Comments for February 1

6v.3 - A new name for God was introduced to be used hereafter but it did not put the old name out of use Eze.10:5, Rev.19:5, introduced to Abraham in Gen.17:1 and to Jacob in Gen.35:9-12. The new name is first introduced in Exo.3:14. The name Y'hovah 03068 comes from the word used for I AM in 3:14 - hayah 01961. Although it was only introduced here in early Exodus, Moses uses the word Y'hovah to describe God many times in Genesis, starting as early as 2:4.

EXODUS CHAPTER 6 - quotations from Genesis 15 & 17 
v.2 I am the LORD Genesis 15:7
v.3 God Almighty Genesis 17:1
v.4 established my covenant Genesis 17:7
v.4 the land of Canaan Genesis 17:8
v.4 land ... strangers Genesis 17:8
v.8 I am the LORD Genesis 15:7
The language of this chapter draws heavily on the language of Genesis 17 in which God promises the land of Canaan to Abraham and his seed.
God is showing that the return from Egypt is a fulfilment - though not the complete fulfilment of some of the promises to Abraham.
This area of Exodus draws heavily on the Genesis 15 & 17 area.  The matter of Moses not circumcising his son and the actions and words of Zipporah make far more sense against this background use of Genesis.

5 v.4 - I don't know about you, but I tend to forget that Moses and Aaron were not leaders at this time and that therefore they risked the wrath of Pharaoh on every visit to him because they had left their work as slaves. Here Pharaoh sends them back to their burdens, which they had just like the other Israelites.

Chapter 5 - Whereas Israel may have thought that if their exodus was a fulfilment of Genesis 15 then they ought to be let go easily it is clear that God wishes to manifest His might and power extensively and in so doing teach Israel His might and prepare them for greater things. Hence Pharaoh refuses to let Israel go at the first.

FROM BAD TO WORSE

They say that the night is always darkest just before the dawn. It was like that for Israel when Moses arrived back in Egypt ready to deliver them. They had been in slavery for as long as they could remember and at last the time had come when they were about to be made free and taken to the promised land. No doubt spirits were lifted as the news got around and they thought that they were about to walk free.

But instead of things getting better, they got worse. Pharaoh got angry and they were forced to make the same amount of bricks in the same amount of time but they also had to provide their own straw. Their anticipation turned to bitterness and anger against Moses. But nothing happens without God allowing it to happen. I wonder if it was to make them appreciate their escape even more than if they had just got up and gone from their "normal" slavery. The blacker the night, the brighter the day seems to be.

It may be that our trials serve the same purpose. When things go from bad to worse we can rejoice in the fact that when our trials are over or when the kingdom comes, the day will be truly bright.

5:22 Moses could be forgiven for thinking that Israel would not believe him because they did not believe that he was the deliverer when he slew the Egyptian 40 years earlier - see Acts 7:25.

Exo 6 - Genesis 15:16 said that Israel would 'come out' in the fourth generation. The exodus was a fulfilment of those words so we should not be surprised to realise that Moses was the fourth generation
1 Levi
2 Kohath
3 Amram
4 Moses

Exodus 6:3 - "but by my name" - The Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge has the following comment on this verse... "If Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, did not know the name Jehovah, then Moses must have used it in Genesis by prolepsis, or anticipation. Mr. Locke and others read it interrogatively, for the negative particle, "not," has frequently this power in Hebrew: "I appeared unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, and by my name Jehovah [Yahweh] was I not also made known unto them?" Both Rotherham's and Webster's translations also support this rendering of this verse. The name of God [Yahweh] was, it seems, known and used by the Patriarchs - e.g.. Genesis 15:2,7, - but the full purpose of the name is only here revealed. Though they may have known and used the name Yahweh, the patriarchs were more familiar with the title of God - "Ail Shaddai" - 'the power that nourishes and/or destroys.'

5:21 Israel was to be an evil savour – smell – to the Egyptians. Whilst this is poetic language the consequences of Egypt’s attitude was an actual ‘stink’ in their river (7:18, 8:14)

6:23 ‘Elisheba’ is the Hebrew for Elizabeth – so we see Zechariah’s wife (Luke 1:5) was named after Aaron’s wife.

The Lord God could have brought the Israelites out of Egypt straight away. But He chose not to. He worked through Moses and Aaron, and told them to ask Pharaoh’s permission. This was done for a reason. Moses had to be honoured in Israel’s sight, and Pharaoh had to be seen to be evil. Israel had to be taught to hate Egypt, and all it stood for. All of this speaks to us today, as we see the world shaping up as the Prophets said it would before we can go to our Promised land.

Exo 6:12,30 Moses had not been circumcised. He considered this to be an obstacle. But God didn’t.

Exo 6:6-8  "I will" This phrase is repeated seven times in these verses, like so many other promises God made to the forefathers of old, this shows completeness and perfection in all of God's commitments.

Faith is the underlying theme displayed here.

Moses had faith to return to Egypt for his mission of deliverance, albeit with trepidation.

He had faith to confront Pharaoh.  The ruler could have ordered him killed (later Esther would have a similar experience with Ahasuerus).

He had faith to stay the course despite the anger of the Israelites towards him (5:20,21).

He had faith to stay with God's program despite the many rejections of Pharaoh.

His faith earned him a mention in the catalogue of the faithful (Heb 11:23-29). He serves to show us that, timid and fearful though we might be, we can stay the course through our trials if we have faith.

Hebrew boys were (and are) circumcised on the eighth day after birth. Moses was in his parent's custody for three months before he was put in the ark and floated down the Nile (Exo 2:1-3). Therefore, Moses would have surely been circumcised. Also Josh 5:5 tells us that all the people who came out of Egypt were circumcised. This would have included Moses.

6:12,30 The expression uncircumcised lips cannot be attributable physically as lips are not circumcised. It is a figurative expression meaning faltering lips.

5:1 Moses and Aaron delivered the message to Pharaoh in the name of the "LORD God of Israel" This is the first time recorded for us in scripture that Jehovah is identified as the Lord God of Israel.

It is a common thing for a group of people to view another group as inferior to such an extent that they are quite happy to hurt them, and feel no conscience as a result.  This has happened time after time throughout history.  The Egyptians attitude to the Israelites is just one example.  Each of us could list countless others. We can see it in others.  Let us be absolutely sure that there is no group of people we view this way, and that we show willingness to preach to all.  Let us remember that with God there is no respect of persons.

5:3,10,23; 8:27 - Israel was enslaved to Egypt much as we are enslaved to our sinful nature. The desired three day journey for a sacrifice (3 days mentioned several times) reminds us of the 3 days Christ was in the pit after his sacrifice. Moses wanted his people rescued just as we look to Christ for our freedom and to lead us to the promised land.

5:13-14 The taskmasters were Egyptians and the officers were Jews.  This meant that the  officers had an impossible job. They had to answer to their Egyptian taskmasters but live with the Jews who they had to make do the work.

6:12,30           In saying  ‘I am of uncircumcised lips’ Moses is making rather a lame excuse, it seems. God had called him to do the work and so he should have simply got on with it. Easy as it is to say this we need to realise that we are often just like Moses.

5:1 The record states matter-of-factly that Moses and Aaron went before Pharaoh. Imagine Moses' fear and trepidation at stepping back into court -- he had run away, afraid that his murder would be discovered, albeit forty years' earlier. Would this fact be thrown in his face? Would anyone remember?

5:2 "I will not let Israel go." Sin is so much like Pharaoh, stubborn, refusing to let go, not wanting to recognise reality. There is a part of Pharaoh in all of us. Rom 7:24-25 "Oh wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me ...? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord."

5:2 Where Pharaoh says here that he does not "know" the LORD, this is the same word as 1:8 where the Pharaoh of that time does not "know" Joseph. It is implies relationship cp John 17:3

5:21 Just because God sends us to do something doesn't mean He smooths the path for us.

