that I find much more difficult than others.
08:45: And I don't say that because I want to get away with being able to say I don't know.
08:50: But sometimes I don't know the answers to everything.
08:53: In fact, more often than not, I don't know all the answers.
08:57: But this particular passage, I tend to find rather difficult in some portions, but not the portions that perhaps maybe someone might think I have trouble with.
09:08: Because I don't think the all Israel will be saved is the hardest part of this passage.
09:13: The hardest part, I think, is later.
09:16: That's why I wanted to read the whole thing.
09:18: That's why I wanted us to go from 25 to verse 36.
09:20: Because I think the all Israel will be saved, it really only has a couple of options to choose from for us to decide what is the actual interpretation of this.
09:31: And I think it's very limited when you really get down to it as to what Paul could be saying here, what he really means here.
09:36: And I think that's easier to come to a conclusion about than some of the later portions.
09:41: So I'm just telling you now, there are going to be some portions where I'm going to say this has various nuances that we have to consider.
09:48: And if I don't know all the answers, forgive me.
09:52: Sometimes we are left not knowing everything.
09:56: But we can study and try to show ourselves to prove that's what we're supposed to do.
10:01: Let's begin, though, with verse 25.
10:02: Because he says, lest you be wise in your own sight, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers.
10:08: The key word in that verse, I think, at least that's not in the whole verse, but the key word in that portion I just read is the word mystery.
10:17: The word mystery, when we think about a mystery now, you think about mystery.
10:23: Oftentimes we think about something that is puzzling, something that's difficult to grasp.
10:30: Like you might talk about the mystery of UFO sightings.
10:34: You know, that's puzzling.
10:35: It's mysterious.
10:36: You know, or the mystery of Bigfoot, right? You know, or something like that.
10:41: You might use it as something puzzling, something kind of interesting that you just don't know the answer to.
10:47: That's not the way Paul is using the word mystery here.
10:50: What he's saying about the word mystery, when Paul uses it, and this is not the only place Paul uses it.
10:55: Paul uses it a couple times in the New Testament.
10:58: And when Paul uses the word mystery, what he's saying, this is something that was unknown to the people of God before.
11:04: But has now been revealed.
11:06: This is something that was not understood in the past and is now being understood.
11:13: And what is it that wasn't understood in the past that's now being understood? That God would open the door of the gospel to the Gentiles.
11:23: That's what, in the Old Testament, under the Old Covenant, this was not understood.
11:28: This was not.
11:29: This was not.
11:29: In fact, at the time of the Jews or the time of Jesus, rather, the Jews were so committed to the fact that the Gentiles were just lost and that they were the only ones.
11:39: And that was not going.
11:40: You know, if they went to a Gentile country, when they came back, they would shake the dirt off their feet because they were they were with the scoundrels and the dogs and the dregs of society and they didn't want anything to do with them.
11:51: And they just felt like they had this special anointing from God, which they had as a nation, this special calling from God.
11:57: And that everyone else was just out of luck.
12:02: They were just left to themselves.
12:04: And now this new teaching has come that the gospel, the good news of God, the truth of salvation has gone out to the Gentiles.
12:16: That's what he says.
12:17: He says, lest you be wise in your own sight, I want you to understand this mystery.
12:21: When he says this mystery, this one, which one? And he goes on to tell us a partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
12:33: That's the mystery.
12:34: That's the mystery.
12:35: That's he's telling us.
12:36: This is what I want you to understand, that right now there has been a hardening placed upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
12:48: Now, there's some language issues here that we need to understand.
12:54: First of all, and I thought this was interesting because Calvin actually made this point in his commentary.
13:00: He said that the word until doesn't mean it's not placing in time.
13:07: What he's saying is he's saying the word until he said a partial hardening has come until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
13:14: He's saying it's not that the partial hardening started.
13:18: The Gentiles are going to come in and then it's going to be lifted.
13:21: He is saying that the partial hardening come in so that the Gentiles could come in.
13:28: And that's how he interprets the Greek here.
13:31: I have tried to look into the language.
13:33: I've tried to see.
13:35: I don't find many English translations translating it that way.
13:38: But he's not the only one of the commentators that I read that noted this little linguistic issue.
13:43: That it's not a this is going to happen.
13:46: This is going to happen.
13:47: This is going to happen.
13:47: But that the reason for the hardening was so that the Gentiles could come in.
13:54: So that's just a little language issue that I think I needed to bring up.
13:58: And again, I cannot give you a definite answer as to whether or not that is correct.
14:04: I will only say this.
14:05: It's not translated that way in most English translations.
14:08: I couldn't find an English translation that didn't translate it until the fullness of the Gentiles is has come in.
14:17: But I wanted to mention it because here's the thing.
14:21: A lot of people see this verse and this is what they see.
14:26: They say God has hardened Israel so that Gentiles could come in.
14:35: But that when the time of the Gentiles is over, God's going to release the hardening of Israel and there's going to be national revival.
14:45: So you have the time of Israel.
14:47: Huh? Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
14:50: And that's how it's often interpreted.
14:52: You have the time of Israel was prior to Christ.
