INTRODUCTION:
1. Turn with me in your Bibles to Rom. 4:25
2. Last week we discussed Rom. 4:6-18.
3. We saw, The blessing of the man whose sins are forgiven. V6-8
A. To totally make this accurate we add “apart from works”.
1. Look at Rom. 4:6:
a. Paul uses David as an example. (David describes that a man whose sins
have been forgiven apart from works is a blessed man)
b. The word blessed in GK. (Beautification, attribution of good fortune to
be blessed, which means that good fortune is given to you, this makes
me think of how we respond to good fortune, have you seen these
commercials where someone wins a million dollars at publisher clearing
house, they jump up and down, they cry, there is great joy)
c. Next Paul quotes what David says. (This goes back to Ps. 32:1-2 in verse 1
my version says joyful and the Hebrew is to be happy)
d. In the Hebrew. (This word means to be happy, but it says to rejoice, to
have gladness, to have pleasure and goes on to describe that it can be
expressed by singing, shouting, dancing, playing musical instruments
deals with matters of the heart and goes on to describe the feasts a time
of rejoicing now remember this is over someone’s sins being forgiven)
1). The idea of to bless. (Comes up 76 time in Genesis as Yahweh blesses
Patrarch’s and they bless others, in Deut. 40 times with respect to
Blessings one receives from living in covenant obedience, in Psalms
76 times as people return blessing to Yahweh in worship)
2). When Yahweh blesses. (It is not just some empty words that are
Spoken to the one being blessed, but carries with it the idea that
Their it is an empowering and transforming word that accomplishes
Its purpose)
3). To pronounce a blessing. (Carries with it the sense of inevitability that
Once the blessing has been uttered it cannot be retracted, look at
Gen. 27:38-41)
4). Often blessings. (Come based on choses made such as in Deut. 28:1-29
Where the people are given a chose to receive a blessing or a curse)
e. Now interesting fact. (This Psalm comes from David and has the title of
Maskil meaning “insight” in the Hebrew and deals with wisdom or
Instruction, and there are others Psalms that have given that same title
Back to Ps. 32:1-2)
f. Now we could just leave it there. (But I have to ask where David learned
this instruction or wisdom? Turn with me to 2 Samuel 11 this actually
starts in 2 Samuel 10 when the Ammonites king dies and is replace by
son 2 Sam. 10:1 Hanun is the son)
1). David sent emissaries to. (Hanun to consul Hanun for the loss of his
Father because the father had shown kindness to David at one point,
2 Sam. 10:3-4, Some of the Ammonite leaders went to Hanun and
Claimed David’s men where there not to console but to spy out the
City)
2). So Hanun. (Took David’s emissaries cut off half their beards, and cut
Their clothes in half at the waist and sent them away, and it starts,
Now wars were not fought in the winter because of the weather, but
Were fought in Spring time which explains 2 Sam. 11:1)
3). Now there were rules of engagement. (That Israel must follow, look at
Deut. 20:10-20, and David sent his officers and his army but he stayed
Behind in Jerusalem now staying behind may not have been sin, his
Men may have suggested it look at 2 Sam. 21:15-17)
4). Back to 2 Sam. 11:2. (David saw a beautiful women bathing, but instead
Of David turning away he sent someone and had them report back to
Him who she was, he found out it was Uriah’s wife, he still didn’t stop
He sent messengers to go get her and bring her to him and he slept
With her, and she became pregnant and gave birth, David tries to
Cover it up and ends up having Uriah killed and takes her as his wife)
5). Look at 2 Sam. 12:1-15. (David cries out that he had sinned against
Yahweh, and this brings us to the passage of Scripture that Paul is
Talking about in Ps. 32:1-5)
6). Now David had a handle on. (The idea of the blessedness of being
Forgiven of sin and that is why he is rejoicing shouting out about the
Forgiveness of sins, look at verse 2 there is no longer any deceit in his
Spirit)
7). Look at Ps. 32:3-4. (When he kept silent his bones became brittle from
Groaning all day long under the pressure of sin and his strength was
Drained from him as being in the hot summer sun)
8). David acknowledges his sin. (To Yahweh and did not conceal anything
And said I will confess my transgressions to Yahweh and Yahweh
Took away the guilt of his sin)
9). We have an example of that prayer. (Look at Ps. 51:1-5 this is the
Prayer that David prayed to Yahweh asking for Yahweh to be
To be gracious to him according to His loving kindness)
10). David cries out for Yahweh. (To grant him favor, to be merciful to
Him, to take pity on him, you have to ask why should Yahweh do
This after all David even admitted that it was Yahweh he had sinned
Against, but David know something about Yahweh look at Ps. 108:
6-10)
11). This is really about knowing Him. (This is Yahweh, just as Yahweh
Confronted David through Nathan He will confront us, and what
He is looking for is someone who is readily ready to repent and
Ready to confess genuinely looking for His mercy and His favor and
Ready to truly willing to turn from that sin and turn to Him and
Walk with Him)
12). It was what David did. (Because of what David did put David in an
Inferior position as a posed to the law, but Yahweh because of His
Mercy and grace did not impute on David what should have been
His verdict and that is the reason David rejoiced in being forgiven)
13). Yahweh’s mercy and grace. (Is something that has not changed, once
Again we find His mercy and grace being carried out in the old
Testament too, and this is why Paul is bringing this up, these lessons
Are the lessons we miss if not careful)
