Down an Unfamiliar Road

Jim Rohn (1930-2009) was one of America’s top entrepreneurs, authors, and motivational speakers. In most of his books, you will find the word “goal.” In fact, Rohn’s overall philosophy was, If you go to work on your goals, your goals will go to work on you. If you go to work on your plans, your plans will go to work on you.”

Setting goals in our lives are one of our most important duties. Setting goals will give you something to aim at, it will awaken your ambition. Since we don’t know how long any of us will live, we need to think regarding the end coming while we’re still planning and innovating. There are at least five good reasons for setting goals.

One of them is that having goals means you’ll have focused on where you want to go. What sense does it make to shoot an arrow if you have no target? Not only is this a sign of sheer perplexity, but a total waste of time and energy. Having no goal and focus means that all of you abilities, talents, and gifts are meaningless. Another reason to set goals is that it helps you measure forward progress. Without setting a goal, you won’t know if you are any closer to what you really want to accomplish in life. Why do you think books have page numbers? Why do races have fixed distances and time are kept?

Then there is the fact that having goals helps keep you locked in and undistracted, helping you to complete your task. If you know your plane leaves at 2:30 PM and you need to be there two hours ahead of time, and it takes you 30 minutes to reach the airport, you begin building a time-frame. Then you calculate an hour for checking-in, going through security, and arriving at your gate. You look at the clock, know you must leave NLT 11:00 AM to be on time, and it is 8:30 AM now, you only have 2 and a half hours to get packed and ready to go. Without setting any such goal, chances are you’ll never make in time for any flight you need to take.

Another reason for setting goals is that it helps you avoid procrastination. If we live day-to-day merely doing things on a whim or impulse and without any urgency, we will hear ourselves saying over and over, “Oh shoot! I was supposed to do so and so at such and such a time!” With no way to remind ourselves, we are like a message in a bottle, floating with the tide, never knowing when or if it will ever reach shore. Where would you be if you had such an attitude with your education, your job training, your getting to work, etc? And finally, setting goals gives you a reason for doing something.

When we were kids, every time our father would announce that we were going to grandma’s house, we were not in the car for even an hour before he heard that famous line, “Daddy, are we there yet?” None of us could figure out how far we’d have to go or how long it took to get there. Our father could have easily quieted down our anxiousness if he would have started the trip by saying, “Okay, kids, it takes three hours to get to grandma’s house. Right now the little hand on our dashboard clock is at 9, when you see it get to 12 you’ll know we’ll be near grandma’s house. That way, all of us would have had a goal by which to calculate how close we were.

King Solomon was not known as the wisest monarch in the world without a reason. In one of his Proverbs he says that if we share our goals with the Lord, He will make our plans will work out for the best.¹ Then he goes on to say that people come up with a lot of plans, but the Lord will help them select the right one.² Later Solomon says that careful planning helps you get ahead, but getting into a hurry will only make you fall further and further behind.³

Jesus knew all about setting goals and making plans. He explained it to His disciples this way: “Is there anyone planning to build a new house, who doesn’t first sit down and figure the cost so they’ll know if they can complete it? If they only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, they’re going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun at them: ‘They started something they couldn’t finish.’”

And the Apostle Paul was sure of where he came from and where he was going. He told his friends back in Philippi what his goal was. He told them that he kept moving toward the goal which God set for him. That his eyes were fixed on a crown. He wanted to win the race and get the crown of God’s call from heaven through Christ Jesus.⁴ So if the pastor stopped you one Sunday as you are leaving church and asked you, “Do you know where you stand in your Christian life and your walk with God,” what would your answer be? – Dr. Robert R Seyda

Jim Rohn (1930-2009) was one of America’s top entrepreneurs, authors, and motivational speakers. In most of his books, you will find the word “goal.” In fact, Rohn’s overall philosophy was, If you go to work on your goals, your goals will go to work on you. If you go to work on your plans, your plans will go to work on you.”

Setting goals in our lives are one of our most important duties. Setting goals will give you something to aim at, it will awaken your ambition. Since we don’t know how long any of us will live, we need to think regarding the end coming while we’re still planning and innovating. There are at least five good reasons for setting goals.

One of them is that having goals means you’ll have focused on where you want to go. What sense does it make to shoot an arrow if you have no target? Not only is this a sign of sheer perplexity, but a total waste of time and energy. Having no goal and focus means that all of you abilities, talents, and gifts are meaningless. Another reason to set goals is that it helps you measure forward progress. Without setting a goal, you won’t know if you are any closer to what you really want to accomplish in life. Why do you think books have page numbers? Why do races have fixed distances and time are kept?

