Recap

So far in Romans we've started the section on how the gospel is good news for both Jew and Gentile. We looked at how Paul was writing to a church of both Jews and non-Jews, Gentiles, drawn into a culture war. And we saw that from the beginning of the letter, Paul wanted to address this. 

Paul greeted the Roman church in his usual way. But throughout his greetings made it clear that his calling was to the good news of Jesus that was rooted in Jewish heritage, but is to all humanity. To Jew and Gentile.

Ht then went on to lay out the problem. All humanity is trapped in a spiral of its own wickedness and selfishness, because they have turned from God. Even the Jews, who claim to be loyal to God, fall into this trap. They might declare God outwardly, but inwardly, they are trapped by that same selfishness and wickedness as everyone else.

Romans 3-4

Having laid out the problem that both Jews and Gentiles are trapped by their own wickedness and selfishness, Paul then seeks to address of one of the main objections. The Jews are different. They have a covenant relationship with God, that was started with Abraham and sealed with circumcision. That makes them special.

Paul agrees with this, but points out that what makes the Jews special isn’t that they get special privileges, but that they had the special responsibility of carrying God’s message to the world. It was through the Israelites and Jews that we received the Old Testament scriptures.

As we read through these scriptures, we see a consistent message. Even though God’s people, the Jews, are often faithless, God remains faithful. To be Jewish is to be part of that tradition that has carried that message to pass it to the world.

Paul then fights off another question. If their unfaithfulness was always to show that God is righteous and faithful, then surely God can’t judge or punish them? They were just doing what they were meant to.

Paul’s answer to this is a clear no. Just because God ultimately end ups being glorified, even through my wickedness, does not make my wickedness good. In that case, I have still chosen wickedness over God and so deserve punishment.

Which then brings us back to Paul’s point. Are Jews better than Gentiles? No, because all of them are trapped by sin and wickedness. Paul points to scripture to show how deeply corrupted all of humanity is (Romans 3:10-18).

This isn’t one quote, but many sewn together. Here are a few of the scriptures that Paul has drawn from here (in rough order); Psalm 14:2-3; Psalm 5:9; Psalm 140:3; Psalm 10:7; Isaiah 59:7; Psalm 35:2. All of us are corrupt. It doesn’t matter if you have the Torah and all the cultural practices that come with it. All they do is show you how wicked you are.

The problem now fully laid out, Paul brings us the solution. Faith in Jesus Christ. This is separate from the laws found in the Torah, but the Torah and the rest of the Old Testament have pointed to it.

Just as all have fallen short and chosen wickedness, now all are able to receive the gift of grace and redemption through Jesus Christ and the blood he spilt. This means that none of us can boast.

The Gentiles can’t hold the Jews’ failed past over their heads because that has been forgiven, and the Jews’ can’t hold their heritage over the Gentiles’ heads because God is the God of both Jew and Gentile.

Paul then addresses another quick question. If we are saved by faith rather than the laws found in the Torah, then surely we can throw away those laws and live life how we want? Paul’s answer to this is again, no. We are now able to live by those laws properly because of this faith.

While this understanding of salvation might seem obvious to us, if you’ve been part of the church sometime, this was a complete shift in thinking for the Jews at the time. Paul goes on to show that this has actually been in their own scriptures this entire time. He points to the most revered man in the Jewish community. Abraham. The man that fathered the Israelites and Jews.

Yet, as Paul points out, Abraham wasn’t saved by his ethnic heritage or his following of laws. Abraham lived long before any of these things. Abraham was considered righteous because of his faith (Genesis 15:6).

In fact, Abraham believed first, and then was circumcised. Abraham’s righteousness and salvation came not from the ethnic tradition of circumcision, but from his faith in God. The circumcision then became the sign that Abraham’s faith had already saved him.

And what was the thing that Abraham believed in God for? The promise that he would become a father of many nations, and through him all nations will be blessed.

The Jews may have held on to Abraham as the father of their culture and heritage, but Paul wants them to see that Abraham is actually the father of all believers, Jew and Gentile. And this comes with its own culture and heritage. Not one of rules and traditions, but of faith.

Paul’s answer to the problem that all have sinned is that faith in Jesus makes us righteous, and his answer to the culture war happening between the Jew and Gentile is that this makes us one family. This was the plan all along.

Psalm 132

This psalm isn’t attributed to anyone in particular and is named as a psalm of ascent. These psalms were sung by worshippers as they ascended to Jerusalem for the three pilgrimage festivals (Passover, Festival of Weeks, and Festival of Tabernacles) or possibly by the Levites as they ascended the steps of the Temple. Psalm 120-134 are all psalms of ascent.

Psalm 132:1-10 - Asking God to continue to dwell amongst his people

Psalm 132:11-18 - God’s commitment to David and his people

In this ascent journey we’ve gone from being far from God's presence (Psalm 120), to seeking God’s presence (Psalm 121), and then to reaching God’s presence (Psalm 122). From there, the psalmist has asked the Lord for help (Psalm 123) and then praised the Lord for his protection (Psalm 124).

From within Jerusalem, they reflected on the nature of righteousness and wickedness (Psalm 125). They thanked God for how he has restored his city, but also ask for more (Psalm 126). This leads the psalmist to reflect on the importance of God being first and foremost in our live (Psalm 127) and fearing God (Psalm 128).

Having focused on God’s authority and power, the psalmist then reflects on how God rescued them and Israel from oppressors (Psalm 129). Then the psalmist called out to God to rescue them from, and forgive them for, their sin (Psalm 130) and placed their trust in the Lord (Psalm 131).

Being in Jerusalem, the psalmist then takes a moment to reflect on the God’s covenant with David.

The psalmist starts by asking the Lord to remember David. David had made a commitment before God that his priority was to find God a dwelling place amongst his people. David was determined to make a temple for God in Jerusalem. Even in Ephrathah (another name for Bethlehem) they’d heard about it and knew to go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord.

So the psalmist asks the Lord to remain faithful to David and to let his presence dwell in the temple. Let this be a place where his priests can intercede and his people can meet with him. Don’t turn your back on David and his line after all these years.

And so the psalm the focuses on the Lord’s commitment to David and his line. The Lord promised that as long as they are faithful, one of David’s line will always reign, and the Lord’s presence will dwell in Jerusalem.

Then, because he dwells in Jerusalem, he will bless its people. He will provide for them, he will give them salvation, and cause them to rejoice. The Lord will sustain and establish David’s throne and defeat all their enemies.

For this psalmist, the Lord’s presence is closely linked with the royal line. The Lord’s commitment to rise up a faithful king is part of his promise to dwell with his people.