Romans 10

¹ Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. ² I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. ³For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. ⁴ For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.

This small passage where paul discusses his feelings about the people of israel reminds me of people today. People say they love God and want to follow, yet the still are attached to the old way, that works and "church" will bring them salvation. They believe that by having the perfect service or the perfect worship is more important than having your heart being right with god. As said through most of romans because Jesus died for us we no longer need to fulfill the law, and that as long as we believe we are right with God.

Romans 9: Israelis unbelief

30 What does all this mean? Even though the Gentiles were not trying to follow God’s standards, they were made right with God. And it was by faith that this took place. 31 But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded. 32 Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law instead of by trusting in him. They stumbled over the great rock in their path. 33 God warned them of this in the Scriptures when he said,

“I am placing a stone in Jerusalem[p] that makes people stumble,
a rock that makes them fall.
But anyone who trusts in him
will never be disgraced.”

The people of israel made a mistake by only looking at the law. They have forgotten what it truly meant to follow God. It meant that trusting in his ways and believing in him was out priority. Even with gods warning the people still stumble. Its like present day, So many of us focus on just doing what is right and not really trusting what God has in store. This warning is not just for the Israelite but it is also a warning for us too.

Romans 9: Gods selection of Israel pt 4

²⁵ Concerning the Gentiles, God says in the prophecy of Hosea

• Gentiles are the non-Israelites

“Those who were not my people,
I will now call my people.
And I will love those
whom I did not love before.”

• God is willing to call us his own and love us even though he has no obligation to.

²⁶ And,

“Then, at the place where they were told,
‘You are not my people,’
there they will be called
‘children of the living God.’”

• he accepts us into his family!

²⁷ And concerning Israel, Isaiah the prophet cried out,

“Though the people of Israel are as numerous as the sand of the seashore,
only a remnant will be saved.
²⁸ For the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth
quickly and with finality.”

• even though the israelite were the "chosen ones" not all will be saved.
• just because you are born into a certain status doesn't mean that you are automatically saved

²⁹ And Isaiah said the same thing in another place:

“If the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
had not spared a few of our children,
we would have been wiped out like Sodom,
destroyed like Gomorrah.”

• whats this reference to?

Romans 9: Gods selection of Israel pt 3

¹⁷ For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, “I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth.”¹⁸ So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen.

¹⁹ Well then, you might say, “Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven’t they simply done what he makes them do?”

²⁰ No, don’t say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?” ²¹ When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? ²² In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction. ²³ He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory. ²⁴ And we are among those whom he selected, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles.

• God plans out what we do, even if out hearts have been hardened
• even though some people may question Gods will what gives them the right?
• he is our father and creator, we have NO right to question his judgements or decisions.
• who are we to say whats right or wrong
• God has the right to be angry and power with us, yet he is patient and shows his mercy.

Romans 9: Gods selection of Israel pt 2

⁶ Well then, has God failed to fulfill his promise to Israel? No, for not all who are born into the nation of Israel are truly members of God’s people! ⁷ Being descendants of Abraham doesn’t make them truly Abraham’s children. For the Scriptures say, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted,” though Abraham had other children, too. ⁸ This means that Abraham’s physical descendants are not necessarily children of God. Only the children of the promise are considered to be Abraham’s children.⁹ For God had promised, “I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

¹⁰ This son was our ancestor Isaac. When he married Rebekah, she gave birth to twins. ¹¹ But before they were born, before they had done anything good or bad, she received a message from God. (This message shows that God chooses people according to his own purposes; ¹² he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.) She was told, “Your older son will serve your younger son.” ¹³ In the words of the Scriptures, “I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau.”

¹⁴ Are we saying, then, that God was unfair? Of course not! ¹⁵ For God said to Moses,

“I will show mercy to anyone I choose,
and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.”

¹⁶ So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.

This passage was fairly straight forward. we are not automatically chosen to be his people but he chooses us to be. we cannot work for grace nor mercy, only he can give it to us. He chooses us for a purpose no matter if we are bad or good. Nothing determines what God can do, he has all power to do as he pleases. Nothing we do can make him do something. He is not obligated to serve us, but we are obligated to serve him

Romans 9: Gods selection of Israel pt 1

¹ With Christ as my witness, I speak with utter truthfulness. My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm it. ² My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief ³ for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed—cut off from Christ!—if that would save them. ⁴ They are the people of Israel, chosen to be God’s adopted children. God revealed his glory to them. He made covenants with them and gave them his law. He gave them the privilege of worshiping him and receiving his wonderful promises. ⁵ Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are their ancestors, and Christ himself was an Israelite as far as his human nature is concerned. And he is God, the one who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.

• why is paul sad about his brothers?
• these brothers and sisters were taken in by God
• God begun a relationship with them and revealed his glory
• He made promises and gave hope to them
• the people of Israel were chosen by God.
• all the important people especially Jesus were from Israeli decent