Then there is the fact that having goals helps keep you locked in and undistracted, helping you to complete your task. If you know your plane leaves at 2:30 PM and you need to be there two hours ahead of time, and it takes you 30 minutes to reach the airport, you begin building a time-frame. Then you calculate an hour for checking-in, going through security, and arriving at your gate. You look at the clock, know you must leave NLT 11:00 AM to be on time, and it is 8:30 AM now, you only have 2 and a half hours to get packed and ready to go. Without setting any such goal, chances are you’ll never make in time for any flight you need to take.

Another reason for setting goals is that it helps you avoid procrastination. If we live day-to-day merely doing things on a whim or impulse and without any urgency, we will hear ourselves saying over and over, “Oh shoot! I was supposed to do so and so at such and such a time!” With no way to remind ourselves, we are like a message in a bottle, floating with the tide, never knowing when or if it will ever reach shore. Where would you be if you had such an attitude with your education, your job training, your getting to work, etc? And finally, setting goals gives you a reason for doing something.

When we were kids, every time our father would announce that we were going to grandma’s house, we were not in the car for even an hour before he heard that famous line, “Daddy, are we there yet?” None of us could figure out how far we’d have to go or how long it took to get there. Our father could have easily quieted down our anxiousness if he would have started the trip by saying, “Okay, kids, it takes three hours to get to grandma’s house. Right now the little hand on our dashboard clock it is 9, when you see it get the 12 you’ll know we’ll be near grandma’s house. That way, all of us would have had a goal by which to calculate how close we were.

King Solomon was not known as the wisest monarch in the world without a reason. In one of his Proverbs he says that if we share our goals with the Lord, He will make our plans will work out for the best.¹ Then he goes on to say that people come up with a lot of plans, but the Lord will help them select the right one.² Later Solomon says that careful planning helps you get ahead, but getting into a hurry will only make you fall further and further behind.³

Jesus knew all about setting goals and making plans. He explained it to His disciples this way: “Is there anyone planning to build a new house, who doesn’t first sit down and figure the cost so they’ll know if they can complete it? If they only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, they’re going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun at them: ‘They started something they couldn’t finish.’”

And the Apostle Paul was sure of where he came from and where he was going. He told his friends back in Philippi what his goal was. He told them that he kept moving toward the goal which God set for him. That his eyes were fixed on a crown. He wanted to win the race and get the crown of God’s call from heaven through Christ Jesus.⁴ So if the pastor stopped you one Sunday as you are leaving church and asked you, “Do you know where you stand in your Christian life and your walk with God,” what would your answer be? – Dr. Robert R Seyda

Two weeks ago, my youngest daughter kissed and said goodnight to her fiancee. The next morning, when he did not show up for breakfast, she went to wake him up. When she entered the bedroom he was laying in his usual position. But as soon as she got close to him, things didn’t seem just right. And when she tried to wake him up, she knew something terrible was wrong.

She called 911 and the ET’s came to see what was wrong. In her heart, she didn’t want to believe what her mind was suggesting. She asked a friend who was a policeman to call someone because she was so stressed. So he called her next oldest sister, and her heart fragmented when she heard him say, “he’s gone.”

It was like the sky suddenly collapsed, shattering her whole world. They had known each other for over 15 years. We’re deeply in love. She wore a beautiful engagement ring on her finger. But now the one who put it there was gone! I had the privilege of talking with her on the phone and sharing what I had learned from my training as a grief counselor.

When she called the other day, my second oldest daughter, who is with her asked if I could fly there for the memorial service and interment. But my age, health, and other problems would not allow me to go. So she then asked if I could write something to be read at the memorial service. I agreed, and here is what I shared with her.

FOR MICHELLE ON HER FAREWELL TO STEVE

Grief is one of the most painful things a human being can be asked to endure. It is trying to cope with the sudden loss of someone or something you dearly love. Even more agonizing, is when the loss is unexpected and for which there seems to be no explanation.

Grief is made so very real when you turn to talk to someone or reach out to hug someone or expect to see someone, and they are not there anymore. They’re gone! Michelle, I can only imagine how you must feel. This is a personal thing, something that only you can explain because this one is unique to you.

But God is also aware of how His children feel when dealing with grief. The Psalmist David tells us that the Lord is always very near to those whose hearts have been broken, He’s always nearby to those whose spirits are crushed.¹ But the Psalmist also said that when his body and heart grew weak because of sorrow, God was right there to give him strength in his heart, and that was all he needed.² In fact, the Psalmist said that God loves to mend a wounded heart and sooth its pain.³

But I also want to be your Psalmist today. So I’ve written the following just for you on this occasion.

LOVING WHAT DEATH CAN TOUCH

It is a frightful thing

to love what death can touch and hold.

A frightful thing to love, to hope, to dream,

but then to lose what means the most.

Oh, the thought of losing,

must be a thing only for those who cannot dream

but then again to lose can be a holy thing.

