Hearing and Understanding

 DEVOTION

THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS

HEARING AND UNDERSTANDING

Rom 10:16-21

16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?"   17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of 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."   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."   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."   21 But concerning Israel he says, "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people."  

NIV

Paul is not done yet with his discussion of the “Good News”. It would seem obvious to us, as it was to Paul, that not all Israelites accepted the good news. Once again, we see at least the main way to believe the message is through faith, which means as opposed to believing through the law. But did Israel hear the message? We cannot help to think that between the words of all the prophets concerning the Messiah, the Christ, and with John the Baptist having so many people come and hear him declare the way for the Lord, and then to see and hear Jesus teach and watch and even many experienced a divine supernatural healing, a complete restoration and even a few from death, many Israelites heard the message. Paul even says they heard the message. He quotes the words of David in Psalm 19 when the heavens declare the glory of God: the skies proclaim the works of his hands. It is all about the fact that everyone can know the message for God has been displaying the works of his hands, and day after day they, his works, pour forth speech: night after night they, his works, display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice, his works, is not heard. Their voice, his works, goes out into all the earth, and their words go to the end of the world. Paul could have been talking about the work of all the Apostles, including himself, of spreading the gospel message throughout the known world, or at least the known regions around the Middle East. Yet, if the message is left to only those with beautiful feet, it is still limited in some sense. But the works of his hands spread across all the earth and speaks into the hearts of every person in every nation. The question is whether Israel understood the message. Without dissecting each of the other quotes Paul includes, the point is that Israel did not understand, however, God has and is revealing himself to people that did not ask him to do so. Yet, when God reveals himself, we would think that revelation would produce the desired faith in him. Yet, he says that Israel is a disobedient and obstinate people which God still holds out his hands for. Why would they be so obstinate? It could go back to their trying to live by the law, believing the law was their way to righteousness. This “Good News” flies in the fact of their traditions in the law. No, we want the law, to tell us what we cannot do, and what we must do, then we can do that, or at least believe we are doing it and through our efforts at maintaining the law, we will find righteousness. No, No, No, it is no wonder they did not understand. Righteousness only comes through faith. We, modern-day believers, need to pay attention to that simple truth and not burden ourselves with that which will only produce failure, the law, or we could say all the rules we have established in order to be a “Good Christian”. We have heard the voice of God, and see the works of his hands, and we know without a shadow of a doubt that faith in Jesus Christ is all that we need and that God requires. The question of, what must I do to inherit eternal life, or what must I do in order to do the work that God requires. Jesus tells the crowd that asked that question regarding what is the work that God requires to believe in the one He sent. No other form of work will suffice, no rule following, and no obedience to the law will work. Only believing in Jesus will bring eternal life. Only by believing in Jesus can we be brought back from exile and into the presence and promise of God.