Title: Israel Will Not Obey the Gospel
Expositions to Romans 82
Israel will not obey the gospel
Romans 10:18-21
Introduction: The rejection of Israel because of their unbelief is one of the most difficult problems for Paul to explain. The roots of the gospel are right in the Jews. Jesus, who is the subject of the gospel, also came into the world from Jewish blood. This gospel has also been spoken by God through prophets through the centuries from the time of Moses. Nevertheless, the Jews, the people of Israel, crucified the Messiah and rejected the Gospel. Paul testified in Romans 10, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Then the Jews must have heard this gospel, but how did they come to become those who were rejected, far from being saved through the gospel?
1. Did they not hear?
If faith comes from hearing, is it that they do not believe because they have not heard? Paul gives a clear answer to this question by citing the evidence from the Bible. Paul quoted the words of Psalm 19:4 and testified, “His voice has gone out in all the earth, and his word has reached the ends of the earth.”
(1) The gospel is not preached secretly in secret places. The word that the sound has spread throughout the earth is a prophecy that means that the scope of the gospel to be preached in the future is not limited to one place but is universal. The gospel was never preached only to Gentiles, except for Israel, for the salvation of Gentiles.
(2) This gospel was first transmitted to the Jews. The stage where Jesus preached the gospel was the land of Judea. During his public life, Jesus traveled throughout Judea, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. Paul also said that this gospel was first preached to the Jews. “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek” (Romans 1:16).
(3) This gospel started from Jerusalem, the stronghold of the Jews. As the Holy Spirit came upon Mark's upper room in Jerusalem, Jerusalem became the source of evangelism and the Jerusalem Church, the general headquarters of evangelism, was formed (Acts 1:8, 2:1-4). And this gospel has been testified to the ends of the earth.
2. Then did not Israel know?
Paul develops the theory here, asking, “But I say, did not Israel know?” What does this mean then, couldn't Israel not understand the words of this gospel? makes sense. If they heard the Gospel and did not believe it, wouldn't it mean that they could not understand the Gospel? is that But Paul here quoted the word as saying that this was not the case through the words of prophecy in Deuteronomy. “I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not people, and I will provoke you to anger by a people of foolishness” Then why did Paul quote the words prophesied in Deuteronomy like this here?
(1) It reveals that the reason the Jews did not believe after hearing the Gospel was not because they could not understand it, but because of their sin of betraying God. Deuteronomy 32 is the last song of Moses, and it prophesies that when Israel enters the land of Canaan and their lives are prosperous and prosperous, they will forsake God and serve other gods. That is what you said it was. In Deuteronomy 32:21, Paul quoted here, "Israel served as a God other than God, and aroused my jealousy, and they provoked me to anger with their idols, and I will repay them, that the Gentiles, not Israel, shall be my people And I will make them my people as a foolish nation, I will make the Jews jealous, and I will stir up their anger in Israel.” As for Israel, according to this prophecy of Moses, what will come back is over their heads.
(2) Israel could have known that Jesus was the Messiah, but they deliberately tried to rebel. The Jews also knew that their king would be born in Bethlehem. However, when they heard the news that the Messiah was born there, they did not visit them (Matthew 2:2-6). The Jews heard the authoritative words of Jesus and saw countless miracles of Jesus (John 10:37,38). Even Pilate decided that Jesus was acquitted of the charges against the Jews and tried to release him without acquittal, but they were acquitted of the accusation that did not exist and were crucified. Paul is testifying that because of their stubbornness before God, God made the Gentiles to believe in the gospel that they should believe and be saved, thereby making Israel jealous.
(3) Paul is quoting the bold prophecy of Isaiah on this matter. He said, “I was found by those who did not ask, and I appeared to those who did not ask me.” This is the prophecy Paul quoted from Isaiah 65:1. When I say that I was found by those who did not ask, I mean that God was found by the Gentiles who did not pray to God. Gentiles never prayed to God. But God showed them mercy and mercy, called them to the gospel, and made them his children in Christ. The words, “I have appeared to those who did not inquire of me,” means that He made known to the Gentiles who did not call on the name of God that I am here and His presence. God did this through the gospel.
(4) This did not mean that he remained silent with Israel. He said, “All day long I have stretched out my hands to a people who are disobedient and speak against a people.” This speaks of God's infinite mercy toward his people. God is saying that He stretched out His hand all day for the disobedient and rebellious people of Israel. This means that Israel was betraying God, but God opened his hands and waited for them to return into the arms of God's love. However, Israel despises the patience of God's love and disobeys it to the end, thereby causing God's wrath.
Conclusion: Even now, the gospel is spreading all over the earth and is being spread to the ends of the earth. There is no excuse for not being saved because anyone has not heard the gospel. We are sent with the command to make this gospel resound throughout the world. Those who preach the gospel are sent by God and are the messengers of the glorious gospel. The privilege of those who preach the gospel is great. As it is said, “If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven; and if you leave the sins of any, they remain.” There is the grace of forgiveness of sins in the gospel. I hope that I can become a Christian who can stand in the ranks of this glorious evangelist.