4. Let’s continue in this teaching that Paul is teaching as he begins to discuss more about Abraham.
5. Let’s read Rom.4:9-25, Pray!
I. Abraham was justified before circumcision. V9-25
A. There is a lot of discussion on this topic every year about Passover.
1. Paul poses the question, Is the blessing for the circumcised only or is for the
The uncircumcised as well?
a. Let’s look at the question carefully. (The questions point is not about the
circumcision but the question really is about the blessing that comes to
a man when he is justified, remember we are still talking about what
David said, How joyful or happy, or blessed is the man whose sins have
Been forgiven apart from works)
b. Now I just used the word justified. (And Scripture uses righteous which
in the GK they are related words, to be “righteous” in the GK is the
word dik-ah-yos-oo-nay and means equity, justification, righteous and
the word “justified” dik-ah-yo-o and means render innocent to justify
and to be righteous)
c. In the Hebrew we find the same thing. (To be justified in the Heb. Is
Tsaw-dak and means to be right, to clear self, turn to righteousness but
Tsed-aw-kaw and it mean righteous and justice)
1). Let’s look at this closer. (Paul in this passage of Scripture is talking
Abraham being righteous so we need to look at Gen. 15:6 and we
Find that the word is unlike tsaw-dak which can be used to describe
Making oneself be righteous, which is not the case in Gen. 15:6)
2). In Gen. 15:6. (It is Yahweh who concluded or determined that
Abraham was righteous and pronounce him righteous, why? Because
Abraham believed Yahweh! Look at Deut. 32:1-4 called just,
Righteous and true. Look at Ps. 119:137-138 once again He is
Righteous and so are His ways righteous in all He does. Look at Is. 45:
20-21 there is none other but Him)
3). Back to Gen. 15:1-6. (Could it be that Abraham knew Yahweh’s
Character? Abraham knew that Yahweh was righteous so what ever
Yahweh said that Yahweh would carry out what He said He would
And that is why Abraham believed Yahweh?)
4). This seems to be. (Look at Gen. 22:1-19 Abraham takes Isaac to Mt.
Moriah to sacrifice Isaac because Yahweh told him too, but look
At what Abraham was thinking, turn to Heb. 11:17-19 see Abraham
Believed what Yahweh said so He did what Yahweh told him to do
Because Abraham believed Yahweh was righteous in all His ways)
5). Abraham believed in Yahweh’s. (Righteousness and that what ever
Yahweh said Yahweh would do, believe in the fact that He is
Righteous in all His ways is the key to being pronounced righteous
Ourselves)
6). Now look at Gen. 15:7-20. (Now remember we are talking about a
Not only a covenant of being righteous, and receiving a child from
Yahweh’s promise, but a land as well, but I want you to see something
Very important that is sometimes missed when these things are
Discussed)
7). In Genesis 15:8. (Abraham asks Yahweh how he will know all of this is
True, so Yahweh has Abraham prepare a 3 year old cow, a female
Goat, a 3 year old ram, a turtle dove and a young pigeon, Yahweh had
Abraham split the animals and lay them opposite of each other, but
He did not cut up the bird, this would have caused blood to flow in the
Middle between the halves)
8). Now this. (Was a covenant done back in those day’s and it was done
Between a lesser and greater and as they walked between the halves
Blood would stain their robes and the idea was that the greater was
Saying to the lesser if you do for me what I ask then I will do what
For you and the other way around be you or I fail to do this then you
Can do to me what has been done to these animals)
9). But if you will look. (Abraham never took that walk, Yahweh did
Showing that He would carry this out Himself, all of this was the
Covenant that Abraham entered into by faith in Yahweh our
Righteous Eloheem)
10). And in chapter 17 of Genesis. (Circumcision was and is a sign of the
Covenant made between Abraham and Abraham’s offspring that
Entered into by faith look at Gal. 3:27-29 we become offspring of
Abraham by putting on Messiah Yahshua)