ISRAEL’S REJECTION, RESTORATION, & REPINE

The theme of this chapter is Israel's present rejection. Paul moved from divine sovereignty (Rom. 9) to human responsibility. He continued the theme of righteousness introduced at the end of the previous chapter (Rom. 9:30-33) and explained three aspects of Israel's rejection.

1. ISRAEL’S REJECTION (10:1-13)

You would think that Israel as a nation would have been eagerly expecting the arrival of their Messiah and been prepared to receive Him. For centuries they had known the Old Testament prophecies and had practiced the law, which was "a schoolmaster" to lead them to Christ (Gal. 3:24). God had sought to prepare the nation, but when Jesus Christ came, they rejected Him. "He came unto his own [world] and his own [people] received him not" John 1:11). To be sure, there was a faithful remnant in the nation that looked for His arrival, such as Simeon and Anna (Luke 2:25-38), but the majority of the people were not ready when He came.

How do we explain this tragic event? Paul gives several reasons why Israel rejected their Messiah.

The Necessity of Salvation (v. 1).

There was a time when Paul would have agreed with his people, for he opposed the gospel and considered Jesus Christ an impostor. Israel believed the Gentiles in need of salvation, but indeed not the Jews.

In several of His parables, Jesus pointed out this wrong attitude: The elder brother (Luke 15:11-32) and the Pharisee (Luke 18:9-14) are two examples.

Israel would have been happy for political salvation from Rome, but she did not feel she needed spiritual salvation from her own sin.

Zeal Devoid of Knowledge (v. 2).

The nation had been cured of idolatry since Israel returned to their land from Babylonian captivity. Only the true God was worshipped and served in the temple, and the local synagogues and only the true law was taught. So zealous were the Jews that they even "improved upon God's law" and added their own traditions, making them equal to the law.

Paul was zealous for the law and the traditions (Acts 26:1-11; Gal. 1:13-14).

But their zeal was not based on knowledge; it was heat without light.

Willful Pride and Self-righteous (v. 3).

Israel was ignorant of God's righteousness, not because they had never been told, but because they refused to learn. There is an ignorance that comes from lack of opportunity, but Israel had had many opportunities to be saved. In their case, it was an ignorance that stemmed from willful, stubborn resistance to the truth. They would not submit to God. They were proud of their own good works and religious self-righteousness and would not admit their sins and trust the Savior.

Paul had made the same mistake before he met the Lord (Phil. 3:1-11).

They misunderstood their law (v. 4-13).

Everything about the Jewish religion pointed to the coming Messiah —

their sacrifices,

priesthood,

the Tabernacle construction

temple services,

the passover,

religious festivals,

and covenants.

Their law told them they were sinners in need of a Savior.

But instead of letting the law bring them to Christ (Gal. 3:24), they worshipped their law and rejected their Savior. The law was a signpost pointing the way. But it could never take them to their destination. The law cannot give righteousness; it only leads the sinner to the Savior who can give righteousness.

Christ is "the end of the law" in the sense that through His death and resurrection, He has terminated the ministry of the law for those who believe. The law is ended as far as Christians are concerned. The righteousness of the law is being fulfilled in the life of the believer through the power of the Spirit (Rom. 8:4), but the reign of the law has ended (see Eph. 2:15; Col. 2:14). "For ye are not under the law, but under grace" (Rom. 6:14).

Paul quoted from the Old Testament to prove to his readers that they did not even understand their own law. He began with Leviticus 18:5, which states the purpose of the law: If you obey it, you live.

"But we did obey it!" they would argue.

"You may have obeyed it outwardly," Paul would reply, "but you did not believe it from your heart."

You have a form of godliness but deny the power

He then quoted Deuteronomy 30:12-14 and gave the passage a deeper spiritual meaning. The theme the Word of God. Moses argued that the Jews had no reason to disobey the Word of God because it had been clearly explained to them and it was not far from them. In fact, Moses urged them to receive the Word in their hearts (see Deut, 5:29; 6:5-12, 13:3; 30:6).

The emphasis in Deuteronomy is on the heart, the inner spiritual condition, and not mere outward acts of obedience, Paul gave us a spiritual understanding of this admonition.

