We want to say shalom to everyone. God bless you. Welcome to the Bible classes of the Holy Scriptures in Israel, where we study God's Word from first century Hebrew messianic perspective, seeking to minister to our people, the Jewish people. And we are studying the Word of God. Book by book, chapter by chapter, and verse by verse. We thank the Lord for His help thus far as we are studying the Word of God together. And I hope you have the Word of God in your hand, the Bible. And we are going to turn this meeting together today to the book of Romans. We are in chapter 4.

And we will begin with reading verse 9 in this session today. The Lord will bless the reading of his word let's pray together let's commit the meeting the session to the Lord may Abba our father thank you for Yeshua our Messiah who loved us and gave himself for us thank you for your your word the word of God both the Tanakh and the brit hachadashah the Hebrew Scriptures the the old testament the new covenant thank you for this and and above all thank you for the holy Spirit of God that you have given to us to help us to rightly divide the word of truth. Bless your word we pray as we ask it in Yeshua's name.

Amen. Amen. Well please dear friends and dear brothers and sisters turn with me to Romans chapter 4 and I'm reading for verse 9 today to the end of the chapter. Now Romans 4 verse 8, verse 7 and 8, Paul was quoting what David said, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered. And then from verse 9, we're going to continue. Paul is saying to the Roman believers. For we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned? When he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. And he received a sign of circumcision, a seal of righteousness. Of the faith which he had yet been uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised, that the righteousness might be imputed unto them also.

Of the circumcision only, but also who walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had been yet uncircumcised. Verse 13. For the promise that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. If they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and a promise made of none effect. Because the law walketh wrath, for where no law is, there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith that it might be of grace, to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed.

Only which is of the law but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham who is the father of us all as it is written I've made thee a father of many nations before him whom he believed even God who quickeneth who raise the dead and calleth those things which be not as though they were who against hope believed in hope he might become the father of many nations according to that which was spoken so shall thy seed be and being not weak in faith he considered not his own body now dead when he was about a hundred years old neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God and being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform and therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we.

Believe on him that raise up Yeshua our Lord from the dead who was delivered for our offenses and was raised for our justification now beloved brothers and sisters i've just read from verse 9 to verse 25 now i don't think we will be covering beloved brothers and sisters all these verses but this is an important chapter here before us in the book of Romans chapter 4. To remind you that in the second division of the book of Romans, the theme from Romans chapter 3 and verse 21 to Romans chapter 5 and verse 21 is the theme of salvation. Emphasizing the salvation that God had provided for us all for mankind after all we have already learned from Romans 1 verse 1 to Romans 3 verse 20 that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God and in order for us to be saved to be forgiven to receive a hope of eternal life sin has to be paid for salvation has be provided that a sinner who is guilty will be reckoned justified that he or she will be reckoned as just and how God could provide such an amazing sure promise to the sinner is when he sent the Mashiach the Messiah the Hebrew word Mashiach translated to the Greek christos and we use Christ or Messiah in the English language.

But the Mashiach, the promised Messiah, the promised Redeemer came to this world to provide salvation for mankind as it was promised to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets of Israel spoke about the coming Redeemer that will come to this world and he will ultimately justify the sinner who believe God and believe in God's. Provision. Now in the fourth chapter, beloved brothers and sisters, verses 1 to 25, the apostle Paul now provides for the Roman believers an illustration of justification. And how does he illustrate this? He's illustrating justification in the history of the person by the name of Abraham, known to us, Abraham Avinu, Abraham our father.

Important to understand that because he provides justification, he provides the explanation of justification and the illustration of justification specifically because for the Jewish people they assumed after many generations that it is the law that will produce justification in their life and here Shaul Paul is emphasizing the truth that justification is and provided for Abraham long before the law was given to the people of Israel and even long before Abraham was circumcised. It is fascinating to understand it. Lest somebody will assume that I am justified on the basis of my circumcision or any man-made laws because in a world in which we live in it's not only a Jewish problem it's a gentle problem as well because we made so many laws and assuming that we will be justified on the basis of man-made laws and here Paul is put it to put it clearly to show us that justification is illustrated in the life of Abraham long before even Abraham was circumcised and long before.

