Romans Chapter 9 Vs. 33

 

Israel's Unbelief

As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Rom 9:33

Behold, I lay... The 7th Old Testament prophecy fulfilled in Romans (Rom. 9:33; Isa. 8:14; 28:16). Next, Rom. 10:15.

stumblingstone and rock... I will send the Messiah, not as a mighty prince and a conqueror whom everyone will be willing to trust in, but as a man of sorrows, humiliation, and death. Many will think it disgraceful to trust in such a person for salvation. In spite of this, whoever trusts in Him will not be ashamed of Him or be confused.

1 Peter 2:6-8 “Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.” “Unto you therefore which believe [he is] precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,” “And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, [even to them] which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.”

And just one more Scripture makes it very clear.

1Jhn. 2:28 “And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.”

There is little to add to this, except to say that our faith in Jesus Christ is our salvation, whether we are Jew or Gentile believers.

Long before His coming, the Old Testament prophets had predicted that Israel would reject her Messiah, illustrating again that her unbelief is perfectly consistent with the Scripture.

Isa. 8:14 “And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”

Isa. 28:16 “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner [stone], a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.”

Consequently they stumbled (cf. Rom. 11:11) over the “stumbling Stone.” The Lord Jesus Christ, “the stumbling Stone” (cf. 1Pet. 2:4-8), did not conform to the Jews’ expectations, so they rejected Him instead of responding to Him by faith. To show that God anticipated this, Paul quoted from Isa. 8:14 and Isa. 28:16 (cf. Rom. 10:11), combining the two statements to indicate the two contrasting reactions by men to the Stone that God placed in Zion (cf. “Zion” in Rom. 11:26).