14:55: You know, that was all about Israel, the Old Testament.
14:57: And now you have the time of the Gentiles.
14:59: And even Jesus and Luke talks about the time of the Gentiles.
15:03: You know, he said this will not happen until the time of the Gentiles is complete.
15:07: You know, this passage there talks about that.
15:09: And what most people say is, OK, the Jews had their time in the Old Testament.
15:14: God hardened them.
15:15: He opened up the heart of the Gentiles.
15:17: And that's the time we're in now.
15:19: But there's coming a day when God is going to again open the heart of the Jews.
15:26: And there's going to come national revival among the Jewish people.
15:33: And a lot of people believe that that is the case.
15:37: A lot of people look at these verses and that's what they see.
15:39: In fact, that's how a lot of people interpret the next verse, which it says, and all Israel will be saved.
15:43: They say there's coming a day when there will be a national revival and there will be almost universal acceptance among the Jewish people of their Messiah.
15:57: So that is one way to understand it.
16:00: Calvin again, and Calvin's not the answer to everything, but when he speaks, you know, sometimes we listen.
16:06: He's a smart guy, you know.
16:08: His was that this is a concurrent thing.
16:12: Was that, yes, God has placed a hardening on the Jews so that the Gentiles could come in.
16:21: Because, and here's the reason, had God not placed the hardening on the Jews there would not have been extra Israeli evangelists.
16:32: If they would have all accepted Christ, they would have stayed in their little huddle.
16:36: Because that's what they were doing before.
16:37: They were huddled up and saying, we're the only ones.
16:39: And had they been all receptive of Christ, they all would have continued.
16:43: But the fact that there's hardening among them, Paul said what? What did Paul say? He says, I'm done with you.
16:49: I'm going to take the gospel to the Gentiles.
16:53: And so because of the hardening of the Jews, the gospel went out to the Gentiles and we see the gospel flourishing among the Gentiles.
17:00: So you see, it's a little bit different way of looking at it.
17:03: It's a little bit different way of seeing it.
17:05: I'm not going to tell you I have all the answers because I don't.
17:08: But it is another way of seeing.
17:11: And in that understanding, it doesn't necessarily look forward to a national revival.
17:17: It simply says that Jews, the Jews as a nation, have had a hardening come on them because had it not happened, there may have not been the Gentile evangelism that happened.
17:41: With verse 11.
17:44: So I ask that they stumble in order that they might fall by no means rather through their trespasses.
17:48: Salvation has come to the Gentiles so as to make Israel jealous.
17:54: I don't know.
17:55: Again, I think we talked about verse 11, I think, last week and saying that what does it mean to make Israel jealous? What's Paul's purpose in saying that the gospel going to the Gentiles was to make Israel want what they had? You know, it's to see the outgrowth of God and the miracles of God and the working of the gospel through the Gentiles and for Israel to say, yes, we've missed what is obviously a work of God.
18:26: But I guess tell me what you're thinking because I'm missing, I guess, how I would connect the two necessarily.
18:32: Well, it is real.
19:04: Yeah, that's true.
19:07: Again, I don't know.
19:09: The only thing, though, later on it talks about if God grafted us in, he could certainly graft us back out and graft them back in.
19:16: And that's caused some people to see, well, perhaps that is what's coming.
19:20: Perhaps even though he opened the door to the Gentiles and he grafted us in, that there's coming a time where the time of the Gentiles will end.
19:27: And I believe it's in Luke 24 where Jesus talks about these things will happen until the times of the Gentiles are complete.
19:33: And by using that language, I think some people have said there's coming a day when the Gentiles will no longer be the object and it will go back to being the Jews.
19:43: I mean, like I said, I don't know if I agree with that or disagree with that.
19:46: I'm just saying that's how some have seen connecting Jesus' words to...
19:50: Because obviously, I think the phrase times of the Gentiles is in itself...
19:56: The two are similar because Jesus used the phrase times of the Gentiles.
20:01: And in fact, let me see if I can see where that passage is.
20:03: I believe it's Luke 24.
20:08: Let's see here.
20:11: And of course, I won't have the note.
20:24: This is John 4, 22.
20:25: Is that correct? No.
20:34: Luke 21.
20:45: Yes, thank you.
20:46: Thank you.
20:47: I knew it was 24.
20:48: I said Luke 24.
20:49: It was Luke 21 and 24.
20:52: And Jesus is talking about the destruction of Jerusalem.
20:56: He's talking here about what I would say is what happened in AD 70.
21:02: Because He begins in verse 20.
21:04: He says, But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near.
21:09: Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains and let those who are in the city depart.
21:13: Let not those who are out in the country enter it.
21:16: For these are the days of vengeance to fulfill all that is written.
21:19: Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days.
21:22: For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people.
21:25: They will fall to the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations.
21:29: And Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
21:37: So this is how some people have interpreted that.
21:40: They've said, OK, that happened in AD 70.
21:42: AD 70 was when Jerusalem fell.
21:46: That is not long after.
21:48: We're talking a decade and a half, two decades maybe.
21:51: After the gospel began being preached among the Gentiles.
21:55: Jerusalem is destroyed.