He saw "the commandment" or "the Word" as meaning "Christ, God's Word." So, he substituted "Christ" for "the commandment." He told us that God's way of salvation was not difficult and complicated. We do not have to go to heaven to find Christ or into the world of the dead. He is near to us. In other words, the gospel of Christ-the Word of faith- is available and accessible. The sinner need not perform strenuous work to be saved. All he has to do is trust Christ. The very Word on the lips of the religious Jews was the Word of faith. The very law that they read and recited pointed to Christ.

Salvation is by faith:

At this point, Paul quoted Isaiah 28:16 “16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, A tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: He that believeth shall not make haste.”

"Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed." He mentioned this verse before in Romans 9:33.

He made it clear in Romans 10:9-10 that salvation is by faith. We believe in the heart and receive God’s righteousness. and then confess Christ openly and without shame.

Paul's final quotation in Romans 10:13 was from Joel 2:32, to prove that this salvation is open to everyone: "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Paul had already proved that "there is no difference" in condemnation (Rom. 3:20-23); now he affirms that "there is no difference" in salvation: Instead of the Jew having a special righteous nes of his own through the law, he was declared to be as much a sinner as the Gentile he condemned.

2. ISRAEL’S RESTORATION (10:14-17)

This passage is often used as the basis for the church's missionary program, and rightly so, but its first application is to the nation of Israel.

The only way unbelieving Jews can be saved is by calling on the Lord. But before they can call on Him, they must believe. For the Jew, this meant believing that Jesus Christ of Nazareth truly was the Son of God and the Messiah of Israel.

It also meant believing in His death and resurrection (Rom. 10:9-10).

But to believe, they must hear the Word, for it is the Word that creates faith in the heart of the hearer (Rom. 10:17). This meant that a herald of the Word must be sent, and the Lord does the sending. Paul could have been remembering his own call to preach the Word to the Gentiles (Acts 13:1-3).

The quotation in Romans 10:15 is found in Isaiah 52:7 and Nahum 1:15. The Nahum reference had to do with the destruction of the Assyrian Empire, the hated enemies of the Jews. Nineveh was their key city, a wicked city to which God had sent Jonah some 150 years before Nahum wrote. God had patiently dealt with Nineveh, but now His judgment would fall.

It was this "good news" that the messenger brought to the Jews, and this is what made his feet so beautiful.

Isaiah used this statement for a future event—the return of Christ and the establishment of His glorious kingdom. "Thy God reigneth!"

Read Isaiah 52

7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; That bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; That saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

8 Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; With the voice together shall they sing: For they shall see eye to eye, When the Lord shall bring again Zion.

9 Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: For the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.

10 The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; And all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.”

The messenger with the beautiful feet announced that God had defeated Israel's enemies and that Messiah was reigning from Jerusalem.

Paul used the quotation in a present application: the messengers of the gospel taking the good news to Israel today.

The "peace" spoken of is "peace with God" (Rom. 5:1) and the peace Christ has effected between Jews and Gentiles by forming the one body, the church (Eph. 2:13-17).

The remedy for Israel's rejection is to hear the Word of the gospel and believe in Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 53:1 was Paul's next quotation, proving that not all of Israel would obey His Word.

This verse introduced one of the greatest messianic chapters in the Old Testament. Traditionally, Jewish scholars have applied Isaiah 53 to the nation of Israel rather than to Messiah, but many ancient rabbis saw in it a picture of a suffering Messiah bearing the sins of His people (sce Acts 8:26-40).

In Isaiah's day, the people did not believe God's Word, nor do they believe it today. John 12:37-41 cites Isaiah 53:1 to explain how the nation saw Christ's miracles and still refused to believe. Because they would not believe, judgment came on them and they could not believe.

Note that trusting Christ is not only a matter of believing, but also obeying. Nor to believe in Christ is to disobey God. God "commandeth all men everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30). Romans 6:17 also equates "believing" and "obeying." True faith must touch the will and result in a changed life.

We must never minimize the missionary outreach of the church. while this passage relates, primarily to Israel, it applies to all lost souls around the world. They cannot be saved unless they call on the Lord Jesus Christ. But they cannot call unless they believe. Faith comes by hearing so they must hear the message. How will they hear? A messenger must go to them with the message. But this means that God must call the messenger and the messenger must be sent. What a privilege it is to be one of His messengers and have beautiful feet!

