Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition) (continued)
How Israel came to miss Salvation, EOMANS X. and the Gentiles to Find it. other. And as Ksalns said ('h<atli saiU') before— i. e., probably in an earlier part of his book, namely, Isaiah 1. men, as indisputable, even though it contradict the results at whicli in the best exercise of our limited judgment we may have arrived (v. 14-23). (7.) Sincerity in religion, or a general desire to be saved, with assiduous efforts to do right, will prove fatal as a ground of confidence before God, if unaccompanied by implicit submission to His revealed method of salvation {v. 31-33). (8.) In the rejection of the great mass of the chosen people, ahd the inbringing of multitudes of estranged Gentiles, God would have men to see a law of His proceduie, which the
9. Except the Lord of Sabaotli—t. e., 'The Lord of Hosts:' the word is Hebrew, but occurs so in the Epistle of James (ch. 5. 4), and has thence become naturalized in our Christian pliraseoiogy. liad left us a seed—meaning a 'remnant;' small at first, but in due time to be a seed of plenty (cf. Psalm 22. oO, 31; Isaiah 6. 12, 13). we had been ^' become') as Sodom, .tc.—But for this precious seed, the chosen people would have resembled the cities of the judgment of the great day will more vividly reveal—that " the last shall be first and the first last" (Matthew 20. IB). plain, both in degeneracy of character and in merited doom. 30,31. What shall >ve say then!—'What now
Is the result of the whole?' The result is this—very different from what one would have expected—That the Gentiles, which followetl not after righteousness, have attained ('attained') to righteousness, even the ilghteousntss of faith-As we have seen that "the righteousness of faith" is the righteousness which jusU-
CHAPTER X.
Ver. 1-21. Same Subject Continued — How Iskael Came to Miss Salvation, and the Gentiles to Find
IT. 1. Bretliren, ray heart's desire—The word here expresses 'entire complacency,' that in which the heart would experience full satisfaction, and prayer ('supplication') to God for Israel— fies (see on ch. 3. 22, &c.), this verse must mean that ' the Gentiles, who while strangers to Christ were quite indifferent about acceptance with God, having embraced the Gospel as soon as it was preached to them, experienced the blessedness of a justified state.' but Israel, which followed ('following') after the law of righteousness, hatii not attained ('attained not') unto the law of righteousness—The word "law" is used here, we think, In the same sense as in ch. 7. 23, to denote 'a principle of action:' q. d., ' Israel, though sincerely and steadily aiming at acceptance with God, nevertheless missed it.' 33, 33. Wherefore 1 Because [tliey sougitt ItJ not by faith, but as it were (rather simply, ' as') by tlie works of the law—as if it were thus attainable, which justification is not: .Since, therefore, It is attainable only by faith, they missed it. for (it is doubtful if this particle was originally in the text) tiuey stumbled at that stumbllngstone—better, 'against the stone of stumbling,' meaning ' for them' is the true reading; tlie subject being continued from tlie close of the preceding chapter, is, that they may be saved— ' for their salvation.' Having before poured I'ortli the anguish of his soul at the general unbelief of his nation and its dreadful consequences (ch. 9. 1-3), he here expresses in the most emphatic terms his desire and prayer for their salvation. 2. For I bear them record—or, ' witness,' as he well could from his own sad experience—that tliey have a zeal of (' for') God, taut not according to knowledge (Cf. Acts '22. 3; 26. 9-11 ; Galatians 1. 13, 14.) He alludes to this well-meaning of his people, notwithstanding their spiritual blindness, not certainly to excuse their rejection of Christ and rage against His saints, but as some ground of hope regarding them. (See 1 Timothy I. 13.) 3. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness i. e., for the justification of the guilty (see on ch. 1. 17)—and going about (' seeking') to establish their own righteousness, liave not submitted tlieinselves to tike righteousness of God—The apostle views the general rejection of Christ by tlie nation as one act. 4. For Christ Is the end (the object or aim) of the law for (justifying) rigliteousness to every one that believeth—i. e., contains within Himself all that the law demands for tlie justification of such as embrace Him, whether Jew or Gentile (Galatians