6:15 It is interesting that it is specifically mentioned here that Simeon had a Canaanite wife. And yet he was the one, together with Levi, who took the lead against Shechem in the matter of Dinah Gen 34:25 It obviously wasn't a problem for him to intermarry with the "locals".

Pharaohs were considered gods.  No wonder this one did not know (recognize) Yahweh, a foreign god (5:2).

Moses requested a three-day journey for safety reasons (5:3).  Some of the animals that the Israelites wished to sacrifice were considered sacred by the Egyptians.  Moses was concerned with the reaction of the Egyptians to their sacrificing (Exo 8:25,26).  Also, the journey from Goshen to Sinai took three days (Exo 3:18).

The word redeem in 6:6 is ga'al which is also translated redeemer and (near) kinsman.  The responsibility of a ga'al, under the Law, was to make sure of the perpetuation of the nation (Deut 25:5,6).  Boaz acted as a ga'al to Ruth (Ruth 4:8-10).  Here, in v.6, Yahweh promises to make sure that His nation will continue.

The world chooses its leaders according to eloquent speech and stature.  But, Yahweh often chooses worldly-weak individuals through whom to express His power (1Cor 1:27).  Moses (6:12) and Paul (2Cor 10:10) are excellent examples.

5:22-23 Whereas Moses had been willing to go to Pharaoh he, because things are not going smoothly he begins to question God. Thus we see that at this time Moses did not fully understand that the deliverance of Israel would be a consequence of the destruction of Egypt. Likewise our deliverance from sin has a cost. It is destruction of sinful thoughts in ourselves. Gal 5:24

6:23 The fact that Moses recorded these facts about the family of Aaron, while ignoring the details of his own family, indicate the modesty of Moses. An ambitious man or a man who was full of himself, would have surely done things in a different manner.

6:8    In speaking of the land which was sworn to Abraham Isaac and Jacob God is actually quoting the words of Joseph - Gen 50:24 - to Moses as an evidence that He is going to keep His word.

The abuse and hardship of Israel centered on brick production. The Hebrew word for brick is Laban which means to be made white. We recall similar abuse and hardship to Israel (the patriarch Jacob) by the hands of Laban the Syrian, whose demeanour was as hard as brick.

5:22,23 Moses complains to Yahweh; and Yahweh assures Moses 6:1.

5:2 The disdainful ‘who is the Lord?’ is in the mind of the king of Assyria who pitted himself against God in the days of Hezekiah. Both Pharaoh and the king of Assyria suffered the same fate. It seems that such an affront to the God of Israel seals the fate of the blasphemer.

6:3 It is true that Yahweh did appear to the Patriarchs as El Shaddai (God Almighty). But, Yahweh also addresses Abraham as Yahweh (Gen 15:17). Furthermore, Abraham addresses Him as Adonai Yahweh (Gen 15:2). What v.3 really says is that Yahweh did not declare Himself to the Patriarchs in the expansive way He did to Moses (Exo 3:14). El Shaddai has to with power, provision, and protection: Yahweh has to do with existence, both now and in the future (God-manifestation). Although not explained, Yahweh was known by the Patriarchs (Exo 3:15,16).

Exo 6:12,30 - Moses speaking with faltering lips - might this be an echo of Christ speaking in parables? Isa 6:9-10;Matt 13:10-17.

5:6-9 So the initial effect of Moses’ appeal to Pharaoh produces more affliction for the children of Israel – a sore test for Moses’ faith. See 5:22-23

5:8  The tale of bricks:  this has nothing to do with telling stories.  The word "tale" originally meant "count" and has the same root as the modern German word: zahlen, to count or the English word "tally".  It also appears in the American word for someone who counts money in a bank - the bank teller.  Modern translations mostly use the word "number" here.

The contrast between the Pharaoh and Moses could hardly have been greater.  The one was effectively the most powerful man in the world at the time and was living in a palace. The other was seemingly a hesitant, reluctant leader of a group of slaves.  He probably appeared before Pharaoh unkempt and wearing his shepherd's clothes.  Yet Moses had the perfect CV for the job.  He'd spent forty years in the royal household and would have been familiar with royal protocol.  He'd also spent forty year as a shepherd - ideal training for the next forty years shepherding God's people.  Over the next few chapters, we see Moses gradually gaining in confidence in his dealings with Pharaoh.  Initially, it may have been Aaron who was the "spokesperson" (Exo 4:15), but later, thanks to God,  Moses became a very confident, respected leader - see, for example, Exo 11:3

WHERE TO TURN IN BAD TIMES

Where do we turn when things go wrong? When Moses asked Pharaoh to let the children of Israel go, Pharaoh turned to those he could pick on and made life miserable for them. A lot of people have the same idea today. "If I am miserable, then I will make sure that others are miserable with me."

When Pharaoh picked on the Israelites and forced them to work beyond their means, they were beaten and angry. The Israelites turned on Moses, looking for someone to blame. They said, "May the LORD look upon you and judge you! You have made us a stench to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us." (Exo 5:21) Again many people still turn in the same direction as the Israelites wanting someone to blame when things go wrong.

Neither the blame game nor the pick-on-someone-else attitude are the right way to go when things go wrong.

Moses showed us the right thing to do when things go wrong. All the good he tried to do came back on him, so "Moses returned to the LORD and said..." (v 22) Moses turned to God when things went bad for him. There is no better person to turn to. From the time that Moses turned to the LORD it began to seem as if God was working in the situation.

Let us not pick on others or spread the blame when things go bad, but turn to God in prayer. There is no better way.

6:6,8   ‘I am the Lord’ in the deliverance of Israel from Egypt is God’s answer to Pharaoh’s ‘who is the Lord’ of Exo 5:2 . So Israel were given the promise of deliverance against the background of Pharaoh’s insolence some time before the deliverance actually took place.

6:3     Abraham clearly did know the name ‘Jehovah’ - Yahweh for it is used in Genesis 15:6. However Abraham did not understand the significance of the meaning of the name at that time. This is what is being said here in Exodus.

Exo 6:16-26 – The genealogy of Moses is recorded in this way for us to appreciate that God is preparing His people to leave Egypt during the life time of the fourth generation. The first generation who entered Egypt included Levi (Exo 6:16).  Kohath was a son of Levi, the second generation that grew up in Egypt (Exo 6:16).  Amram was a son of Kohath, the third generation in Egypt (Exo 6:18).  Moses was a son of Amram who was to lead God’s people out of Egypt was of the fourth generation (Exo 6:20).  The Exodus genealogy is a record of prophecy fulfilling in progress.  It was revealed to Abraham that his descendants of the fourth generation would leave Egypt (Gen 15:16). 

Exo 6:6-8 –  The Lord strengthened Moses with seven promises He gave him, for the work that lay ahead of delivering Israel from Egypt.

God’s promises to deliver Israel from Egypt have been recorded for our encouragement.  Jesus, is the Prophet like unto Moses (Deut 18:18) who will deliverer us from the bondage of sin and death.  God has promised that he will dwell with us and shall be His people (Rev 21:3-4).

6:5    When God says He has “remembered” we are reminded of the number of times that God remembers the plight of His servants.  You might look for other examples in Scripture – Here is one Gen 8:1. This is not a simple Bible search. Rather we are being taught a fundamental aspect of our Father. He remembers the needs of His children.

Exo 6:2-4.

Some have understood what God told Moses here to mean that this occasion was the first one in which He gives His memorial name of Yahweh to believers in Him. Yet throughout the book of Genesis, the name of Yahweh occurs and reoccurs time after time. How then should we understand what God is telling Moses?

