Romans 2:20 – Thou shalt….burden or feast? 

Besides, you have confidence in yourself to be a guide of the blind, a light of those in darkness, a discipliner of the imprudent, a teacher of minors, having the form of knowledge and the truth in the law.

What Israel is supposed to be to the nations turns out to be a great debacle and a deep disappointment. Paul will point this out to the Jew in the coming verses. For GOD’S name is blasphemed among the nations for their hypocrisy (2:24). Why? They measure with two measures. People think too highly of themselves and mistakenly look down on others. That is what religion always leads to: own fame.

As long as Israel sees the law as a collection of assignments, they expect everything of ‘(own) works.’ That, in summary, is the tragedy of the old covenant. Being weighed down by burdens that cannot be fulfilled. “Thou shalt” and “thou shalt not …” are considered to be: ‘you must’ and ‘you must not’. With disappointment as a result.

Everything changes when this covering is removed and Israel begins to dis-cover the torah. Then ‘thou shalt’ becomes a promise: you will be a light to all nations (Isa. 60: 1-3)! GOD promises it and He fulfills it! He alone.

Delen: