Paul summarise the situation. The Gentiles were not looking for righteousness with God, yet they found it, and this was obtained through faith. Israel, on the other hand, was pursuing righteousness, but sought to do so via the Law, and they failed to attain their goal.
The problem was not the goal, but the means chosen to achieve that goal. Now we need to look a little more closely at what this righteousness that they pursued entailed. In evangelical circles we tend to be so focused on people making "a decision", on "saving souls", which we see as people making a prayer of commitment typically at some evangelistic meeting or the like. Two consequences of this are (i) there is a very high attrition rate, with people who make a commitment falling away; and (ii) the outside world see Christianity as rather superficial.
To the Jew the righteousness talked about here was not like that, rather it was a whole way of life. The Law encompassed every aspect of life, both for individuals and for the nation, from the smallest details of everyday life to national politics, economy and diplomacy. And the righteousness that the New Testament speaks of is the same, it affects all of life, it is not just "a decision". Jesus told us to make disciples.
Paul then quotes from Isaiah 8:14 and 28:16. These verses were commonly used in the early church, for they encapsulated the situation. Jesus had been sent as the source of salvation, but He proved to be a stumbling block for the Jews. Conversely, those who did believe in Him were saved.
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