The first thing to note on this subject is the fact that God's name Yahweh occurs well over 100 times in the book of Genesis. An argument that could be made is that the writer or compiler of the book only used the name in retrospect when describing the events, while those dealing with God during those early times were not aware of this name of His. But that point doesn't really hold up as can be seen in a couple of illustrations early on.

Gen. 4:1 - "Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, 'With the help of the LORD (Yahweh) I have brought forth a man.'"

Gen. 4:26 - "...At that time men began to call on the name of the LORD (Yahweh)."

But based on what is stated in Exo. 6;3, what about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Is it possible that this memorial name was concealed from them? I didn't do a thorough examination of this, but in just going through the list in my concordance, I found several right away in connection with Abraham that showed that that patriarch did know the name of Yahweh.

Gen. 13:4 - "....There Abram called on the name of the LORD (Yahweh)."

Gen. 13:18 - "So Abram moved his tents and went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the LORD (Yahweh)."

Gen. 14:22 - "But Abram said to the king of Sodom, 'I have raised my hand to the LORD (Yahweh), God Most High, Creator of haven and earth, and have taken an oath...'"

Note in this last verse is Abraham's actual conversation with the king of Sodom and his reference to Yahweh. Here are some other passages to check out in this regard: Gen 15:7,8; Gen 18:14; Gen 19:13; Gen 22:14; Gen 24:7,12,27,31.

So then how should we understand Exo. 6:3? Here are a couple of possible ways of reading this:

1. not only, but also. In other words - "I was not only known to them as Yahweh, but also as El Shaddai."

Or

2. Reading what is a declarative statement in our versions as a question instead. "I appeared unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by the name of El Shaddai, but by my name Yahweh was I not know to them?" As if to say, "Of course I was!"

6:4   We see three quotations in this verse from Gen 17 showing that kept His word towards Abraham.

Established my covenant         Gen 17:7

The land of Canaan                 Gen 17:8

Wherein they were strangers   Gen 17:8

Exo 6:14-25 is an interlude in the narrative, to show the family lineage of Moses and Aaron, so you can read the chapter skipping these verses to keep the flow of the narrative going. Within these verses we find that Moses and Aaron were from one of the chief families of Levi, so in other words, they had authority bestowed on them (6:25-26). Thus when Moses complained to God that no-one had listened to him, it was on the basis that they had not accepted his or Aaron's authority as given to them by their family status. In chapter 7 we begin to see that none of this mattered to God, because He would provide the authority by His signs and miracles, which Pharaoh would certainly respect (see Exo 7:1).

THE DARKER THE NIGHT...

I don't think it is a lack of faith that causes it, but I have seen it too many times to ignore it. Not always, but often enough, when faithful people pray for a change in direction or for relief from their circumstances, things seem to get worse instead of better. This was exactly what happened to the Israelites. No sooner had Moses arrived in Egypt to rescue them from their slavery, then all of a sudden things got worse. They no longer had straw provided by the Egyptians for their bricks, but they still needed to keep up the same production as before. And when they couldn't, they were beaten.

It seems to me that when God does a rescue job, he likes to make sure that we know that it is His power that is at work and not our own. As He allows circumstances to grow blacker and blacker, we discover more and more how helpless we are, and as a consequence the light of his salvation (whether now or later) shines even brighter.

Eventually the Israelite slaves were set free by God's power. So don't give up if you seem to keep praying but things only get worse. The time will come when God will show his strength, and like Israel, we will be delivered in a way that only God can do.

5:2    The “Lord” who Pharaoh disdained here is the same “Lord” who took off the chariot wheels – Exo 14:21 – when Israel left Egypt. He might not respond immediately to taunts but eventually His power is seen.

IN THE FACE OF REJECTION

Imagine how hard it must have been for Moses in those first few days back in Egypt. He arrived in Egypt after forty years in exile with a message Pharaoh and the Egyptians hated:"Let my people go!" No, that wasn't about to happen too easily. You can understand Moses being put through the wringer by the Egyptians. He was not a popular person.

On the other hand, the Israelites should have rejoiced at his message. He came with promises to redeem them from slavery and to take them back to the Promised Land. But as soon as their slavery got more difficult, they also turned their backs on Moses and Aaron. Moses gave them a great speech about freedom and promises and knowing the LORD, "But they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and cruel bondage." (Exo 6:9). I know how it hurts to be rejected by one person, but to be rejected by millions must be much harder.

But Moses did not give up even though both friends and enemies were now all enemies. He remained loyal to the LORD no matter what popular opinion said. He had been commanded by God to do a task, and in God's strength he saw it through to the end.

If popular opinion turns against us, let's not give up, but keep doing what is right and obeying the Lord.

6:7     “I am the Lord your God” seems to be the source of the words that the prophet – Judg 6:10 – spoke to Israel in the days of Gideon because in Judges 6 the prophet also reminded Israel of their deliverance form Egypt –Judg 6:8-9 – which is the context her in Exodus.

Exo 6:3 Yahweh was not known to Abraham/ Isaac and Jacob?

We see in Gen 4:1 that Eve said I have gotten a man from Yahweh.

Rotherham translates Eves statement as I have gotten a man even Yahweh, Eve used these words because she believed her firstborn was a fulfilment of Gen 3:15.

Eve was fully aware from what she had been told in Gen 3:15 that through her seed would come Gods son, (god in man).

So in Gen 4:1 Eve believes that she has given birth to that seed. (Of course, Eve was wrong because this seed of a woman would kill so he was actually a man of sin).

So what Eve and later patriarchs like Abraham all looked for was He who will become, to them God was "Eyeh" I will become.

But what was revealed to Moses was Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh I will be who I will be. To Eve (and possibly Abraham) it was singular but to Moses it was MANY that would become. A multitude would become sons of God.

Phanerosis pg 138

Exo 5:1-2 This appears to be the first visit of Moses and Aaron to the court of Pharaoh since Moses fled some 40 years earlier. This was a new Pharaoh and another generation who were not aware of the significance of Joseph in the history of their nation. Pharaoh’s response to the request to let the Hebrews go to hold a feast to the LORD, was complete rejection. “…I know not the LORD neither will I let Israel go.”

The response of the LORD was a prophecy given to Moses. “Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.”(Exo 6:1). The ten plagues that followed were signs for their times of the LORD working in the court of the kingdom of men.

The slaying of the Egyptian firstborn brought Pharaoh to demand the Hebrews left Egypt and the prophecy of Ex.6:1 came to pass,  “the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men.”(Exo 12:33).

Are we observing the signs for our times? The LORD is working in the kingdom of men preparatory to calling His people out of this world of sin and death. Now is the time for our preparation to develop the inner man (Eph 3:16-17) and not to look back.(Luke 17:32-36 ; Gen 19:26)

5:7,13  The way in which Israel were told that they were to “go and gather” straw daily is echoed, pointedly, I the requirement to gather Manna –  16:4. Would you rather have gathered straw or Manna

6:30 The answer to the question, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?” involves God manifesting Himself through Moses: “See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh” (Ex. 7:1). Paul alludes to these two verses in Colossians 2. Christ was not of “uncircumcised lips” but was the ultimate example of circumcision for he put off the whole body, and in him we too can be spiritually circumcised: “In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ” (Col. 2:11). And this is possible because just as Moses was “a god” so in Christ “dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Col. 2:9). And note that, whereas Israel had “the heads of their fathers’ houses” (Ex. 6:14) and the “the heads of the fathers of the Levites” (Ex. 6:25), believers have Christ who is “the head of all principality and power” (Col. 2:10).

5:3   Notice that Moses and Aaron try to reason with Pharaoh who does not recognise, by implication, the existence of the God of the Hebrews. They do not seem to try and present proof of His existence. Rather they simply restate what He had said to them. A lesson for us, maybe, in our conversations with those who deny the existence of God.