A holy thing to love what death can touch,

someone that lived in your heart,

someone that lifted you with laughter

someone you took as God’s gift to you.

To remember them can also be a painful thing.

But it’s a human thing to love,

it’s also a holy thing to love,

it is a blessed thing to love what death can touch,

but cannot hold forever.

By Dad for his Michelle on Steve’s farewell

Inspired by the poetry of Yehuda HaLevi.

To all my precious readers, students, followers, and friends. I’m so thrilled that you have been part of our journey through the Book of Romans. We will be starting our examination of Chapter 10 on Monday, March 5, 2018. I hope and pray that you will come along on this exciting trek through the pages of Holy Scripture.

There are two relevant topics that we will examine in order to learn more about the importance of combining our zeal for God with our desire to know more about of Him. We put a lot of effort into finding out what opportunities the Holy Spirit gave to Israel for them to really appreciate the Gospel of Christ and how those opportunities are also available to the world today. Then we will see the consequences or Israel’s rejection of Christ and His Gospel and how it applies to us today.

So I invite you, with a passionate heart, to show God how much you love Him by loving His Word. You have to fill your time and mind with something each day to help you deal with the reality of living in this world as a Christian. You have many options from watching TV to listening to music to being socially active. Why not make studying God’s Word as one of your top priorities. You won’t be disappointed.

God bless you, I love and appreciate all of you. – Dr. Robert R Seyda

To all my readers and students, for some unknown reason, I was prevented from posting today’s Lesson XXXV of Chapter Nine of the Book of Romans on my Facebook class pages for I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL, and SERMON PLANNING AND PREPARATION.

I don’t know what is keeping me from making these posts, but I will do everything I can on my computer to make sure it is running properly, and that my internet connection is up and running.

So until you see the lessons there on Facebook, please bookmark this site so you can continue to enjoy studying God’s Word.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER NINE (Lesson XXXV)

So we can see that putting our trust in Jesus Christ as Savior, the One provided by God, need never fear that their trust will ever be jeopardized. God upholds His people’s faith, even when others might say, “He committed His cause to the Lord; let Him deliver Him, let Him rescue Him, for He delights in Him!”¹ When we go back to the Hebrew text of Isaiah 28:16, it reads “He who believes will not be in haste.” That means the one who stands firmly on God’s foundation will be able to keep their minds firm and secure while all around them others are losing theirs and blaming it on God. There will be no need to panic or get upset and rush aimlessly around. By trusting in God, and being confident that His purpose will be accomplished in His own time, allows His blessed assurance to grow in the promise that He will finish what He started.²”³

Jewish theologian David Stern agrees with the translation, “Will not be humiliated (or ‘disappointed’ or ‘put to shame’) on the Day of Judgment.”⁴ As I see it, the two easily go together. One, down here we have totally invested our future in Christ Jesus and need not become uncertain or afraid of the outcome for He will stick with us every step of the way. Two, we should not become anxious about appearing up there before Him on Judgment Day. Since He ordered that our names be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, He will read it off and tell us to join the band of saints who were destined to live with Him in peace and joy forever and ever.

Speaking like an accomplished Pharisee, Paul poses a question to make a point. This happened between Jesus and the Pharisees many times.⁵ One Jewish Christian writer comments on Paul’s answer to his own question. Ad he sees it, Paul is demonstrating that God has indeed granted righteousness to the Gentiles. But this must in no way be understood his saying that Gentiles have replaced Israel in God’s overall plan of salvation. When this verse is quoted out of context, it can easily be used to reach a false conclusion. Paul will repeat this question in chapter 11 and gives the answer there. To follow the teachings of the Torah on the basis of faith is a good thing and is not done away with by faith in Yeshua; He is the fulfillment of the Torah.⁶

Paul does not condemn observing the teachings of the Torah. However, to take what the Torah says and act on it apart from faith is to “stumble over the stone.” Paul states that the majority in Israel had stumbled over both the Torah and the Messiah. These are intertwined because the Torah and the Messiah are “united” and that “union” is found in the covenant plan of God expressed in the Torah and enacted by the Messiah. Israel did not arrive at the Torah’s goal of accepting Yeshua as the Messiah.⁷ The stumbling-stone and the object of faith are all combined: God, Messiah, and Torah. Christ was designated as a solid rock sanctuary, but instead, He became a stumbling-stone to Israel⁸.⁹

English evangelical preacher Charles Simeon, back in 1844, cautioned that everyone must understand that when the Gospel is preached with the designed intent to offend the listener, this proves that it is true and scriptural. At the same time, when people find the Gospel is preached in such a way as not to cause any offence to self-righteous people, then it certainly is not of God and anointed by the Spirit. Paul ran into this when he proclaimed that salvation came only by grace. His enemies replied, that in that case, God must be partial and unjust. When Paul said it was by faith, they then replied that he was doing away with good deeds. In Simeon’s mind, because some of these same objections were being repeated in his day, if people who know when the Gospel is real, but raise no objection to such interpretation, then they will not be standing up for the Gospel the way the Apostle Paul did. They and others could be rightly accused of accommodating the pride and prejudice of an ignorant world, instead of supporting the preaching of the Gospel as freely and as fully as they should.¹⁰

