March 27 Click on verses for Full Scripture	previous - - - - - - - - - - next
Today's Pathway: Romans 10:1-3 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

At the end of chapter 9 Paul shows that because the Jews were trusting in the Law for their righteousness they stumbled over Jesus and refused to trust in Him for their salvation. In today's passage he once again expresses his sincere desire for the Jews to receive Christ. Back at the beginning of chapter 9 he stated that he would be willing to be accursed himself if it would bring Israelites to the point of accepting Christ. Now Paul repeats that he has a desire for the Jews to get saved, and he is praying that God would allow it to happen. Matthew Henry wrote this,

"His wish was that they might be saved - saved from the temporal ruin and destruction that were coming upon them, and saved from the wrath to come, eternal wrath, which was hanging over their heads. Though Paul preached against them, yet he prayed for them. It is our duty truly and earnestly to desire the salvation of others."

In verse 2 Paul compliments them on the fact that they have great zeal. The word "zeal" comes from a root word that means "to be hot", and carries the idea of being fervent or showing great enthusiasm. The Jews were interested in the things of God. They knew the facts of Scripture. They could quote portions of the Old Testament. They understood the rules and regulations and for the most part attempted to keep them. They made the necessary sacrifices. Unfortunately, their zeal was not based upon the knowledge of God that they should have had. Bruce Hurt summarized their "zeal" this way:

"Their opposition to the gospel is from a principle of respect to the law, which they know to have come from God. There is such a thing as a blind misguided zeal: such was that of the Jews, who, when they hated Christ's people and ministers, and cast them out, said, "Let the Lord be glorified" (Isaiah 66:5); nay, they killed them, and thought they did God good service (John 16:2)."

In verse 3 Paul spells out in three steps what the Jew's problem was. It is worth noting that this is exactly the same problem that many people have today. First, they were ignorant of God's righteousness. They did not understand how holy God is. God is absolutely perfect. He is separate from sinners (Hebrews 7:26). He is so pure that He can not look upon iniquity (Habakkuk 1:13). He can not even be tempted to sin (James 1:13). He is so holy that the seraphims repeated it three times, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts" in Isaiah 6:3. If people really understood the holiness of God they would never come to the conclusion that they could be good enough or religious enough to be acceptable to Him. Second, the Jews attempted to establish their own righteousness. Because they failed to understand the holiness of God they came to the conclusion that as long as they did their best and tried to obey the Law that their efforts were good enough. How often do the unsaved tell us that they are going to Heaven because of the good works or religions rituals that they do? It happens all the time! They are trusting in their own "righteousnesses", which, according to Isaiah 64:6 are just "filthy rags". Finally, because they think they are good enough to get to Heaven on their own, they refuse to submit to God's plan, which is that they must receive Christ so that they can receive His righteousness. Paul wrote in Philippians 3:9,

"And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith."