Well, we want to say shalom to everyone. Welcome to our Bible classes, the Bible classes of the Holy Scriptures in Israel. We are very thankful that you are able to be with us. And we are studying together in this series of messages and Bible studies that we are doing together every week. We are studying the book of Romans. And the Lord has really blessed us as we concluded up till this time, the first eight chapters of the book of Romans. And we are going to begin today with Romans chapter 9. Hopefully you have the word of God open so we can go over it together. The verses, please open your Bibles, open the Scriptures to Romans chapter 9.

Verses in Romans chapter 9. I will read the first 13 verses, though I'm quite confident that we will not cover all these verses at this meeting. So please follow me. I'm reading from Romans chapter 9 and verse 1. Shaul Paul continued to write to the Roman believers in the assembly in the city of Rome, and he's saying to them, I say the truth in Christ. In Christos, in Mashiach, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were cursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites Israelis to whom pertain is the adoption and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the law and the service of God and the promises whose are the fathers and of whom according to the flesh Mashiach Christos Christ came who is overall God blessed forever Amen Not as though the word of God has taken none effect, for they are not all Israel which are of Israel, neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children, but in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

Promise accounted for the seed for this is the word of promise at this time will I come and Sarah shall have a son and not only this but when Rebecca also had conceived by one even by our father Isaac Yitzchak for the children being not yet born and neither have done any good or evil that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of works but of him that calleth it was said unto her the elder shall serve the younger as it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated and I'm stopping here with the reading beloved brothers and sisters and dear friends from Romans chapter in verses 1 to 13, although I'm quite confident we will not cover all these verses at this present Bible class today.

Now again, as we are reminding ourselves in the study of the book of Romans, we remember of the fivefold divisions of the whole book of Romans. The fivefold division of the book of Romans is very clear, it's been given to us. Very clearly in the as we study the the book of Romans and the five divisions are simply this Romans chapter 1 verse 1 to chapter 3 verse 20 the word sin s the first s sin the question of sin has been dealt with all have sinned and come short of the glory of God then secondly Romans 3 verse 21 to Romans 5 in verse 21 second s is salvation God's salvation has been provided for mankind now as we continue Roman chapter 6 verse 1 to chapter 8 verse 39 this is the passage that we have looked over in the in the previous time together the third letter s for the word sanctification of the believer had been presented before us and we have covered that.

As well. Well, now we arrive to Romans chapter 9, 10, and 11, and the fourth S that is presented before us is sovereignty. God is a sovereign God, and the sovereignty of God in relation to his earthly people, the people of Israel, Romans chapter 9, chapter 10, and chapter 11. And of course, finally, when we will arrive to chapter 12, verse one to chapter 16 and verse 27 we will deal with the fifth s and that is service the servants of the saints of God for God and for God's people while we are here still in this world so the five s's are sin salvation sanctification sovereignty service five visions of the book of Romans we now have arrived to the really to the fourth division we have covered the theme of sin we have covered the theme of salvation we have covered the theme of sanctification and we now have arrived to this such an important portion of Scripture in Romans chapter 9 chapter 10 and chapter 11 which unfortunately many pass these.

Chapters and some even say beloved brothers and sisters that these chapters are merely a parenthesis that they are really not important chapters in Roman chapter 9 and 10 and 11 and I would like to suggest beloved brothers and sisters that Roman chapter 9 10 and 11 is not a parenthesis it's not something that an afterthought that the Apostle Paul to place it in the canon of Scripture, but it is essential for all believers if we are to understand the plan and the program of God for all mankind, for the world, for the church, and for Israel. If we are going to understand the plan and the program of God written in His Word, we must learn from Romans chapter 9, 10.

And 11. It is indeed in the mind and in the heart of the apostle Paul to clarify the sovereignty of God in relationship to his earthly people Israel to the believers in the city of Rome and I would like to suggest that this issue was not only a problem some 2000 years ago when the apostle Shaul Paul wrote this epistle to the Romans at about 60 AD But the same issue is still existing today in these last days of the church age, just before the Messiah was coming back. Now that 2,000 years, about 2,000 years have passed by, the same issue, the same need to understand and to accept and to teach and to appreciate the plan of God in relationship.

Relationship to the world the church and the nation of Israel and so you will see as we are going through these three chapters in chapter 9 verses 1 to 13 we will learn about Israel's privilege part 1 then in chapter 9 verses 14 to 33 Israel's privilege part 2 Israel's problem in chapter 10 verses 1 to 13 we have part 1 and then Paul continues and he says Israel's present a problem in chapter 10 verses 14 to 21 in the second part of this chapter and finally in Roman chapter 11 the apostle Paul dividing this chapter into really three sections part 1 part 2 part 3 with respect to Israel, prospect future, future prospect, part 1 verses 1 to 15, part 2 verses 16 to 24, part 3 verses 25 to 36 of Romans chapter 11.

So this portion of Scripture, beloved brothers and sisters, is an important portion of Scripture to understand because why we need to learn that. It, because Paul always taught the whole counsel of God. You read it in the book of Acts, Paul says, I didn't withhold from you, he said to the Ephesians leaders, and I've taught to you the whole counsel of God. And when he said that I've taught to you the whole counsel of God, he didn't only taught the assembly, the leaders at Ephesus, the truth concerning the or the church but he also taught them the whole counsel of God which is including God's plan for Israel as well in Acts 10 and verse 20 Paul said to the Ephesian elders for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God I presented before you all the plan and the program and the counsel of God.

In relation to the world, to Israel, and to the assembly, to the church of the living God. So as we are entering now, beloved brothers and sisters, into this section of the sovereignty of God in relationship to his earthly people of Israel, it is important for us to bear in mind that through these three chapters we will learn of the sovereignty of God of Israel. And so, Romans chapter 9, Romans chapter 10, Romans chapter 11, we learn of God's righteousness in his relationship to his earthly people of Israel. Why? Because some may ask, and you know, there are many questions that have been risen by believers already in first century.

After Paul had written these first eight chapters, And you have given to the believers at Rome this amazing truth of the righteousness of God. And by beginning, if you remember in Romans chapter 1 and verse 16, where he says, I am not ashamed of the gospel of the Messiah, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first. And also unto the Greek, for therein the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, the just shall live by faith. Well, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith unto faith to those that will listen and will hear it and will accept God's righteousness.

And that's why Paul said, I am not ashamed. Paul, why are you not ashamed? Paul would answer, he says, I'm not ashamed because God provided for me as sinner his righteousness. He attributes to the believer in Jesus the Messiah his righteousness. He is accepting us in the person and the work of the Lord Jesus the Messiah. That we gained by our own works. But Paul says, I am not ashamed of the gospel, the Besorah. The gospel, it is the message of the grace of God, that Christ, the Mashiach, came from heaven, and he died, and he was buried, and that he rose again on the third day, as it is written according to the Scripture, of redemption, anyone who would believe on him, God will provide for them his own righteousness, without any works, without any human merits, without anything that has to do with the flesh, with this all sinful nature.

It is the righteousness of God provided for those that believe in the person of the Lord Jesus the Messiah. Romans 3:21 Romans 3:22: "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." This is Romans 3:23. And so now, beloved brothers and sisters, when Paul concluded with chapter 8, where he, if you remember, concluded with the words, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or so on? As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long. We are accounted a sheep for the slaughter. Nay, Paul is saying in verse 37, in all things we are more than conquered through him that loved us.

For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor power, nor things no things to come neither height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in the Mashiach Yeshua in Christ Jesus our Lord no separation whatsoever no as we read no condemnation no accusation and no separation nothing. Can separate us from the love of God through our Lord Jesus the Messiah. So the Apostle Paul, after mentioning in chapter 8, no condemnation, no obligation to live in sin, no frustration because we have the Holy Spirit of God that helped us groaning on our behalf, and we have no separation because of who God is and what the Lord has done.

