True Religion brings blessedness (James 5)

To watch this on video,  https://youtu.be/MobsjHezAio

INTRODUCTION 

We have studied this letter as if it were a sermon given by Ya’akov to his flock in Jerusalem. Remember, he’s the younger half-brother of our messiah, having the same mother but a different father. He has been teaching us for four chapters that we should be doers of the Word, having learned well, we need to be good practitioners of the Word. He calls it ‘pure and undefiled religion.’ We have called it ‘true religion.’ 

1.     The wealthy are not blessed, the rich oppress (1-6)

In today’s final, we see that no matter what else is going on around you, in your troubled and transitory life, we can be blessed. And that notion of blessedness is not a new one in the Scripture. Nor to the hearers of Ya’akov’s brother. The public ministry of Yeshua began with what we call the Sermon on the Mount. That sermon, which probably was a compilation of many sermons, recorded for us by Matthew and by Luke, begins with the Beatitudes, a simple and powerful compilation of countercultural thoughts by our righteous messiah.

Listen to these first few:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (Matthew 5.3-9)

There is nothing at all wrong with these thoughts, of course, but by counterculture I mean this. As Job’s friends advised him after sitting shiva with him for those 7 days, and after the loss of his 10 children and all his property and finances, Job still endured. His three friends gave him counsel that obviously Job had sinned in some way. His ‘blessedness’ was now gone, and if he wanted to please God again, then he had to repent.  Nothing happens like all his misfortune without his being somewhat responsible, you know?

Into that situation and against that backdrop of wrong guidance, Yeshua says blessings come to poor people, those who are mourning and not rejoicing. He says if you want to be blessed, make peace with those who intimidate and harass you. Those who have plenty of food and drink are not the blessed ones, but those who hunger and thirst. This is 100% counterculture, or as we used to call this, the Upside-Down Kingdom of the Lord.

This is not new information. Consider Deuteronomy 14.28 and following. 

“At the end of every third year you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in that year and shall deposit it in your town. The Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance among you, and the alien, the orphan and the widow who are in your town, shall come and eat, and be satisfied, in order that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.

 

At the end of every seven years, you shall grant a remission of debts. This is the manner of remission: every creditor shall release what he has loaned to his neighbour; he shall not exact it of his neighbour and his brother, because the LORD’S remission has been proclaimed.” (14.28-15.2)

I mention this passage for two reasons. First, we entered into a 7^th year, the Sabbatical year on Monday evening. And for the last year leading up to this week and going forward 12 months, there are regulations in the Scripture about what we should do and not do. And the use of the term ‘brother’ which stood out as I read it last week.

Be prayerful in economic troubles         

The other reason I want you to hear this passage is found in verse 29. Note the care the Lord has for the leftovers, the not-usually-considered. He names them: alien, orphan, widow. Of course, he also mentions priest, but that’s for another lesson. 

Ya’akov of course, mentions the same two categories in his description of pure and undefiled religion. And I must say that I’ve gotten this wrong the last few weeks. I have said our religion is to ‘care for the widows and orphans in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.’ What I got wrong was the order of the ones for whom we are to care. Yes, widows. Yes, orphans. But note the order please. Orphans, then widows. 

Let me explain how I see this. As winter ended here a week ago or so, I noted again the order of God’s care. The grass came back to life on my lawn, and then the shorter plants and bushes. Then the large trees began to bud and leaf again, and finally the tallest trees reaching to the heavens began to leaf. 

For me this was symbolic of God’s care. He tends to the humble and the lowly, long before he gives sunshine and photosynthetic activity to the high and mighty. He gives sunshine to the grass first. If he gave such to the largest trees, there would not be any left for the grass, and none would grow. 

So in this regard, the orphans need to be cared for first, and then the widows. Obviously, these 2^nd category are women without anyone at home, otherwise they would be counted as a household that needed the care and attention of Yaakov’s audience. 

