We are reminded from our last message that when God calls people, it is a command, a call to worship Him and Him alone (Romans 10:14).  As we grow in our faith in the Lord, we have to take on the responsibility for our worship.  It is the acceptance of responsibility that changes a child into an adult, when he stops having responsibility thrust upon him and instead makes the choice to take on responsibility.  This principle is taught in God’s word with regards to the maturing of the believer.  We see this where Paul taught that when he became a man he put his childhood behind him. This responsibility must be taught because ultimately each man or woman will have to stand before God and account for whom they worship. We find this in Ezekiel 18:20, “The soul who sins shall die.  The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son.  The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.”  

This responsibility, this accountability for all, is the message of Romans 10:18-21, our text for today, although in context these verses are speaking directly to Israel.  We are reminded of Paul’s celebration that, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1) and the truth that nothing, “...will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39); but, in Romans 9, Paul’s heart immediately goes to his own people and to their rejection of God, for their failure to accept responsibility for their actions.  If there is anyone Paul wants saved it is his own people.  But, God’s message through Paul, culminating in Romans 10:18-21, is that Israel, not God, is responsible for its rejection.  This accountability is the same for all people: to reject Christ is to stand condemned before God.

Through all of Scripture, we have two lines of truth that parallel each other: God is sovereign in salvation and simultaneously, man is responsible and culpable before God for his actions.  To have a right standing before God, man must repent.  These parallel lines of truth intersect in the divine mind of God.  Man is responsible for his response to what he knows and understands.

Let us examine how God, through Paul, addresses Israel’s rejection.  May we not be found disobedient and contrary to God as we do.  May our hearts of evangelism be revived, as we deepen our understanding of the significance of this disobedience and may God strengthen our resolve to respond in faith to the clear proclamation of the gospel so that our consciences may be found clear, having the peace knowing that the rejection of the gospel is in the hands of the one who rejects.

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18 But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have for, 

“Their voice has gone out to all the earth and their words to the ends of the world.”

19 But I ask, did Israel not understand?  First Moses says,

“I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry.”

20 Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,

“I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.”

21 But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”

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As we look at these questions Pauls asks, it could be observed that Paul is hearing their questions or perhaps anticipating what is going on in their hearts and in their minds; so, he asks a series of rhetorical questions, beginning with the question of whether they have heard the gospel.

I. They have Heard (v.18)

Do we need to ensure they have heard it?  Emphatically, no.  In Romans 10:14-17, Paul clearly communicated that preachers with the message of the gospel were sent out and in verse 18 confirms, using Psalm 19:4, that the message has gone out as far as the voice of creation extends, which is the whole earth.  Just as God’s undeniable voice, His proclamation of Himself, has gone out in general revelation to all men through the voice of His creation, God’s undeniable message of His gospel has gone out in specific revelation to the entire world, which includes Israel, through the voice of preachers. Colossians 1:5-6 confirms the extent to which the gospel has been proclaimed.  Also, we know the gospel went out to Israel, directly hearing it from the mouth of Jesus, as He stood before them, through special revelation directly to them, communicated He is God and commanded Israel’s worship of Him and Him alone (Matthew 5:27,29).

Unequivocally, Israel is without excuse!  God’s grace is all around them. Consider the proclamation of the gospel in Acts 2, strategically given by God through the apostles of Jesus under the inspiration of His Holy Spirit to the Jews from many nations present in Jerusalem during the celebration of Passover.  Each Jew heard the gospel, the mighty works of God, in his own native language, each one carrying this message back to his own people, throughout the entire world.

We know they heard; but, maybe they did not understand.  Perhaps, there is a knowledge gap.

II. They Understand (v.19-20)

Israel wanted to hide behind an accusation that not only was Paul teaching a different message, but also one that was complicated, hard to understand.  In reality, the gospel is anything but complicated: every man is a sinner, in need of a Savior and Jesus is the only Savior.  There is absolutely no knowledge gap and they clearly understood: the message of divine truth was just rejected.  To support that the message was neither new nor complicated, Paul refers back to both Moses (v19) and Isaiah (v20).  By making references to these two prophets, Paul is really overwhelming Israel with all of the Old Testament, all of it teaching the same message.

Of all men, Moses had an extraordinary relationship with God, unequaled by any other man, and was highly revered by all Jews. In Romans 10:18, by quoting Deuteronomy 32:21, Paul is declaring that the gospel message of God, the true call to worship Him, and Him alone, through His appointed Savior, is being freely given to the Gentiles.  God’s blessings, His knowledge, His gospel, are being given to a people who are not a nation and is making them into a nation, the church, thereby making the nation of Israel jealous, making them angry.  God has chosen the foolish (Ephesians 4:17-18 and Romans 1), the ignorant, the Gentiles, to shame the wise, Israel, to whom God had immensely blessed, yet they stood in rejection of Him.

