Well, we want to say shalom. God bless you, my dear friends and dear brothers and sisters. Welcome to the Bible classes of the Holy Scriptures in Israel, where we study the Word of God book by book, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, with the help of the Lord, with the help of the Holy Spirit of God, from a Hebrew first century messianic perspective, presenting the word of God with the Lord's help for encouragement for believers and trust that the Lord will use his word for the salvation of those who are not yet believers in the Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah. So we are in the book of Romans and we are in chapter 2 from verse 17.

Our Bible class. So, Abba, our Father, we just want to thank you for your love and care for us. Thank you for the Word of God, for the canon of Scripture, for the many lessons that we learned from the Word of God. Bless us as we study now the book of Romans. We commit ourselves to you, Abba, for we ask it in Yeshua, in Jesus, the Messiah's name. Amen. Amen. So, beloved brothers and sisters, turn with me to the book of Romans, we are in chapter 2, and the Apostle Paul is writing to these dear brethren in the Roman assembly, and he's continued to write to them concerning the guilt that all men, all women, all people are under before the living God.

Because we have all sinned, we all come short of the glory of God, and the Apostle Shaul Paul. Is presenting now in this context the guilt not only of the pagan nations, not only of the moral from among the nation, but also the guilt of the Jewish people as the religious people that were called by God to be a people for his name. Chapter 2 behold thou art called a Jew a Jewish and rest in the law and make us thy boast in God and knoweth his will and approve the things that are more excellent being instructed out of the law out of the Torah that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the Torah.

Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? Thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? Thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou God. For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you as it is written. For circumcision verily profiteth if thou keepeth the law. But if thou be breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. Therefore if the circumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? And shall not uncircumcision, which is by nature, if it fulfill the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision doeth or does transgress the law.

For he is not a Jew which is outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew which is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not of man, but of God. I will stop here with these verses, Romans chapter 2, verses 17 to the end of the chapter. Now, beloved brothers and sisters, this section in actuality, in the apostle Shaul Paul speaking to his own brethren, to the Jewish people, he's also, if we will continue to turn the page to chapter 3, really that message concerning the Jewish people, is entering beyond chapter 2 and verse 17.

It continues into chapter 3 and verse 8. In fact, what he does here in these verses, he's actually presenting the guilt and also the advantage that the religious Jewish people have. And that's what he's presenting in this section. The book of Romans, the first thing that the Apostle Paul began with from chapter 1 all the way to chapter 3 and verse 20, he desired to unfold before the believers at Rome of the universal guilt before the living God. In other words, Paul is ultimately leading proclaim that all of us, whoever we are, from wherever we came, we are all guilty before a living and a righteous God. In fact, if you remember what later on he said, we know this verse very well, Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." quoted this verse all have sinned and come short of the glory of God he really takes it from the book of Psalms and Psalm 14 where the psalmist of Israel said many many years ago in Psalm 14 and right from the beginning you remember what the psalmist said many years ago in fact that psalmist of course is David David said that the fool says in his heart there is.

And what the conclusion of Psalm 14:3? They are all gone aside. They are all together become filthy. Is none that do is good no not one another David said there is none that do is good not no no not me there is none that do is good no not you he's saying this to all because God looked down and God knows the human heart when Adam failing to sin already in the garden of delight, Gan Eden. He plunged the whole human race into sin. That's why we are born in sin, shaped in iniquity, as David said. That's why we are all guilty before God. That's why we are all like Isaiah, who says, Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people with unclean lips, for my eyes have sinned the king.

That's why Peter could say, Depart from me. Sinful man that's why Shaul Paul could say I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing it's not a matter of putting down people and God wants us all day long to feel bad that we are no good and we are evil and so on no but that's the reality because God is holy and there is no sin in God he cannot look upon sin and we have inherited that sin nature into this world you don't need to teach him or her to do wrong when a baby is born into this world you need the help of God to teach them to do right but that's the human nature and that's why the book of Romans is so important to learn and to understand because the universal sin must be understood in order that one will be able to make.

