Rejection Foretold

14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?

Romans 10:15 NASB95

15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!”

Who is the “they” in (10:14)?

What do they need beyond hearing (10:14)?

What is the common way for them to hear (10:14)?

Why do you think beautiful are the feet of those sent (10:15)?

Paul knows that the gospel comes with words. Words that are proclaimed (preached). It is not as some say “preach the gospel and when necessary use words.”

Paul knows it comes with words, and by those sent. Both called and sent by God and by the community (body of believers)

Does all preaching of the gospel have to come through a designated preacher?

God could have chosen many ways, means for the salvation message to be delivered. Angels, God himself. He did not need man to do it, but He chose man to be His instrument.

No wonder those who preach have beautiful feet. They are always moving trying to share the gospel message. Feet that are active, in motion, and progresses, getting results (gospel being shared, doing our part) The Lord adds, we sow the gospel.

What are those preaching who have beautiful feet bringing (10:15)?

So this passage from Isaiah cannot be salvation by works can it? For they bring the good news. It is good news of good things (some say glad tidings).

The prophets foretold as given from God that many, Israel, were going to reject the gospel, the good news of good things.

Now that brings us to our passage this morning and speaking in language they would understand here is what Paul will use.

Testimony of Isaiah (Isa53:1) (vv.16-17)

Testimony of (Ps19:4) (v.18)

Testimony of (Deu32:21) through Moses (v.19)

Testimony, yes more, of Isaiah (vv.20-21) (Isa65:1-2)

And you know first we need to look at the passage

Romans 10:16–17 NASB95

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.

Romans 10:18 NASB95

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.”

Romans 10:19 NASB95

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.”

Romans 10:20 NASB95

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.”

Romans 10:21 NASB95

21 But as for Israel He says, “All the day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”

Why do you think that Paul uses the prophets here?

Now, anything stick out to you in this passage?

Who is the “they” (v.16)?

What did “they” have and what did “they” do with it (v.16)?

We should know this one, what comes by hearing (v.17)?

What has gone out to all the earth (v.18)?

What were the intended results (v.19)?

Who is Isaiah speaking of (v.20)?

What does God do to disobedient, resistant people (v.21)?

Does this sound familiar, disobedient, resistant people?

What would be an example of disobedient, resistant people?

Testimony of Isaiah

Romans 10:16–17 NLT

16 But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “Lord, who has believed our message?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.

Now may we compare to the Isaiah passage

Isaiah 53:1 NASB95

1 Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

Isaiah correctly prophesied that all those who would hear would not believe.

Salvation is so simple, available to all who trust in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. So you may wonder why Israel who had the word seems to be cast off from God? Many who were among them did not believe the report than, and many today, the Jews and Gentiles alike do not believe it.

Israel heard, but did not exercise saving faith. Today the Jews of Paul’s day did not exercise saving faith through Jesus Christ. That makes them, who had the promises, the law, the prophets all the more responsible.

Commentator Morris said:

“Hearing is a reflection of first-century life. Paul does not raise the possibility of the message being read. While there were people who could read, the ordinary first-century citizen depended rather on being able to hear something.”

Testimony of Ps19:4)

First the verse again, different version this time.

Romans 10:18 NLT

18 But I ask, have the people of Israel actually heard the message? Yes, they have: “The message has gone throughout the earth, and the words to all the world.”

Now the Psalm

Psalm 19:4 NLT

4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.

Here we show that the word has gone out throughout the earth, all the world and the people of Israel had received it. Again, this makes them more accountable due to the rejection of the Good News.

Clarke put it like this:

“There is not a part of the promised land in which these glad tidings have not been preached; and there is scarcely a place in the Roman empire in which the doctrine of Christ crucified has not been heard: if, therefore, the Jews have not believed, the fault is entirely their own; as God has amply furnished them with the means of faith of salvation.”

Testimony of Deut32:21

Paul continues to speak to them in a manner with material that they would be familiar with.

Romans 10:19 NLT

19 But I ask, did the people of Israel really understand? Yes, they did, for even in the time of Moses, God said, “I will rouse your jealousy through people who are not even a nation. I will provoke your anger through the foolish Gentiles.”

Wow, love the way this one is put.

Deuteronomy 32:21 NASB95

21 ‘They have made Me jealous with what is not God; They have provoked Me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation,

God has been provoked to anger. why? Because they had everything they needed. And God will use others that are not His people (the Gentiles).

Again, Israel ignored this word, again making them more accountable.

Can you think of other people that are more accountable now?

Testimony of Isaiah

More accountable, I think you have seen that in the Old Testament passages we have seen today. Let’s finish this off with more from Isaiah.

Romans 10:20 NLT

20 And later Isaiah spoke boldly for God, saying, “I was found by people who were not looking for me. I showed myself to those who were not asking for me.”

Romans 10:21 NLT

21 But regarding Israel, God said, “All day long I opened my arms to them, but they were disobedient and rebellious.”

Something to consider, we were not walking in the covenants that Israel was. we were not studying the Torah like Israel was. we are not aware of the adoption that was available to us. We did not find God, for He was never lost, but He found us because we were lost and now draws us to Him through Jesus Christ and the finished work on the cross.

that was just a freebe, a side note.

Isaiah was very bold (v.20) prophesy, a warning that there will be others that were not looking found Him. Again this makes them more accountable

Isaiah 65:1 talks about those who were not Israel that found Him, those who did not seek. Whereas Israel, who was looking for the Messiah was rebellious, rejecting of the Messiah, for the most part. This did not surprise God or the prophets who foretold this.

Isaiah 65:2 NASB95

2 “I have spread out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, Who walk in the way which is not good, following their own thoughts,

Even in rebellion God outstretched His hand to the disobedient people

God’s assessment of the disobedient, rebellious people, the Messiah-rejecting Israel. They will bear a greater responsibility for they had the truth and rejected the truth.

May we be a people that not only know the truth, have been transformed by the truth. Be people who are ready to share the truth when people understand their need for the truth.