Title: “…and the rest were blinded…”
I. Right Intention, wrong method
v7 “…Israel has not obtained what it seeks…”
Israel’s intentions were in the right place. What they were seeking was a good and honorable thing. They were seeking the face of the one, true, living God. The issue for Paul, as he looks desperately upon his own people, was not with what they were seeking, but in how they were seeking it.
Remember what Paul writes just one chapter ago in Romans 9:31
“…but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness has not attained the law of righteousness…”
Israel was seeking communion with God, and what Paul is desperately trying to tell them is that they will never reach their goal unless the Law is fulfilled. And, as Paul has taught us thus far, there is only one way to fulfill the Law, and that is Jesus Christ, dying as the fulfillment of said Law, rendering our sins covered by his sinless blood.
Paul is not frustrated by their intention, but rather by their blindness.
Think of seeker who is genuinely seeking peace and harmony with their creator, but is seeking peace with God through Buddhism or Islam, or Hindu.
Think of the father in the inner city who has grown up knowing only a life of crime, and now has a family to feed, and he wants to feed them, but he does so by engaging in illegal activity because he doesn’t think he can find stable employment otherwise.
Think of the professional athlete who, since childhood has dreamed of being a great player, and therefore takes illegal performance enhancing drugs so they can compete on the highest levels.
In all of these cases, the issue is not over what is being sought after, but rather the method used to get to the goals.
What is the theological truth that we must face today?
There are not many paths to God, there is one.
His name is Jesus Christ.
And your good intentions, your good desires, will not pardon you on the day of judgement. Either you know Christ, or you do not. There are no other variables in that equation.
II. “…and the rest were blinded…”
I can scarcely think of five more sobering words in all of scripture than what Paul quotes here from Isaiah chapter 29. In fact, I believe these words that Paul quotes, when added with the full weight of the passage that this section is taken from are nothing short of terrifying. I would ask you at this point to close your eyes and imagine that you are one of the original recipients of Paul’s letter to the Romans.
You are a Jew, living in Rome, confused, excited, and interested in this “Way” and it’s controversial leader, Jesus of Nazareth. Furthermore, you have heard of this great teacher, a Pharisee among Pharisees named Saul of Tarsus, and you are very, very interested in attending synagogue this night because Paul has written a letter to the Church in Rome, and, rumor has it, he has used lengthy quotations from both the Law and the Prophets to prove that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed the Messiah and the fulfillment of the Law.
And as Paul’s letter is being written, he dialogs about the state of sin in the world, about the lostness of the people, about a sacrifice given once and for all…and then Paul starts to talk about his heart breaking for his own people’s ignorance, fooled into thinking the Law has any power to save from death, and you hear Paul’s quote from what you recognize in Isaiah 29 and your mind goes back and you hear the words of the prophet Isaiah:
(Read Isaiah 29:9-16)
And then you recall the words of David as he says:
Let their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a recompense to them.
Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see,
and bow down their back always.
And, with great terror and remorse you open your eyes and are no longer blind to the truth that Paul is proclaiming:
1. We gave to God with our actions and tongues, but not with our hearts.
2. God therefore took away our inheritance and gave it to the gentiles.
3. Furthermore, he blinded us so that we could not see Him.
4. He blinded our leaders and hardened their hearts so they could not lead us to him.
5. That which we called our table, our Law, became the very stumbling block to keep us from His presence.
6. God did this to spur on our own jealousy toward the Gentiles that we might repent of our wicked ways.
7. There is hope, for Paul speaks of a remnant that will be saved, but the vast majority of us have become an abomination to the Lord.
8. That which He gave us to guide us to his presence has been so perverted that it is this very thing that is keeping our proud hearts from knowing him.
9. We have no argument against God for what has happened because He is the potter, we are the clay.
10. And we are responsible because we only gave to God with our actions and words, but not with our hearts.
And now, the truly terrifying News:
What Paul is teaching the Jews about their predicament, can also be expressed, point by point about the shameful state of the church today.
(Go through all ten again in reference to the N.T. church)
Whether Lost, saved, or seeking this morning, I have only one thing to say to you this morning:
OPEN YOUR EYES.