Let us not forget that we (Gentiles) have a plethora of idols, things that take away our undivided worship of God.  If we examine our potential idols, we see that we have horoscopes, identity, money, appearance, entertainment, sex, comfort, health, fame, technology, relatives, relationships, careers, capitalism.  Whatever in our lives robs God of His glory is an idol and God is jealous of that thing.  Because of His love for the believer, God will not allow that idolatry to continue without correcting.

God offers His blessings to the Gentiles to flush out the idolatrous worship of Israel. Romans 2:13 and the book of James remind us that it is not the hearers of the Word, those (Israel) who are in possession of the Law, but the doers (true believers) of the Word are those of true faith.

Consider: when God looks at you, does He see a pure and contrite heart, someone who is allowing God to rid his heart of the world’s idols, of anything that takes precedence before God?  Or does He see you to be just like Israel?  Do you ever find yourself angered when you see another believer that you think should not be blessed, receiving blessings of God?  We are not Israel but we can find ourselves responding in very similar fashion.

Then, in Romans 10:20, Paul goes on to include the words of Isaiah 65:1 to “boldly” expand on the teaching of Moses.  Interactively, God has pursued the Gentiles, giving them the gospel, allowing them to experience Him, to know what it means to be the recipient of God’s love, to be found by God.  Until now, this knowledge of, this relationship with, this favor of God had only been experienced by Israel.

With much anger and dissatisfaction did Israel respond to this action of God.  Paul confronts them with this reaction, this rejection.  He tells them they have brought this on themselves. We only need to read Matthew 22:1-11, the parable of the wedding feast, to find a great illustration of the warning Jesus gave them regarding this very rejection and the resulting extension of God’s grace to the Gentiles.  God will fill (and is now filling!) His wedding hall with Gentiles.

Moses told them.  Isaiah told them.  Jesus told them.  Israel cannot say they are without understanding.  The real issue is that …

III. They do not Care (v.21)

Continuing to quote from Isaiah 65:2, Paul says what is true is that Israel has a heart issue.  “But of Israel he says, ‘All day long, I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.’”  Over and over, as evidenced throughout the Old Testament, God has spoken to Israel.  Then, He left heaven and physically came to them.  Because Israel does not care, they reject God, refusing to worship God on His terms.  By being disobedient, Paul  is telling Israel that they clearly see the truth, yet totally deny it.  By calling them contrary, Paul is showing that not only do they deny it, they speak against it.  They stand against God!

We find this exact reaction, this same response as we observe the Pharisees interacting with Jesus.  They had already decided beforehand, before Jesus even spoke to them, to reject Him. In John 5:40, very early in His ministry, Jesus calls it exactly as it is in saying to them, “...you refuse to come to me that you may have life.”, which, by the way, is the exact same reaction we should have with similar people to whom we share the gospel.  As an aside, do not be surprised in such confrontation the anger with which you may meet!  Such was the response when Stephen spoke his cutting words of outright rejection, driving the Jews to an anger that led to his stoning (Acts 7:51-54).

Why does Paul keep pushing in on Israel in this way?  He is confronting them with the worship issue that is at hand.  To worship God in this way, they would have to give up the glory they had been receiving.from the people, the community, each other, their knowledge, their wealthy status, their works.  They refused to humbly seek only the glory that comes from God (John 5:44).  In this, Israel despised the humiliation God, through Jesus, was heaping on them.  In their arrogance of believing they would humiliate Jesus through His crucifixion and death, they unknowingly progressed the will of God.

God graciously and patiently extended His hand to Israel.  Today, He continues to do the same to the world and the world responds with similar hatred.  The world wants to hear salvation comes through good works, not  through grace alone.  Unfortunately, there are many who would strive to strike the balance…minimizing the gospel, minimizing sin, minimizing sacrifice, proclaiming a partial truth…in order to evoke the “best response” while limiting the glory given to God.  This was the method of worship Israel had established.  This was the issue Paul confronted.

Consider: What about you?  Are you willing to ascribe all glory to God alone?  If you profess to be a believer, will you look at your life and evaluate whether there is glory you are holding onto for yourself?  Are you currently being confronted with something in your life for which God is impressing on you to let go?  We must be honest with the truth in what God is now confronting us, for what He is now battling for His glory in our lives.

We have heard the gospel and we understand it.  The question is, do we care?  “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

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Selah

• Did God reveal to you any idol in your life that stands in precedence before Him that is hindering your true call to worship Him and Him alone?  Bear in mind that even relationships can be an idol.

• Is your conscience clear with regards to the proclamation of the gospel to those in your realm of influence, those whom, like Israel, God has brought into your life that stand disobedient and contrary to God’s call?  If not, will you now, as an act of worship to which you have been called, go to them?

• Is your obedience to the gospel, the call to worship God and God alone through salvation in Jesus Christ, confirmed?  If not, will you now respond to God’s call?