Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

Paul Mourns for Israel

9 I speak the truth in Christ. I am not lying. My mind tells me that what I say is true. It is guided by the Holy Spirit. ² My heart is full of sorrow. My sadness never ends. ³ I am so concerned about my people, who are members of my own race. I am ready to be cursed, if that would help them. I am even willing to be separated from Christ. ⁴ They are the people of Israel. They have been adopted as God’s children. God’s glory belongs to them. So do the covenants. They received the law. They were taught to worship in the temple. They were given the promises. ⁵ The founders of our nation belong to them. The Messiah comes from their family line. He is God over all. May he always be praised! Amen.

God’s Free Choice

⁶ I do not mean that God’s word has failed. Not everyone in the family line of Israel really belongs to Israel. ⁷ Not everyone in Abraham’s family line is really his child. Not at all! Scripture says, “Your family line will continue through Isaac.” (Genesis 21:12) ⁸ In other words, God’s children are not just in the family line of Abraham. Instead, they are the children God promised to him. They are the ones considered to be Abraham’s children. ⁹ God promised, “I will return at the appointed time. Sarah will have a son.” (Genesis 18:10,14)

¹⁰ And that’s not all. Rebekah’s children were born at the same time by the same father. He was our father Isaac. ¹¹ Here is what happened. Rebekah’s twins had not even been born. They hadn’t done anything good or bad yet. So they show that God’s purpose is based firmly on his free choice. ¹² It was not because of anything they did but because of God’s choice. So Rebekah was told, “The older son will serve the younger one.” (Genesis 25:23) ¹³ It is written, “I chose Jacob instead of Esau.” (Malachi 1:2,3)

¹⁴ What should we say then? Is God unfair? Not at all! ¹⁵ He said to Moses,

¹⁶ So it doesn’t depend on what people want or what they do. It depends on God’s mercy. ¹⁷ In Scripture, God says to Pharaoh, “I had a special reason for making you king. I decided to use you to show my power. I wanted my name to become known everywhere on earth.” (Exodus 9:16) ¹⁸ So God does what he wants to do. He shows mercy to one person and makes another stubborn.

¹⁹ One of you will say to me, “Then why does God still blame us? Who can oppose what he wants to do?” ²⁰ But you are a mere human being. So who are you to talk back to God? Scripture says, “Can what is made say to the one who made it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’ ” (Isaiah 29:16; 45:9) ²¹ Isn’t the potter free to make different kinds of pots out of the same lump of clay? Some are for special purposes. Others are for ordinary use.

²² What if God chose to show his great anger? What if he chose to make his power known? But he put up with the people he was angry with. They were made to be destroyed. ²³ What if he put up with them to show the riches of his glory to other people? Those other people are the ones he shows his mercy to. He made them to receive his glory. ²⁴ We are those people. He has chosen us. We do not come only from the Jewish race. Many of us are not Jews. ²⁵ God says in Hosea,

²⁶ He also says,

²⁷ Isaiah cries out concerning Israel. He says,

²⁹ Earlier Isaiah had said,

Israel Does Not Believe

³⁰ What should we say then? Gentiles did not look for a way to be right with God. But they found it by having faith. ³¹ The people of Israel tried to obey the law to make themselves right with God. But they didn’t reach their goal of being right with God. ³² Why not? Because they tried to do it without faith. They tried to be right with God by what they did. They tripped over the stone that causes people to trip and fall. ³³ It is written,

10 Brothers and sisters, with all my heart I long for the people of Israel to be saved. I pray to God for them. ² I can tell you for certain that they really want to serve God. But how they are trying to do it is not based on knowledge. ³ They didn’t know that God’s power makes people right with himself. They tried to get right with God in their own way. They didn’t do it in God’s way. ⁴ Christ has fulfilled everything the law was meant to do. So now everyone who believes can be right with God.

⁵ Moses writes about how the law could help a person do what God requires. He writes, “The person who does these things will live by them.” (Leviticus 18:5) ⁶ But the way to do what God requires must begin by having faith in him. Scripture says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will go up into heaven?’ ” (Deuteronomy 30:12) That means to go up into heaven and bring Christ down. ⁷ “And do not say, ‘Who will go down into the grave?’ ” (Deuteronomy 30:13) That means to bring Christ up from the dead. ⁸ But what does it say? “The message is near you. It’s in your mouth and in your heart.” (Deuteronomy 30:14) This means the message about faith that we are preaching. ⁹ Say with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord.” Believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. Then you will be saved. ¹⁰ With your heart you believe and are made right with God. With your mouth you say what you believe. And so you are saved. ¹¹ Scripture says, “The one who believes in him will never be put to shame.” (Isaiah 28:16) ¹² There is no difference between those who are Jews and those who are not. The same Lord is Lord of all. He richly blesses everyone who calls on him. ¹³ Scripture says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Joel 2:32)

¹⁴ How can they call on him unless they believe in him? How can they believe in him unless they hear about him? How can they hear about him unless someone preaches to them? ¹⁵ And how can anyone preach without being sent? It is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Isaiah 52:7)

¹⁶ But not all the people of Israel accepted the good news. Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” (Isaiah 53:1) ¹⁷ So faith comes from hearing the message. And the message that is heard is the message about Christ. ¹⁸ But I ask, “Didn’t the people of Israel hear?” Of course they did. It is written,

¹⁹ Again I ask, “Didn’t Israel understand?” First, Moses says,

²⁰ Then Isaiah boldly speaks about what God says. God said,

²¹ But Isaiah also speaks about what God says concerning Israel. God said,