Romans 10:16-21

16: However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, “LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?”
17: So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
18: But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have; “THEIR VOICE HAS GONE OUT INTO ALL THE EARTH, AND THEIR WORDS TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD.”
19: But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they? First Moses says, “I WILL MAKE YOU JEALOUS BY THAT WHICH IS NOT A NATION, BY A NATION WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING WILL I ANGER YOU.”
20: And Isaiah is very bold and says, “I WAS FOUND BY THOSE WHO DID NOT SEEK ME, I BECAME MANIFEST TO THOSE WHO DID NOT ASK FOR ME.”
21: But as for Israel He says, “ALL THE DAY LONG I HAVE STRETCHED OUT MY HANDS TO A DISOBEDIENT AND OBSTINATE PEOPLE.”

*** 

Paul showed here that the Jews had no excuse for not believing in Jesus. Having just spoken about the beautiful feet of those who bring the good news of salvation, Paul quoted a prophecy from Isaiah which says, in part, “Who has believed our report?” (Isaiah 53:1). John wrote of Jesus’ fulfillment of this prophecy in John 12:37-41 referring to those who did not believe Jesus was the Messiah. The word went out, but some didn’t believe.

Paul raised a potential argument which could excuse the Jews from not believing. Since faith to believe in Jesus came from hearing the word of God preached about Him, then they didn’t believe because they hadn’t heard right? The answer was "No," they had heard. The message had gone out into all the earth. He quoted Psalm 19:4 where David spoke of the works of God’s hands in nature proclaiming knowledge of Him throughout the earth. Paul used this to describe those who had preached the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the earth.

Paul raised another objection that might be used to try to excuse the Jews for not believing, which was that they didn’t know the gospel would be preached to all nations. Paul answered by saying that they could not pretend to be ignorant of this. They should have known because God told Moses He would make Israel angry and jealous by another nation (Deuteronomy 32:21). Isaiah also prophesied that those who weren’t looking for Him—the Gentiles—would find Him, yet Israel remained a disobedient and obstinate people while God continually reached out to them (Isaiah 65:1-2).

So, there was no excuse for Israel not to believe in Jesus. The news of Him who fulfills the prophecies of the Messiah had been preached all over, they’d heard it, and that was the only pre-requisite to believe. The next step was to believe what they’d heard—which is what faith is. This faith, when acted upon by believing in your heart and confessing Jesus as Lord with your mouth, brings salvation.

 

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