Some of us share the news here at home, but others are sent to distant places. Despite some closed doors, there are still more open doors for the gospel than ever before, and we have better tools to work with.

My friend, the late Dr. E. Meyers Harrison, veteran missionary and professor of missions, said that there are four reasons why the church must send out missionaries:

(1) the command from above— "go ye into all the world" (Mark 16:15);

(2) the cry from beneath-"send him to my father's house" (Luke 16:27);

(3) the call from without —"come over ... and help us" (Acts 16:9);

and (4) the constraint from within "the love of Christ constraineth us" (2 Cor. 5:14).

3. ISRAEL’S REPINE

Romans 10:18–21 KJV 1900

18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. 19 But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. 20 But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. 21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.

There are three results, and a quotation from the Old Testament supports each.

(1) Israel is guilty (v. 18).

Someone might have argued with Paul: been Psalm 19:4, a psalm that emphasizes the revelation of God in the world.

God reveals Himself in creation (Ps. 19:1-6) and in His Word (Ps. 19:7-11).

The "book of Nature" and the "book of Revelation" go together and proclaim the glory of God. Israel benefited from both books, for she saw God at work in nature, and she received God's written Word.

Israel heard, but she would not heed. No wonder Jesus often had to say to the crowds. "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear" (Mart. 11:15; Mark 4:9).

(2) The message goes to the Gentiles (v. 19-20).

What marvelous grace! When Israel rejected her Messiah, God sent the gospel to the Gentiles that they might be saved. Moses predicted this in Deuteronomy 32:21. Paul mentioned this truth in Romans 9:22-26.

One reason why God sent the gospel to the Gentiles was that they might provoke jealousy among the Jews (Rom. 10:19; 11:11).

It was an act of grace both to the Jews and to the Gentiles. The prophet Isaiah predicted too that God would save the Gentiles

Isaiah 65:1“1 I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, Unto a nation that was not called by my name.”

As you study the New Testament, you discover that "to the Jew first" is a ruling principle of operation. Jesus began His ministry with the Jews.

He forbad His disciples to preach to the Gentiles or the Samaritans when He sent them on their first tour of ministry (Matt. 10:1-6).

After His resurrection, He commanded them to wait in Jerusalem and to start their ministry there (Luke 24:46-49; Acts 1:8).

In the first seven chapters of Acts, the ministry is to Jews and to Gentiles who were Jewish proselytes. But when the nation stoned Stephen and persecution broke loose, God sent the gospel to the Samaritans (Acts 8:1-8) and then to the Gentiles (Acts 10).

The Jewish believers were shocked when Peter went to the Gentiles (Acts 11:1-18).

But he explained that it was God who sent him and that it was clear to him that Jews and Gentiles were both saved the same way-by faith in Christ. But the opposition of the legalistic Jews was so great that the churches had to call a council to discuss the issue. The record of this council is given in Acts 15. They concluded that Jews and Gentiles were all saved by faith in Christ, and that a Gentile did not have to become a Jewish proselyte before he could become a Christian.

(3) God still yearns over His people

Romans 10:21 KJV 1900

21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.

This quotation is from Isaiah 65:2

Isaiah 65:2 KJV 1900

2 I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, Which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;

"All day long" indeed refers to this present "day of salvation" or day of grace in which we live. While Israel as a nation has been set aside, individual Jewish people can be saved and are being saved.

The phrase "all day long" makes us think of Paul's ministry to the Jews in Rome when he arrived there as a prisoner. "From morning till evening" Paul expounded the Scriptures to them and sought to convince them that Jesus is the Messiah (Acts 28:23). Through Paul, God was stretching out His arms of love to His disobedient people, yearning over them, and asking them to return. God's favor to the Gentiles did not change His love for the Jews.

God wants to use us to share the gospel with both Jews and Gentiles.

God can use our feet and our arms just as He used Paul's. Jesus Christ wept over Jerusalem and longed to gather His people in His arms. Instead, those arms were stretched out on a cross where He willingly died for Jews and Gentiles alike.

God is long-suffering and patient, "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). Will God's patience with Israel wear out? Is there any future for the nation? Yes, there is, as the next chapter will show.