Even the law was given to the Jewish people who came out of the land of Egypt. So we have covered the first eight verses, right? And in the first eight verses, we have spoken about the fact that Abraham was justified simply by faith and not by works. And in these eight verses, Paul is inserting the truth of the fact that it was not only Abraham who was justified by faith, So David was justified by faith, even although David was under the law, while Abraham was not under the law because the law was not given. The law was only given to the people of Israel after Israel came out of the land of Egypt.

And so in the first eight verses, which we have already covered, beloved brothers and sisters, we did learn that justification was provided for Abraham and David, Abraham and David. By faith and not by works. Isn't it true, dear brothers and sisters, we love to assume, many of us, that because we are doing good deeds and maybe sometimes, some of us, our nature is a bit more rigid than others, that we think that, you know, I'm pretty decent and I'm keeping certain commandments and certain rules and I'm justified on the basis of my ability to keep rules. And Paul clarified this in the way he said, For if Abraham was justified by works, verse 2, he has wore off to glory, but not before God.

So now he's moving to the second point that he wants to communicate with the believers at Rome. And this is verses 9 to verse 17. In verse 9 to verse 17, he's emphasizing the fact that Abraham, Remember, he's illustrating justification for the life of Abraham. And so he's saying Abraham was justified by grace, chesed, and not by law, by the Torah, by a law that God had given later on to Israel or by any man-made rule or man-made laws. And so in these verses 9 to 17, Paul pointing to two things. He shows that Abraham's righteousness was received from God before circumcision this is verses 9 to 12 and secondly Paul shows to the Roman believers and to you and i that Abraham was justified before God even before the law that was given to Israel later on after they came out of the land of Egypt.

Two things he's emphasizing here in verses 9 to 17. Abraham was justified or he was declared righteous by God before he was circumcised, and Abraham was justified, declared righteous by God before the law was given. And so notice that. Verses 9 and 10, Abraham was reckoned righteous before even was circumcised he's taking us all the way back and i'm reading verses 9 and 10 come as this blessedness upon notice then upon the circumcision only or upon the uncircumcision also in other words today circumcision is relating it to the people of the physical descendants of Abraham Isaac and Jacob the Jewish people or is it coming also upon the Gentiles as well.

And he says, for we say that, notice verse 9, that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned, verse 10, when he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision? And then he said at the end of verse 10, no, not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. 15 and you notice that in Genesis chapter 15 before the command of the circumcision was given to Abraham we do read that Abraham simply believed on the Lord he was not yet circumcised circumcision was given to him some 12 to 14 years later by God in the first a few verses of Genesis chapter 15 verse 5 said that he brought him forth this is God brought him forth abroad and he said look now toward heaven and tell the stars if thou art able to number them and he said unto him so shall thy seed be Abraham look just look up to heaven see how many stars are in heaven that's how many seed how many descendants Abraham and notice verse 6 and Abraham believed the Lord and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

God have reckoned the belief of Abraham on him he believed unto him and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. Amazing beloved brothers and sisters think about how the. Of God was given to Abraham and Abraham simply believed and God reckoned his faith for righteousness. Now, turn with me now to chapter 17. There is about 14 years between chapter 15 and chapter 17. When we arrive to chapter 17, God make a covenant with Abraham. And what we know is that he has already made that covenant in Genesis chapter 12, Genesis chapter 13, reiterating chapter 15 and so on. And now he reiterating this covenant to Abraham and he says to him and listen to what he says to him.

