Romans 10:14-21 - Has Israel Not Heard?

© 2004 Tony Garland - contact@SpiritAndTruth.org

COURSE

10:14-15 - How Shall They Believe?

• "As it is written"
  Paul quotes Isa. 52:7 where Isaiah describes messengers who carry God's message and proclaim peace (between God and man) and salvation.
• "How beautiful are the feet"
  The feet are the first link in the chain of salvation:
  1. sent,
  2. preach,
  3. hear,
  4. believe,
  5. call on Him (a specific person -- Jesus).
• "those who bring glad tidings"
  "Glad tidings" is euangelizoMEnōn , the evangelizing ones -- evangelists!
• The message is good news because it concerns eternal life.
  The purpose of missions is not so that people can have a more fulfilling life. It is because they are eternally lost without the knowledge of faith in Christ. Even people with great knowledge of God (e.g., orthodox Jews) are lost without faith in Jesus Christ. Men are responsible to respond to God's progressive revelation.

10:16 - Who Has Believed?

• "they have not all obeyed the gospel"
  "Obeyed" is huPĒkousan,"to listen to." They heard the message, but did not embrace its contents.
• "Who has believed our report?"
  "Report" is akoĒ,"account," "preaching." Paul cites Isaiah 53:1 which introduces an extremely detailed prophecy of the redemptive work of Jesus. This clear passage is avoided or denied by unbelieving Jews. The problem is not hearing, but believing!

10:17 - Hearing by the Word

• "hearing by the word"
  "Word" is hRĒmatos,"proclamation," "spoken word," "utterance." This is not just words that are written, but which are proclaimed and spoken such that they can be audibly heard.
• "the word of God"
  Hearing requires the word of God -- the message of the Bible. General revelation is insufficient to save!

10:18 - To the Ends of the World

• "have they not heard?"
  "Have they not" is mē ouk, a double-negative which implies a negative response. Paul is saying, "Have they IN NO WAY heard?" to which he answers, "No, they HAVE heard!"
• "to all the earth"
  The universal accessibility of general revelation is emphasized by appearing first in the sentence: "Into all the earth it went out, the sound of them . . ."
• "their words to the ends of the world"
  Again, the sentence emphasizes the universal scope of general revelation: "Into the ends of the [inhabited] world the [spoken] words of them . . ." "World" is oikouMEnēs, meaning "inhabited world" or "[the] inhabitants of the world." General revelation speaks to intelligent creatures -- mankind.
• A Universal Message
  Paul quotes Psalm 19:1-4 showing that, like all other nations, Israel was given general revelation of God in nature. However, unlike all other nations, Israel was also given special revelation of God -- the Law of Moses ( Ps. 19:7-11 ) .
• General Revelation Points to God
  General revelation points people to God but is insufficient to save. If man rejects God's general revelation, he is lost ( Rom. 1:18-22 ) .

10:19 - Provoked to Jealousy

• "I will provoke you to jealousy"
  The Greek emphasizes God's action in initiating the provocation: "I, [even] I will provoke . . ." "Jealousy" is parazēLŌsō,"to incite a protective reaction," "arouse envy."
• "those who are not a nation . . . a foolish nation"
  Paul quotes Deuteronomy 32:21 from the Song of Moses which predicts Israel's idolatry. In the Hebrew the phrase is: be lo-'am be goy, "by not-a-people, by Gentiles, heathen." "Foolish" is asuNEtō,"without perception," "foolish in a moral sense." The Gentiles were generally ignorant of God's law, the Law of Moses which was given to Israel.

10:20-21 - Found by Those Who Did Not Seek

• "found by those who did not seek me"
  Paul quotes Isaiah 65:1-2 which predicted that Gentile's would seek and find God even as Israel was disobedient.
• "made manifest"
  "Made manifest" is emphaNĒs,"to make visible, to reveal." The Gentiles were in the dark not having the Law of Moses. But many passages prophesied that they would come to the light of the gospel and faith in God ( Isa. 9:1-2 ; 42:6-7 ; 49:6 ; Luke 2:25-32 ).
• "who did not seek . . . who did not ask"
  Present tense participles: they found God while not seeking and while not asking. This indicates that the action was entirely initiated by God--it was He who provoked Israel by revealing Himself to the Gentiles.
• "a disobedient and contrary people"
  "Disobedient is" apeiTHOUNta,"while disobeying due to disbelief." They refused to believe. "Contrary" is antiLEgonta, made up of anti and logos = "while speaking against," "while contradicting."

Application

The Gospel is Necessary for Salvation - General revelation points to God, but cannot save. Additional special revelation is necessary to be saved. This comes by way of those who are born again and carry the message of the gospel to the unsaved. This is our job as believers. Evangelization is Beautiful - Those who carry the message of the gospel are called "beautiful" by God. Although our message may be rejected and we may face persecution, God considers our task to be one of beauty. Faith Depends Upon the Word of God - Faith comes by hearing and believing the simple Word of God. Worldly philosophy and other deep mysteries cannot provide salvation. The Word of God is found in the Bible. Do you know the message of the Bible? Are you equipped to proclaim it? Gentiles Are to Make the Jews Jealous - Does your relationship with Jesus -- the Jewish Messiah -- exhibit a joy and intimacy that an unbelieving Jew would desire?