Lesson 135

Romans Chapter Ten

The Faithfulness of God

Israel in the Present

Review: Introduction 10:18-21

1. In these verses, v.18-21, we have a single theme/focus, the response of Paul's countrymen!

- He says to Israel, ["they" used again as in vs:2;] you have no excuse for missing God's righteousness.

2. It's as if Paul is looking for any excuse to explain the failure of the nation Israel in terms of missing God's righteousness.

- The B.L. we'll find is that they have no excuse but their own negative volition, their own failure to believe the word about Christ.

3. The specific application of the context is to Israel, while it does contain truth for all of us, the primary and specific application is to Israel; the general is to all!

- we conclude this from the witnesses that Paul introduces to make his case; v.18 Psa. 19:4 is David;

- v.19 quotes Dt 32:2 thus Moses;

- v.20-21 quotes Isa. 65:1-2 so the witness is Isaiah

4. What Paul is doing is bringing evidence against Israel from their very own prophets!

5. Paul leaps all the way back to the OT for his evidence to convict Israel of their rejection of truth, to make his point clearly on the basis of the word of God, he wants to keep his arguments as objective as he can.

- Here's what God said to you, Israel, through Moses, David, Isaiah, all who were highly respected by the Jew.

- If you recall Paul did the same thing in Rom 3:9 and following; Makes a major statement, indictment of all! Especially pointed to the Jew, to Israel in the flow of the context.

- what follows is a series of quotes, primarily from Psa.; here is the basis of God’s judgment, that is our condemnation before God; a very strong indictment

6. The wording also in v.21 makes it clear [look at v.21]

7. The section's specific application is to Israel. while the general application is to all who have heard the gospel and did not heed it.

8. So the bottom line, Israel cannot claim that no opportunity was given to them.

She cannot say she has not heard! vs:18

She cannot say that she could not understand v.19-20

10:18 Israel cannot claim no hearing!

But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Yes they have!

Logical question at this point:

- What's your evidence Paul??

Context of 19:1-5 is one of the most important passages dealing with natural revelation [N.R.]!

- Therefore natural revelation says what may be concluded about the Creator from His works, specifically from creation.

- vs:1 = the heavens shout the glory of God; not Scripture, not the Bible!

- vs:2 = the witness is constant, its always there!

- vs:3 = the witness is not in words, its inaudible!

- vs:4a = the witness is universal, its everywhere!

- vs:4b-6 rest of context says that the witness of nature, God's creation is dramatic, uses a number of metaphors to express great drama.

- Look at the testimony of the Jews of that day them self!

Acts 17:1-8; whole known world was being reached also Acts 21:27-28

- There is no way that they can say they have not heard! Have NO Excuse!

10:19 Israel cannot claim that they did not understand what they heard!

- It seems difficult to believe that Israel would ever seek to excuse themselves on the basis of ignorance.

- Who are the other people? Those that God would use to make them jealous? Gentiles!

It clearly predicts that God will use the Gentiles to achieve His purposes for His people.

It is consistent with the salvation of the Gentiles and the judicial hardening of the Jews for their persistent rejection of the truth.

10:20 Paul buttresses his argument with a quote from Isaiah. [65:1-2]

- The idea is that those who did not have privilege, the Gentiles, as did the called people Israel and they responded more often to the message of the gospel than did those with great privilege.

* The easiest thing to do is to take truth for granted, become complacent, apathetic.

Must hold tenaciously to the truth or it will slip away!

10:21 Introduces a paradox!

- Excuse #1 - they haven't heard à Wrong!

- Excuse #2 - didn't understand à Wrong!

- Excuse #3 - God gave up on them! Turned His back on them! à Wrong!

- The flow of the argument here is those whom you would have expected to respond didn't and those whom you didn't expect to respond did!

First, it reminds us of the sinfulness of man.

- Those who had received the greatest revelation of all, the Jews, acted in total disregard of that which God revealed to them.

As clear as the Scriptures are about all that is taking place among the Jews and the Gentiles, the nation Israel has not taken heed.

There are no valid excuses for unbelief, my friend. There is never an excuse for unbelief.

Since this text reveals the sinfulness of man, it also testifies to the faithfulness of God and of His Word in spite of man's sin.

The Word of God is a two-edged sword. On the one hand, it is the basis for our belief and behavior. It is that revelation of truth on which we must base our faith and on which our lives should be built.

Let us be men and women of the Word, not only in studying it but in living God's Word, and developing a close relationship with Christ.