And this is also very beautiful. Here we can see in chapter 17, I'm sorry, in chapter 17, yes, in verse 11 and onward, we read in verse 11, For ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin. It shall be, listen to the word, it shall be a token. The Hebrew word is ot, a sign, an ot, a sign. It shall be a token of the covenant between me and between you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man, child in your generation. Listen to this, beloved brothers and sisters. And my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And listen to verse 14.

Flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised that soul shall be cut off from his people he has broken my covenant so circumcision was given to Abraham as an outward sign of God's covenant with his descendants Abraham and his descendants Abraham later on Isaac Yitzhak Yaakov and all the the Jewish people had to be circumcised when their children were born and the son, the male child, will be circumcised when he is eight days old. And if he will not be circumcised, that soul shall be cut off among his people. That was not a suggestion, that was a command by God. And it is important to understand that, sisters he was already justified some years earlier he was not justified because he was circumcised he was not justified because he circumcised Yitzhak his son or any of his of his the people that were in the in his household he was not justified because he did so even upon the eighth day of every male child but he was.

Justified because he believed God. Circumcision was given to him by God as a sign, as a token in his flesh and in his descendants, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in their flesh for a sign that God made an unconditional covenant with Abraham and his descendants, the nation of Israel. But he was not justified because of circumcision. Because that gives someone the assumption, well, I am going to be justified because I am circumcised. And remember that circumcision was not so much the activity of the baby boy, but it was the parents who took the responsibility to circumcise their eight years old son. But it is the faith in God.

Believing God and God's word. And the verses 9 and 10, actually 9 to 17, Abraham was justified. It was entirely the grace of God. The chesed ha-Elohim. It has nothing to do with circumcision or with any law-keeping because circumcision came much later have declared Abraham justified and righteous on the basis of his belief. This is important to understand and Paul is illustrating this in the life of Abraham because he wanted to explain and he's explaining to all of us and it's so important for us to understand that all of us who have trusted the Lord Jesus the Messiah came to him on a basis of simply faith. Simply faith, and it is simply by the extending grace, the chesed, the grace of God.

And it's not because of any circumcision. Now to remind you, obviously, that our people had failed in that, assuming that because a baby is born and he was circumcised when he was 80 or all, that this baby is now, he's okay, he's fine, he's going to be eternal. With God. But remember that it was not even the baby's choice. It was the obedience of his parents that caused the baby to be circumcised according to the command as the sign of the covenant that God made with his people. It's not because the baby, the male child, as anyone else, as he grows up, he has to make a decision to have faith in God.

So I'm reading again verses 9 and 10. Romans chapter 4 verses 9 and 10, "Cometh this blessedness of not imputing sin and imputing righteousness, does this blessedness come upon the circumcision also? Does it come only for the Hebrews? Circumcision also? Well, the answer, of course, for we say that faith was reckoned unto Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned when he was circumcised? No, long before he was circumcised. His circumcision did not bring about or produce his righteousness and reckoning him as just, but his faith. So in verses 9 and 10, Abraham, was reckoned righteous long before he was circumcised. Long before he was circumcised. In fact, I just want you to go back again to chapter 17 for a moment, beloved brothers and sisters.

I just want to point to this because when we read a little bit later on in chapter 17, circumcised listen to this it says in verse 23 and Abraham took Ishmael his son and all that were born in his house and all that were bought with money every male among the men of Abraham's house and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the same same day notice as God said unto him you obey the word of the Lord now notice how old. Abraham when he was circumcised. Verse 24 says, Abraham was 90 years old and nine when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. Imagine, he was nearly 100 years old when he himself was circumcised.