OK, back to chapter 5 after that excurses of self-correction. Thanks for indulging me as we all get this right. 

Chapter 5 struck me with the call to patience as well as the rehearsal of the people in the audience. Listen how many times, throughout the whole letter, Ya’akov uses the term ‘brother’ or ‘brethren.’  17 by my count. (1.2, .9, .16, .19, 2.1, .9, .14-15,3.1, .10,.12, 4.11, 5.7, .9-10,.12,.19). And three of those included the word ‘beloved’ as its adjective. If you don’t hear a tenderness when you read this book, you are missing something major.

Authority and power are just words to many, but as I ponder the world and the polarity of strident conversations, I think I’m seeing something. And maybe you see it as well. Why are there so many conspiracists? What are so many believing the most amazing ‘shake my head’ misinformation? It’s due to the desire for power; a way to control what is out of the control of any of us. 20 years ago, tomorrow was 9/11. The terrorists from the Middle East flew four airplanes into buildings and an open field 

And why am I mentioning this just now? If anyone had the right to claim authority and dominance, it was the half-brother of Yeshua, and the first bishop of the community of faith in the centre of faith, in Jerusalem. But his use of appeal to the brotherhood is landmark. He is tender and rich in love. 

Yeshua taught this. Ya’akov taught this. We need to learn this and live in this. Amen?

2.     The blessing of patience (Chapter 5:7-12)

In light of the condemnation on the rich, Ya’akov says, ‘therefore’. Why is that here? Because the rich are going to cop it hard. Therefore, be patient. When you are not given what you think you deserve. When you imagine yourself getting basic considerations, look up to the Lord. Why?

Cole Porter wrote another song, and yet I hear it when I read this section. Patience? Farmers do it. The prophets of old did it. Job did it. Let’s be patient! 

Be prayerful in physical troubles

Instead of grumbling or arguing, let’s be patient. Let’s strengthen our hearts and speak in the name of the Lord. Why? Because God is full of compassion and merciful. Sounds like Ex. 34:6 doesn’t it?

Ya’akov even repeats himself from verse 7 and again in verse 8.  Why? Because the Lord is drawing near. Due to the return of Yeshua, we need to be patient. Fascinating motivation. It’s like the men’s marathon runners in the Olympics a few weeks back. Yes, Kipchoge of Kenya won, easily actually. What I remember more was the man who came in 2^nd cheered on his birth-country buddy who was in 4^th place and finished 3^rd. Nageeye (Dutch) and Abdi (Belgium) were both born in Somalia and now race for others, but that day as I watched them finish, 2-3, they were on the same team. 

	A. Nageeye Netherlands
	B. Abdi Belgium

 

The idea that we are all in this together really helps me, pastorally, personally, as I read the book of Ya’akov. You on this Zoom call, men and women, each of you is cheering me on. I’m cheering you on. We are not isolated; we should not be insulated from one another. The apostle is cheering us all on, one by one, to be patient when the rich, the government, the powerful, the media all mistreat us. When we feel powerless. When we are empty. When we are but dust. 

God says ‘be patient. Trust me.’ And don’t miss this one… “trust each other in the Body of Messiah.” 

That’s why he adds this in verse 12. Don’t swear. Now in modern days our parents told us that swearing was the same as cursing. Using naughty language was swearing. But that’s not the word as Ya’akov uses it.  He’s talking about making oaths and vows. Yeshua also made those clearly out of bounds, didn’t he? He was the one whom his brother seems to be quoting, almost directly. 

“Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FALSE VOWS, BUT SHALL FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE LORD.’  But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING. Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.” (Matt.5.33-37)

Remember we learned that in last week’s lesson, to the merchants we heard not to make plans that are based on you, but rather, to say you are going here or there and will trade and conduct business, unless the Lord wills. Make your plans to follow God, and you will never be disappointed.

