1
Stumble and Offense

• What do stumble and offense mean in Romans
  932-33?

2
Romans 932-33

• 32Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but
  as it were, by the works of the law. For they
  stumbled at that stumbling stone. 33As it is
  written
• Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and
  rock of offense,
• And whoever believes on Him will not be put to
  shame.

3
Introduction

• This text must be studied in the context of
  Romans 910-33
• There are many important subjects related to the
  study of this passage.

4
Topics Covered

• Sovereignty of God
• Plan of God for each individual life
• Predestination
• Hatred
• Complaining
• Purpose of God

5
Topics Covered

• Stumble Am I responsible for weaker Christians
  who stumble over me?
• Duty What is my duty to those who stumble?
• Offense Must I give in to every person who
  claims to be offended at my actions or decisions?

6
Romans 910
And not only this, but when Rebecca also had
conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac

• Isaac is the son of Abraham
• Rebecca and Isaac were expecting a child
• Twins were born Jacob and Esau

7
Romans 911
(for the children not yet being born, nor having
done any good or evil, that the purpose of God
according to election might stand, not of works
but of Him who calls),

• God made a decision
• Not about saved and lost
• Not about who was a better moral person
• Not about who was good or bad

8
Romans 911
(for the children not yet being born, nor having
done any good or evil, that the purpose of God
according to election might stand, not of works
but of Him who calls),

• God made a decision
• Gods decision was according to His purpose His
  plan for mankind
• God chose Jacob just as He chose Abraham and
  Isaac
• God is sovereign. He has all power.

9
Romans 912
it was said to her, The older shall serve the
younger.

• God knew
• There were twins no ultrasound needed
• He knew both were males
• He knew the younger would rise higher
• He knew the older would serve the younger

10
Romans 913
As it is written, Jacob I have loved, but Esau I
have hated.

• Did God hate Esau?
• Vincent Word Studies This language sounds a
  bit harsh to us. It is possible that the word
  misew did not always carry the full force of
  what we mean by hate.
• There is no doubt about Gods preference for
  Jacob and rejection of Esau, but one hesitates
  to read into these words here the intense hatred
  that has always existed between the descendants
  of Jacob and Esau.

11
Romans 913
As it is written, Jacob I have loved, but Esau I
have hated.

• Did God hate Esau?
• Barnes Notes This does not mean any positive
  hatred but that he had preferred Jacob, and had
  withheld from Esau those privileges and blessings
  which he had conferred on the posterity of Jacob.
• God showed a preference for Jacob.

12
Romans 914
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness
with God? Certainly not!

• Who dares accuse God of being unrighteous?
• Dont go there. Dont even think such a thing.
• God is sovereign. He has the right to make a
  choice.

13
Romans 914
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness
with God? Certainly not!

• REMEMBER This is not eternal destiny
• God could choose anyone for this work
• It could have been you
• God is selecting the lineage for Christ
• There is nothing unrighteous about this

14
Romans 915
For He says to Moses, I will have mercy on
whomever I will have mercy, and I will have
compassion on whomever I will have compassion.

• God can choose Abraham out of all the people in
  the world
• God can select Jacob over Esau
• God can show mercy and compassion
• God can refuse to extend mercy and compassion

15
Romans 917
For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, For this
very purpose I have raised you up, that I may
show My power in you, and that My name may be
declared in all the earth.

• God can raise up a wicked king to work His plan
• God can set kings in power remove them
• The issue is not Good or bad, kind or mean
• The point is Does he fit in the plan of God for
  that country, that time, or for the world?

16
Romans 918
Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom
He wills He hardens.

• This verse is a repeat of the statement in verse
  15.
• God can harden or soften according to His
  will
• God knows how we will react to a situation

17
Romans 918
Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom
He wills He hardens.

• Two people have a similar crisis in their lives
• One will repent and turn to God
• Another will become bitter and reject God
• THE SAME SUN THAT MELTS WAX HARDENS CLAY

18
Romans 919
You will say to me then, Why does He still find
fault? For who has resisted His will?

• We must not find fault with Gods choice
• See verse 14 Is God unrighteous?
• Neither should we resist the will of God
• God will accomplish His purpose and plan
• If you refuse, God will find another way
• What if Abraham had refused?

19
Romans 920
But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against
God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed
it, Why have you made me like this?

• Job did not charge God foolishly when all his
  trouble came
• Job 122 - In all this Job did not sin nor charge
  God with wrong.
• Who do we think we are to challenge, question, or
  charge God?

20
Romans 920
But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against
God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed
it, Why have you made me like this?

• Does a car ask why it was made a sedan instead of
  an SUV?
• Does a TV question why it was not a computer?
• Why do we think we have any right to question the
  choices of God?

21
Romans 921
Does not the potter have power over the clay,
from the same lump to make one vessel for honor
and another for dishonor?

• The potter takes a lump of clay
• He has many choices
• He can make a simple soup bowl
• He can make a fancy museum display
• Does the clay complain?
• Does the clay have any choice?