It says in verse 25, and Ishmael his son was 13 years old when he was circumcised. In the same day, verse 26, Abraham was circumcised and Ishmael his son and all the men of his house that were born into his house and they were bought with money the stranger they were all circumcised with him in other words the command was given to Abraham and all those that were in in his household so everyone was circumcised when he was there in the household of Abraham but the command was to circumcise the male child when he was eight. Old back to verse 12 of Genesis 17 and he that is eight days old shall be circumcised and you know beloved brothers and sisters the first one that was circumcised when he was eight days old was Yitzhak Isaac the child of promise and from there on in the history of Israel all the descendants of Abraham Yitzhak through Isaac was circumcised when their children were circumcised when they were eight days old and that became this the external sign of the covenant of the Abrahamic covenant that God made with Abraham and Abraham's descendants Isaac Jacob and the people of Israel but Abraham was circumcised and much later than when he received justification.

In Genesis chapter 15, it was counted unto him for righteousness. And many years later, some 14 years later, he was circumcised. And he did not receive righteousness because he was circumcised. He received righteousness. He was reckoned righteous because he believed. All mankind are exhorted believe on the Lord Jesus Christ believe on the Lord Yeshua the Messiah and you will be saved it is a matter of faith believing on the person believing in God believing in God's provision and believing that Yeshua is the Messiah who came from heaven to pay for the sin of this world now notice in verse 11 and verse 12 what he we receive additional information concerning circumcision because circumcision became a sign and became a seal.

I'm reading verse 11 and 12. And he received the sign of circumcision. Then he adds, a seal of the righteousness of the faith, which he had been uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised that righteousness might be imputed unto them also so Abraham received the circumcision as a seal and he received that as a sign I'm sorry as a sign and a seal but it is the seal that says you are declared righteous but it is because you believed. Now, the thought that we have here in verses 11 and 12, it was in order that he might become the father of all them that believe.

Jews and Gentiles, from the nation of Israel and all the nations of the world, anyone that will believe God and believe God's provision, they will be reckoned righteous. Their faith in God and God's provision, namely our Lord, Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus the Messiah today. That will provide for them righteousness. And so we read, he became the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had been yet uncircumcised this is so precious and therefore it relieves us because some of us are Jewish some of us are not and those that are Jewish and became believers they are circumcised and those that are not Jewish and they are believers they are not circumcised so it's not an issue of circumcision it is an issue of faith believing.

In God and God's provision. That's why verses 9, 10, 11, and 12, Paul shows that Abraham's righteousness was received from God long before the circumcision was introduced by God to Abraham and Abraham's descendants. Now, mind you, this is still something that the Jewish people, our own people still practice today. To suggest that because God is intending to restore the nation of Israel in the future after the church age will come to an end, and the future people of Israel that will be restored from all the 12 tribes of Israel like the 144,000 during the tribulation days, there will be people, Jewish, Hebrews, who will be people that are physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Be not only physical descendants but physical and spiritual descendants in other words they will be physical they were by birth they will be circumcised Hebrews descendants of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and they will be the one that will accept the Messiah at the end of the tribulation and he will bring them into the promised messianic kingdom the millennial age it was promised to the nation of Israel throughout the history of the nation of Israel the Abrahamic covenant it is unconditional covenant that was promised that God said in thee and in thy seed all the nations of the earth be blessed i will make of you a great nation God has to fulfill it just as he has to fulfill the promises that he's making to us who are part of the assembly the church today he has to fulfill it because he promised this not because we are faithful but because.

He promised this. And we have to stand on the promises of God. Now notice that word, and I just want to emphasize another thing here before we move along. Because we notice in chapter 4 and verse 11, it says, he received a sign of circumcision. It is a seal. Notice he used the word seal here. The seal is, in Hebrew, it is called chotemet. It's like a stamp. The word for sign is ot. In the Greek, the word for sign is semeion, S-E-M-E-I-O-N. And the word for seal is S-P-H-R-A-G-I-S. In other words, two different words. One of them is sign. Another word is seal. In Hebrew, the word is ot and chotem.