Things right with God. And one will be able to accept and to receive the provision of God by grace, I say. The grace of God. And God's grace did not begin when the Messiah came. He was always a God of grace. He forgave Adam and Eve by providing for them the blood atonement. He covered their sin with the blood of the animal and covered their nakedness with the skin of that animal. He forgave everyone that came to him on the basis of the sacrifice of the blood atonement which pointed to the Mashiach, Yeshua, Jesus, who came in the fullness of the time to pay for the sin of the world.

In other words, God in his program and in his plan, he knew things that men, people, men and women do not know and need to know it by Revelation. And God revealed this to us in his word, both in the Hebrew Scripture, the Tanakh, and in the Brit HaChadasha, in the new covenant. In the complete canon of Scripture, we learn the mind of God and the truth that we have in the word of God. So we are in the section in chapter 1, 2, and 3 in the book of Romans that deal with the universal guilt of man of all. In chapter 1 verse 18 to 32, we have covered already, that was the guilt of the pagan nations.

Individuals from the nation of the world, they are guilty before God. In chapter 2 of Romans verses 1 to 16, which we have covered as well, we are presented with the guilt and the sin of the moral. Among the nations. But God is not only going to speak concerning the nations of the world. He is, through the apostle Shaul Paul, he is dealing now directly with the chosen people of God, the Jewish people, to show that the Jewish people, the people of Israel, were not chosen because they are better than others. They are not chosen because they are holy in themselves, because the Jewish people, like all other nations, descendants of Adam we all have a same nature we all are fallen people and the Jewish people were chosen to be a nation that God have chosen to use that nation to be a light to the nations of the world and through the Jewish people to bring the Mashiach the Messiah and then the Messiah will come through Abraham Isaac and Jacob and and yahudah and the Messiah will be born to the virgin Miriam and ultimately become a substitute will die on the on a shameful cross and.

Make atonement in fact more than atonement take away the sin of this world and in the future he chose the nation of Israel that here on earth through them there will be a blessing to this world that's the plan of God but the Jewish people fail we fail and it didn't take too long when pride comes in an assumption that one because I am after all I've been chosen by God and therefore pride creep in and what happened is that because we have a sin nature we're not humbling ourselves before the Lord but what happened pride lead us to a fall to go astray to be arrogant and by the way it's not only a Jewish problem it's the same thing today in the present day in Christendom in Christianity it's not this it's not different if we are not careful we are capable to do this in every generation.

And human history but here he's directing specifically he's dealing with the nation the Jewish people and so you notice this chapter 2 verse 17 really into chapter 3 verse 8 the apostle Paul shows the sin and the guilt of the Jewish people and also the advantage it will be in chapter 3 and verses 1 to 8 that the Jewish people have because of the place that they had Privileges come with responsibility. So in chapter 2 and verses 17, where we are right now, to verse 29, first Paul points to the guilt and the sin of the Jewish individual, just like the pagan from among the nation, just like the moralists from among the nation. The religious Jewish people is just as guilty, in fact, even more responsible because of the.

Privileges that he has and so notice that in verses 17 18 19 and 20 he's pointing to the a to the responsibility that the Jewish people have and he's saying to them notice i'm reading verse 17 and he's not that he's he's directing it to almost to a singular individual he's not so much speaking in general is very particular because he using this expression a man in singular in the previous verses you remember in the previous verses in chapter a one he said in verse in verse 18 for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men this is m-e-n but then he's a little bit later on he's continuing on and he's singular he's going he's pointing to a single person you notice chapter 2 and verse 3 and you think and thinkest thou this all men m a n singular that Judges them which do such things and do this yourself in other words he's also speaking to each individual as a an individual person beloved brothers.

Sisters you notice in chapter 2 and verse 1 therefore thou art inexcusable o men the men in chapter 2 verse 1 and chapter 2 verse 3 is singular and that's why in chapter 2 and verse 17 he says behold thou art called a Jew or Jewish in other words he's speaking to every Jewish individual just like he has spoken to every gentleman individual in the previous verses that we have learned in these two chapters. And he's saying to this Jewish individual in verse 17, you see, you that they call a Jew or Yehudi in Hebrew, Yehudi, and rested in the law and maketh thy boast of God. So notice the word for Yehudi, a Jew, come from the Hebrew word lehodot Yehudi in Hebrew means to give thanks to give praise that's the meaning of the word Yehudi I just want you to for a moment to turn to Genesis chapter 29 and you notice that the first person that is called Yehuda this is the tribe of Judah the tribe of Yehuda he was one of the sons of Leah.