So don’t worry when the preaching of the Gospel is criticized for not being “hearer-friendly.” As long as people refuse to humble themselves before God, thinking that He owes them something, the Gospel will continue to be a stumbling-bock and a rock of offence. So the question remains: should we quit preaching the Gospel this way and be quiet so as not to cause trouble? Not for a moment! When people are willing to hear the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth from God’s Word, then the same glorious power of salvation that turned the world upside down in Paul’s day, will continue to be the power of God unto salvation to all who believe today.

SUMMARY OF ROMANS CHAPTER NINE

When we reached the conclusion of the previous chapter, Paul had completed his description of how God doing the right thing to save lost mankind was manifested in Christ, and the results justified His decision to pardon them from the fatal penalty of being forever separated from Him for all eternity. However, some of Paul’s readers may have gotten the impression that God’s plan of saving man in Christ apart from the Law (3:21-22) implies that God had rejected His people of Israel and the promises made to them. That’s why Paul begins with this chapter nine to explain that God has not rejected His people.

Having been an unconverted Jew in the same condition as many Jews, it gave Paul real concern for his fellow Israelites who had not yet accepted Jesus as the Messiah (verses 1-2). Paul knew it would take a lot for them to change their mind, so, if it would do any good, he tried to imagine what it would take to get them to see what without Christ they are lost. He even wondered if losing his own status in Christ would help turn things around. But he realized that there was nothing more he could do than what God had already done through Christ. After all, these were the people who, in the past, had been the recipients of so many of God’s blessings (verses 3-5).

Paul is quick to point out that their promises to keep the law had not caused God’s promises to fail. He reminds them that a true Israelite is not simply one who is a physical descendant of Israel, any more than the promises to Abraham were to be carried out through all of Abraham’s descendants just because they are his earthly descendants. Rather, it depends upon those God has chosen according to His Divine purpose. This is illustrated by contrasting what the Scriptures reveal about Isaac and Ishmael, and then about Jacob and Esau (verses 6-13).

That God has made such distinction is illustrated further with the example of Pharaoh, where God showed how His miracles can soften the hearts of some but harden the hearts of others. That’s because some saw mercy as an undeserved gift from God while others viewed it as an insult to their intelligence and turned down His offer again and again. This also proved why God has the right to make such choices since He is the potter and people are the clay (verses 19-21).

So after much patience and petitioning, God chose some of those vessels He had made on His potter’s wheel to use as “vessels of mercy” and some as “vessels of wrath.” (verses 22-23). Moses and the children of Israel became vessels that He filled with mercy, and Pharaoh and his fellow Egyptians are the ones filled with wrath. Those who were freed were destined to be the nation through whom the world would be blessed. And, as Hosea and Isaiah later would tell them, the Gentiles would also become joint-heirs to the promise of Abraham. (verses 24-29).

Paul’s conclusion? That God’s words of promise were not just to the physical descendants of Abraham (as the Jews would have it), but to the faithful remnant of Israel and to the Gentiles who accepted God’s righteous gift of salvation which is by faith. The only reason any of the Israelites were rejected by God was due to their rejection of the Messiah, even as Isaiah foretold (verses 30-33). So it all boils down to a simple formula: either do it God’s way or try and do it man’s way. God’s way comes with a promise of success, man’s way comes with a promise of failure.

END OF CHAPTER NINE

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER NINE (Lesson XXXIV)

Reformer Martin Luther makes it clear that being right with God is granted to whoever believes in Christ who paid their sins with His life’s blood. And for those who believed, the power of sin in their lives could not overwhelm the drawing power of Christ. Therefore, sin should dominate or control those who believe. Luther goes on to point out that at the end of Isaiah’s quote, the Hebrew reads, “He who believes, does not flee,” can be understood in different ways.¹ In the Complete Jewish Bible they are rendered: “He who trusts will not rush here and there.” Luther believes this means that whoever comes to believe in Christ should never become frightened. Rather, the believer stands quiet and secure on Christ the Rock knowing they can overcome any resistance from within or without. Luther goes on to say that if someone does become afraid and flees, they cannot find peace in their hearts. Missing the assurance they had in Christ will be missed the most when they are hard pressed by hardships. But above all, when they contemplate God’s judgment.²

