A Burden For Israel

January 6th, 2025
by Dr. D. Lance Waldie

Romans 9:1-4a I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying. My conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites…

In Romans 3:1-4 Paul raised the question as to what advantage there was to being a Jew if salvation was for everyone who believed in Christ. If Israel were God’s chosen people, then why would others be offered the same privileges? What Paul taught them was that salvation was not guaranteed to Israel based on their lineage alone, for the true Jews are circumcised in the heart spiritually; it is not simply physical (Rom. 2:28-29). Now, in Romans 9, Paul fully answers the questions he raised in Romans 3. Chapters 9-11 therefore discuss the subject of God’s righteousness in light of the seeming possibility that He had rejected the Jewish nation.

Romans 9-11 are like a parenthesis within the epistle. Romans 9 Paul emphasizes Israel’s past election, Romans 10 emphasizes Israel’s present rejection, and Romans 11 emphasizes Israel’s future restoration. Therefore, Israel is unique, for it is a nation with a rich history ranging from past and present failures to glorify God to a certain future where they will glorify Him.

The natural flow from Romans 8 to Romans 9 suggests that Paul anticipated a Jewish response of something like, “Well if no one can be separated from God’s love (8:35-39), then why has Israel been rejected by Him who promised to bless them forever?” That question might lead to something like, “If God was unfaithful to Israel, will He be true to the Christian Church?” Romans 9-11 addresses this as it expounds on the doctrine of justification by faith alone.

Now since Paul, although Jewish, was a friend to Gentiles, teaching them that they were freed from the Law of Moses through faith in Christ, Jews believed he was a traitor to their people and nation. He preached this in every synagogue where he traveled, so those in Rome must have known this. But Paul loved his people deeply and expressed his desire for their salvation. He therefore begins in 9:1 with “I am speaking the truth in Christ; I am not lying.”

Lying is against everything Christianity stands for, so Paul called the Holy Spirit to bear witness that his words were indeed the truth. He had a clear conscience in preaching everything that he did to the Jews and the Gentiles as truth, and even though many rejected him and called him a liar, his conscience was clear. For the words Paul preached could be attested to by the Holy Spirit, words on par with Scripture. Insofar as Paul continued to remain true to the words from the OT Scripture regarding the coming of the Messiah and the inclusion of the Gentiles, he could maintain a clear conscience and know that it was the Holy Spirit who spoke through him.

Since Paul loved his fellow Jews, it broke his heart to witness them reject their Messiah. He loved them so much that he was willing to be “accursed” (Gr. anathema) if it would lead to their salvation (cf. 1 Cor. 12:3; 16:22; Gal. 1:8-9). Of course Paul knew that exchanging his soul for theirs was ridiculous (Rom. 8:38, 39; John 10:28), for Christ has already done that. But in saying such he revealed his deep love for his people. Moses had felt the same way 1,500 years prior (cf. Exod. 32:30-35), for he too had been willing to be blotted out of God’s “book” if God refused to forgive Israel’s sins. Clearly, both Paul and Moses were willing to die rather than watch their people remain in their sins. And since God felt the same way, He died for all of them.

Food for Thought

Note that although Paul preached about election and predestination in Romans 9-11, he was still filled with compassion for the lost. A sure-fire indicator of a true Christian is one who is deeply burdened by the sins of others and who longs to see them come to Christ for salvation.