Israel had four fathers, three fathers, Abraham, Yitzhak, and Yaakov. The nation of Israel had four mothers. Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Rachel, and Leah. Three fathers, four mothers. And you notice in the last verse of Genesis chapter 29 and verse 35 we read, will I praise the Lord notice I will praise the Lord therefore she called his name Yehuda and left bearing I will praise the Lord in Hebrew to give thanks and that's why she called him his name Yehuda to give praise to give thanks so Yehuda was one of the 12 sons of Yaakov of Jacob and he became prominent in the tribe among the nation of Israel. Out of Yehuda will come the Messiah.

Out of Yehuda will be that prominent tribes in Israel. And by the time the Jewish people were scattered and have gone to captivity, all the nation, everyone was called now a Jew, a Yehudi, because the ten tribes were taken by the Assyrians. In 721 BC the two tribes the southern tribe were taken by the Babylonian and by the time the Jewish people were in Babylon the Jewish people now out of all the tribes of the nation of Israel became known and recognized Yehudim as Jewish. God gave them to Israel as we know that the law the Torah and Mount Sinai many many years earlier through Moshe and so the Jewish people had these privileges to receive the law from God.

And when privileges came, there is also responsibility. And so God, through the Apostle Paul, is saying to the Jewish individual, and he says, you that call yourself Jewish or are called by others, Yehudi, a Jew, and you rest in the law, you say, I received the law, the law was given to me, the Torah, you know, the Torah to be the word of God. The law was given to the Jewish people. Actually, the whole law was given. The whole word of God was given through the Jewish people to the nation of the world. But specifically here, he's speaking about the guidance of God, the instructions of God, how to live here in this world.

You receive instruction from God in contrast to the nations of the world. You receive this. You rest in it. You say, oh, I have received the word. Of the law, the Torah Elohim, the law of God. And then he continued, he said, and you makest thy boast in God. Well, you were chosen by God. You received the Torah, the law of God. Again, to remind you, beloved brothers and sisters, that God never gave the Torah to Israel to save them. Keeping of the Torah does not save someone, but keeping to Torah shows one how he or she are guilty before God and drives him or her to the sacrificial system the atonement the blood atonement which pointed to the Mashiach you remember Galatians 3 tells us for what purpose was the law it was it was given to Israel in order to lead them to the Messiah to Christ to Christ to the Mashiach not to be saved on the basis.

The law but it is a moral guideline that God had given to this a blessed nation of Israel in order that they will live a life that will be an example to the nations of the world so there is a responsibility here that's why in this verse 17 he is emphasizing these beloved brothers and sisters and he says look you are called Yehudi Jewish You are resting in the law, and you are making your boast in God. In other words, what you are saying, I belong to God, I am part of the chosen people, I am a privilege, and indeed, it is a privilege to be part of a chosen people, just like it is a privilege to be a part of those who have been chosen in the Messiah.

Christ before the foundation of the world it is a blessing it is a privilege but that privilege should cause the believer in the context the Jewish people to humble them and to cause them to be thankful and humble before the Lord and acknowledge that they are in such a favored and blessed place not because they are better than others but of the grace of God but you see what he's leading here to show that there is the inclination to be proud and arrogant because of the fact that you in the context here the Jewish people that he's speaking to were privileged to receive the Torah to rest in the Torah and to boast that we belong to God and so in the next verses in verses 18 and verse 19 and verse 20.

He is now showing to the Jewish individuals to whom he is speaking the privileges but also the responsibility and the fact that they have failed in fulfilling that which God had called them to be. And when we say they, we don't point it to everyone because there are those from. The people of Israel who humble themselves before God recognize their sins and turn to the mercy of God and we're the ones that were used by God to give us what we have here before us in the word of God and so notice what we read in the next verse in verse 18 he says he says you know his will you and you know his will and approves the things that are more excellent being instructed out of the law you know the will of God while the nations of the world did not know the will of God because they don't have the word of God they don't have the Torah in their hand and then also he continues he says you approve of things that are more excellent in other words you are having such a standard that you receive from the law that you need to live up to it and you are instructed notice again in verse 18 very interesting you are instructed by the law by the the word of God.

