April 2 Click on verses for Full Scripture

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Today's Pathway: Romans 10:18-21 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. 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. 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. But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.

Yesterday we concluded with verse 18 which states that the Jews, and in fact the entire world, had the opportunity to hear the truth, but many chose not to believe it. Today in verses 19-21 Paul adds to that another fact concerning the Jews. Not only had they heard the Gospel proclaimed, but two of the greatest men in Israel's history had told them that God would provoke them by including the Gentiles in His salvation plan. In verse 19 he mentions Moses. The quotation is from Deuteronomy 32:21. That entire verse says,

"They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation."

"They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger. They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not. Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee" (verses 16-18).

In verses 20-21 Paul refers back to Isaiah. The quotation is from Isaiah 65:1-2. Paul first mentions that the prophet is very bold in making this pronouncement. His words would not have been popular with the Jewish nation, but Isaiah boldly proclaimed them anyway under the authority of the Holy Spirit. His message was this: the Gentiles, who did not have the law and were not God's chosen people, were going to find the Lord and be saved. The reason for this is that Israel had been a rebellious nation. God has reached out to them constantly, but they have chosen to disobey Him and speak against Him ("gainsaying"). Albert Barnes wrote this:

"In this passage the great doctrine which Paul was defending is abundantly established - that the Gentiles were to be brought into the favor of God; and the cause is the obstinacy and rebellion of the Jews. He affirms a great principle - that if the Jews should be rebellious, and prove themselves unworthy of His favor, that favor would be withdrawn, and conferred on other nations. The effect of this would be, of course, to excite their indignation".

It should be noted that God's plan here was ultimately for the benefit of both Jews and Gentiles. By working with the Gentiles they were going to receive the salvation that they had known nothing about when only the Jews had a relationship with God. In addition, when the Jews saw that God was turning His back on them and instead blessing the Gentiles it should make them desire to restore that relationship that they had with the Lord and thus bring them back to Him. God's desire is that all should come to repentance (II Peter 3:9), and His plans are designed to accomplish that goal.