21:56: It's been trampled underfoot by Gentiles ever since.
22:00: What's in the middle of Jerusalem right now? A giant mosque, right? The big dome of the rock is covered by a gigantic golden sphere.
22:09: That's the Muslims.
22:12: They have desecrated the dome of the rock with the God Allah's building.
22:22: And the point here of Christ, at least the way some have interpreted it, is saying that there's a time of the Gentiles.
22:31: It's going to begin here at this destruction and it's going to go until it's fulfilled, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
22:40: Now, if you see that and connect that with what's being said in Romans 11 when he talks about the times of the Gentiles or the fullness of the Gentiles, it can be said that from the time of the gospel going to the Gentiles till now, because obviously Gentiles are still the object, the focus of most of Christianity, that there is this time that we would call the time of the Gentiles.
23:08: But one day it's going to be fulfilled or it's going to be complete and that God may at that point open up the door to the Gentiles.
23:19: Again, I'm sorry, for the Jews, thank you.
23:26: I stand here saying there's so much that has been interpreted.
23:31: And again, there's two entire schools of theological thought on this issue.
23:36: There's dispensationalism, which says that there's definitely this mode in which God has used the church, but that the church is not Israel and Israel is not the church, and that there are these two lines that God has in the world and that the lines are running concurrently now and that God has a plan for Israel and God has a plan for the church and he will bring it all together after the rapture, because it is after the rapture when the greatest amount of Jewish evangelism will happen during the tribulation period.
24:07: This is at least traditional pre-tribulation rapture dispensationalism is what I'm describing.
24:14: I know there's mid-tribulation rapture and there's other views, but traditionally the idea of the church is the church runs concurrently with Israel.
24:23: Both are God's people, both are fulfilling God's purpose in the different spheres, Israel in an earthly way and the church in a spiritual way, and there will come a time when the church will be raptured out and then Israel will receive her Messiah, who is Christ.
24:40: That's the dispensationalist view.
24:43: Thus, what is the church? The church at the time of the Gentiles, in their view.
24:47: And then you have the other side, covenant theology, or what we would say maybe replacement theology, which would say that the church came in as a replacement for Israel.
24:59: God turned his back on Israel and God replaced Israel with the church, and now the church is God's people, and God has turned Israel over to never go back again to ethnic Israel.
25:14: So you have two competing schools of thought.
25:17: And as I've said on many occasions, I've said in the last couple of weeks, I don't think either one of them is exactly right.
25:24: I think both of them have major errors when we begin looking particularly at these chapters, because you have to begin trying to fit these verses into your paradigm.
25:34: Rather than fitting your theology into the verses, you have to start fitting the verses into your theology.
25:39: And I remember the first time I had a difficulty, because I went to a school that taught pre-tribulation rapture dispensational theology, and I was told, if you don't believe that, you're just not dividing the word correctly, you just don't know the word, you da-da-da-da-da.
25:55: And I had a friend of mine, I was talking to him about the pre-tribulation rapture, and I said, man, I believe in this pre-tribulation rapture.
26:00: And he didn't believe it.
26:01: And I said, what? You know, I kind of took it back, you ain't a Christian, you know, because this is obviously what I'm being taught.
26:06: So I go back to my professor, and I said, prof, listen, I got this guy, he thinks he's a Christian.
26:14: Yeah, I'm ignorant.
26:16: And this guy, he doesn't believe in the pre-tribulation rapture.
26:20: Can you show me where in the Bible it says that, so that I can take him, you know, that silver bullet that can just, I'll just shoot a hole right in his theology.
26:31: Well, he said, OK, well, let's look at our Bible.
26:33: So he pulls out his Bible, and he goes, OK, come here, and he flipped over to one passage, and he read one passage, and I said, OK.
26:41: And he said, then you have to go here, and he, and now you've got to read this passage, and you've got to understand it in light of that passage.
26:47: No context at all.
26:49: And I'm like, wait a minute, I took hermeneutics from you.
26:55: That was my first thought.
26:57: You are breaking all the rules that you taught me in interpreting this book.
27:03: Because he must have went to 14 different passages.
27:06: None of them taught.
27:08: But you see, he had a paradigm that he was bringing to this, and he was making these verses say what he wanted them to say, rather than allowing the text to speak for itself.
27:17: And that's when I got real nervous about eschatology.
27:21: Because I have seen what happens to guys who think they know it all.
27:25: Guys like Harold Campin.
27:27: They can become very dangerous very fast.
27:30: So I'm careful about eschatology.
27:33: I'm careful about what I say in regard to God's plan for the Jewish people, God's plan for the church and the future.
27:40: I'm like Sproul.
27:42: Sproul was asked, do you think God has a future plan for Israel? And he said, I can read this text and I certainly see that I can see it, but I don't know for certain.
27:55: I can see it being understood in this passage, but I don't know for certain what the plan is, how it's going to work out, how it's going to manifest itself.
28:06: But again, we try our best to understand as best we can.
28:11: And that's all we can do.
28:14: Now, going to verse 26.
28:16: Again, this is the most controversial passage.
28:19: And in this way, all Israel will be saved as it is written.