5:1,3 At the burning bush Moses was reticent to go and speak to God and so he was told that Aaron would go with him. Now we see the two of them before Pharaoh. By the time we get to the plagues on Egypt Moses speaks to God, not needing Aaron to be his mouthpiece. We see a growing confidence in Moses.

In this we are like him. Not that God has spoken directly with us. Rather we might commence a task with fellow believers being anxious but as the task progresses our confidence increases. We should never allow our initial reticence get in the way of beginning a task for our father.

5:2 We have already read –1:8– of a disregard for the work of Joseph. Now the same Pharaoh is showing  his disdain and disrespect for Yahweh who had worked through Joseph.

6:6  here and elsewhere we find the sinner taking his offering to the priest. Whilst his offering is between himself and his God at least, and maybe others, would know why the sacrifice was being offered. Sin cannot be hidden away and remain unseen. Our actions and thoughts have consequences.

6:6-8 Notice 7 times God said “I will”. By the time that Israel got to the border of the land the first time 5 of the promises bound up in “I will” had been fulfilled. So, we might ask, why did the nation not believe that the final two would be fulfilled  - See Num 13:21 where the people did not believe that God would give them the land He had promised that he would give them.

59v.8 - The concept of God's derisive laughter seems odd to us, but we need to try to strip away our human thinking about the motivation for such an outburst from God's righteous reasoning. It is a common idea - Ps.2:4, 37:13, Prov.1:26.

58 v.3 - We read a lot about those that are chosen being known from birth, but this is also true of those who are not. Each of our decisions, and therefore our ultimate destiny, is known to God who lives in eternity and is not bounded as we are by time. He therefore cannot help but know what each of us, good or evil, will do with our lives. This doesn't alter the fact that we don't know, so it does not remove our free will in determining our own lives.

58:4 In speaking about the 'poison of a serpent' the Psalmist is not simply commenting upon a poisonous snake. Rather he is thinking about Eden and the 'poisonous' words which caused Eve and Adam to fall. So are the words of the wicked. They are not simply wrong - they tend to lead the righteous into error also.

Psalm 59 - When it is realised that this Psalm relates to the events of 1 Samuel 19:11 the use of the word 'evening :6, 14 takes on quite a specific significance for this was the time when Saul's servants were around David's house seeking to catch him.

58:1-2 David is criticising a group of individuals who appear to be giving right judgement but in reality are deceitful. This is a great danger that we should avoid. It is so easy to say things to please men but in reality we have another agenda.

59:16 In speaking about singing in the morning we can see that this Psalm was written after David had time to reflect on the way in which God had delivered him from those who compassed the house to kill him.

Psalm 58 - The superscription and proper beginning of this Psalm begins "Altaschith, Michtam of David, " - Al-taschith means "do not destroy."

Psalm 58:11 - "Verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth" - Or, 'Truly there is a God that judges in the earth.'  In other words, the course of things demonstrates that the affairs of the world are not left to chance, to fate, or to mere physical laws. There are results of human conduct which show that there is a "Mind" that presides over all; that there is One who has a purpose and plan of his own; that there is One who "administers" government, ultimately rewarding the good, and punishing the wicked. There is a clear proof of divine interposition in those affairs, and a clear proof that, on the whole, and in the final result, that interposition is favourable to righteousness and opposed to sin. No man, in other words, can take the "facts" which occur on the earth, and explain them satisfactorily, except on the supposition that there is a God. A further interesting thought, revolves around the fact that the word "God" is in the plural, "Gods" or 'Elohim' - not in the sense of a Trinity, but confirming what the apostle Paul reveals in 1 Corinthians 6:2 - that we shall administer the affairs that the angels now minister, in the age to come - Hebrews 2:5.

Psalm 59 - The superscription and proper beginning of this Psalm begins "Altaschith, Michtam of David, when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him" - 1 Samuel 19:10-12.

v11 - "slay them not" - This appears to contradict v13, "consume them in wrath" - but the problem disappears when it is realised that the word "slay" should be rendered "pity." Like Jesus, David was continually hounded by those who wished to see him dead - though a man after God's own heart, many of his countrymen would not see the desirableness of having this one reign over them. If Christ, or David, were walking among us today - would we be of those who support them... or would we be among those who hound them?? I wonder!

58:4 Describing the adder as ‘deaf’ is rather like the way that Jeremiah (8:17) speaks of adders not being able to be charmed. Now this is not a general comment about adders. Rather what is being described is men who will not listen to God’s instruction – they are like a snake which a charmer cannot control – unpredictable!

59:3-4 David can speak freely about the way that he is being pursued even though he has not done anything wrong even though he is a sinner because he is speaking precisely about the way that Saul was trying to kill him. David had done nothing worthy of death. Saul’s obsession was evil and baseless and David knew this.

Psalm 58  We have in this Psalm a description of the wicked, and a prayer for their removal from the earth.

Psalm 59  Written by David , probably on the occasion when Saul sent men to execute him.  1Sam 19:11

Psa 59:13  God ruleth unto the ends of the earth.  Exo 9:14  Josh 4:24  1Sam 17:46

Have you noticed the number of Psalms that start off sad, but end up happy?  Psa 59:1 is a prayer for protection from his enemies, and in fact that theme runs through most of the Psalm. But the last two verses Psa 59:16,17 demonstrate David's complete trust in the Lord God. He concludes his poem on a high note.  Whatever man does to him, the praises of his God will still ascend from his lips. God is his defence.

58:10 - Is this a reference to the winepress of Rev 14:20?

58:4      The analogy with a snake that could not be charmed by a snake charmer is most apt to describe the mind of the flesh. When we are bent on sin we do not listen to wisdom – even though we know we are doing wrong.

59:6,14 The only other use of ‘dog’ in the Psalms is to be found in Psa 22:20 where David is praying again for deliverance.

Perhaps Psalms 58 and 59 have messianic applications.

Psa 58:1,2,3,4,11 - v1 - the reference to "congregation" (KJV) or "rulers" (NIV) [Heb. "elem" <482> means "silence (i.e. mute justice), congregation" and it comes from the root "alam" <481> means "to tie fast; hence (of the mouth) to be tongue tied: - bind, be dumb, put to silence."] could refer earlier silencing and later to the Sanhedrin which was tongue tied with false witnesses (Matt 22:34,46; Matt 26:59-60; Mark 14:55-56) in trying to convict Jesus who was silent (Matt 27:14). v2,3 - the trial by night of the Sanhedrin was against Jewish law, yet another injustice  not to mention his brutalisation before handing him over to the Romans.  v4 - Jesus calls the scribes and Pharisees snakes, and a brood of vipers (Matt 23:33). v11 - When Christ returns to the earth the righteous will be judged and rewarded with eternal life.

Psa 59:1,2,3,4,5,6,14,16 - v1 - "deliver me from my enemies" (NIV) and protect him from those who "set me on high" (KJV margin - possibly referring to Christ's crucifixion) or "those who rise up against me" (NIV). v2 - "deliver me from evil doers" (NIV) could be a reference to Christ's plea in Gethsemane (Matt 26:39) or a reference to his resurrection and ascension. v3 - "See how they lie in wait for me! Fierce men conspire against me (Matt 26:3-5) for no offence or sin of mine" (NIV). Only Jesus was sinless. v4 - "I have done no wrong...help me" (NIV) Again, Jesus was sinless and and in response to his plea "An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him" (Luke 22:43, NIV). v5,6,14 - "heathen" (KJV), "dogs" (NIV) is the same Heb. word "Keleb" <3611> as the "dogs" used in Psa 22:16, and note the v6,14 mentions of "returning at evening" perhaps suggesting the guarding of the sepulchre. v16 - power and mercy in the morning suggesting the resurrection.

