Romans 9:30-10:4 - The Gentiles Attained Righteousness, Where Israel Failed

The Gentiles were receiving God's free gift of righteousness by means of faith whereas the Jews, ignorant of God's gift of righteousness, were trying to produce their righteousness through their own good works and were perishing.

[The Gentiles who had not sought after righteousness were obtaining it through faith:]

9:30 What then shall we say?
That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness,
have obtained it
[righteousness],
a righteousness that is by faith;

 [Note: In Romans 1:18-23, Paul described the sinful condition of the Gentile world and how God had given them up to all kinds of evil. Left to themselves the Gentiles had not pursued righteousness. Here we have a change: God has now shown these Gentiles mercy by effectively drawing them to Himself and revealing to them the righteousness that is received by faith.]

[The Jews were trying to save themselves through their own works and were failing:]

9:31  But Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness,
has not attained it
[righteousness].
9:32 Why not?
Because they pursued it
[righteousness]
not by faith
but as if it were by works.

[The Jews were stumbling over Christ, the stumbling stone, as Isaiah had predicted they would:]

They stumbled over the "stumbling stone."

9:33 As it is written: [in Isaiah 8:14; 28:16]

"See, I lay in Zion a stone [Christ]
that causes men to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall,
and the one who trusts in him
[Christ]
will never be put to shame."
 

[Paul expresses his desire for Israel's salvation and bears witness to their zeal for God, but their zeal is an ignorant zeal. For they were ignorant (without knowledge) of the righteousness which God gives by faith, and instead sought to establish their own righteousness by keeping the law. They failed to realize that Christ put an end to law keeping as a means of being made righteous for everyone who believes in Him]

10:1 Brothers, my heart's desire
and prayer to God for the Israelites
is that they may be saved.
10:2 For I can testify about them
that they are zealous for God,
but their zeal is not based on knowledge.
10:3 Since they did not know
the righteousness that comes from God
and sought to establish their own,
they did not submit to God's righteousness.
 
10:4 Christ is the end of the law
so that there may be righteousness
for everyone who believes.

[WMS  vs.4, "For Christ has put an end to law as a way to right standing for everyone who puts his trust in Him"]