The word law does not only apply to the Ten Commandments. The word Torah does not only apply to the five books of Moses. The word law, the word Torah, is speaking about the whole counsel of the Word of God. In fact, go back to Deuteronomy chapter 4, responsibility that they are called to have in their life. He says in chapter 4 and verse 5, the Deuteronomy chapter 4 and verse 5, Behold, I have taught you statues and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land, whither you go to possess it. Notice how many times Moshe is using the word keep and do.

He says keep therefore and do them for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations which shall hear all these statues and say surely this great nation is wise and understanding people. For what nation is there so great who Hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for? Notice verse 8, he continued Moshe to speak to the people of Israel. He said in verse 8, day now notice what he says in verse 9 only take heed to thyself and keep thy soul diligently lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen unless they depart from thine heart all the days of thy life but teach them thy son and thy son's sons notice that beloved brothers and sisters.

Moshe appealed to the people of Israel before they have entered into the promised land. To remind you, beloved brothers and sisters, that when Moses gave us the book of Deuteronomy, Israel was on the shore of entering into the promised land of Canaan. And before Moshe had given this instruction, here in the book of Deuteronomy, because they have gone for 40 years in the wilderness the older generation grumble against God and they say why is it that you allow us to go through this death and the other and the Lord allow them because they didn't they didn't they didn't want to enter into the promised land because of the giants and because of the conflict that they would have and they didn't trust the Lord and and and God gave them warning and he said because you have done so you will not enter into the promised land.

Will enter in and for 40 years beloved brothers and sisters the nation of Israel were walking in the wilderness until the older generation that complained against God died physically and the younger generation enter in and Moshe is now reminding them and he said to them don't forget don't forget you are so blessed and so wise and understanding these people what a nation what a nation is so great and what a privilege you have but privilege comes with responsibility for everyone in every generation privilege comes with responsibility well here is pointing to the guilt of those from among the Jewish people who should have been and should have come to appreciate it.

But instead, what happened, he's now going to point in verses 19 and 20 and on, he's going to point to the guilt of these individuals who in pride from among the nation of Israel were not an example to the nations of the world. And by doing so, they only condemned themselves before the living God. And so he said to them after in verse 18, he said, you know his will. You approve of the things that are more excellent. You have been instructed by the law. And then notice that he continued in verse 19 and he said, you are, you're supposed to be a guide, right? Because you receive all this instruction and you are confident that thou thyself are a guide of the blind and a light to them which are in darkness.

You see, the only one that can be a guide to others, is one that can see and understand and receive the blessing from the Lord from God and therefore he's supposed to be a guide to the ones that are blind and a light to them that are in darkness that is the call that God had provided for the nation of Israel to be a guide to be a light you remember what we read in Isaiah 42 that God of. The nation of Israel to be a light to the Gentiles. As we read in Isaiah chapter 42, where we read, and I'll read this verse in chapter 42, and of course he ultimately speaks about the Messiah Jesus who became the ultimate light to the Gentiles, to the nations of the world.

But we see he's calling the nation of Israel to be a light to the Gentile world. And so we read here in verse 6, I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, I will hold thine hand, and I will keep thee and give thee for a covenant of the people and a light to the Gentiles. The Jewish people were supposed to be a light to the nations of the world, but here it's applied specifically to the Lord Yeshua the Messiah, who became truly a light to the nations of the world. Verse 7 of Isaiah 42 says, the blind eyes and and to bring out the prisoners from prison and them that sit in darkness out of the prison's house so the the nation of Israel were called to be a light to the nation of the world but Israel as a nation failed and the Mashiach came and he is there we will call it he is the true Israel the true servant of God who through him he gave light.

