Study Desk

Also, the Spirit helps us. We are very weak, but the Spirit helps us with our weakness. We don't know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit himself speaks to God for us. He begs God for us, speaking to him with feelings too deep for words.

Who can say that God's people are guilty? No one! Christ Jesus died for us, but that is not all. He was also raised from death. And now he is at God's right side, speaking to him for us.

But in all these troubles we have complete victory through God, who has shown his love for us.

I don't mean that God failed to keep his promise to the Jewish people. But only some of the people of Israel are really God's people.

But before the two sons were born, God told Rebecca, "The older son will serve the younger." This was before the boys had done anything good or bad. God said this before they were born so that the boy he wanted would be chosen because of God's own plan. He was chosen because he was the one God wanted to call, not because of anything the boys did.

As the Scriptures say, "I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau."

It is the same way with what God has done. He wanted to show his anger and to let people see his power. But he patiently endured those he was angry with—people who were ready to be destroyed.

We are those people, the ones God chose not only from the Jews but also from those who are not Jews.

And Isaiah cries out about Israel: "There are so many people of Israel, they are like the grains of sand by the sea. But only a few of them will be saved.

The Scriptures talk about that stone: "Look, I put in Zion a stone that will make people stumble. It is a rock that will make people fall. But anyone who trusts in him will never be disappointed."

I can say this about them: They really try hard to follow God, but they don't know the right way.

But this is what the Scriptures say about being made right through faith: "Don't say to yourself, ‘Who will go up into heaven?'" (This means "Who will go up to heaven to get Christ and bring him down to earth?")

But before people can pray to the Lord for help, they must believe in him. And before they can believe in the Lord, they must hear about him. And for anyone to hear about the Lord, someone must tell them.

But not all the people accepted that good news. Isaiah said, "Lord, who believed what we told them?"

But I ask, "Did those people not hear the Good News?" Yes, they heard—as the Scriptures say, "Their voices went out all around the world. Their words went everywhere in the world."

But about the people of Israel God says, "All day long I stood ready to accept those people, but they are stubborn and refuse to obey me."

But what answer did God give to Elijah? God said, "I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have never given worship to Baal."

So this is what has happened: The people of Israel wanted God's blessing, but they did not all get it. The people he chose did get his blessing, but the others became hard and refused to listen to him.

So I ask: When the Jews fell, did that fall destroy them? No! But their mistake brought salvation to those who are not Jews. The purpose of this was to make the Jews jealous.

But don't act as if you are better than those branches that were broken off. You have no reason to be proud of yourself, because you don't give life to the root. The root gives life to you.