John Calvin paraphrases Paul’s words as follows: “Just because Christ is called a stumbling-stone, there is no reason that we should dread [meeting] Him, or entertain fear instead of confidence; He is appointed for [bringing] ruin to the unbelieving, but [bringing] life and resurrection to the godly.” Then Calvin comments that as the prophecy concerning the stumbling and offence is fulfilled in the actions of the rebellious and unbelieving, there is an equal threat posed to the godly. It is as follows: Christ is a firm Rock, a Living Stone, a Cornerstone, and immovable, it will never fail those who build on this Rock. By putting “shall not be ashamed”³ instead of “shall not hasten or fall,”⁴ he has followed the Greek translation. Calvin is convinced that the Lord in this passage intended to strengthen the hope of His people. That’s why when the Lord asks us to consider the hope that He gives, it only follows that those who do, will never be ashamed of their choice.⁵

Robert Haldane is quite concise in what he says here about the Stone. He notes that the Apostle Paul confirms what he had been saying concerning the stumbling-stone. He does so by quoting from two sources of Scripture.⁶ For the Jews, Christ is a stumbling-block, the rock of offence, as was predicted by the Prophets. No one then should find it strange that those who lived while Christ was on this earth saw Jesus in this manner. The reason why the metaphor of a stone, and a rock, are used to describe Christ Jesus, is because it projects the truth that the great work of redemption rests solely on Him. For Haldane, Christ is the source, “the foundation on which redemption rests; the center in which all lines converge; their origin from which they all proceed.”

Haldane then examines the parable of the man who built his house upon the rock.⁷ This represents Christ as the foundation, the rock on which the house is built, sustaining it, and imparting to it form and stability. But when Christ is not seen or accepted in this manner, then the same stone that became a foundation and solid rock of security will become an obstacle to them. Not only that, but it also represents a blocking-stone that keeps them from communion with God by their rejection of His Son.⁸

Albert Barnes sums up Paul’s teaching from his point of view. First, remember God is sovereign and answers to no one. He has the right to dispose of people any way it pleases Him. Secondly, the doctrine of election was already in force when God chose Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob. Therefore, it was already an established principle of divine rule and validated as real. Thirdly, to question or to lack having any confidence in this doctrine is the same as having no confidence in God. This would then suggest that God is not qualified to direct the affairs of His own universe. Fourthly, the doctrine of election is not arbitrary. It has been well planned from the beginning.

We need not look for any assessments or adjustment to be made to God’s plan simply based on circumstance. Everything directed by election, even that which is yet to come, will be wise, fair, and good. It is the source of all the blessings that any mortal can enjoy. And when applied to the case before us, it is both benevolent and just. It is better that God was particular in selecting a small number from the nation of the Jews and extending those blessings to the Gentiles than to have restricted it only to Jews who were willing to believe.

Barnes continues: Fifthly, the fact that the Gospel has gone out around the world is proof that this is the work of heaven. Sixth, the confidence Christians have in God is safe. They will not be ashamed or disappointed. God will keep them, and bring them safely to reign with Him and His Son in His kingdom. Seventh, there are plenty of people who are still offended by the story of the cross of Christ. They think that all that pain and suffering was unnecessary. And when, with His blessing, He is proclaimed as the only way, truth, and life, then end up despising Him.

Barnes then concludes that this is not just one cause why sinners perish, it is the only cause. So it is no wonder that the Jews of Jesus’s day brought ruin on themselves and their country. Likewise, sinners do the same today. By not heeding the words of the Gospel, they guarantee condemnation and calamity on their souls. And just as those ancient critics and crucifiers of the Lord Jesus perished, so will all those who choose sin over Savior. They are not to be pitied but prayed for.⁹

Charles Hodge makes the point that the story of a crucified Christ has been considered either foolishness or an offence to unregenerated sinner’s intellect. That’s why understanding and accepting the story of a caring, loving Savior, and receiving the gracious gift of salvation through Him, are characteristic only of those “who are the called.” For sinners to make God out to be a dictator and a reason for excusing themselves from His offer of grace and mercy, is to show signs of total ignorance and confusion.

Then Hodge says that Christ declared those blessed who were not offended by Him. Once our hearts are right with God, Jesus at once becomes the object of supreme affection and the sole basis for confidence in one’s salvation. When the Gospel was first preached by Peter and Paul, it had the same effect it has now. Those converted back then had the same obstacles that sinners must surmount today in order to believe. What they learned back then in order to overcome, we can use as lessons to help us in our appeal to the lost today.¹⁰