Nations of the world, as Isaiah 42 speaks about the servant of Jehovah, speaking specifically about the Messiah himself. And so verse 19 and verse 20, notice these two verses: "You are confident that thou art a guide to the blind and a light of them which are in darkness." Notice he continues in verse 20 to say: "An instruction of the foolish and a teacher of babes which has the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. In other words, you say you should and are called to be a guide, a light, an instructor, and a teacher because of the privileges that you have been brought into. And then the apostle is pointing to the charge that God has, as he has a charge against the pagan nations of the world, as he's charging and showing the sin of the so-called moralist person here in this world, he has a charge against the religious person in the context, the religious Jewish person who say, after all, I am the one that is.

Of God. I am approving of the things that are more excellent. I've been instructed from the law. I know more than you. And I am called to be a guide and a light and an instructor and teacher. Follow me. Listen to what I say. And that's why in the next verses, in verses 21 to 24, beloved brothers and sisters, Paul is showing the charge, the guilt, really, For the Jewish individual who does not come to a point to realize that he also is a sinner that needs the grace of God, that needs the Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, to pay for his sin. And here, listen to what he says here in the next verses.

Verses 21, 22, 23, and verse 24. And notice what he is zeroing in on the guilt. That existed as well in the life of the Jewish people as well. And he said in verse 21, Thou therefore that which teacheth another, teacheth thou not yourself? Thou that preachest a man should not steal, thus thou steal? Verse 22, Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, Thou that abhorst idols? Dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou, notice that, verse 23 and 24, Thou that makest thy bolster of the law, through breaking the law dishonest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you as it is written see beloved brothers and sisters the apostle Paul is showing to us that it's not only the pagan that is guilty the one who claimed to be moral that is guilty but also the religious one in the context the religious Jewish person is just as guilty before a holy and a righteous.

God. As the pagan from among the nations of the world, as the so-called moral from among the nations of the world, the religious Jewish person is just as guilty before God. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. And here we have this amazing lesson, beloved brothers and sisters, that here the apostle directing this very serious an accusation as before God to one who will think that he is right before God and not humble himself before the Lord. Now notice he's saying things that are very strong in verses 21 to 24. You're teaching others, but you don't teach yourself. You know, it's so easy to teach others, but we fail to apply this to our own hearts.

Just yesterday we had a recording about the need for being disciples, the need for being disciplined, the need for being consecrated to God. Isn't it a challenge to us all, isn't it? You know, remember this was written 2,000 years ago when the foundation of the church began. In the last days of the church age. And how applicable this is to the religious individuals of today as it was speaking to the religious Jewish people in the days when the apostle Shaul Paul was writing the book of Romans. It is so easy for one to say, I'm going to be to instruct you. I'm going to teach you, but I don't apply it to myself.

I'm going to preach to one but I'm not applying this to myself that's the issue that he wanted this one who says I'm a Jewish person I received the law I received the instruction from God I'm a privileged part of a privileged nation and therefore I'm going to be right with God but they are guilty not I Paul is setting things in order and you will see he will lead ultimately to the declaration that all are guilty before God it does not matter where we came from what background we have what nation we come from what culture kind of a lifestyle we have had all are guilty before God all the world become guilty before God as he's giving to us this portion of Scripture.

And so notice that verse 21, 22, 23, and 24, he's pointing directly to the one from among the Jewish people who will say in Romans chapter 2 and verse 21, I teach others, but I don't need to be taught by myself. I can preach to others, but don't steal, but I do steal in myself. A man should not commit adultery but you're doing this yourself you abhor idols no i believe in a living God but you yourself commit sacrilege you know you make it a boast that you know the the law but notice you are breaking the law and you are dishonoring God yourself that's the reality that's why Paul when he wrote later on in Roman chapter Just turn for a moment to Romans chapter 7 when he speaks about the law.

He's saying in these verses concerning the law that we have all failed. He said, I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. For the will is present with me, but how to perform it, that which is good, I found not. For the good that I would, I do not. And the evil that I do not want, that I do. Other days sin that dwelleth in me verse 20 and he come to a point where he says i know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good later on Paul we will get to it when we go to chapter 7 where he will say all wretched man that i am verse 24 Romans chapter 7.

