Psalm 129
A song of ascents.
1 Since my youth they have often
attacked me—
let Israel say—
2 since my youth they have often attacked me,
but they have not prevailed against me.
3 Plowmen plowed over my back;
they made their furrows long.
4 The Lord is righteous;
he has cut the ropes of the wicked.
5 Let all who hate Zion
be driven back in disgrace.
6 Let them be like grass on the rooftops,
which withers before it grows up[a]
7 and can’t even fill the hands of the reaper
or the arms of the one who binds sheaves.
8 Then none who pass by will say,
“May the Lord’s blessing be on you.
We bless you in the name of the Lord.”
Getting Started
What is one insight/word of comfort/challenging idea that
you held onto from last week?
Did any lesson from last week’s session impact your life?
Beginning with a Confession
Romans 1-8 vs. 9-16
Romans 8:31-39 is like a great mountaintop, “from which one
can look back clearly over the terrain covered thus far and rejoice that a high
point on the hike through Romans has been reached.”[1]
- Mountain heights allow us to look forward as well as backward.
Romans is one letter rooted in the prophecy of Habakkuk (2:4)
cited in Romans 1:17 – “The righteous person will live from faith.”
-
Universal message
-
Written to a specific time and place (1st
Century Rome).
- The second half of Romans articulates the specific implications to the recipients of the universal truth in 1-8.
Notice though:
Romans 1-4 5-8 9-11 12-16 Total
“Right”-terms[2] 39 22 12 4 77
“Faith”/ “Believe” 37 3 16 10 66
“Live”/ “Life” 3 27 3 8 41[3]
Paul uses the second half of the book to apply the main themes of Romans 1-4 to the Roman congregation where there are both Jews and Gentiles in the congregation.
Chapters 1-4 – God’s saving righteousness
Chapters 5-8 – God gives life in and through Jesus Christ
Chapters 9-11 – The righteousness of God and Israel (aka
God’s people)
Chapters 12-15 – From the life God gives (5-8) to the life a
believer lives.
Chapter 16 – Conclusion of the letter.
Romans 9-11
The next unit of the letter.
Some argue that this is the key part of the letter, others that it is an add in that could just as easily be left out.
In truth 9-11 deals with the character and work of God who elected the Jews and now calls the Gentiles.
We will look for three focal themes in 9-11
-
God – Paul’s focus continues to be on God,
not people.
-
God’s Word – 69% of the Old Testament
quotes within Romans are in 9-11.
-
God’s People – especially regarding how
God works among us through His Word.
o
This section deals with the identity of Israel.
o Remember that Rome’s congregations are a mix of Jews and Gentiles – and they were not always at peace.
This section contains some of the most difficult theology of
the letter. We will tease it apart, but it really must be taken as a whole.
-
These three chapters make up about 20% of the
letter.
-
Please read Romans 9-11 for next week.
9:1-5
I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience testifies to me through the Holy Spirit— 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the benefit of my brothers and sisters, my own flesh and blood. 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple service, and the promises. 5 The ancestors are theirs, and from them, by physical descent, came the Christ, who is God over all, praised forever. Amen.[4]
What is the proper emotion toward those who are separated from Christ?
What are the benefits/blessings given to the Israelites?
Wrapping Up
What is one insight/word of comfort/challenging idea that
you hope to hold onto from these verse?
How will the lessons learned from these verses impact your
faith life?
Verse of the Week – Luke 17:19
“19 And
He said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you
well.”
[1]
Middendorf, Romans 1-8, 733
[2]
These are all the dikaio words I’ve talked about, including heir antonyms like
“unrighteousness.”
[3]
Middendorf, Romans 9-16, 815
[4]
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used
by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered
trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
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