Never Reaching the End

Israel's rejection was because they tried to become righteous through their own merit thereby rejecting the very means that God had ordained: Christ the Messiah.  They "stumbled" over the Rock, Christ Jesus.  This was no minor falter.  It resulted in damnation (cf: Romans 9:3).   In 10:1–4, Paul describes the rejection of Israel from a slightly different point of view.

“Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” (Romans 10:1–4, ESV)

The passion of Paul in these verses not only confirms the "lost-ness" of the nation of Israel, but reveals to us the heart of a true evangelical.  "Brothers," he writes, "the good pleasure  of my heart (εὐδοκία τῆς ἐμῆς καρδίας ) and my prayer is for their salvation (σωτηρία [soteria] … deliverance, preservation, safety, salvation.)   The passion of Israel is not the problem.  It's the perspective that is the issue. "The word zēlos refers to an intense desire and concern for something . . . Many Jews considered zeal a prized virtue . . . In this context, Paul suggests that his fellow Jews misdirected their zeal because they did not recognize God’s work."^[1]   "The law was never intended by God to be his final word. All along it was anticipating something greater to come. Now, that something greater has come: Christ. He is the telos of the law." ^[2]

Just as this assessment is made of the nation, so too is it true of individuals.  Paul said to the Philippian Church, “though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also . . . But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—” (Philippians 3:4–9, ESV) [Emphasis Mine]

There are two very important aspect to this emphasis that Christ is the telos of the law.  The first is that the Law aimed at bringing us to Christ (Galatians 3:24), but it also means, secondly, that Christ is the terminal point of the law.  In other words the coming of Christ replaces an old order and a new order has come. Those who refuse to believe in Christ and place their faith in Him, lose on both counts. They never find true righteousness and they never know the freedom of the New Covenant.

In the next verse, Paul describes why this is so defeating. ““For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them.” (Romans 10:5, ESV) .  If the demands of the Law are not fulfilled and if they are still in effect, then you have to live by them.  How far will that get you?  “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20, ESV).

"Those who have not yet passed from the being-in-the-Law to the being-in-Christ, and those who allow themselves to be misled into exchanging the being-in-Christ for the being-under-the-Law, are under the Law and are made to feel its power"[3]    Dr. Moo creatively concludes, " We might picture the law as the race itself. Christ is the finish line. As Israel runs the race of the law, they should always, of course, have their eyes fixed on the finish line. Instead, Paul has been suggesting, Israel concentrated so exclusively on the race that they forgot about the finish line. With the coming of Christ, that finish line has been reached, but Israel does not recognize it."^[4]

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Previous Blogs on this topic:

1	His Righteousness Versus Their Righteousness	Romans 9:30-33
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3
4

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^[1] Barry, J. D., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible (Ro 10:2). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

^[2] Moo, D. J. (2002). Encountering the book of Romans : a theological survey (p. 158). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

[3] Expositor's Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM:Romans/Exposition of Romans/VI. The Problem of Israel: God's Righteousness Vindicated (9:1-11:36)/D. Israel's Failure to Attain Righteousness Due to Reliance on Works Rather Than Faith (9:30-10:21), Book Version: 4.0.2 

^[4] Moo, D. J. (2002). Encountering the book of Romans : a theological survey (pp. 158–159). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.