So beloved brothers and sisters this is exactly what Paul is showing here to any Jewish individual that will say well i'm I'm a privileged person. I belong to the nation of Israel. I received the law of God. I can boast in the living God. I'm not like the other nation, but not realizing that the law is like a mirror that shows us our hearts and should lead us to Christ, to Mashiach, to the Messiah. Notice what he says as he's listing these lists here in verse 21, 22, 23, and 24. Therefore, you are boasting in verse 23, but you are breaking the law by dishonoring God. You know that the pride which we all have, the pride will die only when we pass out of this sin.

Pride is a problem that we have all the time. We are struggling with it every day. Every day we are struggling with our pride. And every day we need God to help us to humble ourselves before the Lord. Humble under the mighty hand of God and He will exalt you in due time. God resists the boaster, the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. This is a challenge that we are facing with every day of our life as believers today as well during this church age. Pride, boasting, is causing so much friction and division among God's people in every generation. And that's why Paul is pointing to this here.

And notice at the end here at verse 24, he says in verse 24, And he says, Paul many times will use the word as it is written. Quote verses that are found in the Hebrew Scripture he will quote the Hebrew Scriptures as he has done so before when he's quoted the book of Habakkuk and now he doesn't quote it here but notice that if you turn with me to Isaiah chapter 52 in Isaiah chapter 52 we do read beloved brothers and sisters of the fact that because of the violation of word of God by his people Israel the the as it says here in this verse 24 that my name the name of God is blaspheme among the gentles through you as it is written Isaiah 52 and notice what he says in verse 5 now therefore what have i here says the Lord that my people is taken away for naught that rule over them, make them to howl, says the Lord, and my name continually every day is blasphemed.

My name continually every day is blasphemed. You know, it's sad, isn't it, that God's people, by the behavior that we have. We're not giving a good testimony to God and to our Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah. That's why we are challenged again and again to have a godly behavior, because when we do not behave in a right way, we are not honoring the Lord. There's another verse in Ezekiel chapter 36, have this verse, Isaiah 36 and verse 22, where we read, Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God, I do not this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for my holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen whither ye went.

You see, in Isaiah 36, I'm sorry, In Yehezkel 36, God is speaking about the future restoration of Israel when he will regather the people of Israel and restore them as a nation. And he said in the future, I'm not going to restore you for your sake, but I'm going to restore you for my name's sake because I have a plan and a program for you. But when you're away scattered around the nation of the world. You profane my name by your behavior in the manner whereby ye have behaved so now back to our chapter and in chapter 2 of Romans the last verses as we are drawing towards the end here verses 25 to verse 29 we learn here in these verses about the position of the Jewish people that brought they are also responsible for what they claim to have.

And so we read in verse 25, For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keepest the law. But if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. Now to remind you that according to Genesis chapter 17, God commanded Abraham to circumcise his son Yitzchak. Isaac was eight days old and the sign of the covenant is called in Hebrew is the sign that God made with Abraham and his descendants so there's a natural inclination to say well I am circumcised and therefore I am okay because I am circumcised but to but God did not intend that circumcision will be that which will say I am right with God because I am circumcised.

No. Circumcision, as we read here in this verse 25, circumcision verily profiteth if thou keepest the law, but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. Now just to read these verses, beloved brothers and sisters, in Genesis chapter 17, read it so we understand it. Verse 9: "And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant, therefore thou and thy seed after thee in their generation. And this is my covenant which ye shall keep between me and you, and thy seed after thee, even every man child among you shall be circumcised." That was the command of God. The baby that was circumcised did not know anything it was the command of the parent to circumcise the baby the boy that was eight days old verse 11 says that you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin brit milah in Hebrew brit mean covenant milah mean to cut the cutting off of this of the flesh and it shall be a token in Hebrew ot the covenant between me and you and he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you every man child in your generation he that is born in the house or bought with money of any stranger which is not of thy seed he that is born in thine house and he that is bought with thy money must not as this must need be circumcised.

And my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant it was not introduced by Abraham it was not suggested by Abraham but it was commended by God and when a Hebrew person will say I don't want to be circumcised or I don't want to circumcise my child listen to verse 14 what it says in Genesis 17 verse 14 and the circumcised man child whose flesh is in his foreskin is not, let me repeat it, and the uncircumcised man, child, whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant. In other words, it was not a suggestion, it was a command.