Would go to chapter 12 and verse 1 you can read because of what we have in Christ in a Messiah i beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service in chapter 12 and verse 1 in light of what you have in Christ in a Messiah i beseech you brethren that you present your bodies now live for God Shaul Paul is saying to the Romans but it's interesting that before he goes to what we know as chapter 12 where the word service began to be introduced to us the importance of serving the Lord and serving God's people Paul in his wisdom is right he gave the three amazing chapters in relationship to God's sovereignty to his earthly people of Israel because people might come and people ask and they ask those questions they would say if if how come and only a few Jewish people came to know the Lord Jesus the Messiah in this present age if the gospel is for all people.

Few in comparison to the Gentile world. How come there are so few Jewish people to whom God gave the word through whom the Messiah came? How come there are so few people of Jewish people that came to believe and be part of the church during this dispensation? How come so few? Why not all the nation of Israel have accepted the Messiah? And the Apostle Paul will answer here in these three chapters, chapter 9, 10, and 11. After all, we have already said in chapter 1 and verse 16, for I am not ashamed of the gospel of the Messiah, because it is the power of God unto salvation to the Jew first, and then also unto the Greek.

Well, if it is to the Jew first, how come the Jewish people as a whole do not come to. Accept the message of the grace of God doing this dispensation as a whole nation. While there are only a few Jewish people that came to faith and still few coming to faith today, of course we are aware of the fact that when the church was born it was totally composed of all Jewish believers, all the apostles were Jewish, all the early believers were Jewish in the land of Israel. Jerusalem and then in Galilee and elsewhere were, in a sense, beloved brothers and sisters, totally Jewish. They were Jewish believers of first century who became part of the foundation of the assembly.

So someone might ask, well, how come? How come if they're the one through whom God gave the gospel to the world, how come so a few Jewish people come to faith in the Messiah? Background are struggling with it because our people do not accept that Yeshua, Jesus, is the Messiah. And as much as we seek to present the gospel, it is the Lord that has to do the work in their hearts and bring them to the knowledge of Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah. But you can see Paul's burden as we are going to study this Romans, this chapter, Romans chapter 9, 10, and 11. Secondly, there is another question: if God's promises written in the Hebrew Scriptures, in the Tanakh, what we know the Tanakh, Torah, Nevi'im, Ketuvim, the Law, the Prophets, and the Writing, if God did not fulfill as yet fully the promises to his earthly people Israel, how can believers of the Gentile world, of the church age, can be sure that God will fulfill his promises to the church well you know two thousand years ago when the apostle Paul wrote he wrote about the blessing that we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies and that the Messiah Jesus will come and he will take us to the father's house at the rapture you remember Well, 2000 years have passed by, and the church, the assembly, the ecclesia, the called out ones, Jew and Gentiles.

Part of the ecclesia is still here is the Lord going to fulfill his promises to the assembly to the church well he if we don't see him yet fulfilling the promises to Israelis yet will he fulfill the promises to the assembly to the church well the apostle Paul will teach this he will show us from chapter 9 10 and 11 of the book of Romans that God is going to fulfill every promise that he promised both to Israel as well as to the church to the letter to the letter God is going to fulfill the verse in Romans chapter 8 and verse 35 who shall separate us from the love of God or the love of Christ no tribulation no distress no persecution no famine or nakedness or peril or sword you see Paul said I'm persuaded.

That neither death, nor life, nor angels, principalities, and powers, and things present, things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any creature shall be able to separate from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. No, no, no. All the promises that were promised both to Israel as well as to the church, they will be fulfilled to the letter because God says it, Christ said it, and it will surely come to pass. While we do not know the timings, yet God will fulfill his promise. So the first question that some might ask, how come so few Jewish people come to faith in the Messiah during these days of the church age?

Paul will answer that. Secondly, how can the Gentile believers can be assured of the promises of God to be fulfilled for them during the church age? Age, which is vastly made out of non-Jewish people. How will this happen? Will the Lord fulfill his promises? The apostle Shaul Paul will answer this question as well. Now here's the third question that one might ask, and actually it was asked in the first days, in the early days, and it is still asked today. Did the church, the assembly, church of God set aside all God's promises to Israel? Is the church really replaced Israel? Do we really have what is often taught today replacement theology?