3.     The blessing of prayer (Chapter 5:13-18)

Next we switch gears to the problem of suffering and the role of prayer. And if you think we’ll sort this out in 5 minutes, you have never either been a suffering one nor a prayer warrior. One of the main themes in this letter is trouble, tsuris, real deep feelings and situations which overwhelm us and dominate our thoughts and raise our anxiety. In the beginning, the apostle told us to consider it all joy when you fall into such troubles, knowing the result will be that we are better people. 

Then he makes clear some situations which would cause us to fret or be angry, to be frustrated or grieve. The money problems and the lack-of-wisdom problems, the misuse of tongue and the war we have with each other. 

He wraps that up in this sermon with ‘is any of you suffering?’ That is the summary statement. The big question… who in here is suffering, from ANYTHING? The apostolic answer—prayer.

Martin says this, 

“The two verbs in this verse span the spectrum of emotions. In the first part of v 13, James refers to those who are suffering, κακοπαθεῖν means “to suffer” some type of misfortune. The parallel NT references (in 2 Tim 2:9; 4:5) suggest nothing of illness, and it seems better not to restrict the adversity mentioned in our present verse to physical maladies. James will deal with physical problems in v 14. Rather, κακοπαθεῖν is used here to show that James’ readers are afflicted by hardship, probably as a direct consequence of their faith (cf Josephus, Against Apion 2.203). Moreover, his concern is to highlight [vol. 48, p. 206] the need to bear up under this burden with patience (BGD, 397). The noun form related to κακοπαθεῖν is in v 10, where the prophets are cited as illustrating those who were persevering in the midst of suffering. James is not exhorting his readers to pray (προσευχέσθω, signifying “the natural reaction of a Christian in distress”; Pss 30:2, 8, 10; 50:15; 91:15; cf PssSol 15:1; J. Herrmann, TDNT 2:798) for the removal of trouble as much as he is urging them to seek the strength to endure it (Michaelis, TDNT 5:937), but not in a stoical way.”

Then the rest of verse 13 asks the question… “did it work?” In other words, “Is anyone cheerful?” The Greek is euthumeo, and often is translated as encouraged. In other words, did it work? Are you heartened, knowing that your brothers elsewhere have it as bad and they are carrying on. It does not carry the notion of polyana sentimentality or disregard of problems. Rather, it is putting God in his place over our problems. It’s not Christian Science’s idea of ‘there is no problem’ but rather the apostolic idea that DURING our troubles, God is walking with us. He will never leave us or forsake us, amen?

If you are cheerful, then sing praises. Like Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail (Acts 16). They were in jail for goodness’ sake, and they had the worst day of their natural lives, but they sang praises because no matter what else was going on, and it was going on, they knew who would sort things out to his purposes and for his own glory. They knew the Lord. So they sang praises. (Prov. 15.15)

Ya’akov asks in verse 14 if any is sick. Call for the elders and they will come and pray. This sounds like a big one. It’s not related to a flu bug or a cough. This sounds like a person in the hospital on Covid who is on a ventilator. This sounds like a real biggie. Does that mean God is not concerned about the minor illnesses? The apostle is not addressing that situation. He’s addressing the major one. When a person is on his death bed, like Jairus’ daughter or Dorcas or others in early Church history, these are episodes designed to build our faith. Does that mean that every person in every age will always be healed? Not even close. Everyone will die and often of a death-bed-malady. 

Listen to how James builds the case for sin and what to do with it, as it relates to physical sickness. 

Sin caused death, he already established that in chapter 1. We have to be ruthless with sin. Get rid of it. Be doers of the word, not judges of it. That’s chapter 2. Speak the word, not misuse of our tongue, that’s chapter 3. We fight too often, and don’t live out the godly life in community; that’s chapter 4. So here again, as he summarizes his sermon, he brings in sin and confession of sin TO ONE ANOTHER. 

