Romans 10:17-21
To understand Paul’s thought progression, read the last Romans post which covers 10:13-17.
In this whole section of Romans, Paul is trying to solve the riddle of Israel’s unbelief. They are God’s historically chosen people, yet they rejected him when they rejected Jesus as their long-awaited Messiah. Some of the ground we’ve covered so far: Does this mean that God is incompetent? No, he planned it this way. Does this mean God is unjust? No, it is his right to do as he pleases.
Here, Paul addresses another possible solution to the Israel unbelief problem: Maybe they haven’t heard the gospel. Or if they’ve heard it, maybe they haven’t understood it.
Maybe the Jews Hadn’t Heard the Gospel (v.18)
Paul asserts that they have head the gospel. Then he offers a strange Old Testament quote to prove it:
Their voice has gone out to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.
This is from Psalm 19:1-6, which clearly is talking about general revelation preached by the sky and the heavens about God’s glory, NOT special revelation preached by sent preachers about Jesus’ gospel.
Is Paul mishandling Scripture? Certainly not! Is he merely borrowing the poetic language of Psalm 19, rather than quoting it directly? Maybe, but I think there’s more to it based on Paul’s careful use of scripture in the rest of this section.
I think he’s comparing Israel’s saturation with the gospel to the humanity’s saturation with God’s glory. All of humanity had been exposed to God’s glory as proclaimed by the sky. And all of Israel had been exposed to God’s gospel as proclaimed by God’s messengers.
In Luke 24:13-27, Jesus explains that all of the Hebrew scriptures (the Old Testament) is about him. As humanity sits under the sky, so Israel sat under the Hebrew scriptures. And the Hebrew scriptures point to Jesus. Therefore, they have heard.
Maybe Israel didn’t Understand the Gospel (v.19-21)
To answer this proposition, Paul uses two Old Testament quotes that seemingly have nothing to do with Israel understanding the gospel. The first is from Deuteronomy 32:15-22.
I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation;
with a foolish nation I will make you angry.
Imagine a really good father (God). This father pours out his love and care for his son (Israel). But his son dismisses it and turns away time and time again. Without ceasing his love for this son, he adopts another son (Gentiles) and pours out his love and care for him. This second son receives it, while the first continues to reject it.
As Israel worshipped gods that were no gods, God adopted a people who were no people. In this sense, we Gentiles are a taste of Israel’s own medicine, chosen to make them jealous and angry as they had made God jealous and angry. In this sense, our faith is about more than what God is doing in us. It is also about what God is doing in Israel.
How does all this answer the question of whether or not Israel understood the gospel? It’s the comparison between the Jewish and Gentile responses to the gospel that makes it clear that they have heard and understood.
Paul’s next OT quote is from Isaiah 65:1.
I have been found by those who did not seek me;
I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.
The Gentiles didn’t seek or ask for God; yet they found and saw him. Israel was sought and asked for by God; yet they refused him. Paul wraps up this train of thought with one more quote, this time from Isaiah 65:2:
But of Israel [God] says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”
Parents know the wonderful feeling of holding open their arms as their child dives in for the embrace. Many parents also know the pain of holding open their arms as their child turns away in rejection. God has held open his arms all day long. And Israel has responded with disobedience (refusing to be persuaded) and contrariness (obstinacy, voicing opposition).
They have heard the gospel. They have understood the gospel. And they have refused it.
BUT, God is not done with his historic chosen people. Stay tuned…
