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W O W - T H E B I G P I C T U R E
by Thomas Nelson Publishers
Paul's Heart and God's Plan for Israel: Part One
-- Romans 9:1-10:11; Psalm 129:1-4; Proverbs 24:5-6
I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing
me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual
grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from
Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, who are
Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the
giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are
the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is
over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.
But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are
not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because
they are the seed of Abraham; but, "In Isaac your seed shall be
called." That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are
not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as
the seed. For this is the word of promise: "At this time I will come
and Sarah shall have a son."
And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even
by our father Isaac (for the children not yet being born, nor having
done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election
might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), it was said to her,
"The older shall serve the younger." As it is written, "Jacob I have
loved, but Esau I have hated."
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly
not! For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have
mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion."
So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who
shows mercy. For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, "For this very
purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that
My name may be declared in all the earth." Therefore He has mercy on
whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.
You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who has
resisted His will?" But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against
God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made
me like this?" Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the
same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?
What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known,
endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for
destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on
the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, even
us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
As He says also in Hosea:
"I will call them My people, who were not My people,
And her beloved, who was not beloved."
"And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them,
'You are not My people,'
There they shall be called sons of the living God."
Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel:
"Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea,
The remnant will be saved.
For He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness,
Because the LORD will make a short work upon the earth."
And as Isaiah said before:
"Unless the LORD of Sabaoth had left us a seed,
We would have become like Sodom,
And we would have been made like Gomorrah."
What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue
righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness
of faith; but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not
attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it
by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at
that stumbling stone. As it is written:
"Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense,
And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."
Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they
may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God,
but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's
righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have
not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the
law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, "The man
who does those things shall live by them." But the righteousness of
faith speaks in this way, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend
into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down from above) or, " 'Who
will descend into the abyss?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the
dead). But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and
in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if
you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart
that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the
heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is
made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him
will not be put to shame."
Romans 9:1-10:11
WORSHIP:
"Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth,"
Let Israel now say-
"Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth;
Yet they have not prevailed against me.
The plowers plowed on my back;
They made their furrows long."
The LORD is righteous;
He has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked.
Psalm 129:1-4
WISDOM:
A wise man is strong,
Yes, a man of knowledge increases strength;
For by wise counsel you will wage your own war,
And in a multitude of counselors there is safety.
Proverbs 24:5-6
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