Me to Ephesians chapter 1. Just turn with me to Ephesians chapter 1. I want you to read a verse with me there in Ephesians chapter 1 in verse 13. Very interesting verse. You know, we also receive a seal that we belong to the Lord. The Apostle Paul said in Ephesians chapter 1, and verse 13 in whom ye also trusted in whom this is in Christ in the Messiah you trusted after that ye heard of the word of the gospel of your salvation in other words you heard the gospel message you believed in the Lord Jesus the Messiah and then it says in verse 13b in whom also after that he believed he was sealed with the holy Spirit of promise in other words you and i today as believers are sealed by the holy Spirit of promise you know what it says that we belong to him we've heard the message of the gospel we have accepted the the fact that Christ the Messiah died was buried and rose again for our.

And by believing God's provision, believing in the person of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, we receive the Holy Spirit of God. And the Holy Spirit of God is a seal. Notice, he was sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. And then he continued in verse 14, Paul, to say to the Ephesians, which is the Holy Spirit became an earnest, a down payment. And A-R-A-B-O-N, in Hebrew it's A-R-A-V-O-N, it is a pledge, it is a promise, it is a sure pledge that we belong to Him. That's the reason why the Spirit of God was given to us as a seal that the believer in Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, belongs to the Lord belongs to the Savior we are we belong to him it's like when you when you send a letter to someone and you are sealing you are you know you're licking the envelope and you're closing the envelope and you are saying that letter belonged to this person and beloved brothers and sisters what happened is that when we have accepted the Lord Jesus the Messiah of the Holy Spirit of God and this divine person God the Holy Spirit is indwelling in the believer and he is a seal and again it is so beautiful because the Apostle Paul mentioned in Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 13 and 14 that the Holy Spirit of God is.

He's a down payment. It is a pledge that God makes to his own people who believe in the person of the Lord Jesus the Messiah that we are going to be with him forever and that our salvation is secure and that we have been justified and that he attributes unto us his righteousness and that our sins and our iniquities he will remember no more. It is a full promise of God which will surely come. It is a pledge that God has made for us, the believers in the person of Yeshua, the Messiah, just like Abraham received that seal. The sign was given in the circumcision, Brit Milah in Hebrew.

Brit means covenant. Milah means cutting or making a promise. The covenant that God made with Abraham and his descendants, the nation of Israel, is an eternal covenant. The Abrahamic covenant. And the blessing that you and I receive today by believing in the person of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, the Holy Spirit of God was given unto us as a seal, as a token. Aravon in the Greek, aravon in Hebrew, very similar. It is an earnest of our inheritance. In other words, this is a down payment that we will receive the promised inheritance that God had promised the believer. It is until, notice, until the redemption, this is verse 14 of Ephesians chapter 1, until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of His glory.

You see, we belong to God already now. But we are still not in his presence in glory in heaven. The Holy Spirit of God was given to us as a seal. That's why if you go to Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 30, you will notice what he says to the believers at Ephesus. He said to them in verse 30, Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God. Why? Because he says, whereby ye are sealed until the day of redemption. The Spirit of God was given unto you as an eravon, as a down payment, as a pledge, as a promise, a full promise that we belong to Him. This is so precious, beloved brothers and sisters.

Now, just before we will move along here, I just want to make sure that You notice that when we read in Genesis chapter 17 and also in Romans chapter 4 that the circumcision was given as a sign and a seal. Now, it is important to understand, no wonder are Jewish people always looking for signs. You read in 1 Corinthians 1 and 2, for the Jews look for a sign, ot, but the Gentiles look for wisdom, human wisdom. And why did Jewish people look for a sign? Because throughout our history, God always gave the Jewish people signs. Just think about it. Chapter 4 in verse 8 God said and it shall be it shall come to pass if they will not believe me neither will hearken unto the voice of the first sign they will believe the voice of the latter sign God said to Moses in Exodus 4 in verse 8 in Exodus 31 I'll read Exodus 13 verse 9 and it shall be for a sign upon thee and upon thine hand Even the blood that was placed upon the doorposts and the lintel became a sign for Israel of God's promise that He will deliver the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

To the Jewish people was a sign by God that his covenant is with the people of Israel listen to Exodus 31 and verse 13 speak thou also unto the children of Israel saying verily my shabbats ye shall keep for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generation that he may know that i am the Lord that does sanctify you Israel you keep my Shabbat because it is a sign Between you and me, I made a covenant with you. I have chosen you. I brought you out of the land of Egypt. I've given you the Torah. It is a sign. Just the same as the circumcision was given to Abraham as a sign, ot, that God is going to be faithful to his promises.