My friends, the sickness that leads to death is the unrepentance in our lives, the very issue that the elders would be processing with this hospitalized person. The Greek says, “If he has been constantly sinning.” This parallels 1 Cor. 11.30 “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep”. So it’s not only that this person is unable to get to the church; it’s that he is prevented by sin weighing him down that causes him to call on the elders. He wants to be restored!

I am 100% convinced that confessing our sins to each other makes a massive difference to overcoming. Yes, Yeshua died for our sins. Yes, if we confess our sins to the Lord, he will forgive us (1 John 1.9) as we will learn next week in 1 John, but if you want to win over plaguing sins in your life just now, you have to admit to God, to yourself, and to at least one other person the exact nature of your sin and failure. You will find victory in the admission of your failure. 

I know, that sounds ridiculous especially for macho men and people who simply don’t trust each other, but when you find a mate, a real accountability partner, you will win. 

4.     Blessing those who fail (Chapter 5:19-20)

Be prayerful in church troubles

Then, Ya’akov says, pray for one another. It will cover a multitude of my sins, and their sins, too. Isn’t that the point of our pure and undefiled religion? To restore those who fail. Let others confess to you their sins. Find others with whom you can share your failings and let them restore you.

Restore such a one who is unwell, whether in physical sickness or spiritually separate (of late) from the Lord.

Next week we will begin a new series, studying the letter by the Apostle of Love, John, in what is called 1 John. I hope you will join me and all of us then.

INVITATION

Dear friends, if you’d like to have true religion; if you want to have that peace and right standing with God, and if you want to know Messiah personally like we do, then why not pray with us right now? If you’ve never given your life to Yeshua, he longs to be with you just now. Come and be cleansed from your sin.

Pray and ask God to show you how to have true religion. Ask him to forgive you your sins and to make you born again. 

Then let us know you have done this, won’t you? Write to us (admin@jewsforjesus.org.au) and tell us you have prayed for the first time. We want to send you some literature and welcome you to the family.  

And if you have any questions, use that same address, ok?

And join us next week as we start a new 5-part series from the letter of 1 John. 

Until then, L'shana tovah and Shabbat shalom.

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Bibliography

Dickson, John (and Simon Smart), Vital Signs, Aquila Press, Sydney, 2006.

Martin, Ralph P., James, Word Biblical Commentary Series, Nelson Publishing, Nashville, 2006.

Ryken, L., Wilhoit J., Longman T., Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, Intervarsity Press, Downers Grove, 1998.

Wiersbe, Warren, Be Mature, SP Publications, Wheaton, IL, 1978.

 

Actual text

James 5:1   Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. ² Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. ³ Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! ⁴Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you;and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. ⁵ You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. ⁶ You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you.

 

James 5:7   Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. ⁸ You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. ⁹ Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. ¹⁰ As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. ¹¹ We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and ismerciful.

 

James 5:12   But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but ¹your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment.

 

James 5:13   Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; ¹⁵ and the prayer offered in faith will ^2brestore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. ¹⁶ Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective ¹prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. ¹⁷ Elijah was ^aa man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. ¹⁸ Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.

 

James 5:19   My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, ²⁰ let him know that ¹he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Those disobedient Jewish people... is there a way forward?

Book of Romans: A Bible study series in 17 parts

The general theme of Romans: How to be right with God.

Lesson eleven:  What about those disobedient Jews? (Romans 10)

[To watch this on YouTube as it was given live on Zoom, click https://youtu.be/6eL11Hg7cgo ].  [The whole biblical text and the bibliography Bob used are at the end of this blog] 

Introduction

Last week we ended with God calling all people to faith in His promises. We said that this is the needed human response by all people (9.30-.33) If you didn’t watch our lesson last week, hopefully by this time next week, you will have done so. Each of our previous 10 classes are all on our YouTube playlist of Romans. Remember Paul is dealing with the issue of the confidence he is hoping to engender in the believers who are reading his letter. He assured them in chapter eight that nothing could separate them from God’s love. 

