but Israel, although pursuing a law of righteousness, did not attain to the law.” (Rom. 9:30, 31)

From what Paul pointed out to the Jews who made great efforts to keep the Mosaic law, they were never able to attain righteousness. “Why was this? Because their efforts were not based on faith, but (as they supposed) on deeds. They fell over the ‘stone’ mentioned in Scripture: ‘Here I lay in Zion a stone to trip over, a rock to stumble against; but he who has faith in him will not be put to shame.’”​—Rom. 9:32, 33, NE.

6. (a) Why did Jews as a nation reject Jesus as the Messiah, and so to whom was the message that “Jesus is Lord” proclaimed? (b) On what was the “word of faith” Paul spoke of based?

⁶ The law that was given to the Jews was to be a tutor leading them to Christ. It was to bring them to the Messiah and aid them to recognize him and to accept him as their instructor and Lord when he came. (Gal. 3:24) Yet most of them, lacking faith, stumbled over the very one to whom God’s righteous law was directing them, namely, God’s Son.