28:23: And he goes on to say the deliverer will come from God.
28:27: How many of your Bibles say, and so all Israel will be saved? You got one.
28:34: Which one is it? Huh? No, which translation? I'm sorry.
28:39: NASB.
28:40: OK, so the NAS says and so.
28:42: And thus.
28:44: OK.
28:45: Sir? New King James says and so.
28:49: That's fine.
28:50: King James.
28:50: OK.
28:51: All right.
28:53: This is one of those times where I really like the ESV.
28:56: And I'm critical of the ESV when I need to be, but I also can support this one when I want to.
29:04: And this is one of those times where I'm going to support the ESV's rendering.
29:09: How many of you are familiar with? It's a verse.
29:14: It's a little.
29:15: I don't know if it's real popular.
29:16: John 3, 16.
29:17: You think most of you are real familiar with that one.
29:21: And everybody always translates it.
29:24: How God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes will not perish, but have everlasting life.
29:30: Right.
29:30: And that word.
29:32: So has been misapplied hundreds of times.
29:37: And I've heard pastors do it because the word.
29:40: So they think it means scope.
29:45: God so loved the world as if to say God loved the world so much.
29:50: In fact, I think that's what the NIV translates it.
29:53: God loved the world so much that he gave his only son.
29:58: That is not the proper rendering of the word.
30:01: So the word.
30:03: So means in this way.
30:08: So here's John 3, 16.
30:10: In this way, God loved the world.
30:13: He sent his only son that whoever believes will have eternal life.
30:16: He doesn't make sense.
30:17: This is the way that God loves the world.
30:20: This is the way God loves the whole world, that he sent his son, that whosoever believes will not perish, but have everlasting life.
30:26: Now take that linguistic thought and go back to verse 26.
30:33: It is not.
30:34: And so all Israel will be saved in the sense of saying.
30:37: And so as in as in this is the result.
30:41: What he's saying in this way, all Israel will be saved.
30:47: In what way? He goes on to say, as it is written, the deliverer will come from Zion.
30:54: He will banish ungodliness from Jacob.
30:56: And this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.
31:00: In what way will all Israel will be saved through the deliverer who will come from Zion, who will banish ungodliness from Jacob and take away their sins? That's the way all Israel will be saved.
31:13: It will be through Christ.
31:17: It has to be.
31:19: So when somebody asks me the question, when this says, does it mean all Israel will be saved? Is that all ethnic Israel? My response is this.
31:27: Has all ethnic Israel received Christ? The answer is no.
31:31: Is there coming a day when they will? I don't know.
31:35: Is there coming a day of national revival? I hope so.
31:39: But I know this.
31:41: This is the way they will be saved through the deliverer who comes from Zion.
31:46: And this is not talking about a future coming.
31:49: This is talking about the time when it did come.
31:51: Because he is quoting here from Isaiah.
31:53: When did Isaiah talk about the coming of the deliverer? The first time.
31:58: This is talking about the coming of Messiah.
32:00: The one who came out of Zion.
32:02: The one who banished ungodliness from Jacob.
32:04: And the one who took away the sins.
32:06: Is Christ coming again to take away our sins? No.
32:10: He came already to take away our sins.
32:12: When he returns, he will return as judge and king.
32:17: He has already come as lamb and savior.
32:20: So I would argue that when it says in this way all Israel will be saved.
32:26: Again, this is not the problem for me.
32:28: Because I think it is very clear.
32:30: That the way that all Israel, however they will be saved, whomever will be saved.
32:34: Will be saved through the Messiah Christ.
32:38: A person who is a Jew today.
32:40: Who does not accept Christ.
32:42: And who dies outside of Christ.
32:44: Will not enter heaven.
32:47: Because they have been born of Abraham.
32:49: The Bible nowhere teaches that.
32:51: And this verse is not the exception to the rule.
32:55: Alright.
32:59: Yeah, we talked about that last week.
33:01: A lot of them can't even know for certain.
33:04: Yeah.
33:06: And they have even had debates.
33:10: And I know this is a little off subject.
33:10: They have had debates as to how one can identify their Jewishness.
33:16: Some believe that it is matriarchal.
33:19: That your Jewishness comes through your mother.
33:21: Others believe that it is patriarchal.
33:23: That your Jewishness comes through your father.
33:26: And there are actually debates within Judaism.
33:30: As to who can rightfully be called a Jew.
33:32: Because whether or not their mom and dad or one or the other was a Jew.
33:36: I once had a person tell me.
33:38: Judaism is a matriarchal society.
33:40: I said no it's not.
33:41: It's a patriarchal society.
33:43: Because they didn't say it's the son or that Jesus came.
33:47: Or that.
33:50: This is going to be hard to do.
33:51: They didn't say it was the God of Sarah, Rebecca and Rachel.
33:56: They said it was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
33:58: It's a patriarchal society.
34:00: But what they were trying to say was.
34:02: That today there are some Jews who trace their lineage through their mother.
34:06: And that's.
34:08: Apparently they knew a Jewish person who did that.
34:10: And had told them it's a matriarchal society.
34:12: I said that's only in some groups.
34:15: Remember Judaism is not a unified front.