In Deuteronomy chapter 6 and verses 4 to 8 we read. You remember the verses Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad hear O Israel the Lord our God the Lord is one but in verse 8 he says concerning the law that God had given to Israel and he said thou should bind them as a sign upon thine hand and they shall be as frontlet between thine eyes this is the phylacteries that the Jewish people would put between their eyes and on the hand portion of the law that is being placed between their eyes and upon the hand as a sign that God gave them the holy Torah, the law. He didn't give them the law to be justified by and to receive salvation by, no, but the law, the holy word of God, the Torah, God's holy law was given to the nation of Israel and Israel was to remember that it was a sign that was given unto them.

That they are called to submit to God's word. Even the curses that God made against Israel when the judgment would follow upon them according to Deuteronomy chapter 28 was given to Israel as a sign that God will judge his people when they violate his word. We read in Deuteronomy 28 verse 46, actually from verse 15 to verse 46. Be upon thee for a sign and a wonder and upon thy seed forever Israel i will fulfill all my promises to you whether it is a promise of blessing or also whether it is the promise of judgment and we can see it even today the very fact that our people are scattered all over the nations of the world the nation of Israel the Jewish people and are not yet restored back to the Lord it shows us as a sign that God said what he said and he will do what he do and the signs that he gave are proof that he is faithful to keep them.

In the book of Joshua, in chapter 4, verses 1 to 6, we read, even the 12 stones, when Israel entered into the promised land, the 12 stones that were placed in the Jordan River and the 12 stones that were brought out of the Jordan River was a sign for Israel. That this may be a sign among you that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, what means thee by these stones? It is a sign of the faithfulness of God to his own people, beloved brothers and sisters. No wonder, beloved brothers and sisters, according to 1 Corinthians, we do read that the Jews look for a sign. The Gentiles look for wisdom listen to first Corinthians 1 verse 22 for the Jews in require a sign ought and the greets of the Gentiles seek after wisdom human wisdom listen to this verse in Isaiah chapter 7.

The Messiah was going to be born of the virgin Miriam that was a sign God had given to his people. Isaiah chapter 7, you can read from verse 10 to verse 14. I'll read verse 14. Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign, ot in Hebrew. The virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Emmanuel. It is a sign, beloved brothers and sisters, that God gave to his people. In fact, the sign of God's faithfulness, the sure of David that he will fulfill fully his promises to the people of Israel we read even in the prophet Isaiah in chapter 55 at the end of the book of Isaiah in verses 3 to verse 13 but verse 13 says insert instead of the thorn shall come up a fir tree and instead of briar shall come up a myrtle tree.

Beloved brothers and sisters, the circumcision was given to Abraham as a sign but also as a seal that he was justified and that God will fulfill his promises to Abraham, Yitzhak, Yaakov and their descendants. He must do so because God is faithful. You and I receive the Holy Spirit of God as an earnest and that assures us that God's promise to the believer is that we are justified. First of all, Romans 4 verses 1 to 8, by faith and not by works. And secondly, Romans chapter 4 verses 9 to 17, we are justified by grace and not by law or man-made laws. Showed to the believers at Rome that Abraham was justified or being declared righteous.

He received the righteousness from God before he was circumcised. Now listen to verses 13 to 17 because in these four verses, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, these five verses, Paul shows that Abraham was justified long even before the law was given. Because sometimes people think that, you know, keep the law or I will make laws of my own or someone will make them for me and I will fulfill them I will be justified now you know very well that we have broken every law that was given to us whether it is the law the way we drive or whether the law that all laws that have been given to us by the law of the land we have broken many laws and especially the law.