22
Romans 922
What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to
make His power known, endured with much
longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for
destruction,

• Matthew Henry What ever God does, must be just.
  Wherein the holy, happy people of God differ from
  others, Gods grace alone makes them differ. In
  this preventing, effectual, distinguishing grace,
  He acts as a benefactor, whose grace is His own.
  None deserved it so that those who are saved,
  must thank God only and those who perish, must
  blame themselves only.

23
Romans 923
and that He might make known the riches of His
glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had
prepared beforehand for glory,

• We may not understand. But God has a purpose.
• He makes choices not based on goodness, beauty,
  or wealth.
• God makes choices based on what will advance His
  plan and purposes.

24
Romans 924
even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but
also of the Gentiles?

• God chose us.
• God chose ME.
• God chose Gentiles as well as Jews.
• God loves all men, nations, tongues, and tribes.

25
Romans 925-26
25 As He says also in Hosea I will call them My
people, who were not My people, And her beloved,
who was not beloved. 26 And it shall come to
pass in the place where it was said to them,You
are not My people, There they shall be called
sons of the living God.

• The Jews were not an exclusive race of people.
• God always planned to include all of us.
• God can call people who are not His, and make
  them His.

26
Romans 927
Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel Though
the number of the children of Israel be as the
sand of the sea, The remnant will be saved.

• After all God did for Israel, most would reject
  Him.
• They would not accept His plan for their
  salvation.
• Only a remnant would remain faithful.

27
Romans 928-29
28 For He will finish the work and cut it short
in righteousness, Because the Lord will make a
short work upon the earth. 29And as Isaiah said
before Unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a
seed, We would have become like Sodom, And we
would have been made like Gomorrah.

• There were several times that the blood line was
  down to one person.
• Esther Esther 74
• Joash 2 Kings 112
• Jesus Matthew 216

28
Romans 930-31
30What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did
not pursue righteousness, have attained to
righteousness, even the righteousness of
faith 31but Israel, pursuing the law of
righteousness, has not attained to the law of
righteousness.

• What is the message of all this?
• Some nations were given special protection,
  rights, blessings
• But they did not follow God

29
Romans 930-31
30What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did
not pursue righteousness, have attained to
righteousness, even the righteousness of
faith 31but Israel, pursuing the law of
righteousness, has not attained to the law of
righteousness.

• Other nations (Gentiles) were not given any
  special blessings.
• They chose to follow the path of obedience,
  righteousness and faith in God.

30
Why study all this?

• The original question was about the words
  stumble and offense in the next verses.
• All of the previous study is leading up to this
  point
• God has a plan
• Man does not always obey, follow the plan
• What was intended to help becomes a roadblock

31
Romans 932
Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but
as it were, by the works of the law. For they
stumbled at that stumbling stone.

• Why did Israel reject the Messiah?
• He was not what they expected
• Ruler army builder
• Overthrow the Romans
• They wanted physical deliverance
• Jesus offered deliverance from sin

32
Romans 932
Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but
as it were, by the works of the law. For they
stumbled at that stumbling stone.

• Stumble to strike the foot against, to trip, to
  strike a stone or other obstacle in the path
• Jesus came to be a savior, redeemer
• The Jews saw his as an obstacle to their ideas,
  plans, and notions
• The stone that could have lifted them up became
  the stone that caused them to trip.

33
Romans 933
As it is written Behold, I lay in Zion a
stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever
believes on Him will not be put to shame.

• God predicted they would stumble
• They tripped
• Not because God made them fall
• He did everything to protect them from falling
• Offense The small plate in a jaw trap where the
  bait is placed. When an animal touches the bait,
  the trap closes.

34
Romans 933
As it is written Behold, I lay in Zion a
stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever
believes on Him will not be put to shame.

• Offense today
• Means I dont like it.
• Colors, styles, music, movies, hair
• Used by ACLU object to God in our lives
• THIS IS NOT THE MEANING OF THE WORD HERE!

35
Romans 933
As it is written Behold, I lay in Zion a
stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever
believes on Him will not be put to shame.

• Offend
• People were offended at Jesus They did not
  believe his message.
• What was intended to help them a stepping stone
  became the rock on which they stumbled.
• Was Jesus the offense in this verse?
• Yes because the misunderstood his purpose
• To us when we fail to see the purpose of God

36
Lessons from Romans 9

• Sovereignty of God
• God has a plan
• Jacob and Esau 10-14
• Pharaoh 17-19
• Dont blame God 20-08
• Predestination
• Why did the Jews reject Jesus?

37
Discuss

• Why did the Jews reject Jesus?
• Is Jesus to blame for their stumbling?
• Can we be a cause for others to stumble?
• What is my duty if someone stumbles over me (my
  example)?

38
What is my duty if someone stumbles over me (my
example)?

• 1 Corinthians 89 - But beware lest somehow this
  liberty of yours become a stumbling block to
  those who are weak.
• Be aware of the danger
• V. 13 - Therefore, if food makes my brother
  stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make
  my brother stumble.
• Romans 1421 - It is good neither to eat meat nor
  drink wine nor do anything by which your brother
  stumbles or is offended or is made weak

39
Warning!

• Today people use these verses to control what
  they do not like
• I am offended at your tie so you cant ever
  wear that tie again. WRONG!
• If I cause a soul to be lost because of my
  actions, I am wrong.
• If others just dont like my choices they have
  a problem.