Henry Alford addresses how Paul transferred meaning of these quotes from Isaiah to Jesus. He says that it was a justified comparison when we view Christ as a stumbling-stone. Paul chose two locations in the writings of Isaiah to combine in this metaphor: The “stone of stumbling and rock of offence,” mentioned in Isaiah 8:14, is substituted for the “tried stone, precious stone, and sure foundation” in Isaiah 28:16. The reason for this is quite simple. In Isaiah 8:14, the Jews evidently interpreted what was said it to be applied to one of their own, and only for their own. When the priest Simeon spoke openly about the child Jesus as the Messiah, he expressly proves that this prophecy is about to be fulfilled in Jesus.¹¹ This is similarly interpreted by the Chaldee Targum,¹² and the Babylonian Talmud.¹³

In Alford’s thinking was the question of why did the Apostle Paul not give this Stone the same designation as that plainly foretold to be laid in Zion? Certainly, that designation is justified by prophecy, and which affects how we understand the matter here at hand concerning it being a stumbling-block. Alford is not saying that Paul was wrong to do so, he just wanted Paul to explain why. But reasoning will help us see Paul’s point. The stumbling-stone of the First Covenant that the Jews could not get past was eventually taken and made into the corner-stone of the Last Covenant.¹⁴

The great preacher Charles Spurgeon also alludes to the questioning of some scholars as to the real purpose of this Stone. He sees them attempting, with human logical dynamite, to blow up this great Rock of Offence, and to clear away every difficulty from the path of the person who wants to be saved by their own method. This would help them make their way to heaven more pleasant for everyone. But those whose faith is in the Word of God cannot remain silent. Such thinking goes against the mind of God and the teaching of His Word: As it is written, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling-stone and rock of offence.” Now, if they choose not to believe on Him they will surely one day be ashamed. What such skeptics think does not alter the eternal purpose for which God sent Him will stand. So whether some accept Him or not, He will still be glorious no matter what people do or don’t do.¹⁵

F. F. Bruce comments on the portion of Paul’s quote of Isaiah that refers to believers never being ashamed of their faith in Christ the Rock. He writes that in the Hebrew text of Isaiah 28:16 can be taken as the inscription etched in the stone. The words “in him,” that Paul includes here, as well as in Romans 10:11, are not in the Hebrew text but were in the Greek Septuagint version of Isaiah 28:16. For instance, in one Jewish version of this text, it reads: “He who trusts need not fear.”¹⁶ And in a Jewish Version translated by a Messianic Jew, we read: “He who trusts will not rush here and there.”¹⁷ And in another, it is rendered: “The believer shall not panic.”¹⁸ It is clear that Paul saw Jesus as the fulfillment of this prophecy by adding, “in Him.” In other words, once one is confronted with God’s love through Christ Jesus, they need not fear or run away. Simply bow, repent, be forgiven, and accept Him as Lord and Savior and your soul will never feel insecure again, for you are securely planted on the Rock.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER NINE (Lesson XXXIII)

The concept that God offered His saving grace to more Gentiles than Jews, who became the majority in the early ages of the Church, must be understood as an act of God’s sovereign goodness. But the fact that the Jews were cut off and perished, is to be taken as a result of their own unbelief. This proves true of every sinner who must look into their own heart and at their personal conduct as grounds for their condemnation. They need not fear that this is some secret plan of God to send them to hell. The worst error that leads to destruction is being self-dependent on working out one’s own salvation. This requires full reliance on one’s selfish powers to qualify without help. What makes this so fatal is that it will not be accepted by God as being superior to what Christ provided for sinners on the cross.¹

Professor F. F. Bruce provides an excellent context in which to understand what Paul says here. He notes that in Isaiah, the prophet foretold how the Assyrians would invade Israel, sweeping over the land like a tidal wave. However, there would be one place of refuge to save them from the overwhelming hostile flood: God Himself will provide that sanctuary, a Rock, to all who put their trust in Him, a Rock on which they can stand secure. However, everyone who does not put their confidence in the Rock to save them, but entrusts themselves to other powers or resources will be swept against this Rock, like a rudderless ship washed ashore. As a result, it will bring grief and sorrow to their hearts and minds. So instead of the Rock being a place of refuge for the Jews, it proved to be a dangerous obstacle – a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling.²

This passage is quoted later by the Apostle Peter to make the same point. He refers to Christ as, “A Stone that will make men stumble, a Rock over which they will trip.”³ And why did the Jews stumble? What tripped them up? Instead of seeing Christ as a stepping-stone to salvation, they saw Him as an obstacle in the way of their getting right with God on their own. Did our Lord make them trip-up on purpose? No! They tripped on their own accord. When they took the Word sent to them from God and pushed Him aside, then attempted to go their way they stumbled over Him and have never been able to recover.⁴

John Stott makes the case of way, for some, the proclamation of Christ crucified became a skandalon (“stumbling-block”) to the Jews,⁵ and the cross became a skandalon (“offence”) to them as well.⁶ The Greek word skandalon, to most of those who are English speakers, sounds very much like the word “scandalous.” But when we look at how it was understood by the Greeks, it has two main meanings. First, it represents any object, such as a trap or impediment, that lies in a person’s pathway. Secondly, it can also be used to describe any object or thing by which a person becomes trapped by their own mistake. So the English word scandal would more easily fall into the second definition. But Christ’s crucifixion and the cross fit better into the first definition.