34:18: There's Hasidic Judaism.
34:19: There's Reformed Judaism.
34:20: It's not like Reformed Christianity.
34:22: There's different types.
34:25: Much like there's different types of Christianity.
34:28: And how they see things is different.
34:31: Oh.
34:32: What are we doing on time? I want to get to verse 36.
34:38: I've got ten minutes to do.
34:41: Eight verses.
34:42: I don't know.
34:43: We'll see.
34:45: Here's the verse I have trouble with.
34:47: I already told you what I think the answer is to verse 26 and 27.
34:51: I think the quotations in verse 26 and 27 are the answer to verse 26.
34:58: But verse 28.
35:01: Is one I have a little difficulty with.
35:03: And I'll share with you what the difficulty is.
35:05: It says.
35:05: As regards to gospel they.
35:07: And the they there has to be Israel.
35:11: Because that's the antecedent here.
35:13: As regards to gospel they are enemies of God for your sake.
35:17: But as regards election.
35:18: And see that word is important to me.
35:19: Because of course being Reformed.
35:21: Election is a big important word that we understand.
35:23: Is God choosing a person for his service.
35:28: And for his salvation.
35:28: And for his blessing.
35:29: That's what we look at election as being.
35:32: As regards election they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers.
35:36: So in one sense he's saying you've got a group of people here.
35:39: That are at the same time.
35:43: Enemies and beloved.
35:46: So I find that difficult.
35:48: Because unless he's making a distinction.
35:51: Between there are some who are enemies of the gospel.
35:56: And some who are beloved.
35:58: But that's not what he's saying.
35:59: And I don't think that's the right rendering.
36:00: Because they're not beloved because of faith in Christ.
36:03: He says they're beloved for the sake of their forefathers.
36:06: And again going back to what's the answer to the riddle.
36:10: I think the answer is.
36:11: That even.
36:13: Even though God has opened up.
36:16: The gospel to the Gentiles.
36:19: There is a sense.
36:21: Where God had placed his.
36:24: Love and affection and election on the nation of Israel.
36:29: And that the people who came from the seed of Abraham.
36:33: Had received the promises and the blessings of God.
36:37: And as such they had received the love of God.
36:40: And even today.
36:44: There and many recognize.
36:47: A national blessing on Israel.
36:50: But is it a salvific blessing? That's the question.
36:55: Is this being beloved because of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? That's the forefathers that are being referenced here.
37:01: Is the beloved nature.
37:03: Is that a blessing? A beatific thing? Or is that a salvific? And that's what I find that verse much more difficult.
37:15: Than the verse preceding it.
37:16: And if you have an answer.
37:18: Call me.
37:18: I'd love to hear it.
37:20: And you may.
37:20: You may read it this week.
37:22: And God open your eyes.
37:23: And you be your pastor's pastor.
37:24: That'd be great.
37:25: I need it sometimes too.
37:28: But you see where I'm having difficulty.
37:30: You see where that passage.
37:31: I think I find that passage difficult.
37:33: I don't know.
37:34: If other pastors do this.
37:36: But I like to be honest.
37:41: Beatific.
37:42: A blessing.
37:43: Like a beatitude.
37:45: Yeah, because we know.
37:46: Paul has already expressed this in Romans 9.
37:49: That the nation of Israel.
37:50: Has blessings from God.
37:52: Even though all the nation wasn't saved.
37:54: All the nation was blessed.
37:56: Because they received what? The word of God.
38:00: The covenant.
38:01: All of this.
38:02: Was given to them.
38:03: They had a blessing from God.
38:04: Even though not all of them were saved.
38:06: They had a national blessing.
38:08: And I think that could be the answer here.
38:10: That what he's saying.
38:11: Is even though.
38:12: Not all of them.
38:13: Have received the gospel.
38:14: And thus receive salvation.
38:16: All of them.
38:17: Have received the national blessing.
38:18: Of being a part.
38:19: Of this covenant.
38:20: People.
38:21: That God made a covenant with.
38:24: And it is only because.
38:26: They have rejected their Messiah.
38:28: That they are not receiving the fullness.
38:31: Of that blessing.
38:33: They had the initial part of the blessing.
38:35: Which was the scriptures.
38:36: And the temple.
38:37: And all of those other things.
38:39: But.
38:41: Again.
38:41: I find that difficult.
38:42: Because the next verse.
38:43: Again.
38:44: Just adds to the difficulty.
38:45: Because he says.
38:46: The gifts and calling of God.
38:47: Are irrevocable.
38:48: Well God promised gifts to Israel.
38:50: God promised gifts.
38:51: Gifts to the children of Abraham.
38:55: But the question is.
38:56: Did God ever promise.
38:58: The children of Abraham.
39:00: Salvation.
39:02: As a nation.
39:05: No.
39:06: The gifts and calling of God.
39:07: The promise of God.
39:08: Were all physical.
39:09: Temporal.
39:10: Blessings.
39:12: National.
39:13: Blessings.
39:13: You will be a great nation.
39:16: Protection.
39:17: Those who bless you.
39:18: I will bless.
39:18: Those who curse you.