God given command as a sign of the everlasting covenant that God have made with Abraham and his descendants, Abraham, Yitzhak, Yaakov, and the nation of Israel. It's not a suggestion. And therefore, the Jewish people, the Hebrews, they must circumcise any baby child that is eight days old. Or from among his people. But you see what happened? A command of God, a sign of God, a privilege from God that the baby himself did not know. Yitzchak didn't know. He only experienced the pain. And yet he, as he grows up from among the people of Israel, he becomes responsible to submit to the word of God. In fact, it should make him realize What a blessing it is to be part of the covenant that God made with Abraham and his descendants.

But because of this, it ought to humble one and cause him and, of course, all to be humble before the Lord and to be thankful and to be broken before God and to seek to serve God. That's what it should have happened. But sadly, it led for one to be proud and say, after all, I'm circumcised. I'm part of the covenant people. And while truly in the flesh, a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is part of the everlasting covenant that God made with the nation of Israel, that child should still grow up and become humble, confess his sin before God and recognize that he is a sinner and receive the mercy and the forgiveness of God.

But if it lead him to be proud and arrogant, that is exactly what Paul wants to bring to the front and show no, there are privileges, but these privileges does not make your sins being paid for. But it makes you realize that you are a privileged and a blessed person and it should humble you to turn to God for mercy and grace. By the way, oftentimes people make the comparison between circumcision and baptism. Now let me just remind you that biblically speaking, circumcision was done to a baby right and wrong as yet, who is eight days old among the Hebrews, among the nation of Israel.

But baptism, biblically speaking, is not committed to be done to a baby, but to a person that is born of the Spirit of God, already accepted the Lord Jesus the Messiah, and in identification as a person that is already mature, the Messiah then they go to be baptized in by water identifying with the death burial and resurrection of the Messiah so we need to quite to understand this that the circumcision was done to an eight days old Jewish boy baptism is biblically to be done for a believer who have already have accepted the Messiah mature understanding whatever age it may be it could be 10 11 12. But he or she comes to an understanding that he and she are sinners and the baptism is identifying with the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

So just like the circumcision doesn't make one receive forgiveness of sins because he or she needs to grow up from among the people of Israel who confess their sins and enter in a joyful way into this covenant that they have the sign of the covenant and by the circumcision same thing with baptism baptism doesn't save anyone doesn't bring one in to become a child of God baptism is an act of a believer that is already have salvation that he or she now identifying with the Lord Jesus the Messiah in death burial and resurrection that's why if a person is not born again he or she can never.

Be baptized million times it does not save them because salvation is by faith by grace through faith in the person and the work of our Lord Jesus Yeshua the Messiah now let me just conclude this chapter here so in verse 25 he says circumcision verily profiteth if thou keepest the law but if thou be a breaker of the law thy circumcision become or been made uncircumcision it doesn't have any value you are of the covenant that God made with the descendants, physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But in order to be entering into the blessing of it, you have to accept God and submit to his law and accept that you are sinners and accept the provision of God unto salvation.

In verse 26, notice he is now saying, notice in verse 26. Gentile from among the nation of the world if he will keep the righteousness of the law shall not his uncircumcision become or be counted for circumcision in other words the Gentile who is not circumcised in the flesh he does not have that a physical part of the brit milah the covenant that God made with Abraham and his him that he is a sinner and that he break the law by nature because no one can in a full sense of the word fulfill the holy requirement of God's law because the law revealed to us that we are simply failing people who need the grace of God and it leads us to Christ to the Messiah and so for the Gentiles who seek to obey the law of God which will ultimately lead them.

The person of the Messiah, their uncircumcision will be counted as circumcision. Why? Because now they've accepted the provision of God, even though they don't have the sign of the covenant, they haven't grown up in a Jewish home, and they haven't been circumcised when they were eight days old, but their faith in God, who's seeking to have the law of God in their hearts, will consider to be as circumcision. He says, and shall not uncircumcision, which is by nature, if it fulfill the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision do transgress the law. So in verse 27, uncircumcision, truly seek to keep God's law. How?

