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Stumbling Over the Rock | Faith vs. the Law (July 26) · 1 Year Audio Bible Podcast

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What does all this mean? Even though the Gentiles were
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not trying to follow God's standards, they were made right
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with God, and it was by faith that this took place.
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But the people of Israel who tried so hard to
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get right with God by keeping the Law never
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succeeded. Why not?
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Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the Law instead
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of by trusting in Him. They stumbled
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over the great rock in their path.
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What great rock was that? That would
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be Jesus Christ. Romans 10:9
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goes on to say, for if you confess with your mouth that
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Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised
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Him from the dead, you will be saved.
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Whether you are Jew or Gentile, whether you're
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from Egypt or Syria or China or Russia or
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India or Bangladesh or Cuba or Canada,
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anyone can become a member of God's family,
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God's household, by believing confessing
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their— with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believing in their
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heart that God raised him from the dead.
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Are you a member of God's family?
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Listen in as we unpack this further today. Welcome to
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the One Year Audio Bible Podcast. Today is July 26th.
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Now let's continue our journey reading through the entire Bible in
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one year. This week we are reading from the New Living Translation for
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the Old Testament and for the New Testament.
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Numbers 30:2-16.
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A man who makes a vow to the Lord or makes a pledge under oath
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must never break it. He must do exactly what he said he
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would do. If a young woman makes a vow to the Lord or a
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pledge under oath while she is still living at her father's home, and her
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father hears of the vow or pledge and does not object to it,
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then all her vows and pledges will stand. But if her father refuses
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to let her fulfill the vow or pledge on the day he hears of it,
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then all her vows and pledges will become invalid.
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The Lord will forgive her because her father would not let her fulfill
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them. Now suppose a young woman makes a vow
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or binds herself with an impulsive pledge and later marries. If her
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husband learns of her vow or pledge and does not object on the day he
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hears of it, her vows and pledge will stand.
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But if her husband refuses to accept her vow or
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impulsive pledge on the day he hears of it,
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he nullifies her commitments, and the Lord will forgive her.
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If, however, a woman is a widow or is divorced,
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she must fulfill all her vows and and pledges.
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But suppose a woman is married and living in her husband's home when she makes
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a vow or binds herself with a pledge.
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If her husband hears of it and does not object to it, her vow
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or pledge will stand. But if her husband refuses
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to accept it on the day he hears of it, her vow or pledge will
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be nullified, and the Lord will forgive her. So her husband
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may either confirm or nullify any vows or pledges she makes to deny
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herself. But if he does not object on the day he hears of it,
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then he is agreeing to all her vows and pledges. If he
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waits more than a day and then tries to nullify a vow
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or pledge, he will be punished for her guilt. These are
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the regulations the Lord gave Moses concerning relationships
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between a man and his wife and between a father and
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a young daughter who still lives at home.
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2 Chronicles 17:1-18:34.
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Then Jehoshaphat, Asa's son, became the next king. He strengthened
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Judah to stand against any attack from Israel. He stationed
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troops in all the fortified cities of Judah, and he assigned
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additional garrisons to the land of Judah and to the towns of Ephraim
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that his father Asa had conquered. The Lord was with Jehoshaphat
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because he followed the example of his father's early years and did
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not worship the images of Baal. He sought his
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father's God and obeyed His commands instead of following the practices
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of the Kingdom of Israel. So the LORD established Jehoshaphat's
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control over the Kingdom of Judah. All the people of Judah
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brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, so he became very wealthy
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and highly esteemed. He was committed to the ways
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of the LORD. He knocked down the pagan shrines and
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destroyed the Asherah poles. In the 3rd year of his reign,
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Jehoshaphat sent out his officials to teach in
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all the towns of Judah. These officials included Ben-Hail,
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Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah.
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He sent Levites along with them, including Shemaiah,
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Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel,
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Shemaroth, Jehonathan,
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Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-Adonijah.
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He also sent out the priests Elishama and Jehoram, They took
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copies of the Book of the Law of the Lord and traveled around through all
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the towns of Judah teaching the people.
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Then the fear of the Lord fell over all the surrounding kingdoms
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so that none of them declared war on Jehoshaphat.