39:19: I will curse.
39:20: And land.
39:22: This land.
39:22: Will be.
39:23: For your children.
39:24: And your children's children.
39:26: To.
39:27: For all generations.
39:28: You know that.
39:29: So we see this promise.
39:30: And this blessing.
39:33: And.
39:33: Those things have not been revoked.
39:38: Goes on to verse 30.
39:39: It says.
39:39: For just.
39:40: As you were at once.
39:41: And he.
39:42: Who is you.
39:42: Remember you earlier.
39:43: The antecedent of you.
39:45: They are the Israelites.
39:47: You are the Gentiles.
39:48: In this particular setting.
39:50: For just as you.
39:51: Were at one time.
39:52: Disobedient to God.
39:54: But have now received mercy.
39:55: Because of their disobedience.
39:56: So too.
39:57: Have now.
39:58: Have.
39:59: Excuse me.
39:59: So.
40:00: They too.
40:00: Have now been disobedient.
40:02: In order that by the mercy shown to you.
40:05: They may also now.
40:07: Receive mercy.
40:11: Again.
40:15: It's difficult.
40:17: Because he's saying in that verse.
40:19: He's saying.
40:20: They were.
40:22: You received mercy.
40:24: Even though you were disobedient.
40:25: And now they're being disobedient.
40:27: But they will receive mercy.
40:29: Again.
40:29: This is a picture.
40:30: There may be coming.
40:31: A time of national blessing.
40:33: Because.
40:33: At this point.
40:34: They are not.
40:35: They are not opening their eyes.
40:37: To the scripture.
40:37: At this point.
40:38: By.
40:39: By and large.
40:39: The Jews have rejected Christ.
40:41: But is there.
40:42: Is there coming.
40:43: A time of national mercy.
40:44: Is there coming.
40:45: A time where God will.
40:46: Because remember this.
40:47: Revival is not going to come.
40:49: Simply because they open their eyes.
40:51: Revival is going to come.
40:52: When God opens their eyes.
40:53: Revival is going to come.
40:54: When God opens their hearts.
40:56: If God hardened them.
40:58: God opens them.
41:00: We know that.
41:02: And he says in verse 32.
41:03: For God has consigned all to disobedience.
41:05: That he might have mercy on all.
41:08: And that word all.
41:09: Again.
41:10: People can say.
41:11: People can say.
41:12: Was this talking about all Israel.
41:14: Or is this in reference to the fact.
41:16: That God has consigned all people.
41:19: To disobedience.
41:20: That he might have mercy on all types of people.
41:22: Whether they be Jew or Gentile.
41:25: And I think that.
41:26: That would fit better.
41:27: Because the idea in verse 31.
41:30: Is.
41:31: We were disobedient.
41:31: We received mercy.
41:33: They're disobedient.
41:33: They will receive mercy.
41:35: God consigned all the disobedience.
41:36: So all could have mercy.
41:38: And again.
41:38: It's all types.
41:39: Jews and Gentiles.
41:40: I think that's the better understanding.
41:41: Of verse 32.
41:45: Now.
41:47: My favorite part.
41:49: The part that I don't think.
41:51: Is difficult.
41:53: Is verse 33 or 36.
41:56: Paul ends.
41:57: This glorious.
41:59: Difficult.
42:00: But important.
42:02: Set of passages.
42:03: From chapter 9.
42:04: All the way to chapter 11.
42:05: He has been pouring over this issue.
42:08: Of the Jews and the Gentiles.
42:09: And their relationship.
42:10: In the body of Christ.
42:11: And in the world.
42:13: And he finally.
42:14: Breaks into a song.
42:16: And I know how he feels.
42:17: Because I've been preaching on it.
42:18: For about six weeks now.
42:19: And I'm ready to sing.
42:20: Because tonight's last night.
42:23: That's why I wanted to do this.
42:24: Tonight.
42:24: Really? Because he says.
42:26: Oh.
42:26: The depth.
42:28: Of the riches.
42:29: And the wisdom.
42:29: And knowledge.
42:30: Of God.
42:32: How unsearchable.
42:33: Are his judgments.
42:34: And how inscrutable.
42:35: His ways.
42:36: I swear.
42:36: That is the absolute.
42:38: Best way.
42:38: To end that passage.
42:40: Because what have I been saying all night? This is a difficult.
42:44: Part.
42:46: This is.
42:47: One of the most difficult.
42:48: Portions of scripture.
42:49: In the New Testament.
42:50: That I'm aware of.
42:51: Of course.
42:51: I'm not.
42:52: The best scholar in the world.
42:53: I may find one more difficult.
42:54: Next week.
42:55: But right now.
42:56: This is the part.
42:56: That gives me.
42:57: Most questions.
42:58: And here.
42:59: Paul.
42:59: Ends this portion.
43:00: By saying.
43:01: How inscrutable.
43:03: Are God's ways.
43:05: We.
43:06: Cannot.
43:07: Be.
43:08: His counselor.
43:09: He goes on to say.
43:10: He says.
43:10: For who has known.
43:12: The mind of the Lord.
43:13: Or who.
43:14: Has been.
43:15: His counselor.