Is the church now took the promises that God made to Israel and because Israel did not accept Yeshua at his first coming then the blessings that were promised to Israel now have been to the church did the church take the blessing that God promised Israel in other words has the church replaced Israel has the gospel set aside God promises to his earthly people of Israel and you will notice that the apostle Paul will clearly tell us here in these chapters not whatsoever God's promises to Israel will will be fulfilled to the letters. Just as his promises to the assemblies, to the church, will be fulfilled to the letter.

If you please, for a moment, turn with me to Genesis chapter 12 for a moment. I just want to read a few verses from the Hebrew Scriptures, from the Tanakh, from the Old Testament, concerning the promises of God to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Israel, the nation of Israel. In Genesis chapter 12, and right there in the beginning, verses 1, 2, and 3, God made a promise to Abraham. It says in verse 1, Now the Lord had said unto Avram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindern, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will give thee. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and I will make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing.

Here notice at the end of verse 3 in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed God promised this and up till today although the the nation of the earth were blessed in many ways through the nation of Israel but this promise haven't come to fruition in the in the full sense of the word it's waiting the day of Israel's restoration look a little bit further in Genesis chapter 22. In chapter 22, we do read, beloved brothers and sisters, in verse 15, it says, God made an oath. He promised to Abraham. He said, verse 16, he said, I'll read verse 15, and the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time.

And he said, by myself have I sworn, saith the Lord. This thing, and has not withheld thy son, thine only son, that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore. And thy seed, listen, thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies. I don't know when it ever happened in history that the seed of Abraham possessed the gates of his enemies in fact throughout the ages most of the historical events that took place in relationship to Israel Israel's enemies again and again sought to take the possession that God had given to the people of Israel in the land of Canaan up till today the people of Israel are still having a small portion of that which God had promised to the nation of Israel of the land of Canaan.

And no shalom whatsoever is existing in the land notice in verse 18 of this Genesis 22 in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed because thou has obeyed my voice God again promised that through the seed of the nation of Israel through the descendants of the people of Israel blessing will flow to all the nations of the world But he doesn't stop here. He didn't always give these promises to Abraham. Go a little bit further in the book of Deuteronomy. And in the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 7, we do read, just before Israel had entered into the promised land of Canaan, after 40 years of the wilderness journey, just before Israel had entered in, listen to the word of the Lord to the nation of Israel.

Who of course rebelled and disobeyed and grumbled and the older generation died in the wilderness because of their disobedience the new generation the children that came out of them they are now ready to enter into the promised land of Canaan and God is saying to them in Deuteronomy chapter 7 verse 6 thou art a holy people what holy means set apart people unto the Lord thy God the Lord thy God has in thee to be a special people unto himself above all people that are upon the face of the earth the Lord did not set his love upon you nor choose you because ye were more in number than any people for ye were the fewest of all people but because the Lord loved you and because he would keep his oath which he had sworn unto your fathers we just read Genesis 12 we just read Genesis.

22 and we could read on and on and on the promises in the book of Genesis to the fathers he continued he says he has sworn unto your fathers and the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand and redeem you out of the house of bondage from the hand of Pharaoh the king of Egypt know therefore that the Lord thy God he is God he the faithful God which keepeth covenant God will keep His covenant, although His earthly people of Israel failed to keep the covenant, dishonored the Lord, disobeyed the Lord, and yet God in His sovereign election have made it in such a way that there will be an earthly people through whom blessing will flow to this world.

And by the way, it is very similar with the church. To the church was not here because we are better than other people. But we have been chosen in the Messiah, in Christ, before the foundation of the world. It is entirely the grace of God, not because any one of us is better than others who are not yet believers. It is entirely the grace of God. Turn to chapter 30 of the book of Deuteronomy. 10 and 11 in chapter 30 it does say beloved brothers and sisters in verse 1 here's the Lord speaking through Moses and it shall come to pass when all these things shall come upon thee listen to this God promised that he will discipline Israel he will scatter them he will punish them because of their disobedience he is telling this ahead of time even before they have entered into the promised land But you notice what he says here in chapter 30 verse 1.