The holy law of God. And we know that God did not give the law to Israel to produce justification in them but to show them, to guide them, to show them that the law of God is holy and righteous and that they are failing people, sinners. So neither Israel nor us or any Jew or gentle could ever fulfill the law because we are sinners. And so notice these verses, beloved brothers and sisters, in verses 13 and 14, God promised to Abraham, was given through faith. And listen to what we read. We read the verse, and I'm going to read verse 13 and 14. For the promise, these are the promises, the Abrahamic covenant, that God will bring a seed to Abraham and provide for him a nation, and through the nation the Messiah will come, and through the Messiah the nation of the world will be blessed.

The promise that he should be heir of the world, was not to Abram or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. He continued, for if they which are of the law be heirs, then faith is made void and the promise made of none effect. In other words, if it was only given to those who were under the law and not simply by believing, then listen, he said to her, then if there will be. Of the law then faith is made void just do your best try to accomplish as much as you can to please God and then God will justify you if you have arrived to perfection but you didn't we didn't none could and therefore he says in verse 13 and 14 that God's promise to Abraham was given to him through simply believing and Abraham believed God And it was counted unto him for righteousness.

And then in verses 15, 16, and 17, and I want to at least finish with these verses for our class today, we read that the works of the law actually working wrath, working judgment upon those that violate God's law. Us in verse 15 16 and 17 because the law works wrath now if i would have write that here i would say the law works righteousness you keep the law you will receive righteousness but why does he say the law works wrath because the law is not adhered to in a full sense of the word and that's why it bring wrath indignation of God against sin so the law works wrath just just turn the page of chapter 20 chapter 5 and verse 20 look what we read in chapter 5 verse 20 moreover the law entered that the offense might abound but where sin abound grace did much more about notice then the law entered that the offense might grow might abound.

Mirror, when God gave the law to Israel, the offense of the law abounded more and more. You can see, well, I've broken this law and I've broken this law and I've broken this command and I've broken this requirement from the law. It is abounding and abounding and abounding, show that we are more and more and more failing to submit to God's law. In fact, if you go a little bit further in chapter 6, of Romans, and in verse 7 we do read, what shall we say? Romans 7 verse 7. What shall we say then? Is the law sin? No, God forbid. No, the law is not sin. We are sinners.

The law is holy. Nay, he said, I did not know sin but by the law. For I had not known last, except the law had said. You see, there is one command in the Ten Commandments that has to do with the heart internal that nobody sees. Thou shalt not covet. And although one might give the assumption that he or she did not covet, but God knows it. And Paul was honest enough to say, I did not know. Romans 7 verse 7 what shall we say is the law sin God forbid I had not known sin in other words Paul was so Shaul that he was remember he was a parush he was a Hebrew he was a rabbi he lived according to what he declared in the new covenant that he lived a decent righteous life but he says I did not know sin but by the law And because the law said, thou shalt not covet, thou shalt not lust, I knew that I am a sinner because I lusted and I coveted.

He quoting Exodus 20 and verse 17 in Hebrew, thou shalt not covet. And so beloved brothers and sisters, in these verses 15, 16 and 17 of Romans chapter 4, Paul is saying. The law is holy it is not the law's problem because God is holy the problem is here it's right inside here it's because all have a sin nature and all of us came short of the glory of God we have inherited the Adamic nature when we were born to our parents we have inherited Adam sin nature in Hebrew we call it Yetzir Hara Yetzer hara. And that's why in Genesis chapter 6, the Lord said already in the beginning, before he judged the world with a flood, he said, for God saw that the wickedness of man is great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart is only evil all the day long.