Christ. But in this they only did, as It is written (Isaiah
8. U ; 2,S. 10), Behold, &c.—Two Messianic predictions are here comljined, as is not unusual in quotations from the Old Testament. Thus combined, the prediction brings tjgothr both the classes of whom the apostle is treating: ti.ose to whom Messiah should be only a stone of stumbling, and those who were to regard Him as the Corner-stone of all their hopes. Thus expounded, this cliapter presents no serious difficulties, none wliich do
3. 24). 5-10. For Moses describeth the riglitcousnesg whicli is of tlie law, Tliat the man that doeth (' liatU done') those things (which it commands) shall live lii them—(Leviticus 2S. 5.) This is the one way of justification and life—by " the righteousness which is of (or, by our own obedience to) the law." But tlie (justifying) righteousness which is of faith speaketli on this wise ('speaketh thus')—its language or import is to this effect (quoting in substance Deuteronomy 30. 13, 14), Say not In thine heart. Who shall ascend into heaven > tltat not arise out of the subject itself, whose depths are unfathomable; whereas on ever.y other view of it the difficulty of giving it any consistent and worthy interpretation is in our judgment insuperable. iVote (I.) To speak and act " in Christ," with a conscience not onlj' illuminated, but under the present operation of the Holy Ghost, Is not peculiar to the supernaturally inspired, but is the privilege, and ought to be the aim, of every believer (v. 1).
(2.) Grace does not destroy, but only in tensify and elevate, the feelings of nature; and Christians should study to Bhow this (v. 2, 3). (3.) To belong to the visible Church of God, and enjoy its high and holy distinctions, is of the sovereign mercy of God, and should be regarded with devout thankfulness (v. 4, 5). (4.) Yet the most sacred external distinctions and privileges will avail nothing to salvation without the heart's submission to the righteousness of God {v. 31-.'i3). (5.) What manner of persons ought "God's elect" to be—in humility, when they remember that He hath saved them and called them, not according to their works, but according to His own purpose and grace, given them in Christ Jesus before the world began
Is, to bring Christ down, Jcc. q. d., ' Ye have not to sigh over the impossibility of attaining to justification; as if one should say, Ah ! if I could but get some one to mount up to heaven and fetch me down Christ, there might be some hope, but since that cannot be, mine is a desperate case.' or, Who shall descend, &c.—another case of impossibility, suggested by Proverbs 30.4, and perhaps also Amos 9. 2 — probably proverbial expressions of impossibility (cf. Psalm 139.7-10; Proverbs 24.
7, Ac). But what saith Iti [It salth]—continuing the quotation from Deuteronomy 30. 14—The word is nigh thee—easily accessible, in thy mouth—when thou con- (2 Timothy 1.9); in thankfulness, for " Who makelh thee to dll Ter, and what hast thou that thou didst not receive?' fessest Him—and in thine heart—when thou believest on Him. Though it is of the law which iMoses more Immediately speaks in the passage quoted, yet it is of the law a.s Israel shall be brought to look upon it when the Lord their God shall circumcise their lieart "to love the Lord their God with all their heart," <fec.
(1 Corinthians -1. 7); In godly jealousy over themselves, remembering that " God Is not mocked," but " whatsoever a man soweth tliat shall he also reap" (Galatians 6. 7) ; in diliyence " to make our calling and election sure'' (2 Peter
1. 10) ; and yet In calm confidence that " whom God predestinates, and calls, and Justifies, them (in due time) He also glorifles" (ch. 8. 30). (6.) On all subjects which from their very nature lie beyond human comprehension, it will be our wisdom to set down what God says In His word, and has actually done in His procedure towards
6) ; and thus, in applying it, the apostle (as OtsUAUSEN truly observes) is not merely appropriating tlie language of Moses, but keeping in the line of his deeper thought, that Is, the word of faith, which we preach— ». «., the word which men have to believe for salvation (ol