Romans 9:32

Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by works. They stumbled at the stone of stumbling;

'Wherefore?' -'Why was this' (Knox)

'Because they sought it not by faith' -'Because their efforts were not based on faith' (NEB)

Their whole religious attitude was that they thought they could put God under obligation to save them by means of their moral performance, what they did, and who they were related to. Throughout the O.T. with find the Jewish nation demonstrating this attitude. They wanted to 'trust' in Assyria or Egypt, in their own ingenuity, foreign militarism, alliances, tribute to other nations and the gods of other nations. The one object of trust that they couldn't seem to allow themselves to believe in, was God. Do we ever demonstrate the same type of failure to trust in God? Do we find ourselves thinking, 'God is nice for Sunday morning, but when. am in trouble, in "real life", God isn't very useful. In those times, one must be realistic and rely on other things.'

'They stumbled at the stone of stumbling' -i.e. Jesus Christ (Matthew 21:42; Acts 4:10; 1 Peter 2:6).