So the next question is this: Why do people stumble over the cross? For one thing, it undermines their confidence in self-righteousness. This is not a small thing. If attaining a right standing with God could be established because of what a person could do on their own, then Paul rightly says that Christ died for nothing.⁷ Not only that, but if we could gain a righteous standing before God by our own obedience to the laws, catechisms, ordinances, rites, rituals, ceremonies, and holy days prescribed by the church, then Christ’s work on the cross would become pointless and meaningless. It goes without saying, if we can save ourselves, there is no reason for Christ to have died. His death would be an excessive and wasted act of mercy. That’s why it must be understood that by Christ dying for our sins it is proof positive that we cannot save ourselves. But for many, such a humiliating confession is an intolerable insult to their egotistical religious pride. When we are unable or unwilling to swallow our useless self-admiration, everything that God went through so much trouble to bring about to pass ends up causing people to fall over Christ’s work on the cross as stumbling-stone.⁸

Douglas Moo sees another factor in Judah and Israel’s failure to attain the level of righteousness that God intended for them to reach. As he sees it, Paul may be suggesting that the law of Moses, when rightly interpreted, calls for faith, not only for works. The problem with the people of Israel is that they were so preoccupied with works they completely missed the requirement for faith. Paul consistently restricts his use of the Greek word nomos,⁹ to mean the commands God gave Israel through Moses, not just the Ten Commandments. The Pentateuch as a whole calls for faith, but not the commandments. They demand works. So that’s why Paul talks about the “law of righteousness” in an attempt to make two points at once. They are: Israel pursued righteousness but failed to obtain it, that’s because by so doing they elevated nomos above faith as their primary concern. What makes it even more puzzling, is that they were so narrowly focused on what works the law demanded, that they missed the much larger sign God gave them to focus on. That was His promise that faith can do so much more than works. That’s why they failed to obtain righteousness on their own.¹⁰

Verse 33: The Scriptures talk about that Stone: “Look, I put in Zion a Stone that will make people stumble. It is a Rock that will make people fall. But anyone who trusts in Him will never be disappointed.”¹¹

Once again, Paul calls on the words of the prophet Isaiah to make the case his Jewish readers will easily understand. The prophet was being used by God to make the children of Israel aware that because of their own failures, they would miss out on everything God had prepared and promised to them. But there was this expectancy just when everyone thought all hope was lost: “On that day the Lord Almighty Himself will be their crowning glory, the diadem of beauty to His people who are left.”¹² The prophet goes on to give the Lord’s message: “See, I am placing a Foundation Stone in Zion – a firm, tested, precious Cornerstone that is safe to build on. He who believes need never run away again.”¹³

The Psalmist makes note of what happened when some did not believe and even pushed aside the Cornerstone that God had prepared. As Isaiah reported,¹⁴ “The very rock that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone!”¹⁵ This, of course, was verified by Jesus Himself who asked the Jewish leaders: “Didn’t you ever read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone rejected by the builders has been made the honored cornerstone; how remarkable! what an amazing thing the Lord has done’? What I mean is that the Kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and given to a nation that will give God His share of the crop. [Whoever falls on this stone will be broken in pieces; but if it falls on him, he will be crushed to powder!]”¹⁶

So in Paul’s mind, this was a clear picture for the Jewish leaders of the congregation in Rome to look at before contemplating any objection to Gentiles joining the body of believers. After all, didn’t David pray: “None of those who have faith in God will ever be disgraced for trusting Him. But all who harm the innocent shall be defeated.”¹⁷ Paul did not want anyone to be ashamed that they came to believe in Jesus the Christ as their Savior. As he told them in his opening: “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is God’s powerful method of bringing all who believe it to heaven. This message was preached first to the Jews alone, but now everyone is invited to come to God in this same way.”¹⁸

Being that Paul was mainly addressing the Jewish leaders in the congregation at this point, no doubt he was also aware that among Jewish scholars it was not allowed for a person to skip from one verse to another, like putting a chain or necklace together, to make their point, even though as he had just done that with Isaiah’s writings. But being a scholar of Jewish literature himself, Paul also knew what the Talmud had to say: “The reader may skip [from verse to verse] in a prophet but not in the Torah.”¹⁹ In fact, the great scholar Moses Maimonides touched on this subject by saying: “A person reading from the prophets may read three verses to the translator at one time, and the translator translates them one after another. If the three verses are three separate passages, [the reader] should read them to the translator only one at a time.”²⁰