If they really want the mind of the Lord, really from among the nation want the law of God and they turn to God's word and they learn from God's word and seek to obey his law and also learn from the law that the law lead us the law doesn't save us but it will lead us to Christ to the Messiah that person from among the nation as it says here in verse 27 uncircumcision this is from the Gentile world which is by nature if it fulfill the law. You judge who by the letter and circumcision transgress the law he is just making a comparison here between the Jewish person who has the law but don't abide by what he received and on the other hand you have the Gentiles who did not receive the law and is not circumcised yet he seeks to have the mind of the Lord look you judge you see if it is correct In other words, you violate the law, but the Gentile who seek the mind of God, he or she desire to please God and to seek to live for him.

It says, you be the judge. You be the judge. And so, just to conclude, and I know we are past the time, I want to conclude just with another few minutes in verse 28 and 29. Verse 28 and verse 29, very interesting verses. For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew which is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not of man, but of God. The context here in Romans chapter 2 and verse 17 to chapter 3 and verse 8, the context, he's speaking to a Jewish person.

So he's not saying that the Gentile now become a Jew, no. It's a conversation between two Jewish people. And one like Paul, who is speaking to one of his Jewish people, and he's telling them, okay, the Scripture shows us Jew who is outwardly in other words you might be a Jewish person outwardly you were born to a family that come from Abraham Isaac and Jacob you have been circumcised but is that all is that all so I was born one would say I was born to descendants of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and I have been circumcised is that all which bring you into a relationship with God don't you think that you need your.

To change don't you need to come don't you realize that you need to confess and repent that you are a sinner is it only outwardly isn't it also inwardly he's saying it's a conversation between two Jewish individuals the one who is a believer in Yeshua the other one is not a believer in Yeshua the one who is not a believer says you know I'm circumcised I'm Jewish and Paul is just kind of challenging that individual and he's saying to him he's not a Jew which is only outwardly because a true Jew remember the name Yehudi mean to praise God a true person who praises God is not only one that is outwardly it's not only one that have been circumcised outwardly in the flesh Paul is saying but no he says listen in verse 29 but he He is a Jew, which is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not of man, but of God.

Jew, according to the word of God, is one that is a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, physical descendant, but a physical descendant that is also one that is born of the Spirit of God, who is not only merely outwardly, but also inwardly, that have accepted the provision of God and have He or she are sinners and they need the provision of salvation that come from God. So the last two verses here, don't mix it up. It's not a conversation between a Gentile who will come to a Jewish person and will say to him, oh no, I'm Jewish. You are not because I have believed and you are not.

No, the context is a Jewish context. He's speaking to the Jewish people and he's speaking to them as a Jewish individual. Them he says listen my dear brother in the flesh a true Jewish person is not only one that is born as a physical descendants of Abraham Isaac and Jacob but a true Yehudi is one that is born in the flesh of the descendants of Abraham Isaac and Jacob but born again by the Spirit and accepted And with this he concludes here with this chapter. He will go in chapter 3 and he will speak about the advantage that the Jewish people has, but the responsibility as well in chapter 3.

Now, sometimes we ask the question, well, why did God choose the Jewish people? Why couldn't God just continue on in chapter 11 at the end of chapter 11 and out of all the nations of the world. Bring a people to himself why did he choose Abraham why Isaac why Jacob why the 12 tribes of Israel why the nation of Israel would be the best the less you might say the least problem if we would all be one people one nation and not a chosen nation why why you sometimes one ask why but beloved brothers and sisters this is a question that you and I might ask This is the wisdom of God.

This is the plan of God. It is the program of God. It is the will of God. Because the Messiah must be born as a descendants of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Jesse, David, and the family that through them the Messiah will be born. It is in the program of God, in the plan of God. The plan of God and that's why throughout the ages you have the seeking of doing away from the with the nation of Israel with the Jewish people because Satan is against God and against the people that God have chosen for his name and on the other hand the Jewish people as a nation we have failed we have sinned and we need to turn to the only one that can provide salvation.

And that is our Lord and Savior, Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah. May the Lord help us to see this as we study together the Word of God. And so our God and our Father, thank you for these verses that we have been dealing with in this meeting today. Blessed to us, help us to understand these verses. We pray for we ask it in Jesus and Yeshua's name. Amen. Amen. God bless you, my dear friend. Until the next time, we say Shalom, Shalom.