He says, "And it shall come to pass when all these things shall come upon thee, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and thou shalt call to mine among all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath driven thee." God hath driven the Jewish people scatter them all over the nations of the world. Unto the Lord thy God, and shall obey his voice according to all that I commend thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart and with all thy soul, that then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations whither the Lord thy God has scattered thee.

If any of thine be driven out unto the uttermost parts of the heaven, from thence will the Lord thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee. And the Lord thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it, and he will do thee good and multiply thee above thy fathers. Heart and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul, that thou may live." Now, beloved brothers and sisters, this promise was given to Israel even before Israel had entered into the Promised Land. God knowing what will happen throughout history.

Judges and the prophets and the Kings, how Israel disobeyed the Lord and he had to discipline his earthly people of Israel and disperse them all over the nations of the world. But already in Deuteronomy chapter 30, he tells the leaders of Israel that he will restore them after the discipline that he will place upon them. Two more verses in the book of Jeremiah there are so many verses that we can read in the prophets concerning the nation of Israel and the promises of God to the nation of Israel which some ask if so few Jewish people come to faith during these days of the church age that God made his promises to them haven't been fulfilled how can we be sure that God will fulfill the promises to the assembly to the ecclesia to the church Jeremiah chapter 31 we do read beloved brothers and sisters and I just read a few verses there in verse 1 chapter 31 of Jeremiah verse 1 at the same time says the Lord, will I be the God of all the families of Israel?

They shall be my people, says the Lord. The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness, even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest. And just jump a little bit further down into verse 8, 9, and 10. Behold, I will bring them from the north country. I will gather them from the coast of the earth with them that are blind and are lame and women with child and her that traveleth with child together a great company shall return thither they shall come with weeping and with supplication will I lead them I will cause them to walk in the rivers of waters in the straight way wherein they shall not stumble For I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.

Hear the word of the Lord, all ye nations. The Lord said to Jeremiah to speak to the nations. Hear the word of the Lord, all ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him and keep him as shepherd doth his. Flock. We can continue on and continue on with the reading of the prophets of Israel that the Lord through the prophets have promised to restore his people Israel. And so, beloved brothers and sisters, as we are entering into the 9th, 10th, and 11th chapter of the book of Romans, you can see that the Apostle Paul, guided by the Spirit of God, into the service responsibility that all of us as believers are called to do.

He's pausing here and he's giving the believers at Rome, and to you and I as well, information concerning God's righteousness in relationship to his earthly people, the people of Israel. Because people might ask, How come so few Jewish people from this chosen nation came to faith in Jesus the Messiah? How can we trust that the promises of God to us believers of the church will be fulfilled if God, it doesn't seem like he has fulfilled the promises to Israel in the full sense of the word as yet? And is the church replacing Israel? Anymore any program and plan that God has for the earthly nation of Israel is it done now that the church age began and Paul is answering now these questions in Romans chapter 9 10 and 11 now it is very interesting and Paul is very systematic because because Romans chapter 9 Paul presents Israel's past election And he's showing to the believers how God has elected these earthly people of Israel.

Just like he elected you and I who are part of the church of the assembly. Secondly, in Romans chapter 10, the Apostle Paul will show the Roman believers of Israel's present partial blindness. He will dwell and he will show, look, Israel today is partially blinded. Churchly, Israel partially blinded, not completely blinded, but partially blinded, because there are Jewish people who come to faith in the Messiah throughout this church age. And thirdly, in Romans chapter 11, the Apostle Paul will present the prospect, the future prospect of the restoration of the nation of Israel. He is presenting the present, Romans 10, and he is looking forward to the promises of God of Israel's future regeneration and restoration in Romans 11.

Change for a moment the plan and the purposes of God for the nation. In fact, it only fulfilled that which God had already said and wrote in His Word in days of old. And so now as we are entering now into Romans 9, let me reread again the first five verses of Romans 9. Paul is saying: I say the truth in Christ. I lie not. My conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Mashiach, from Christ, for my brethren, my kinsmen, according to the flesh, who are Israelis, to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenant, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises, whose are their fathers, and of whom concerning the flesh, Mashiach, Christos, Christ came, who is over all God, blessed forever.

