Romans 9:27-33

27: Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “THOUGH THE NUMBER OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL BE LIKE THE SAND OF THE SEA, IT IS THE REMNANT THAT WILL BE SAVED;
28: FOR THE LORD WILL EXECUTE HIS WORD ON THE EARTH, THOROUGHLY AND QUICKLY.”
29: And just as Isaiah foretold, “UNLESS THE LORD OF SABAOTH HAD LEFT TO US A POSTERITY, WE WOULD HAVE BECOME LIKE SODOM, AND WOULD HAVE RESEMBLED GOMORRAH.”

30: What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith;
31: but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.
32: Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,
33: just as it is written, “BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”

*** 

Paul quoted Scripture from Isaiah 10:22-23 and 1:9 where it was prophesied that only a small portion of Israel—a remnant—would be saved. Isaiah spoke of the fall and captivity of Israel and Judah by the Assyrians and Babylon, and that only a remnant would return to Jerusalem afterward. Paul applied this prophecy to the coming of the Messiah saying that only a remnant would believe and receive the salvation He provided through faith in Jesus Christ.

Paul said the Gentiles who were not pursuing a right relationship with God, attained it by faith in Jesus Christ, not by following Jewish Law. Yet Israel who was pursuing a law of righteousness didn’t obtain it. Why? Because the very law they were using to try and attain it became a stumbling block as no one could keep the law. They did not pursue righteousness by faith, but by works and kept stumbling over the stumbling stone.

Paul quoted Isaiah 8:14 and 28:16 to reveal this stone over which they stumbled as Jesus Christ Himself, set in place by God. He didn’t come to make them stumble, but to be the chief cornerstone of what God was building. Those who accepted Him as that, and built their lives with Him as the cornerstone, would not stumble over Him, but would enjoy the stability He provides. As Paul said, those who believe in Him will not be disappointed.

Just as only a remnant returned to Jerusalem after the captivity, only a remnant of Jews would believe in Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone of God’s building. The rest would stumble over Him.



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