Romans 10

Moses told the children of Israel in encouragement that the word of the Lord was not a difficult object which would require special feats in order for them to obtain those words. Moses tells them in Deuteronomy 30:11-14 “For as touching this commandment which I am commanding thee today, it is not too wonderful for thee, neither is it far off. It is not in the heavens that thou shouldest say Who shall ascend for us into the heavens that he may fetch it for us that we may hear it and do it? Neither is it over the sea that thou shouldest say Who will pass over for us to the other side of the sea, that he may fetch it for us that we may hear it and do it?” Moses gives the answer to these two questions in the next verse were he declares “But near unto thee is the word exceedingly in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou mayest do it.”

          Paul makes statements to the saints that are in Rome in Romans chapter 10 of where 1) his hearts delight and prayer to God was in behalf of their salvation, 2) they had a zeal but not according to correct knowledge, 3) not knowing God’s righteousness, 4) seeking to establish their own righteousness, 5) they did not submit to the righteousness of God. The children of Israel were never without the knowledge of God throughout their life. God gave them ordinances, statutes and commandments- the law- to do and perform in their daily living. What was the purpose of this law for the chosen people of God? We find recorded in Galatians 3:24,25 “So that the law hath proved our tutor training us for Christ, in order that by faith we might be declared righteous, but the faith having come, no longer are we under a tutor.” The Jews rejected Jesus as the Christ which was the goal of God’s plan that righteousness would be through the faith in Jesus as the Christ. So they simply rejected the correct knowledge which was stated in verse 4 of Romans 10 “For Christ is an end of law for righteousness unto every one that believeth.”

          “End” in the Greek conveys the meaning of 1) goal, a point aimed at as a limit or 2) the conclusion of an act or state, termination, result or purpose. The goal of the law was to lead them to Jesus as the Christ and the end of the ordinances, statutes and commandments of the law- the conclusion, the fulfillment was the coming of the Christ, who was Jesus. Paul mentions in 2 Corinthians 3:13,14 “And are not just like Moses who kept putting a veil upon his face, so that the sons of Israel should not look steadily unto the end of that which was to be done away. But their thoughts were turned into stone, For until this very day, the same veil upon the reading of the Old Covenant abideth not to be removed because in Christ it is to be done away” speaking of the Jew’s rejection and being veiled to the truth. Then in Romans 10:5-8 Paul quotes the scripture of what Moses had said in the beginning of this article. Paul then brings the summation in verses 9 and 10 of Chapter 10 “That if thou shalt confess the declaration, with thy mouth, That Jesus is Lord and shalt believe with thy heart That God raised him from among the dead, Thou shalt be saved. For in heart it is to be believed unto righteousness and by mouth it is to be confessed unto salvation.”

- Larry Bumgardner