58:4 So if we join the characteristics of the serpent and adder we meet someone who is not willing to listen to reproof but is quite willing to spew their damaging words around. They ‘say and do not’ Matt 23:3

59 Whilst the historical narrative in 1Sam 19 relating the events when Saul’s men trapped David in the house mentions nothing of David’s feelings this Psalm gives us a wonderful insight into his mind at that time. This is a benefit of looking at the Psalms in their historical context.

EVENING AND MORNING

The way we start and finish our day makes a big difference to the rest of our day.

David was a man who lived an almost completely godly life. His mornings and evenings were essential parts of a life given to God. He said, "But I will sing of your strength." (Psa 59:16) If we check out the context of this statement we can see that this song of God's strength was sung in the evening when others were getting up to wickedness in the city around him. He continued, "In the morning I will sing of your love." (v.16) Singing of God's love in the morning can be a product of where our thoughts left off the night before, combined with the thankfulness we should have for the new day.

Devoting ourselves to praising God in the evening and morning will also take away the temptations of the evening when darkness hides our sin, when emotions and sensual feelings run high, and we have time to get into mischief. In the morning it takes us out of what can be a most selfish time of day, when we think mostly of ourselves and our plans for the day.

Evening and morning. Let's plan to finish our day with praise and to wake up to a new God centred day of praise in the morning.

58:4-5  In speaking of the ‘deaf adder’ he is speaking of men who will not listen to instruction – an idea that is presented again in Jer 8:17. These people may as well be deaf as they do not listen to instruction. Deafness is a quality that God uses to speak of rebellious Israel elsewhere, for example 2Kin 17:14

58:4,5 David’s comments against the unrighteous and unjust are mirrored by Christ’s indictments against the Pharisees (Matt 12:34; Luke 7:30-32).

59:6,14  The mention of ‘evening’ matches the historical data in 1Sam 19:11 where Saul’s men sought to kill David in the morning. They were waiting at night and Michal realised that unless David fled that night he would be killed 11Sam 19:11

59:8     The way in which David speaks of those surrounding the house being laughed at by God and being in derision is echoed in Psa 2:4 where David by inspiration talks about the way that Jesus will be established on His throne despite the attempts by men to prevent his kingdom.

Psa 58:3-4 - the poisen of the serpent (Gen 3:13-15;Acts 28:3-6).

Psa 60:1 - the subscription for Psalm 59 includes "Shushaneduth" [<7802> means "lily of assemblage/testimony" - lilies are associated with white, purity, righteousness and Spring when the Passover was celebrated].

59:3      In saying “they lie in wait” we are to see David speaking clearly of what Saul’s men were doing as recorded in 1Sam 19:11 The Psalm clearly speaks of David’s feeling whilst he was in the house knowing that Saul wanted him captured and killed.

59:1  The historical narrative of the events which prompted this Psalm – 1Sam 19:11-17– tell us nothing of David’s thoughts. This Psalm records a prayer that he uttered at that time.

58:5    Just like a snake could be “charmed” by a charmer because the snake responded to the charmer men and women can be “charmed” by God’s instruction. However to be charmed one has to listen and understand what is heard.

In chapter 59 David asks God to deliver him from his enemies. God answered this prayer but it was many years later that Saul finally died and stopped trying to kill David. At this time God's answer was to provide the means for him to flee while saving the life of his wife too. God's answer is not always what we want but it is best for us. Looking into the examples of David's life can help us get the correct perspective.

Psalm 58

Who is this Psalm about? The word "Altaschith" in the heading of the Psalm appears in Psalms 57, 58 and 59, so it's reasonable to assume that they are meant to be read together. In this case all three would appear to be about Saul. Is there an incident in David's life, related to Saul, where he didn't want men to listen to lies spoken like a snake charmer? (v3-5).

58:3     David is not saying that wickedness is a genetic problem and therefore is excused. Rather David is saying that all are sons of Adam and as a consequence share his nature and his tendency to sin.

59:17     It is worthy of note that as well as being a “defence” God is a God of “mercy”.  There is no value in having a God who defends us if he is not merciful to us as well.

58:10 The rejoicing of the righteous at the destruction of the wicked is not because of some vindictive feeling they have. Rather it is that they realise that without the removal of the wicked God’s name will not be glorified in the earth. Their rejoicing is because God’s name is known.

59:1 When we read David said “deliver me…” we should realise that this is the prayer that he prayed whilst in the house before Michal lowered him own through the window and he escaped. If we just read the historical narrative we do not see the way in which David trusted in God.

59:17 David was at risk of being captured by Saul when he was in his house and Saul’s men surrounded the house. He was delivered in response to prayer. Now he has been delivered he prays to go in thankfulness. How often do we thank God when our prayers have been answered?

59:14 The use of the figure of animals as those opposing David has been seen – Psa 57:4 – where he speaks of them as lions.

59 Threatened by Saul – delivered by a loving wife

Having fled from Saul’s presence to the safety of his own home Saul sent men to encircle the house to take David. Had it not been for the love of Michal David would have been captured by Saul’s men.

Looking back on those events David, in this Psalm, reflects on their plans lying in wait in the evening ( 59:3,6). Whilst it was Michal who actually lowered David out of the window David recognised deliverance came from his God ( 59:16). Do we see God’s hand at work in our lives? And when we do are our mouths full of praise to Him? (59:17)

59:2 Whilst Michal helped David to escape – 1Sam 19:12  - David saw the need to ask God to intervene. It is all too easy to work out a solution to a problem and leave God out of the process. Not so in David’s case.

59:11 Isn’t it amazing that David did not seek the death of those who were seeking to capture hi and take him to Saul! David’s prayer is that they might be “scattered” not “Killed”. David’s concern was not simply his deliverance. He was concerned what others might think if they were killed.

10v.3 - This theme of 'righteousness' and its source has been developed throughout Romans to the end that this chapter might address it in more detail. 1:17, 3:22,26, 5:19, 9:30. Note also Ps.71:15-19, Jer.23:5,6 and many others.

10:12 'there is no difference' marks the unity of believers into the body of Christ. This theme of unity between Jew and gentile is all pervading in the letters - see in particular Ephesians. The absence of unity is the worst scourge that we can bring upon ourselves.
11:3 'I am left alone ...' was the cry of Elijah. However he was ignorant of the 7000 who were holding fast to the truth as well. A warning that we should not get despondent if we feel that we are plowing a lonely furrow in preaching. God knows about all those who 'fear the Lord' [Malachi 3:16]

ch.10 - A key word in this chapter is 'righteousness' As you read the chapter underline the word and its related words. This will help you to understand the structure of the chapter.

In asking the question 11:1 'Hath God cast off His people …' Paul is pre empting a gentile who might wish to dismiss the Jew on the basis of what Paul has demonstrated that the Old Testament says about them.

11v33-36 What an outpouring of gratitude. Were we as moved as Paul by the argument of v25-32? If we are not then we have not really read the words, there is a valuable lesson here as to how we read. The point that has moved Paul, almost to tears, is the mercy shown by God to we who before were without hope through the law, and the enormity of the way God has removed the requirements of the law in order that a greater grace be made available for us through Jesus.

Romans 11 - The apostle having spoken of the calling of the Gentiles, and given a hint of the perverseness of the Jews in slighting the Gospel, proceeds in this chapter to treat of their rejection; in which he shows, that it was not universal, and then points at the end and design of God in the casting them off; and exhorts the Gentiles not to insult them, but to learn to be humble and cautious by what was done to them. He foretells the conversion of the Jews in the latter day, which will be general, so that their rejection is not final; and highlights the whole dispensation of God, both with respect to Jews and Gentiles, into the unsearchable wisdom and sovereign will of God.

v22 - What a blessing it is to know that the God who has called us to become part of His Divine Family here on earth, is so perfectly balanced in all that He is and does. No wonder Paul's breath is taken away in v33-36 as he considers our God and sums up this brilliant exposition of Israel's part in God's supreme purpose.

