A Targum* for my children based on Romans 3:1-20
3:1-8
There's a very important question that arises here, and I'm not sure you will feel its strength. Maybe an illustration will help: We all live on land that was taken from Native Americans. You probably never think of that. It seems so long ago, but it’s true. I bet the Native Americans haven’t forgotten, though. Now, what we’ve said about Israel probably doesn’t shake ya’ll up like it would have a Jew living in the time of King Joshua, either. It’s been too long, and things have just, well… developed as they have. But the question is “Should they have?” That’s what we need to spend some time talking about: “Did God do Israel wrong? Was her failure his failure? Is this whole Christian thing based on God’s unfaithfulness?”
For example, if God can consider anyone- even a gentile- as one of his people (as we’ve said), then what’s the point of Israel in the first place? Was it all a game, or was his covenant an empty gift?
Well, it certainly was the plan and promise of God that he would deal with the curse of sin- its guilt and misery- through Israel. It was no empty gift. But Israel was unfaithful. That’s why we find her under a Roman boot when King Joshua arrives on the scene. It looks like God’s plans to deliver the world had been frustrated. Surely Israel’s failure was God’s failure.
We know better than that! King David of ancient times once cried in sorrow for his sin with Bathsheba: “God’s words are true- even if all human words are false.” We know this is true; so we just need to wait and see how he works it all out.
By the way, I can think of other objections that ask how God can be a fair judge when he is one of the plaintiffs or if he pulls this thing off in spite of Israel’s unfaithfulness, then why in the world would he complain about her unfaithfulness? I’m not going to spend any time with these questions. They’re just the sort of thing a fallen yahoo would ask.
3:9-20
So, we know that Israel is no better off than the Gentile nations. I don’t know why anyone should be surprised by this. Her own prophets have told us just how deeply wicked she was. Not that the others aren’t, but that’s the point! The prophets also declared that in precisely such a situation God would act to judge the whole world, rescue the helpless and be faithful to his covenant.
The Torah that summarizes Israel’s covenanted relationship establishes that she has nothing to say in her defense; the whole world, both Jew and Gentile, stand condemned before God. The Torah shows very clearly that all are sinners- even those who have been given the greatest of religious advantages. It would be impossible, then, to be declared righteous simply on the basis that one had the "markers" that identified him as “Jewish.” These markers only draw attention to the fact that Israel is just like everyone else- guilty before God.
There's a very important question that arises here, and I'm not sure you will feel its strength. Maybe an illustration will help: We all live on land that was taken from Native Americans. You probably never think of that. It seems so long ago, but it’s true. I bet the Native Americans haven’t forgotten, though. Now, what we’ve said about Israel probably doesn’t shake ya’ll up like it would have a Jew living in the time of King Joshua, either. It’s been too long, and things have just, well… developed as they have. But the question is “Should they have?” That’s what we need to spend some time talking about: “Did God do Israel wrong? Was her failure his failure? Is this whole Christian thing based on God’s unfaithfulness?”
For example, if God can consider anyone- even a gentile- as one of his people (as we’ve said), then what’s the point of Israel in the first place? Was it all a game, or was his covenant an empty gift?
Well, it certainly was the plan and promise of God that he would deal with the curse of sin- its guilt and misery- through Israel. It was no empty gift. But Israel was unfaithful. That’s why we find her under a Roman boot when King Joshua arrives on the scene. It looks like God’s plans to deliver the world had been frustrated. Surely Israel’s failure was God’s failure.
We know better than that! King David of ancient times once cried in sorrow for his sin with Bathsheba: “God’s words are true- even if all human words are false.” We know this is true; so we just need to wait and see how he works it all out.
By the way, I can think of other objections that ask how God can be a fair judge when he is one of the plaintiffs or if he pulls this thing off in spite of Israel’s unfaithfulness, then why in the world would he complain about her unfaithfulness? I’m not going to spend any time with these questions. They’re just the sort of thing a fallen yahoo would ask.
3:9-20
So, we know that Israel is no better off than the Gentile nations. I don’t know why anyone should be surprised by this. Her own prophets have told us just how deeply wicked she was. Not that the others aren’t, but that’s the point! The prophets also declared that in precisely such a situation God would act to judge the whole world, rescue the helpless and be faithful to his covenant.
The Torah that summarizes Israel’s covenanted relationship establishes that she has nothing to say in her defense; the whole world, both Jew and Gentile, stand condemned before God. The Torah shows very clearly that all are sinners- even those who have been given the greatest of religious advantages. It would be impossible, then, to be declared righteous simply on the basis that one had the "markers" that identified him as “Jewish.” These markers only draw attention to the fact that Israel is just like everyone else- guilty before God.
*A Targum was an expanded paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures composed by Rabbis during the diaspora to aid the understanding of their “Hebrew challenged” congregations. I thought something similar might be of help to my kids. So I’ve started with Paul’s Epistle to the Romans.
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