Here in chapter 10 he will deal with Israel’s failure to respond to God’s righteousness, ending with the announcement that they are “a disobedient and obstinate people” (10:21). 

So, the question today is “On what basis does the apostle say that Israel has failed in finding right standing with God?” And if that is true, then a follow-up question may be “Do the Jewish people have a hope at all?” This chapter continues the study on the Jewish people and the theme of our book, “Getting right with God”   

Welcome to those of you who are new to our class in this the 11^th lesson, as we take up Paul’s comments recorded in chapter 10 of The Book of Romans. If you are watching this video on YouTube long after our class ended today, then please pause the recording and read the 10^th chapter. It will only take 3 minutes, or maybe 4 if you get a wee bit confused, then push play again, and come back as we will try to bring meaning to it all. OK, welcome back.  For those of you on the Zoom call just now, have your Bible open, will you? And next week, please read the chapter before you come to ‘class.’ Thanks.

 Today’s outline is as follows:

A.    Israel’s failure and Paul’s prayer (verses 1-5)

B.    Moses and Joel testify (6-13) of faith as the answer

C.    Faith speaks (14-21) and so do Isaiah, and so should you!

A.     Israel’s failure and Paul’s prayer (.1-5) 

First, let me recognize one of Paul’s favourite words. Paul loved the word ‘brethren.’ He used this term 13 times in this letter alone. And dozens more times through the rest of his letters. He used the word to describe his relationship with the former slave Onesimus and wants Philemon the slaveowner to treat him “no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.” (Philemon 16)

Paul saw the newly-born-again former slave, who ran away, as a brother both to Philemon and to himself. What a word of endearment, hardly one which we might say characterized the hostility or caste-system-measure we see later in history.

Remember the first word Rabbi Saul actually heard from anyone after the episode on the road to Damascus? He had been struck by God with blindness and was led to a house in town where he sat for days. Three days in fact, without food, water or ability to see. And he was praying. Just then God spoke to a believer named Ananias to go to the house of Judas, who lived on Straight Street. After a bit of negotiations, Ananias went to the house, walked in, laid his hands on Saul, and said, “Brother Saul…” and prophesied what God wanted for the future apostle. In one moment, all the pent-up emotions of hatred and threats were dispelled. And Saul was born again. The first word he heard in his blindness, from someone who knew the dangers of this welcome, was ‘brother.’^[1]

Paul’s use of the term here, in the plural to the Romans, is a similar endearing word. He already introduced this section with the plaintive cry similar to Moses--aching for the Jewish people to come to Messiah. And as he continues to show the rebellion of Israel, he calls the believers in Rome to similar tenderness. 

Paul’s care for Israel then fades into the proclamation that Israel has fallen, failed, not gotten to the telos, the goal of the instruction, the goal of all our lives, eternity with Yeshua. He is the end / goal of all God’s instructions.  He’s the alpha and the omega. How did Israel do this? Remember the way to be right with God? IF you remember that, you will also know the way not to be right with God. “they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.” (verse 3)

Subjecting yourself to God’s right standard simply means letting God be God in your life. Disallowing yourself from ruling in your daily circumstances. You have to trust the Lord and believe him. That is ‘subjecting yourself.’ Making yourself the servant, the very word by which Paul self-introduced in chapter 1. 

And just in case you missed it, verse 4 is the summary of all of chapter 9 and these few verses here. “Messiah is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” The Torah’s arrow is Messiah himself.

Verse 5: If you want to live in the standard of Torah, you will be judged by that. And don’t be too confident in how you would do in that examination. 

Paul uses two texts from the Torah to substantiate his claims—Leviticus 18:5 and Deuteronomy 30:11–14. Dunn says, “Paul seems to understand the passage in its most obvious sense—that keeping the statutes and ordinances of the law was the way of living appropriate to the covenant, which the covenant required. Moses did not say, and Paul does not understand him to say, that keeping the law was a means of earning or gaining life (in the future;”

B.     Moses and Joel testify (6-13) of faith as the answer

Then in verse 6, Paul begins a new section with a personification. He says that ‘righteousness’ speaks, and he quotes Moses in Deut. 30.11-14. And the citation stops short. Look at the text, “to do it” is missing in Paul. And some note that Paul is saying that in the past no one was saved, until Messiah came, which is dead wrong. 