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Some of the Philistines brought him gifts and silver as tribute.
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And the Arabs brought 7,700 rams and 7,700
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male goats. So Jehoshaphat became more and more powerful
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and built fortresses and store cities throughout Judah.
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He stored numerous supplies in Judah's towns and stationed
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an army of seasoned troops at Jerusalem. His army
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was enrolled according to ancestral clans.
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From Judah there were 300,000 troops organized
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in units of 1,000 under the command of Adnah.
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Next in command was Jehohanan, who commanded 280,000
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troops. Next was Amasiah son of Zicri, who volunteered
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for the Lord's service, with 200,000
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troops under his command. From Benjamin, there were 200,000
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troops equipped with bows and shields. They were under the command
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of Eliada, a veteran soldier. Next in command was
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Jehozabad, who commanded 180,000 armed
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men. These were the troops stationed in Jerusalem to serve the king,
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besides those Jehoshaphat stationed in the fortified cities
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throughout Judah. Now Jehoshaphat enjoyed great
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riches and high esteem, and he arranged for his son to marry the
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daughter of King Ahab of Israel. A few years
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later, he went to Samaria to visit Ahab, who prepared a great
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banquet for him and his officials. They butchered great numbers
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of sheep and oxen for the feast. Then Ahab
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enticed Jehoshaphat to join forces with him to attack Ramoth-gilead.
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Will you join me in fighting against Ramoth-gilead?
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Ahab asked. And Jehoshaphat replied, Why,
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of course! You and I are brothers, and my troops are yours
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to command. We will certainly join you in battle.
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Then Jehoshaphat added, But first,
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let's find out what the Lord says. So King
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Ahab summoned his prophets, 400 of them, and asked them,
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Should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead or not?
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They all replied, Go ahead, for God will give you a great victory.
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But Jehoshaphat asked, Isn't there a prophet of the Lord around too?
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I would like to ask him the same question.
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King Ahab replied, There is still one prophet of the Lord,
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but I hate him. He never prophesies anything
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but bad news for me. His name is Micaiah
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son of Imlah. You shouldn't talk like that, Jehoshaphat said.
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Let's hear what he has to say. So the king of Israel called
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one of his officials and said, Quick! Go and get Micaiah son of
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Imlah. King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat
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of Judah dressed in their royal robes, were sitting
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on thrones at the threshing floor near the gate of Samaria.
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All of Ahab's prophets were prophesying there in front of them.
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One of them, Zedekiah son of Kenaanah,
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made some iron horns and proclaimed, This is what
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the Lord says: With these horns you will gore the Arameans to
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death! All the other prophets agreed. Yes, they said,
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go up to Ramoth-gilead and be victorious!
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The Lord will give you a glorious victory.
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Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get Micaiah said to him,
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Look, all the prophets are promising victory for the king.
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Be sure that you agree with them and promise success.
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But Micaiah replied, As surely as the Lord lives,
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I will say only what my God tells me to say.
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When Micaiah arrived before the king, Ahab asked him,
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Micaiah, Should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead or not?
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And Micaiah replied, Go right ahead! It will be a glorious victory!
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But the king replied sharply, How many times must I demand that you
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speak only the truth when you speak for the Lord? So Micaiah
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told him, In a vision I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains
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like sheep without a shepherd. And the Lord said, Their master
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has been killed. Send them home in peace.
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Didn't I tell you? the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat.
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He does it every time. He never prophesies anything but bad
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news for me. Then Micaiah continued,
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Listen to what the Lord says. I saw the Lord
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sitting on His throne with all the armies of heaven on His right
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and on His left. And the Lord said, Who can entice King Ahab of
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Israel to go into battle against Ramoth-gilead so that he can
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be killed there? There were many suggestions until Until finally
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a spirit approached the Lord and said, I can do it! How will
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you do this? the Lord asked. And the spirit replied, I will go
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out and inspire all Ahab's prophets to speak lies.
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You will succeed, said the Lord. Go ahead and do it.
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So you see, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the
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mouths of your prophets, for the Lord has determined disaster
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for you. Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah
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walked up to Micaiah and slapped him across the face.
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When did the Spirit of the Lord leave me to speak to you? he demanded.
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And Micaiah replied, You will find out soon enough when you
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find yourself hiding in some secret room!
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King Ahab of Israel then ordered,
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Arrest Micaiah and take him back to Amon, the governor of
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the city, and to my son Joash. Give them this
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order from the king: Put this man in prison and feed him nothing but
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bread and water until I return safely from the battle.
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But Micaiah replied, If you return safely, the Lord
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has not spoken through me. Then he added to those standing around,
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Take note of what I have said. So the king of Israel and
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King Jehoshaphat of Judah led their armies against Ramoth-gilead.
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Now King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, As we go into
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battle, I will disguise myself so no one will recognize
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me, but you wear your royal robes. So Ahab
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disguised himself and they went into battle. Now the
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king of Aram had issued these orders to his charioteers: Attack
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only the king of Israel! So when the Aramean charioteers
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saw Jehoshaphat in his royal robes, they went after him.
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There is the king of Israel! they shouted. But Jehoshaphat cried
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out to the Lord to save him, and God helped him. By turning the attack
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away from him. As soon as the charioteers realized
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he was not the king of Israel, they stopped chasing him.
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An Aramean soldier, however, randomly shot
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an arrow at the Israelite troops, and the arrow hit the king of Israel between
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the joints of his armor. Get me out of here! Ahab groaned
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to the driver of his chariot. I have been badly wounded!
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The battle raged. All that day, and Ahab
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propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening.
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Then, just as the sun was setting, he died.
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Romans 9:25-10:13.
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Concerning the Gentiles, God says in the prophecy of Hosea,
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those who were not my people I will now call My people,
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and I will love those whom I did not love before.
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And once they were told, You are not My people, but now
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He will say, You are children of the living God.
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Concerning Israel, Isaiah the prophet cried out,
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Though the people of Israel are as numerous as the sand on the seashore,
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only a small number will be saved. For the Lord will carry
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out His sentence upon the earth quickly and with
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finality. And Isaiah said in
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another place, if the Lord Almighty had not spared
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a few of us, we would have been wiped out as completely as
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Sodom and Gomorrah. Well then, what shall we say
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about these things? Just this: the Gentiles have been made
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right with God by faith Even though they were not seeking Him.
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But the Jews who tried so hard to get right with God by
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keeping the Law never succeeded.
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Why not? Because they
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were trying to get right with God by keeping the Law and being good
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instead of by depending on faith.
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They stumbled over the great rock in their
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path. God warned
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them of this in the Scriptures when He said, I am placing a stone in
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Jerusalem that causes people to stumble and a rock
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that makes them fall. But anyone who believes in Him will not be
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disappointed. Dear brothers and sisters, the longing
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of my heart and my prayer to God is
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that the Jewish people might be saved.
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I know what enthusiasm they have for God,
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but it is misdirected zeal, for they didn't understand God's
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way of making people right with Himself. Instead,
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they are clinging to their own way of getting right with God by
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trying to keep the Law. They won't
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go along with God's way, where Christ has accomplished the
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whole purpose of the Law. All who believe in Him are
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made right with God.
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Where Moses wrote that the Law's way of making
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a person right with God requires obedience to all
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of its commands, but the way of getting right with God through faith
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says you don't need to go to heaven to find Christ and
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bring Him down to help you. And it says you don't need to go to
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the place of the dead to bring Christ back to life
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again. Salvation that comes from trusting
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Christ, which is the message we preach,
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is already within easy reach. In fact,
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the Scriptures say, the message is close at hand. It is
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on your lips and in your heart. For if
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you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and
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believe in your heart that God raised Him from
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the dead, you will be saved.
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For it is by believing in your heart that you
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are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that
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you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, anyone who believes in
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Him will not be disappointed. Jew and
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Gentile are the same in this respect.
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They all have the same Lord, who generously gives his riches
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to all who ask for them. For anyone
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who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
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Psalm 20:1-9.
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In times of trouble, may the Lord respond to your cry.
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May the God of Israel keep you safe from all harm. May He
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send you help from His sanctuary and strengthen you
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from Jerusalem. May He remember all your gifts and
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look favorably on your burnt offerings. May He grant
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your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans.