The Golden Thread:- God's purpose and character are bound up in His great name of Yahweh Elohim of Israel [He who will become the Mighty Ones of those who have power over God]. Because God is a Father first to His children, He hears the prayers of those who He deems the righteous and those who are His by calling - first the nation in Exodus 6:5, then the man of God in Psalm 59:16, and finally the chosen in Romans 11:26.

Was Paul thinking of the Ethiopian eunuch as he wrote Romans 10?
 
Compare How can I [understand], unless someone guides me? (Acts 8:31) with And how shall they hear without a preacher? (Rom 10:14)
 
Paul goes on to quote Isa 52:7 and 53:1 - the very section of Isaiah the Ethiopian eunuch was reading.
 
Paul also quotes Isa 65:1: Their sound has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.  Ethiopia was the southern extremity of the then-known world.

10:9 ‘believe in thine heart’ echoes the way that Philip spoke to the Ethiopian (Acts 8:37) – whilst Romans explains the gospel in a very powerfully reasoned way we must not forget that unless the message impacts upon our emotions it is of no value.

11:11 Gentiles – non Jews – should appreciate that the Gospel has its basis and origins in the Jewish faith. Our status in Christ, then, is a consequence of Israel’s failure to accept His offer. We must be  not ‘highminded’ in this position (Rom 11:20)

Rom 10:12  Our Heavenly Father's love over shadows distinctions with respect to race, nationality, sex, age, social, and financial standing. It does not matter what one has accomplished in life materially or wealth. Christ came to save sinners, and we all fall in that category being defendants of Adam. 

11:6 - We see again the great contrast that is presented throughout the New Testament that salvation by works, which is all that was available by the law, will lead to nothing, but salvation by grace, which is the free gift of God to mankind, will lead to eternal life.  These two approaches are incompatible.  This is so clear from the whole of Jesus' and the apostles teaching on these issues.  In Jesus lifetime, the Pharisees represented those who thought they were made righteous by works, and the upholding of tighter and tighter laws which they wrapped themselves in gave them comfort in the inevitability of their reward.  This attitude, which is very much our human nature's tendency, is not acceptable to God.  We must, instead, believe, and accept His grace in faith.

Sincerity is no guarantor of truth (10:2,3).  How often do we see religious people who exude enthusiasm but who are astray from the Truth?  Let us make sure of our foundations by consulting the Word.
 
10:9,13 and other similar verses taken alone are used by some to suggest that baptism is not necessary for salvation.  There is a danger in taking verses in isolation to prove a point.  Scripture should be qualified with scripture until a full understanding is revealed.  While belief is necessary for salvation, the scripture says that baptism is also necessary (Mark 16:16).

10:14-17 There is benefit, I think, in putting verses 15 and 16 temporarily in brackets, as it were.  This places verse 17, which we often hear quoted alone, in the context of the chapter.  Hearing is by the word of God, but we are not expected to manage without someone to expound it to us.

10:3-6   The repeated use of the word ‘righteousness’ high lights the key point of this area of this chapter.

11:9      David’s prayer in Psa 69:22 which was said primarily about Ahithophel is given a more general application by the inspired apostle here.

10:1 The Jewish opponents were constantly persecuting Paul. Again and again they attempted to put him to death. Nevertheless, Paul continued to pray that they might be saved. He was putting into practice the guideline laid down by Jesus (Luke 6:27-31). A lesson for each one of us .

a) Do check how the old Testament is quoted in Rom 10:6-8. The actual verses in Deut 30:12,13 speak of “the commandment”, and do not mention Jesus as such. But under inspiration Paul is able to change the words, and show that actually these verses are a prophecy of Jesus Christ.
b) There is a very interesting interplay between 2 words in Rom 10:9-15. Paul uses mouth and heart constantly through these verses.  The lesson is obvious: if we believe in the heart, then our mouth must tell the message.

10:2-4 - As Michael Parry suggested, it takes more than zeal to be saved. It takes knowledge/understanding of God's word, a wise application of that understanding plus grace. v2 zeal Grk. zelos (2205) means heat, (figuratively) zeal (in a favourable sense 'ardour' while in an unfavourable sense 'jealousy' or 'malice'), fervent mind, emulation, envy (-ing), indignation, jealousy, zeal, etc. Hos 4:6 notes my people perish for lack of knowledge. v3 notes they did not submit to God's righteousness and tried to establish their own and we are reminded of this in Prov 12:15; Matt 15:7-9; Eph 2:8-9 notes that it is by grace we are saved; John 4:24 informs that it is not merely worshipping in truth that saves but that we must worship in the proper spirit (the spirit of love 1Cor 13:2-8). v4 we have the end result of the Law with it pointing toward Christ who came to fulfil the Law and the prophets (Matt 5:17) and through his righteousness, the grace facilitated by his sacrifice, and God's mercy, followers have a hope.

10:3 Here we follow the theme of "knowing" as we have read in Exodus, where the Pharaoh did not "know" Joseph, and another Pharaoh did not "know" the LORD. John 17:3 teaches that "knowing" the LORD & Jesus is life eternal. This verse in Romans shows that the Jews were rejected because they did not "know" (were ignorant of) God's righteousness. Again the need for relationship and understanding is emphasised.

10:6-8 The repeated use of Deut 30:12-14 by Paul shows that a life of faith was required of those who correctly understood the law of Moses.

11:2     ‘In asserting that God hath not cast off His people’ Paul quotes Lev 26:44which was spoken against the background of punishment from God.

The Catholic Church contends that since the Jews rejected Jesus, they were, themselves, rejected by God.  But that is not what scripture tells us (11:1).  When Jesus returns to the earth, He will save His people (11:26).

10:3 To the Jew the suggestion that they were ignorant of ‘God’s righteousness’ would have seemed to really be an affront to their position. After all hadn't they been the ones who had received the Law of Moses? Weren't they the ones who had kept the law? But that is the point God’s righteousness was replaced by their own understanding that they were righteous simply because they had received the law and done it. Whereas God’s righteousness was bigger than that. His righteousness was seen in the forgiveness of sins. Paul has already made that point in Rom 3:25-26

10:4 Jesus is called the chief corner stone several times in the Bible (e.g. 1Pet 2:6).

This stone was the foundation placed at the corner of a building. It supported two walls at right angles to each other. As one wall ended the other wall began. And so, Jesus was the pivotal link between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. As the old one ended the new one began. The walls being now solidly in place, the rest of the house could be constructed (Eph 2:20-22).

Value, cost and paid-for gifts

We're so used to the fact that our salvation is a gift from God, that maybe we don't stop and think about the price that was paid for that gift. In everyday life we're used to receiving gifts from others, and we realise that they have paid their own money to buy the gift for us. So the gift has value in our eyes though it cost us nothing. But if we go to a shop which is giving away free products, we're inclined to turn our nose up, thinking "it must be cheap / of no value". So value is different to cost, and often there's no relationship between the two. That's the way it is for us. Everlasting life is a free gift - it costs us nothing - but it cost God, Jesus, and Israel a great deal. So life in Christ isn't free, but it is a paid-for gift. Someone else paid. See (Rom 11:11-12, 15, 18, 19, 30). We ought therefore to value Israel's contribution all the more, and not boast against them (11:17-21).

Rom 11:25-31 First Principles>Kingdom of God>Restoration clearly foretold
In Eze 21:25-27 UNTIL indicates a limitation to the overturning. Go there for more prophecies about Israel's restoration.

Are The Jews A Special People?

"Because of unbelief they were broken off"...(Rom 11:20) vs "God hath not cast away his people"...(Rom 11:2).