Amen. Now, as we read the first five verses, you notice how Paul introduces all this. In fact, in the first five verses of Romans chapter 9, the apostle Paul presents his share before the Roman believers his care and concern for his brethren, the Jewish people, his brethren according to the flesh. Circumcision he was this Jewish man that was called by the Lord who was a pharisee who initially persecuted the early believers in in the early days of the assembly of the church and the Lord Jesus the Messiah called him on the way to Damascus and called him to be to to to be in a special messenger of his and he called him to be an apostle a shaliyah apostolos specifically in particular to the world, while Peter was the apostle to the circumcision, to the Jewish world.

And so Paul is now showing the brethren at Rome and he wants them to fill his own heart and to have the same burden that he has, the same burden that Christ has and the Messiah has, the same burden that God has for the nation of Israel. Because God has this in his own mind in his own plan and so notice where he begins he begins Paul in verse 1 his conscience bears him witness you know the conscience in Hebrew it's called matzpun it's that which guides us and so Paul began he says I say the truth And I say the truth in Christ, in the Mashiach.

I want to tell you, brethren at Rome, I'm speaking the truth to you. I want to share with you my heart. Although I'm the apostle to the nations of the world, as he mentioned it in chapter 1, that he was called to become the one that will be called to present the gospel, separate unto the gospel of God for the sake of the nation. Tell them his own heart and he says listen brethren he says i say the truth in Christ in the Mashiach i'm not lying my conscience bothering me my heart is constantly moving my conscience is is really bearing me witness in the holy Spirit the holy Spirit of God is a bearing witness and my conscience is so much concern for my brethren, for my people.

And he said to them in verse 1, I am, he says, notice that I, my conscience, bear witness and bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit. In other words, the Holy Spirit of God is the one that constantly placed this upon his heart. And he says, I have a great heaviness. Notice this word here in verse 2. I have a great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. And he said in verse 3, for I could wish that I was accursed from the Mashiach for my brethren, my kinsmen, according to the flesh. That's how he opened these three chapters, Romans 9, 10, and 11. Paul had constantly, can you imagine, beloved brothers and sisters, on an ongoing basis though he was so thankful to the Lord that he used him to bring the message to the nations of the world and that he was so delighted to have many from among every people the tongue the nation come to faith in the Lord Jesus the Messiah but he never stopped it always bothered him continual sorrow in my heart.

He always had this heaviness, this sorrow in his own heart concerning, notice, concerning his brethren according to the flesh. In fact, it says in verse 3, Paul wishes to be, he so much was concerned for his own brethren according to the flesh, the Jewish people, the people of. Israel, that he said, I wish that I myself was accursed, anathema, in Hebrew, that I myself was anathema from Christ, from the Messiah, for my brethren, my kinsmen, according to the flesh. Now, do you think he could be accursed for his brethren? He couldn't. Because the Lord Jesus the Messiah was judged. He took the judgment, the curse that we deserve, that Israel deserved, that you and I deserve.

He took it upon himself. Cursed is the man that hangeth on a tree. Paul could not be accursed because he has been forgiven. His sins were forgiven. He has accepted the Lord Jesus the Messiah. But his heart was constantly heavy. Had sorrow in his own heart because he was continuously thinking about his brethren, his people, according to the flesh. That reminds us somewhat of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, when he was on that cross, when he says, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. When the Lord was there on the cross, he looked upon, that were below. And he recognized, of course, he looked upon all, it's for all of our sins, but because there was that responsibility of the nation in the rejection of the Messiah at his first coming, he prayed to the Father, he says, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

Paul saying here, I could wish that I myself were a curse from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen, according to the flesh. Now turn with me for a moment to Exodus chapter 32. Notice that the man Moshe, Moses, had a very similar burden for his people as the apostle Shaul Paul had a burden for his people Israel as well. In Exodus chapter 32, because of Israel's violation of the word of God, Destroy the nation. Notice what we read in verse 30. Exodus 32 and verse 30. And it came to pass on a moor that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up unto the Lord preadventure.

