A mini-study of Romans 10

Oh my, this passage sends chills down your spine because it resonates throughout the generations! It is so VERY powerful! Myriads do NOT know the righteousness of ELOHIM because they constantly seek to establish their own righteousness….

Romans 10: 1. My Brothers, The desire of my heart, and my intercession with Elohim for them is that they might have life.  2. For I bear them witness that there is in them a zeal for Elohim; but it is not according to knowledge.  3. For they do not know the righteousness of Elohim, but seek to establish their own righteousness: and therefore they have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of Elohim.  4. For Mashiyach is the goal[1] of Torah for righteousness to everyone that believes in him. 

5. For Moshe describes the righteousness which is by Torah, this way: Whoever will do these things will live by them.  6. But the righteousness which is by faith, says thus: You will not say in your heart, Who ascends to heaven and brings Mashiyach down?  7. Or, Who descends to the abyss of Sheol and brings up Mashiyach from the house of the dead?  8. But what says it? The thing is near to your mouth and to your heart: that is, the Word of Faith which we declare.  9. And if you will confess with your mouth our Master Y’shua, and will believe with your heart that Elohim has raised him from the dead, you will live.  

10. For the heart that believes in him is made righteous; and the mouth that confess him is restored to life.  11. For the Scripture says: Everyone that believes in him will not be ashamed.  12. And in this, it discriminates neither Jews nor Gentiles. For there is one, Master YHWH,[2] over them all, who is abundantly generous towards every one that calls on him.  13. For everyone that will call on the name of Master YHWH,[3] will have life.  14. How then will they call on him, in whom they have not believed? Or, how will they believe in him, of whom they have not heard? Or, how will they hear, without a preacher?  

15. Or, how will they preach if they are not sent forth? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of the heralds of peace[4] and of the heralds of good things?  16. But all of them have not obeyed the proclamation of the Good News. For, Yesha’yahu said: My Master,[5] who has believed our report?  17. Therefore, faith is from the hearing in the ear; and the hearing in the ear, is from the Word of Elohim.  18. But I say: Have they not heard? And, lo, their proclamation has gone out into all the earth; and their words to the ends of the world.  

19. But I say: Did not Israel know?  First, Moshe said thus: I will awaken your emulation by a people which is not a people; and by a disobedient people I will provoke you.  20. And Yesha’yahu was bold, and said: I was seen by those who did not seek me out; and I was found by those who did not ask after me.  21. But to Israel, he said: All the day have I stretched out my hands to a contentious and disobedient people. (AENT)

FOOTNOTES: 

[1]  Mashiyach is the goal of Torah, not its termination (“end”, as so many translatons use).  Love is also the sakal (goal) of the commandment, not the termination.  This is validated throughout Rav Shaul’s writings in key places like Romans 3:31; 7:12; 10:4.

[2]   The first time in this Epistle where YHWH (MarYah) is used instead of Elohim/Eloah. This verse indicates the ONENESS of the Malchut Elohim.  ONE YHWH, One Kingship and One People. This is a continuum; NOT a drastic change in Covenant, but a renewal of YHWH’s people unto Himself.

[3]   MarYah, as opposed to the Greek kurios, can only refer to YHWH, giving Aramaic a huge interpretive advantage.  It is a critical fact, as is pointed out here, that Rav Shaul specifically tells believers to call on the name of YHWH, which is certainly not at all represented by the name “Jesus.”  John 17:11 tells us that the name of Y’shua is of the name YHWH. 

Before Rav Shaul came to believe, Y’shua had already ascended to the Right Hand of YHWH (Revelation 19:13).  Prayer was being offered unto YHWH in the name of Y’shua. Y’shua stated that his mission was to bring glory to His Father YHWH.  Y’shua’s name (YHWH is salvation) is accomplishing the salvation of YHWH.  It was also prophetic that the Gentiles would come to know the Name of YHWH, according to Jeremiah 16:19-21:

“O YHWH, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto you from the ends of the earth and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.  Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods?  Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is YHWH.”

And, of course, this is to be done according to the Perfect work of Mashiyach! 

[4]  Isaiah 52:7; Nahum 1:15.  The Hebrew b’sorah (good tidings) originates from the prime word basar; tidings or news. David says, “I have preached righteousness in the great congregation.” Psalm 40:9.  The Good News is that YHWH and His Mashiyach are righteous and Just, and all who put their Faith in YHWH are being called into righteousness to walk as Mashiyach walked.

[5]  In Isaiah 53:1 YHWH (MarYah) is in conversation with the prophet, referenced by the words, “who has believed our report.”  But Rav Shaul points out that the “arm of YHWH” is Y’shua who, while on Earth, is addressed in human terms, where Mari (my Master) is more appropriate. 

This does not mean that Y’shua is not called YHWH elsewhere but, rather, is a forceful way of identifying the source of this “arm” which relates directly to YHWH’s name and His chosen messenger.  He is the only “messenger” in the Tanakh with the ability to forgive sin and to officiate in the Name of YHWH, as opposed to the title of “El” (Exodus 23:20-22).