Again, from Dunn: “What Paul is objecting to throughout this letter is not the law or the commandment as such, but the law and the commandment understood in terms of works (9:32), in terms of national righteousness (10:3). To put the same point another way. Deut 30 can be taken as referring to both epochs of God’s saving purpose, to the epoch of Israel before Christ and the epoch of all the nations brought in by Christ. The contrast between Lev 18 and Deut 30 therefore is not that the former is to be wholly referred to the old epoch while the latter solely to the new. Rather it is that the Leviticus passage emphasizes the discontinuity between the epochs, whereas the Deuteronomy passage can bring out the continuity between the epochs, the continuity precisely between the law and the obedience of faith. In this sense too it can be seen that “the word of God” has not failed (9:6).”

I define ‘law’ in this understanding that Dunn helps us to get as “the system by the which the practitioner attempts to gain God’s favour. Grace, or in this context, righteousness by faith may well be defined as the system of receiving God’s favour without earning it. On the one hand we earn, on the other hand we do not earn but receive. Think of it this way, Americans, for no apparent reason each of you received $1,200 a few weeks ago. You didn’t earn it; you simply received it into your account. You didn’t beg for it; you didn’t send notes to the president, you didn’t have to send a self-addressed postage-paid envelope … it simply arrived. You receive the benefits of it in spending. It’s yours. You did nothing to earn it. And any earning you tried would have been without success. Paul said earlier “the wages of sin is death.” That was what we earned. 

So, Deuteronomy 30 is Moses being called to the witness stand again. He says the word is near us. The law has not failed. God has not failed, but WE HAVE. This is very hard to admit. But that admission is our entry pass. I like the word ‘admit’ like “admit one’ on the ticket stub as you enter the movie theatre. If I pay my entry fee, I am admitted into the benefits of that payment. By agreeing with the condemnation of our people (which sounds horrible, but stay with me), we are admitted into the HOSPITAL of God’s favour and grace. Some people use the term ‘confess’ in this regard. I like both images of admission and confession. 

Here's what I mean. Admission, as I’ve said, allows me entrée into the theatre or the university course or the museum. I can go in. And I can see, learn, experience all that the owner of the establishment wants me to have. 

So, if we say ‘we have failed’ today, and stop trying to earn the favour of God, and stop showcasing our good behaviour… if we do all that, and admit our failures, we are admitted into the waiting room of the Kingdom of God. 

The other term in use here is the word ‘confess.’ Verse 9 says ‘if we confess’ things, something happens. Confession may sound very Catholic or very legal but let me tell you what I think it means. “Confess” means to “agree together with” something. Let’s say I commit a major crime. I kill a guy. The photos and videos are on television nightly, and finally I turn myself in at the police station. My confession of the murder doesn’t make the crime happen. It doesn’t negate the crime. I simply ‘agree together with’ the police, with the evidence, and with myself that I’m the guilty party. 

The Bible here says for us to be saved, we have to confess Jesus as Lord. My confession does not make this happen. Jesus has been Lord for a very long time. My confession of his lordship simply allows me the benefits of that reality. My confession is not the genesis of the reality; it gives me the entrée into the reality. I agree together with God that Jesus, the Jewish messiah, is Lord of all, and that includes me. 

And confession is not the only requirement. Otherwise simple ‘read this prayer’ commands would be enough to get everyone on the planet to be saved. A person has to believe as well. 

Now think about the verb to believe. Some will remember Tinker Bell and Peter Pan. There the little fairy was losing her power and the characters of the story invite the audience, that’s you and me, ‘to believe’ and then Tink will reignite and substantially become strong again. 

