Writing to a mixed audience of believers in Rome, comprising both Gentiles and Jews, Paul addresses the claim the Jews had long made: that their adherence to the Law of Moses guaranteed them access to God. However, with the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, the Gentiles, who were never actively pursuing righteousness, obtained it through faith. Israel spent generations pursuing righteousness through the law but failed to attain it because they sought it through works rather than faith. The tragedy was not that they lacked dedication, but that they were looking in the wrong direction.
What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.
Romans 9:30-32 (NIV)
Why does Paul compare Jesus to a stumbling stone for the Israelites?
The law had become the path on which the Israelites walked towards God. They believed that dependence on the law and their works was enough to secure righteousness. Yet when Jesus came and declared Himself to be the way to God, He appeared to be a stumbling block on the road they had travelled their entire lives. The Israelites were convinced that they were on the right path and had spent generations working towards it. To suddenly reorient themselves towards Christ seemed like an impossible task, and so they stumbled.
It is similar to spending an entire academic year studying from one textbook, only to discover that the final examination will be set from another. Many students would fail because they spent the whole year memorizing questions and answers from the first book. Yet if they had truly understood the concepts rather than merely studying for the examination, the change of book would not become a stumbling block but a welcomed affirmation of what they have learned throughout the year.
Likewise, if the Jewish people had truly learned the heart of God rather than simply following the law religiously, they would have welcomed Jesus as the culmination of everything the law pointed towards. Instead of recognizing Him as the fulfillment of God’s promises, they saw Him as someone standing apart from them. Jesus was never meant to be a stumbling stone; He was meant to be the milestone on the road that leads people to God. We too are guilty of stopping with Jesus and not using Him to come closer to God. Christ must become a milestone in our lives and not a tombstone where our faith slowly dies.
Zeal Without Knowledge
Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.
Romans 10:1-2 (NIV)
Can zeal for God alone help us get closer to Him?
Paul seems to think that the Israelites possessed plenty of zeal, but it was their lack of knowledge about God that prevented them from coming into His fold. Zeal can be a good thing when it is directed towards God and not towards accomplishing our own works. Paul himself once had great zeal for God without truly understanding what God desired from his life. His zeal drove him to persecute the church before Christ revealed Himself on the road to Damascus.
The zeal that comes after experiencing the love of God is the only zeal that can truly bring us closer to Him. Such zeal produces fruit for God rather than hatred towards others. Today many people profess their belief in Christ without actually knowing much about Him. How can we claim to be zealous for someone when we do not follow what they stand for?
Our zeal alone is not enough. Our zeal should generate within us a curiosity to know more about God, to understand His heart, and to seek His will. When people admire a celebrity or a sports star, they try to learn everything they can about them. They follow them on social media, watch their old performances, listen to interviews, and eagerly read anything that helps them know more about the person they admire.
Sadly, we cannot say the same about our relationship with God. We do not seek His works, study His words, or make an effort to know Him more deeply. For many people, the sacrifice of His Son seems sufficient on its own. They believe that declaring Jesus as Lord and Saviour is enough, and they label this as zeal for God. Yet true zeal does not stop at a confession. It leads us into a deeper relationship with the One we claim to love.
The Word Is Near You
Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
Romans 10:3-4 (NIV)
The Israelites attempted to establish their own righteousness through obedience to the law. Yet the righteousness of God could never be achieved through human effort. God taught His people obedience through the law, but Christ is the culmination of that law. Everything the law taught, every sacrifice, every commandment, and every act of obedience ultimately pointed towards Him. The law was never an end in itself. It was preparing mankind for Christ, through whom righteousness would be made available to everyone who believes.
But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
Romans 10:6-7 (NIV)
These words were originally spoken by Moses as part of his farewell speech to Israel. Moses did not want the people to believe that without him they would be unable to know the heart of God. Even then, Moses reminded them that God’s word was not far away.
But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim.
Romans 10:8 (NIV)
Why have people, from the beginning of time, depended on someone else to bring them the word of God?
People often prefer a buffer between themselves and God. They would rather pay someone to stay connected to God on their behalf and then approach God through that person on ad-hoc basis whenever the need arises. The responsibilities of this world and the distractions that satan places before us often seem more engaging than the word of God that brings light to the darkest roads. We prefer the road that is most travelled, reviewed, liked, and subscribed to.
Before visiting a restaurant, we read reviews. Before watching a film, we seek recommendations. We allow the opinions of others to guide our decisions. Sadly, we have allowed the world to influence us even in matters concerning our souls. When moving to a new city, choosing a church is often no longer a spiritual journey. It becomes a quick internet search based on reviews, amenities, and testimonials. We are often more concerned with the goosebumps created by high notes in worship songs than with experiencing the warmth of God’s presence.
Moses reminded Israel that God’s word was already near them. Paul repeats the same truth to his audience. We do not need someone else to bring Christ down from heaven or raise Him from the depths. God has already made Himself known. Let us come directly to God, leave the world behind, and allow Him to lead us through this road called life.
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10:9 (NIV)
Never Put to Shame
As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”
Romans 10:11 (NIV)
How does faith in Jesus never puts us to shame?
When we understand the heart of God, we begin to understand His plans for us. We learn to trust Him rather than our own expectations, and therefore we are not ultimately disappointed. The world measures shame according to societal standards. Yet that is not what Jesus promised. In fact, He promised that His followers would be hated, persecuted, and rejected by the world.
Does that mean believers will never suffer embarrassment, rejection, or hardship? Certainly not as the promise is deeper than that.
Everything the world can throw against us is incapable of destroying the peace we have found in Him. Putting our faith in Christ has never caused us shame because He has never failed to keep His promises.
Whenever disappointment has come into our lives, it is often because we relied on our own wisdom and committed our plans to the world. We are sometimes put to shame because we assure our friends that God will work in a certain way in their lives without truly knowing His plans for them. That is when we are put to shame, when what we thought God will do in our lives or the lives of others does not happen because of our lack of understanding of God’s will.
Yet whenever God has made a promise, He has never let His people down. Those who trust in Him may face trials, rejection, and suffering, but they will never be disappointed by the One in whom they have placed their faith. Let us come closer to God and understand the plans He has for us. Let us use His Son as the bridge He was intended to be, a milestone marking the distance we have come from leaving our old life on this journey to reach God.
The Jordan Valley 
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