When it comes to the stone being a metaphor for Christ, Ambrosiaster notes there are many passages of Scripture where Christ is portrayed as a Rock or a Stone. The prophet Daniel saw this Stone as it separated itself without the help of human hands from the mountain. As it broke loose it rolled down the mountain and crashed into a huge statue Daniel saw that had a head made of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its trunk and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, and its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. When it smashed into this statue’s feet, they broke into pieces so small it reminded Daniel of the chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. Then another miracle happened. The stone begin to grow into a mountain so tall it could be seen from far, far away.²¹

For most Bible scholars, this Stone clearly refers to Christ. And the Apostle Peter says told the Jews: “This is the stone which the builders rejected.”²² The Jews knew that if they compared Christ’s words with His miracles, they would be pressured to recognize that He was not out of line to claim that He had been sent down from heaven. For Ambrosiaster, the rock was undoubtedly the human flesh of the Savior. It detached itself without hands, because it was made of a virgin by the Holy Spirit without the participation of a male.²³ Others may see the mountain as the law, from which the Word Himself becomes independent and the power of His Gospel would be enough to become a driving forces in nations around the world. In any case, it was a clear signal to the Jews that the Gospel would prevail over the law as the fountain of living water for all who come to it for salvation.

Recently, on a daily talk show hosted by a group of women, one of them suggested that she was worried over Vice President Mike Pence’s statement that he talks to God and God talks to him. She left no doubt that she considered this a sign of mental illness. A few days later, the Vice President was shown on TV News responding to her remarks, referring to them as a form of, “religious intolerance.” In his words, “It is just simply wrong for major TV network to have a television program that expresses that kind of religious intolerance,”

I was reminded of the words of the eminent Motivational Pastor, Norman Vincent Peale who said, “Never react emotionally to criticism. Analyze yourself to determine whether it is justified. If it is, correct yourself. Otherwise, go on about your business.”¹ But my mind also went to the Scripture where Peter says, “If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”²

I thought of what I might say if put in the same situation. Here is what I would have loved for the Vice President to say: “I have just been given the greatest honor a Christian can receive. My faith and trust in God has just been ridiculed and called a mental illness. Nothing could please me more than to made fun of and laughed at for the sake of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thank you, Miss _______, for making my day brighter and filled with joy.” – Dr. Robert R Seyda

YOU HAVE A TICKET TO WHERE?

In January 2000, leaders in Charlotte, North Carolina, invited their favorite son, Billy Graham, to a luncheon in his honor. Billy initially hesitated to accept the invitation because he struggles with Parkinson’s disease. But the Charlotte leaders said, “We don’t expect a major address. Just come and let us honor you.” So he agreed.

After wonderful things were said about him, Dr. Graham stepped to the rostrum, looked at the crowd, and said, “I’m reminded today of Albert Einstein, the great physicist who this month has been honored by Time Magazine as the ‘Man of the Century.’

Einstein was once traveling from Princeton on a train when the conductor came down the aisle, punching the tickets of every passenger. When he came to Einstein, Einstein reached in his vest pocket. He couldn’t find his ticket, so he reached into his trouser pockets. It wasn’t there, so he looked in his briefcase but couldn’t find it. Then he looked in the seat beside him. He still couldn’t find it.

The conductor said, ‘Dr. Einstein, I know who you are. We all know who you are. I’m sure you bought a ticket. Don’t worry about it.’

Einstein nodded appreciatively. The conductor continued down the aisle punching tickets. As he was ready to move to the next car, he turned around and saw the great physicist down on his hands and knees looking under his seat for his ticket.

The conductor rushed back and said, ‘Dr. Einstein, Dr. Einstein, don’t worry, I know who you are No problem. You don’t need a ticket. I’m sure you bought one.’ Einstein looked at him and said, ‘Young man, I too, know who I am. What I don’t know is where I’m going.’”

Having said that, Billy Graham continued, “See the suit I’m wearing? It’s a brand new suit. My children and my grandchildren are telling me I’ve gotten a little untidy in my old age. I used to be a bit more choosy. So I went out and bought a new suit for this luncheon and one more occasion. You know what that occasion is? This is the suit in which I’ll be buried. But when you hear I’m dead, I don’t want you to immediately remember the suit I’m wearing. I want you to remember this: ‘I not only know who I am… I also know where I’m going.’”

Many of us like Albert Einstein and Billy Graham, believe we have a ticket to our final destination. But if the Holy Spirit were to stop you today and ask to see your ticket, would you be able to find it? Furthermore, are you more like Einstein who didn’t know where he was going, or more like Billy Graham was sure of his destination. Don’t wait until God’s conductor asks for your ticket before you are sure you know where it is and where you are going. – Dr. Robert R Seyda

PS: I wrote this Serendipity two weeks before Billy Graham died. God’s has impeccable timing.