Israel, in Old Testament times, was a nation apart, called to be a special people for the Lord (Deut 7:6-8). The Jews, though often displeasing God, were still beloved for the father's sakes (Rom 11:28). The Divine selection of Israel was always conditional; they would remain His people only if they kept His covenant (Exo 19:5-6;Deut 28:11,63). After rejecting the Son of God, the Jews would be scattered throughout the world after Jerusalem was sacked in 70 AD but there was always the promise of an eventual messianic restoration upon Christ's return (Luke 21:24,31).

The Jews, for the most part, have rejected Christ. Are they still the special people of God? The consistent message from the New Testament is natural descent counts for nothing in God's sight - Jews and Gentiles are now on equal footing with chosen people now applying to be true believers in Christ (John 6:63;Rom 11:13-14,17-20; 2:28-29;10:11-12,21;Hos 1:10;Rom 9:24-27;1Pet 2:9-10). Hagar is the natural seed of Abraham (i.e. the nation of Israel) while Sarah is the spiritual seed (i.e. true believers in Christ be they Jew or Gentile - Gal 4:21-31). God rejects His people when don't obey, though He pleads for them - ultimately there will be rescue and a millennial kingdom with Jerusalem as the world capital (Hos 9:17;14:1,4-5;Rom 11:25-27;Zech 12:10;Isa 2:2-5).

Mostly gleaned from Balancing The Book: A Study Of Biblical Paradoxes  by Len Richardson, pps 74-79.

BY-PRODUCTS

God has given each of us a task, a mission or a job in life for us to fulfil. Paul's mission was an obvious one. He said, "I am talking to you Gentiles. In as much as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them." (Rom 11:13-14) The CEV says, "I take pride in my work," and the KJV says, "I magnify mine office."

Paul's mission mission was to preach to the Gentiles. At the same time he also had a related passion - to see his own people , the Jews, saved. It was not his mission to preach to the Jews, but by his work with the Gentiles he hoped to make the Jews jealous so that they too would accept the saving message of Christ. Just to make sure of this, he made much of his ministry, took pride in his work and magnified his office so that his work among the Gentiles would be really noticed by the Jews and his work would be especially effective.

No matter what sort of work we do for the Lord, there is always a by-product that stems from our ministry. We may not see it, but by doing our best and taking pride in our work, we may, like Paul, encourage someone else to do better, to turn to Christ or to make a difference in someone else's life to the glory of God.

10:11 This idea of believing with the heart which probably seemed odd to the Jew was actually spoken of in their law as Paul shows by drawing together two passages – Isa 28:16, 49:23

10:9   Belief is a rational activity. Evidence of God’s previous activities provides the a basis for confidence that he will work in the future. However ‘in thine heart’ might be thought to indicate an emotional response. In fact both are required.  The understanding of factual truths should bring about an emotional response.

11:7-9 God had  ‘blinded’ Israel (Rom 11:24) so that the gentiles could benefit from the promises that He had made to Abraham. Here Paul shows that such actions were prophesied in Isa 29:10. So the Jewish readers of the letter could not think that Paul was devising a ‘new’ teaching. It was clearly laid out in the Old Testament.

10:12  The Jews were so class conscious. They were the “chosen people” and all others were but “dogs”. This sort of division existed even in the first century ecclesias. The emphasis here – “no difference” – forces the point that has been made earlier – Rom 3:23 – that whether Jew or gentile no claim could be made about being righteous.

10:13-15      The progression here seems most obvious. However Paul’s inspired comments are showing that God has not left us without instruction. We cannot work out the purpose of God without revelation from Him (which we have in Scripture) and so He has “sent” the message, even though many do not “believe” that message. 

Rom 10:2

The word knowledge is in the greek, EPIGNOSIS which means a higher form of knowledge particularly of a person, in this case the Lord Jesus Christ.

We see many people fo the churches around us who indeed have a great deal of zeal for Christ (perhaps more than God) yet they have no real understanding of his purpose and nature. Choosing to simply preach "Jesus loves you, and he came to save us from dying!

However Acts 17:11 tells us we are to search scripture for knowledge of him after all how can we love someone if we dont know them.

See also 2Pet 1:2Isa 53:11

How fortunate that we have the truth and a true knowledge of Christ!

10:17   The importance of reading Scripture cannot be over emphasised. It is the effect of the word of God on our minds that cleanses us – John 15:3, Eph 5:26. There is no quick way in which we can learn to be like Christ. It can only come from a careful, prayerful and regular reading and re-reading of Scripture.

PRAY FOR ISRAEL

Paul says the reason God has reached out to offer grace to those of us who are Gentiles is because Israel, the people he has chosen, turned away from him and became disobedient. He puts it this way: "Because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fulness bring!" (Rom 11:11-12).

Either way, we, as Gentiles, are blessed by Israel. Because of their disobedience we have been given salvation. But what Paul seems to say is that if they were obedient, the blessing to those of us who are Gentiles would be even greater.

The psalmist tells us that we should be praying for Israel. "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: may those who love you be secure." (Psa 122:6). When we pray for Israel, it is not just a blessing on them that is received. Our prayers for God's chosen people reach out to bless us also. If they prosper, we prosper. If they are secure, we are secure. And where they are blessed, we will be blessed.

Let us reach out in prayer for God's chosen people today.

Rom 10:9,10

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

We may have the wisdom of Solomon, the patience of Job, the meekness of Moses, the strength of Samson, the obedience of Abraham, the compassion of Joseph, the tears of Jeremiah, the poetic skill of David, the prophetic voice of Elijah, the courage of Daniel, the greatness of John the Baptist, the endurance and love of the apostle Paul, but if we do not recognize that we are sinners (Rom 3:23), and confess our sins for forgiveness through Christ, we cannot be saved (cf. Rom 10:13)!

All our good deeds will not ooze us into being saved. We must recognize who we are and who God wants us to be in Christ Jesus our Lord and then not just be doing, but start being.

11:6    Paul has already – Rom 3:25-26 – shown that we are saved because of God’s grace. Now he returns to the topic to develop it further.

IN YOUR MIND AND HEART

I observed two young people working the other day. They both received the same instruction, training, and were working on the same job, so had the same aim. It was interesting to see how they both approached their work.

One did exactly what he was told to do, got in and worked hard and methodically according to the guidelines that had been set. The other saw the big picture, envisaged the completed job and set about his task with the ultimate goal in mind, working just as hard, not so rule bound, and much more efficiently.

If we put that into the perspective of living a Christian life, we could say that it involves sacrifice, prayer, Bible reading, attending church, not swearing, living a good life, and many other rules we should follow. Our lives are lived in the middle of all these rules and we try not to cross the boundaries. No doubt we work hard at it, and for the most part, we probably succeed.

But the other option is to focus on the most important things in our Christian life: Loving God and loving each other. Making those two aims the centre of our lives means we will probably keep all the other rules anyway, but won't even notice the effort of keeping them because we are focused on the end result.

The Scripture says, "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart." (Rom 10:8). When God's word is in our hearts and mouths we will love God and our neighbours as we should. Let's make sure that it is the desire to love God and each other from our hearts that motivates us.

11:19 The observation “did not Israel know” is challenging. It is rather like Jesus’ challenge, seen for example – Mark 2:25 - when Jesus asked “have ye never ready”. Knowing what Scripture says and  understanding what it means are two different things. We may know the words but it is also our responsibility to know what they mean. This can only come for regular, careful, reading of Scripture.

11:2  In speaking of Israel who he “foreknew” Paul is directing us to think of what he said in Rom 8:29 where he uses the same word.

10:3   there was a righteousness in keeping the law – Deut 6:25 – however even then it would not have been Israel’s righteousness. The problem being that it was not possible to keep all aspects of the law anyway.

Rom 10:2,3

“For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For their being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”

To be believe that being actively involved in ecclesial work guarantees God’s approval is actually very detrimental thinking! Saul was very sincere, he was zealous of good works in upholding God’s Law blamelessly (Phil 3:6), and acted according to conscience, but this did not make him right (1Tim 1:13). This should make us reflect on our standing in the Truth and not put our trust in being saved by our works. The very act of believing so reflects the need for a deep and better understanding of the Word!