You might remember Cher and her hit song titled “Believe” with some of the simplest and most redundant lyrics ever, 

“Do you believe in life after love?
Do you remember love?
Do you believe in life after love?
Do you remember love?

Do you believe in life after love?”

At every football match being played this weekend, the crowd is urged along by radio personalities and the teams on the bench to ‘believe’ that our team can bring home the victory. 

Those examples are NOT what is in view here. Here we see particularized faith, that is, the reader is not only to believe, but to believe something in particular. Believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. What does that include?

1)     The fact of history that there was a Jesus

2)     The fact of history that Jesus really died (in context, on a Roman cross at the crucifixion) and

3)     The fact of history that Jesus rose from the dead

Without those facts, your faith is merely Tinker Bell faith and is illusory and a fable. But if you want the ‘word of God to be near you’, if you want the righteousness that is by faith, then it’s particularized faith. Three facts. Do you believe those? 

1)     The fact of history that there was a Jesus

2)     The fact of history that Jesus really died (in context, on a Roman cross at the crucifixion) and

3)     The fact of history that Jesus rose from the dead

Moses has testified, Joel now is called to the witness stand and his verse is “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” That is, rescued, delivered, have a change of life. Brought into the presence of God. Or as we have said, ‘made right with God.’

C.     Faith speaks (14-21) and so do Isaiah, and so should you!

Paul ponders in the final section today how this message is going to get to the people. His series of rhetorical questions helps us think this issue through. 

1)     How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? 

2)     How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard?

3)     And how will they hear without a preacher? 

4)     How will they preach unless they are sent?

He is saying simply that some folks need to be sent, so that people can hear, and if they hear they might believe and thus call on Jesus.

Think about how you heard about this Bible study group. Think how you learned the phrase, “Oh what a feeling!” Think how you finish the statement, “When you care enough to send the very best.” If you ponder this for only a moment you will get what the apostle is saying. He says that people need to have open ears, and thus be able to hear what someone is saying. We need help on many levels, but the power of advertising, the power of communicating to others, is in our mouths. 

If we open our mouths (Psalm 81.10), God will fill them with good information. We are those who are being sent. We have to declare the good works of God to others. Otherwise, how will they ever know? 

Some intermarried people will tell me that they will give their children the option to choose which religion they want to be when they grow up. On investigation I find out often the parents have given no information at all to the kids, saying they will make up their own minds later. But without information, there really is no option at all. 

Thus, Paul says our feet can be beautiful. I’ve never really seen beautiful feet; I find them mostly functional and not stunning like a face or eyes. But Isaiah says that the one who brings good news (remember that’s Gospel in Greek) has beautiful feet. It’s in the GOING that the word gets out. It’s not in our ‘come to me’ philosophy; it’s in our ‘go and tell’ that people can then hear and then believe and then be saved.

I believe the indictment of Israel is not only about our inability to hear and believe and receive Messiah. I believe Paul is indicting the people of Israel for not going to the nations and sharing this good news. 

In context, the people not believing is a function of the not going of Israel. Many today will say that Israel was never to be a missionary nation. I think that’s exactly what caused our failure again and again. 

The evidence is there in verse 21. Verse 21 is the terminus of the condemnation of Israel. We are without hope, or… are we? If chapter 10 is the last word, then we are hopeless. That’s where chapter 11 comes in.

But what about the triangle of verse 17? Faith comes. That’s good news for each of us. IF we don’t have much faith today, hang in there, faith can come!

How does it come? It comes by hearing. Are you listening to this talk today? Are you listening to what God might be saying to you just now about Yeshua, our Messiah? Opening our ears to the living one, to the one who was killed but rose from the dead; that’s where real life comes. 