43:16: The answer.
43:17: None.
43:17: Of us.
43:18: God.
43:19: Knows.
43:19: What he's doing.
43:21: And.
43:22: Whatever.
43:23: God.
43:23: Does.
43:23: Number one.
43:24: Whatever.
43:24: God.
43:24: Does.
43:25: We're going to be able.
43:25: To look.
43:25: Once we're finally there.
43:26: We'll be able.
43:27: To look at this passage.
43:28: And say.
43:28: I should have known.
43:29: That all along.
43:30: That makes.
43:31: Perfect sense.
43:32: Now.
43:32: Just like.
43:32: We look at.
43:33: The Old Testament.
43:34: And we say.
43:35: How do.
43:35: These.
43:35: People.
43:36: Not.
43:36: Know.
43:36: When.
43:36: Christ.
43:37: Came.
43:37: It.
43:37: Talks.
43:37: About.
43:38: Bethlehem.
43:38: It.
43:38: Talks.
43:38: About.
43:39: You.
43:39: Know.
43:39: Him.
43:39: Being.
43:41: Beaten.
43:41: And.
43:41: Turned.
43:42: Aside.
43:42: By.
43:42: His.
43:42: People.
43:43: And.
43:43: Being.
43:44: Hung.
43:44: Between.
43:44: Two.
43:45: Thieves.
43:45: I mean.
43:45: There's.
43:46: All.
43:46: This.
43:46: Stuff.
43:46: In.
43:46: The Old Testament.
43:47: How.
43:47: Could.
43:47: They.
43:47: Not.
43:48: See.
43:48: It.
43:49: You.
43:49: Know.
43:50: I.
43:50: Think.
43:50: The.
43:50: Same.
43:50: Thing.
43:50: Is.
43:51: Going.
43:51: To.
43:51: Happen.
43:51: When.
43:51: We're.
43:54: In.
43:56: Wow.
43:57: It.
43:57: Happened.
43:57: Just.
43:58: Like.
43:58: He.
43:58: Said.
43:58: It.
43:58: Was.
43:58: Going.
43:58: To.
43:58: Happen.
44:00: And.
44:00: I.
44:00: Remember.
44:00: You.
44:00: Talk.
44:00: About.
44:00: Being.
44:01: An.
44:01: Aha.
44:02: Millennialist.
44:02: When.
44:02: It.
44:03: Happened.
44:03: To.
44:03: Say.
44:03: Uh-huh.
44:03: Now.
44:04: We.
44:05: Now.
44:06: Now.
44:07: We.
44:07: Know.
44:10: I.
44:11: Like.
44:11: Verse.
44:11: Thirty-five.
44:11: Verse.
44:12: Thirty-five.
44:12: Reminds.
44:12: Us.
44:12: Of.
44:13: Something.
44:13: Very.
44:14: Important.
44:16: It.
44:16: Says.
44:16: Or.
44:17: Who.
44:17: Has.
44:17: Given.
44:17: A.
44:18: Gift.
44:18: To.
44:18: Him.
44:18: That.
44:19: Must.
44:19: Or.
44:19: That.
44:19: He.
44:20: Might.
44:20: Be.
44:20: Repaid.
44:24: We.
44:26: Don't.
44:26: Give.
44:26: God.
44:27: Anything.
44:29: God.
44:29: Gives.
44:29: Us.
44:30: Everything.
44:31: You.
44:31: Say.
44:31: Wait.
44:31: A.
44:32: Minute.
44:32: I.
44:32: Pay.
44:32: My.
44:33: Offerings.
44:33: I.
44:33: Give.
44:33: My.
44:34: No.
44:34: You.
44:34: Don't.
44:35: God.
44:35: Gave.
44:36: You.
44:36: The.
44:36: Money.
44:37: He.
44:37: Made.
44:37: You.
44:38: Steward.
44:38: Over.
44:38: It.
44:39: And.
44:39: The.
44:39: Fact.
44:39: That.
44:39: You.
44:41: Contribute.
44:41: To.
44:41: His.
44:42: Workings.
44:42: And.
44:42: His.
44:43: Kingdoms.
44:43: Just.
44:44: Demonstrates.
44:44: That.
44:44: You're.
44:44: A.
44:44: Good.
44:45: Steward.
44:45: Of.
44:45: What.
44:45: He.
44:45: Gave.
44:45: You.
44:46: You're.
44:46: Not.
44:46: Giving.
44:46: Him.
44:47: Anything.
44:49: Because.
44:49: You.
44:50: Can't.
44:50: Give.
44:50: Him.
44:50: Anything.
44:51: You.
44:51: Can't.
44:51: Repay.
44:51: Your.
44:52: Salvation.
44:52: You.
44:52: Can't.
44:53: Buy.
44:53: That.
44:53: You.
44:53: Can't.
44:53: Purchase.
44:54: It.
44:54: You.
44:54: Can't.
44:54: Own.
44:55: It.
44:55: It's.
44:55: A.
44:55: Gift.
44:56: That's.
44:56: Been.
44:57: Given.
44:57: To.
44:57: You.
44:58: By.
44:58: Him.
44:59: I.