Kol hayom. 24 hours a day. 60 minutes in an hour. 60 seconds in a minute. That's the way it is. That's the human nature. That's why we are called sinners. Jeremiah also spoke about it. Jeremiah 17. We read, listen to what Jeremiah said. Jeremiah, the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it? Jeremiah 17 and verse 9 verse 10, he says, I, the Lord, search the heart. I try the rain even to give every man according to his ways and according to the fruit of their doing. I know your heart. This is my heart. This is our hearts. Because the law is holy, he's walking wrath against us.

And so he continued, notice that I'm reading again, Romans chapter 4 and verse 15, for the law works wrath for where there is no law, there is no transgression. In other words, if there is no law, if there is no sign that says thou shalt not or thou shalt, if he doesn't say thou shalt, let's say thou shalt not walk on the grass and you walked on the grass, there's no sign there so it didn't violate anything we didn't violate anything but when it says thou shall not and we did so we violated it so until the law came and was given to the nation of Israel although God's guidance were given prior to the time when the law was given but the law was only showing to our people the holiness of God and the need for the Mashiach for the Messiah for forgiveness.

That's why the law was given he continued verse 16 therefore it is of faith this is Romans 4 and verse 16 it is of faith that it might be of by grace here's the word for grace chesed unmerited favor to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed not to that only which is of the law but also to that which is of the faith of Abraham who is the father of us all you see so that grace was extended to all Jews and Gentiles the nation of Israel and the nations of the world whoever will accept God's word like Abraham did long before the law was given and long before circumcision was given he was declared righteous and Abraham believed God And it was counted unto him for righteousness.

And so in verse 17, and I'm going to conclude with it, beloved brothers and sisters, as it is written. Look how wonderful. The apostle Shaul Paul always go back to the Hebrew Scriptures. You will find the word as it is written many times in the book of Romans. Why? The written Word of God that was given in days of old. Even the Gospel that was provided to the world, we read in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, the Gospel came to this world on the basis of the Scripture. I'll read the verse in 1 Corinthians 15: our sins according to the Scriptures. What Scriptures? The Hebrew Scriptures. And that he was buried and that he rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures.

What Scriptures? The Scripture that was given in days of old to the fathers. The Tanakh that we have in our hands, what is called the Old Testament, and it's not old at all, it is simply the Hebrew Scriptures. And he tells us what's going to happen in the future. And so I'm going to conclude with this. As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations. Quoting Genesis chapter 17. I have made you a father of many nations before him whom he believed and God who quickens the dead. In other words, he raised the dead and he calleth those things which be not as though they were.

Now imagine, and I'm going to stop here. Abraham looked at himself. He says, I don't know if it's possible. I'm 99 years old. Can I have a child? Then he looked at his wife. And she is 89, almost 90. And he said, it's not possible. And then he looked at the promises of God. And he says, God, I know that even though I am 99, and I'm good as you might say, I'm unable to provide, you might say, to produce children. And I'm looking at Sarah, at my wife, and she is 89, almost 90, and she's old. It's not possible that she will bear a child. But then he looked at the promises of God, and he says, I know that God promised and he will bring it to pass.

I believe God although I realize that I'm simply unable on my own but you are faithful to be able to produce what you promised. So beloved brothers and sisters this is so wonderful to realize that that Abraham was justified by grace and grace alone and not by any not by the law that God gave or by any law that men made there are many many rules and laws that people make and they will have to find out that they broke their own laws before God we've broken every law that is because of our sin nature and that's why we need the grace of our Lord Jesus.

The Messiah. Behold the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich he became poor that through his poverty we might become rich. How wonderful it is for us to know the grace of God. May the Lord help us to appreciate the grace of God. And so our God and our Father thank you for your chesed, for your grace. Bless your word to our heart. Thank you that we have been justified, not only by faith, but also by grace. Thank you for this grace that you had provided for us. Bless your word, we pray, for we ask it in Yeshua's name. Amen. Amen.

God bless you, my dear friend. Until the next time, we say shalom, shalom. Bye-bye. Bye. Bye.