We need to continuously study and acquire an accurate knowledge of God’s Truth, and then live in full harmony with it. The fiery zeal Saul had, Paul now used in spreading God’s Truth in Christ. Like with Paul, we too may gain favour with God, but this is available only to us if we act according to faith and grow in wisdom, knowledge and understanding and, thus, align ourselves to His will (Col 1:9).

Rom 10:4

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”

In the JEWISH NEW TESTAMENT, a translation by David H. Stern, he writes: “… the Messiah is the goal at which the Torah aims, not ‘the end of the law.’” The verse reads: "For the goal at which the Torah aims is the Messiah, who offers righteousness to everyone who trusts." This is correct, and the NIV comments, further expounding on this, as it pertains to Rom 10:4. The aim or goal of the Torah is to point us to the mind and righteous character of Messiah. He became the perfect example of what God’s Law teaches, thus fulfilling it, and we are to establish it (cf. Rom 3:31), not abrogate it, as too many have come to interpret this verse. This distorts what Paul wrote, and against which Peter warned (2Pet 3:15,16), and also is in direct contradiction to what Jesus said (Matt 5:19)! Christ’s thoughts and actions perfectly embodied the intent of the Law. In other words, he filled it to the full (Matt 5:17).

The Greek word for end is telos, # <5056>, “to set out for a definite point or goal)…” Telos, or end is the same word used in 1Tim 1:5, and read in the NKJV as, “Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from [a] sincere faith…” The 1984 NIV has, “Now the goal…,” while the NRSV translates telos as “aim.” Christ fulfilled the Torah’s aims, and our aim is now to follow him, as best we can, in all obedience, that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us (Rom 8:4), and thus reach what we purpose, and that is to achieve the end result of our goal to be with Christ.

Rom 11:6

“And if by grace, then it is no more of works; otherwise grace is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”

The works Paul speaks about refers to legalistic works, (cf. Rom 9:31,32). “Because they did not pursue righteousness as being grounded in trusting but as it were grounded in legalistic works.” Likewise, in Rom 11:6, “… now if it be of grace, it is accordingly not based on legalistic works…” JEWISH NEW TESTAMENT, translated by David H. Stern.

There cannot be two systems of salvation. Only one way leads to salvation, which only a few find (Matt 7:14).

11:29 What Paul is saying is that God will not change His mind with regard to the things He has promises to Abraham’s descendant. That is the way in which repentance is used here.

11:7 It was Jews who were “blinded” therefore the “election” – those called – includes both Jew and gentile. The calling is a response t to what the Old Testament taught rather than an appeal to an accident of birth – being born a Jew.

11:9 When speaking of those of his nation who did not accept Jesus as Messiah Paul was inspired to quote Psa 69:22which speaks of Absalom and those who rose up with him against David. The quotations puts into stark relief the way in which God views those who oppose Jesus as Christ-  that is the Jewish Messiah.

No matter how well intentioned one is if one’s beliefs do not match God’s teaching then those beliefs are vain and will not achieve salvation. 

1. Rom 10:1-21 - Rejection:

2. Romans 10: 1-4 - the cause of Israel's failure:

3. Romans 10:1 - Paul's prayer for his fellow countrymen to be saved.

4. Romans 10:2 - "bear them record<3140>" means "witness".

5. Romans 10:2 - "zeal<2205>".

6. Romans 10:2 - "knowledge<1922>" means "sound knowledge, understanding, and belief".

7. Romans 10:2-3 - Saul/Paul initially had unenlightened zeal.

8. Romans 10:4 - "end<5056>" can mean cessation, completion, culmination or fulfillment, etc.

9. Romans 10:4 - "righteousness<1343>"

10. Romans 10:5-10 - the Law revealed faith is necessary:

11. Romans 10:5-10 - an anticipation of Jer 31:31-34;Jer 32:37-40.

12. Romans 10:6 - "heart<2588>".

13. Romans 10:8 - "word<4487>" (contrasts with "word<3056>" in John 1:1).

14. Rom 10:9.13 - saved and baptism (Matt 3:15;Mark 16:16;John 3:5;Acts 2:38;Acts 10:48;Acts 22:16;1Pet 3:21;Rom 6:3-5).

15. Romans 10:11-15 - Scripture predicted opportunity would be given to Gentiles as well as Jews:

16. Romans 10:12 - no difference between Jew or Gentile regarding salvation.

17. Romans 10:14-15 - the importance of preaching.

18. Romans 10:15 - (KJV) "feet of them that preach the gospel<2097>" is referring to the apostles while Isa 52:7 mentions "the feet of him..." referring to Christ.

19. Romans 10:15 - "and bring glad tidings<2097>"

20. Rom 10:16-18 - Scripture shows that some would harden themselves against God's mercy:

21. Romans 10:16 - "Lord, who hath believed our report?" (from Isa 53:1).

22. Romans 10:17 - how to get "faith<4102>". Faith can mean belief.

23. Romans 10:17 - "word<4487>" means to utter or speak aloud.

24. Rom 10:19-21 - Israel rejected the message, so God turned to the Gentiles:

25. Romans 10:19 - "know<1097>".

26. Romans 10:19-20 - (see Isa 65:1-2).

27. Romans 10:20 - "manifest<1717>".

28. Romans 10:21 - "gainsaying<483>".

1. Rom 11:1-36 - Restoration:

2. Romans 11:1-10 - Israel's rejection never absolute -a remnant saved:

3. Romans 11:1-6 - a remnant chosen by grace.

4. Romans 11:5 - "election<1589>"; "grace<5485>".

5. Romans 11:9 - "table<5132>", E.W. Bullinger notes that the "table" here is a metaphor for material prosperity.

6. Romans 11:9-10 - Psa 69:22-23 - Messianic in character.

7. Romans 11:11-24 - Israel's rejection only temporary:

8. Romans 11:11 - salvation to the Gentiles.

9. Romans 11:12-16 - saving some Jews.

10. Romans 11:17-21 - Gentiles are grafted in branches.

11. Romans 11:18 - the "root" may refer to the Abrahamic faith/promises that gives the branches (Jewish and Gentile believers) sustenance.

12. Romans 11:19 - unfaithful natural/original branches (unfaithful Jews) were broken off and allowed Gentile believers to be grafted in.

13. Romans 11:21-22 - Gentile branches can be broken off too so Gentile believers shouldn't boast.

14. Romans 11:22 - "once saved always saved" is not Biblical; we must faithfully endure untill the end (Matt 10:22).

15. Romans 11:24 - Jews turning back to God can be grafted back in.

16. Romans 11:25-32 - the secret of the restoration revealed:

17. Romans 11:25 - "blindness<4457>" - blindness as a stupid stone due to some being callous allows some Gentiles to be grafted in.

18. Romans 11:25-26 - When Christ returns the Jews will turn to God and His Son (Isa 59:20;Isa 27:6-9).

19. Romans 11:28 - "gospel<2098>"

20. Romans 11:32 - mercy shown to Jew and Gentile believers.

21. Romans 11:33-36 - the depths of God'swisdom revealed in His plan of national redemption:

22. Romans 11:33 - "knowledge<1108>".

10:9  It is all too easy to say that we believe a particular thing – be it the gospel or some other things. However simply professing belief is not sufficient. In fact the profession is only valid if that profession is seen in the way that the one who makes the profession behave. . A saying “words are cheap” is so true.

11:7-8 If it had not been for the blindness of Israel – which was all part of God’s plan – those of us who are gentiles would have had no hope of salvation. However I reality God knew exactly what would happen. So all are called both Jew and gentile – on the same basis as each other. That basis is “faith” not “works”