Rachel Workman:
14
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they
believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without
someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent?
As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”[g]
16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”[h] 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. 18 But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:
“Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.”[i]
19 Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says,
“I will make you envious by those who are not a nation;
I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.”[j]
20 And Isaiah boldly says,
“I was found by those who did not seek me;
I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.”[k]
21 But concerning Israel he says,
“All day long I have held out my hands
to a disobedient and obstinate people.”
16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”[h] 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. 18 But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:
“Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.”[i]
19 Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says,
“I will make you envious by those who are not a nation;
I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.”[j]
20 And Isaiah boldly says,
“I was found by those who did not seek me;
I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.”[k]
21 But concerning Israel he says,
“All day long I have held out my hands
to a disobedient and obstinate people.”
I
don’t think there is anything as bad as when you try to express your love to
somebody and they reject it. You love somebody dearly and are doing everything
you can think of to express that love to that person and that person just turns
their back on you and rejects everything you are trying to do to show your
love.
What we have to understand is that Israel was not in any way a nation that did not know that righteousness was by faith. We are going to see that in the Word. They knew it. They heard it. God loved Israel. God pursued them and through their prophet spoke of them and tried to communicate to them. They saw it. They heard it. But they rejected it. How often I want to point my finger at Israel. But I want to tell you something
What we have to understand is that Israel was not in any way a nation that did not know that righteousness was by faith. We are going to see that in the Word. They knew it. They heard it. God loved Israel. God pursued them and through their prophet spoke of them and tried to communicate to them. They saw it. They heard it. But they rejected it. How often I want to point my finger at Israel. But I want to tell you something
______________________________
Tomorrow’s reading for Romans 11:1-6.
11 I ask then: Did God reject his
people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from
the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God did not reject his
people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage
about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: 3 “Lord, they have killed
your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are
trying to kill me”[a]?
4 And what was God’s answer
to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee
to Baal.”[b]
5 So too, at the present
time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 And if by grace, then it
cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.
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