45:00: Think.
45:00: That.
45:00: That.
45:01: Passage.
45:01: Is.
45:01: Important.
45:02: Because.
45:02: It.
45:03: Finishes.
45:03: With.
45:04: This.
45:05: Wonderful.
45:05: Doxology.
45:06: For.
45:07: From.
45:07: Him.
45:08: And.
45:09: Through.
45:09: Him.
45:10: And.
45:11: To.
45:11: Him.
45:12: Are.
45:13: All.
45:13: Things.
45:14: To.
45:15: Him.
45:15: Be.
45:15: Glory.
45:16: Forever.
45:17: Amen.
45:18: Beloved.
45:20: That.
45:20: Ought.
45:20: Be.
45:21: Our.
45:22: Daily.
45:23: Reminder.
45:26: Everything.
45:26: We.
45:27: Have.
45:27: Everything.
45:28: We.
45:28: Have.
45:28: Comes.
45:29: From.
45:29: God.
45:30: Everything.
45:31: That.
45:31: We.
45:31: Have.
45:32: We.
45:32: Have.
45:32: Because.
45:33: It.
45:33: Is.
45:33: Through.
45:33: God.
45:34: That.
45:34: We.
45:34: Have.
45:34: It.
45:35: And.
45:35: Everything.
45:36: That.
45:36: We.
45:36: Have.
45:36: Is.
45:37: To.
45:37: Give.
45:37: Him.
45:38: Glory.
45:41: I.
45:41: Am.
45:41: Not.
45:42: Here.
45:42: To.
45:43: Preach.
45:43: To.
45:43: Glorify.
45:44: Myself.
45:45: Or.
45:45: To.
45:46: Glorify.
45:46: This.
45:46: Church.
45:47: God.
45:48: Has.
45:48: Given.
45:48: Me.
45:48: This.
45:48: Ability.
45:49: To.
45:49: Do.
45:49: This.
46:01: To.
46:02: Give.
46:02: Him.
46:04: To.
46:05: Him.
46:05: Alone.
46:06: Be.
46:06: The.
46:06: Glory.
46:06: That's.
46:06: That.
46:06: Great.
46:08: Reformation.
46:10: Celebratory.
46:11: Passage.
46:12: To.
46:12: Him.
46:12: Be.
46:12: The.
46:12: Glory.
46:13: Forever.
46:15: Amen.
46:16: I.
46:16: Just.
46:16: Love.
46:16: The.
46:17: Fact.
46:17: That.
46:17: Paul.
46:17: Broke.
46:17: Out.
46:18: Into.
46:18: Song.
46:18: Because.
46:19: He.
46:19: Had.
46:19: Just.
46:19: Finished.
46:19: Dealing.
46:20: With.
46:20: One.
46:20: Of.
46:20: The.
46:20: Most.
46:21: Difficult.
46:21: Things.
46:21: I.
46:21: Think.
46:21: He.
46:22: Had.
46:22: To.
46:22: Deal.
46:22: With.
46:22: A.
46:22: Minister.
46:36: And.
46:36: It's.
46:36: Still.
46:36: Still.
46:50: Still.
46:55: Still.
47:08: Not.
47:08: Knowing.
47:09: Fully.
47:09: The.
47:09: Answers.
47:10: To.
47:10: All.
47:10: Questions.
47:12: That.
47:12: We.
47:12: Have.
47:12: Sought.
47:13: To.
47:13: At.
47:13: Least.
47:14: In.
47:14: Enlighten.
47:15: Our.
47:15: Understanding.
47:15: And.
47:16: Our.
47:17: Responsibility.
47:17: Lord.
47:18: To.
47:18: Be.
47:18: Witnesses.
47:19: Even.
47:20: To.
47:20: People.
47:20: Who.
47:20: Are.
47:21: Jewish.
47:22: People.
47:22: That.
47:22: We.
47:22: Should.
47:23: Go.
47:24: To.
47:24: Them.
47:24: And.
47:24: We.
47:24: Should.
47:25: Share.
47:25: With.
47:26: Them.
47:26: The.
47:27: Messiah.
47:27: Who.
47:27: Is.
47:28: Christ.
47:29: That.
47:29: Their.
47:30: Scriptures.
47:31: Lord.
47:31: That.
47:31: You.
47:31: Gave.
47:32: To.
47:32: Them.
47:34: Give.
47:34: Them.
47:34: The.
47:34: Promise.
47:35: That.
47:35: Messiah.
47:36: Would.
47:36: Come.
47:36: And.
47:37: Gave.
47:37: So.
47:38: Many.
47:39: Testimonies.
47:39: Of.
47:39: Who.
47:39: He.
47:39: Would.
47:40: Be.
47:40: And.
47:40: What.
47:41: It.
47:41: Would.
47:41: Be.
47:41: Like.
47:42: When.
47:42: He.
47:42: Came.
47:43: And.
47:43: He.
47:46: Came.
47:47: He.
48:02: Came.
48:02: And.
48:03: He.
48:11: And.
48:12: He.
48:12: Came.
48:13: He.
48:13: And.
48:14: He.
48:26: Came.
48:28: And.