Faith comes by hearing and hearing comes from the Word of God. Here is this triangle. God spoke, and now others speak in his name. We hear that and it goes into our heart and we follow up with faith. Then we speak / confess the faith we have (remember, that doesn’t make things happen, it’s simply an agreement with what has happened already) and our own faith grows because faith comes by hearing ourselves speak faith!

So, this triangle of faith works regularly. Speaking, hearing, believing. Faith leads to confession which leads to more faith which leads to more hearing and increased right living with God.

Does that make sense to you?

Dear friends on Facebook and on this zoom call, if you are not yet a believer in Yeshua, I urge you today, call on him while he is near. If you know your Torah, and you know yourself, you know you need help, you need salvation, you need a Saviour. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be rescued, will be saved will be made to be in right relationship with God. It’s worth all the social distancing people will give you when you tell them about God. It’s worth all the rejection of others who don’t want to know about God’s love in Messiah Yeshua. 

If you want, you can pray a prayer with me just now to solidify your choice. Something like this, “Father in Yeshua’s name, thank you for loving me. Thank you for sending Yeshua to save me from myself, from my selfishness, from my despair and the harm I cause so many. Thank you for making me right with God by your sacrifice. I receive Yeshua (Jesus) as my saviour and the lover of my soul. He frees me to love others. I repent of my sins and ask for God’s forgiveness to be my portion. I receive the free gift of God, eternal life in Messiah Jesus our Lord. Amen.”

If you prayed that prayer, will you let us know via the messages or write me directly. I would appreciate that.

NEXT WEEK we will look at the 11^th chapter and watch how the apostle combines chapter 9 (Sovereignty) and chapter 10 (Israel’s rejection) and showcases God’s choice of the remnant as the perfect solution to the question of God’s sure love to the community of faith. Make sure you join us live if you can.

I’m delighted to be able to read and help us understand this book each Friday here from my home in Sydney.  Shabbat shalom!

The actual text:

Rom. 10:1   Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. ² For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. ³ For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. ⁴ For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Rom. 10:5   For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness. ⁶ But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: “DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, ‘WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), ⁷ or ‘WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” ⁸ 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 are preaching, ⁹ that if you confess with your mouth Jesus asLord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; ¹⁰ for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 

¹¹ For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” ¹² For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; ¹³for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”

Rom. 10:14   How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? ¹⁵ How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!”

Rom. 10:16   However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, “LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?” ¹⁷ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word ¹of Christ.

Rom. 10:18 But I say, surely, they have never heard, have they? Indeed, they have; “THEIR VOICE HAS GONE OUT INTO ALL THE EARTH, AND THEIR WORDS TO THE ENDS OF THE ¹WORLD.” ¹⁹ But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they? First Moses says, “I WILL MAKE YOU JEALOUS BY THAT WHICH IS NOT A NATION, BY A NATION WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING WILL I ANGER YOU.”

²⁰  And Isaiah is very bold and says, “I WAS FOUND BY THOSE WHO DID NOT SEEK ME, I BECAME MANIFEST TO THOSE WHO DID NOT ASK FOR ME.” ²¹ But as for Israel He says, “ALL THE DAY LONG I HAVE STRETCHED OUT MY HANDS TO A DISOBEDIENT AND OBSTINATE PEOPLE.”

Bibliography

Briscoe, Stuart. The Communicator’s Commentary (Romans), Word Books, Waco Texas.1982.

Dunn, James D.G., Word Biblical Commentary, Romans, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 1988.

Murray, John, The Epistle to the Romans, New International Commentary on the New Testament, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1965.

Prince, Derek, The Destiny of Israel And the Church, DVD series, Derek Prince Ministries, 1990.

Robinson, Donald. Selected Works (Volume I) edit by Bolt and Thompson, Australian Church Record, Camperdown, 2008.

Wright, Tom, Paul for Everyone, SPCK, Westminster John Knox Press, London, 2004

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[1] The first word was actually “Saul” --by his name he was called, but of course that’s proper, to get Saul’s attention. The first word, not used to get his personal attention, was ‘brother.’