Having touched on this subject, the apostle, who deeply loved his nation as
the people of God, pours out his heart with respect of the doctrine which
was a stumbling-stone to them. His desire, the aim of his heart's
affection, was their salvation. The object of his affections, they were
clothed in his eyes with their zeal for God, ignorant as it was; ignorant,
alas! on the side of that which God taught. Being ignorant of God's
righteousness, they sought in their zeal to establish their own
righteousness, and did not submit themselves to that of God. For Christ is
the end of law for righteousness to every believer. There was found the
righteousness of God, there the stumblingstone to Israel.
Nevertheless the apostle establishes his argument clearly and firmly. He
establishes it on his own part; but Deuteronomy supplies him with an
unexpected proof of the great principle. He quotes a passage from that book
which speaks on the subject of Israel's condition, when they should have
broken the law and be suffering its consequences. "Secret things," the
lawgiver had said, "belong to our God; but those that are revealed" are for
the people. That is to say, the law was given as a condition to the
enjoyment of the blessing, plainly and positively; what God might do in
grace, when Israel should be under the consequences of the broken law,
remained in the secrecy of His supreme will. Upon this, however, another
principle is distinctly revealed, namely, that when the fulfilment of the
law was impossible, and when Israel had been driven out of their land for
having broken it, if then their heart turned to God in that far country, He
would accept them. It was all over with the law as a condition of
relationship with God. Israel was driven out according to the chapter we
are looking at (Deut. 30)-was Lo-ammi, no longer the people of God. The
testimony of God was nevertheless addressed to them: they might turn to Him
in spirit, and by faith. It was no longer the law, it was faith. But, says
the apostle, if so, it is Christ who is its object. No Jew would have
denied that the testimony of God was the hope of every true Israelite when
all was ruined.
This passage then in Deuteronomy-when Moses has done with the law, and has
supposed other counsels of God, and on them founds the principle of turning
in heart to God when all is over with regard to the law, and Israel is in a
place where it would be impossible to keep it, being in captivity among the
Gentiles-this passage has remarkable significance in the argument of the
apostle; and its being quoted is an extraordinary proof, that in his
reasonings it is the Holy Ghost who acts. It is the apostle who introduces
Christ; but the combination of the truths of the different positions of
Israel, of the law, and of the return in heart when they were lost under
the law-a combination of which Christ was the key-stone and alone could
be-exhibits a comprehensive view of the oneness of all God's ways, morally
and in His dispensations, of which the Spirit of God alone is capable, and
which evidently expresses His thoughts. See Deuteronomy 29 (at the end) and
30.
The word of faith then set forth as being the hope of Israel, was that
which the apostle announced-that if any one confessed with his mouth the
Lord Jesus, and believed in his heart that God had raised Him from the
dead, he should be saved. Precious, simple, and positive assertion! and
borne out, if that were needed, by the testimony of the Old Testament:
"Whosoever believeth in him shall not be ashamed." The words heart and
mouth are in contrast with the law. In the case Deuteronomy supposes,
Israel could not fulfil the law; the word of their God, Moses told them,
could be in their heart and in their mouth. Thus now for the Jew (as for
every one) it was the belief of the heart.
Observe, it does not say, If you love in your heart, or, If your heart is
what it ought to be towards God; but, If you believe in your heart. A man
believes with his heart, when he really believes with a heart interested in
the thing. His affections being engaged in the truth, he desires, when
grace is spoken of, that that which is told him should be the truth. He
desires the thing, and at the same time he does not doubt it. It is not in
his having part in it that he believes, but in the truth of the thing
itself, being concerned in it as important to himself. It is not the state
of his affections (a very serious consideration, however, in its place)
that is the subject here, but the importance and the truth of that which is
presented by the word-its importance to himself, as needing it for his
salvation, a salvation that he is conscious of needing, that he cannot do
without-a truth of which he is assured, as a testimony from God Himself.
God affirms to such a one that salvation belongs to him, but it is not that
which he has to believe in as the object of faith; it is that of which God
assures every one who does believe.