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May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory,
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flying banners to honor our God. May the Lord
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answer all your prayers. Now I know
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that the Lord saves his anointed king. He will answer him
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from his holy heaven and rescue him by his great
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power. Some nations boast of their armies and
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weapons, but we boast in the Lord our God.
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Those nations will fall down and collapse, but we will rise
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up and stand firm. Give victory to our king,
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O Lord, Respond to our cry for help.
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Proverbs 20:2-3. The king's
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fury is like a lion's roar. To rouse his anger is to
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risk your life. Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor.
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Only fools insist on quarreling.
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I want to speak to you today from our reading in Romans 9 and 10,
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and we're continuing on in the theme about Jews,
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Gentiles, Israel, and salvation.
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We see at the beginning of chapter 9 of Romans that
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God chose a special people called
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Israel, and they were physically descended from one
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man, Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel.
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And then he had a son— he had 12
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sons, and those 12 sons became the 12 tribes
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of Israel. And so in that context,
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back in that time, to be a member of God's family,
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you were ethnically descended from Abraham,
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Isaac, and Jacob. You were ethnically Israel.
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And Israel tried to be right with God in verse 32
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of chapter 9 by keeping the law instead
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of by trusting in him. And so this first
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covenant, or the Old Covenant, was brokered
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by Moses when he gave the Ten Commandments to the nation of Israel.
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And when he asked them, will you obey these commandments? And they said,
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yes, we will. That was basically like them saying, I do,
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like a bride. It's, it's described like a marriage covenant.
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But they weren't able to keep it, and they immediately
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committed spiritual adultery and built a golden calf and began
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to worship that. So in Romans chapter 9, verse 32,
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the Israelis, the Israelites, were not successful.
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Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping
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the law under the Old Covenant instead
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of by trusting in him. So God saw that they were unable to
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keep the law because of the sinfulness of their hearts, and they had
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hard, stony hearts. So He brokered a new covenant,
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and this new covenant was brokered by
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Jesus. And Jesus, when He died on
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the cross, basically opened the way
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for anyone, whether they are Jewish or Gentile,
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to become a family— a member of God's family.
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That it's by faith, by putting your trust in Jesus
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and believing in Him that He died for your sins,
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and then you can become a member of God's
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family whether you are Jewish or Gentile. So in
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Romans 10:9, we have this phenomenal
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verse where if you confess with your mouth that
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Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that
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God raised Him from the dead, you will be
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saved. That's the essence of the New
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Covenant. It goes on to say in
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verse 10, for it is by believing in your heart that
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you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth
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that you are saved.
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Now what's also beautiful in Romans chapter
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10 of what we read today is how the gospel spreads.
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So you can't change society or culture
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or government with who you vote for or through
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social media or through institutional
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change. The only way you can truly change society,
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change the culture, and change the political scene is one
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heart at a time. When people turn
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to Christ, their heart goes from stone
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to flesh, and the Word of God becomes written upon their heart,
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and they're a new creature. So Romans chapter
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10, starting in verse 14, tells us how the gospel spreads.
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In verse 14, it is written, but how can they call on Him to save
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them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if
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they have never heard about Him? Who? Jesus.
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And how can they hear about Him, Jesus, unless someone
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tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being
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sent? That is why the scriptures say, how beautiful
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are the feet of messengers who bring good
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news. And so when the Word of God goes
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forth and it spreads rapidly and people
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share the Gospel, the Good News, with others, with family members,
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with friends, with coworkers, with the people who are in
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your sphere or influence of life,
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then this is Kingdom. The Kingdom
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is spreading. It's advancing. When people
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hear the Good News, they understand that Jesus is their Savior.
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Jesus died for their sins. And that if they believe
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on Him, that He died for their sins and He rose again,
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if they confess that with their mouth, then they too can
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become a member of God's family. So ultimately,
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God's family in the end in Revelation is
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going to be composed of both Jews and Gentiles.
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Jews, the nation of Israel, but all the nations of the world
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Those who have been redeemed, those who have been saved
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because they've put their trust in Jesus Christ.
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We'll continue this tomorrow. Have a blessed day.