I shall make an atonement for your sins. And Moses returned unto the Lord and he said, all these people have sinned a great sin and have made them gods of gold. And now listen to what Moses is saying. You know, it's really touching the heart to see the love of these men for the nation of Israel. Moses is speaking to God concerning the nation of Israel and he said to him in verse 32, he says, if thou will forgive their sin, but if you will not, he says. Blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. Blot me, I pray thee, out of the book which thou hast written.

He says in verse 33, And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever has sinned against me, him will I blot out of the book. Therefore now go and lead thy people. And Shaul Paul, one said it years ago, there were two towering personalities. One of them is in the history, in biblical histories, in days of old, in connection with the nation of Israel. The other one is in connection with the church, a towering personality, Shaul Paul, who was the special messenger from God for the building up of the church. God in building up and calling to bring the nation of Israel unto the Lord as coming out of the land of Egypt.

But both of them, beloved brothers and sisters, had a concern for the nation of Israel. Moses says, blot my name from the book. If you are not going to sustain Israel and lead them on to the promised land, I prefer that you would blot me out of the book. And God says no. And God did not blot Moses out of the book which he had written, and he maintained his promises to the nation, although Israel will be disciplined. Here, Paul said, I wish, for I could wish that I myself was accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen, according to the flesh. Statement we have here by the apostle Paul so he was willing to be accursed to be anathema anathema from Christ on behalf of his people but he couldn't be anathema because he was already accepted in the beloved we read in first Corinthians chapter 16 and verse verse 22 there we read if any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be anathema notice that let him be cherem anathema let him be accursed in other words Paul could not be accursed because he was already accepted in Christ in the beloved but his heart so much longing for the restoration of his own people of Israel.

So in these verses, beloved brothers and sisters, the apostle Paul is presenting here before us in these first three verses of Romans chapter 9. And I think I will not continue on because the verses that are after these are very important verses that I want to dwell a little bit longer. So we will not go over verse 3, but let me just reread here these verses. I say the truth in Christ. I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I would wish, or I could wish, that I myself, that myself were cursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen, according to the flesh.

Understand the plan and the program of God. Although one may ask, how come so few Jewish people come to faith in the Messiah if God gave them so many promises? If they are the chosen people, how come so few Jewish people come to know the Messiah during the church age? One might ask. If God has not fulfilled the promises to his earthly people of Israel, how can we, who are part of the ecclesia, the church, can be sure that the promises to the church will be fulfilled? And thirdly, if God did not fulfill the promises to Israel, could it be that the church now replaced Israel, that the assembly took the blessings that God promised to Israel, they have been transferred to the church and Israel has no future?

And Paul in these three chapters is dealing with the plan and the program of God for the nation of Israel. And as we will study together, beloved brothers and sisters and dear friends, you will see that these three chapters are not kind of an afterthought. But Paul placed them right there between the end of chapter 8 and the beginning of chapter 12 to give us an instruction concerning the plan of God and His righteousness in relationship to His earthly people of Israel. Israel's past in chapter 9. Israel's partial blindness in the present in chapter 10. And Israel's glorious future of restoration in chapter 11 of our book of Romans. And in the will of the Lord and with the Lord's help, we'll cover these verses verse by verse, and we trust that the Lord will help all of us to see the importance of not neglecting to accept this truth.

And not neglecting to teach the truth. The blessing of being part of the church, of the heavenly company, the assembly, and the blessing that God still has for the nation of Israel, which ultimately will bring blessing to all the nations of the world. It is not man's plan. It is God's plan. Into fruition sooner or later we pray that he will hasten the days where he will fulfill everything that he had promised both to the assembly to the church and to his people of Israel and to the whole world may it come soon this is our prayer beloved brothers and sisters and dear friends And so our God and our Father, thank you.

Thank you for your word. Thank you for the promises that we have in the person of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, who loved us and gave himself for us. We ask your help as we learn together, as we study together your word, especially the book of Romans. We pray for we ask it in Yeshua's name. Amen and Amen. God bless you, my dear friend. We say, Shalom, Shalom. Bye-bye.