Moreover thus faith is manifested by the proof it gives of its sincerity-by
confession of the name of Christ. If some one were convinced that Jesus is
the Christ, and refused to confess Him, his conviction would evidently be
his greater condemnation. The faith of the heart produces the confession of
the mouth; the confession of the mouth is the counterproof of the sincerity
of the faith, and of honesty, in the sense of the claim which the Lord has
upon us in grace. It is the testimony which God requires at the outset. It
is to sound the trumpet on earth in face of the enemy. It is to say that
Christ has conquered, and that everything belongs in right to Him. It is a
confession which brings in God in answer to the name of Jesus. It is not
that which brings in righteousness, but it is the public acknowledgment of
Christ, and thus gives expression to the faith by which there is
participation in the righteousness of God, so that it may be said, 'He
believes in Christ unto salvation; he has the faith that justifies.'
I have entered here a little more into detail, because this is a point on
which the human heart perplexes itself; and perplexes itself so much the
more because it is sincere, as long as there is any unbelief and
self-righteousness remaining. It is impossible that an awakened soul should
not feel the necessity of having the heart set right and turned to God; and
hence, not submitting to the righteousness of God, he thinks to make the
favour of God depend on the state of his own affections, whereas God loves
us while we are yet sinners. The state of our affections is of all
importance; but it supposes a relationship already existing, according to
which we love. We love too because we are loved of God. Now His love has
done something-has done something according to our necessities, and
according to the divine glory. It has given Jesus; and Jesus has
accomplished what was required, in order that we may participate in divine
righteousness; and thus He has placed every one who (acknowledging that he
is a lost sinner) believes in Him, in the secure relationship of a child
and of a justified soul before God, according to the perfection of the work
of Christ. Salvation belongs to this soul according to the declaration of
God Himself. Loved with such love, saved by such grace, enjoying such
favour, let it cultivate affections suitable to the gift of Jesus, and to
the knowledge it has of Him and of His goodness.
It is evident that, if it is "whosoever" believes in Jesus, the Gentile
comes in as well as the Jew. There is no difference; the sameLord is rich
unto all that call upon Him. It is beautiful to see this form of
expression, "There is no difference," repeated here. The apostle had used
it before with the addition "for all have sinned." Sin puts all men on a
level in ruin before God. But there is also no difference, "for the same
Lord over all is rich unto all," for every one who calls upon His name
shall be saved.
On this declaration, the apostle founds another argument; and by it he
justifies the ways of God that were accomplished in his ministry. The
Jewish scriptures declared that every one who called upon the name of the
Lord should be saved. Now, the Jews acknowledged that the Gentiles did not
know the name of the true and living God. It was needful therefore to
proclaim Him, in order that they might call upon Him, and the whole
ministry of the apostle was justified. Accordingly it was written, "How
beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace." For, in
dealing with these questions among the Jews, he naturally rests on the
authority of their own scriptures.
But he applies this principle for evangelisation to the Jews as well as to
the Gentiles (for the law was not the announcement of good news). He quotes
Isaiah to the same purpose. It was in a proclamation-a truth thus publicly
preached-that Israel had not believed; so that there ought to be faith in a
truth thus preached, in the word proclaimed. Verse 18 presents some
difficulty. It is certain that the apostle intends to explain that a
proclamation of the truth on God's part had taken place. Israel was without
excuse, for the report had even gone out everywhere, the words which
announced God unto the ends of the earth. The testimony then was not
confined to the Jews The Gentiles had heard it everywhere. This is plain.
But does the apostle merely borrow the words (which in the passage quoted
apply to the testimony of creation), or does he mean to speak of the
testimony of nature itself? I believe that he uses the passage to shew that
God had the Gentiles in view in His testimonies; that he wishes quietly to
suggest this to the Jews by a quotation from their own scriptures, that not
only have they, the Jews, heard, but that the testimony has gone
everywhere, and that this was in the mind of God. Paul does not quote the
passage as a prophecy of that which was taking place; he borrows the words,
without that form of speech, to shew that this universal testimony was in
the mind of God, whatever might be the means employed. And then, stating
the thing with more precision for the Jew, he adds, Did not Israel know?
Was not the nation apprised of this extension to the Gentiles, of the
testimony of this proclamation of grace to them, of the reception of the
testimony by the Gentiles, so as to bring them into relationship with God?
Yes; Moses had already said, that God would provoke Israel to jealousy by a
people without knowledge. And Isaiah had spoken boldly, formally declaring
that God should be found by a nation that sought Him not; and to Israel,
that all day long He had stretched forth His hands to a rebellious and
gainsaying people; in a word, that the Gentiles should find Him, and Israel
be perverse and disobedient. Thus, the testimony borne to their relative
positions-although the apostle approaches it gradually and quietly-is
distinct and formal: the Gentiles received; Israel at enmity.
