We left the last conversation making a simple observation: sometimes we find it incredibly difficult to spread the same open-handed generosity and inclusion that was extended to us. Often without a conscious effort, we hoard all of the grace for ourselves and miss out on the primary mission of God in the world. This is where Paul continues the conversation for his Jewish audience.
But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. But I ask: Did they not hear?
Paul agrees, this message is often difficult to extend to others, and he points out that not all of the Israelites throughout their history wanted to accept the good news of God’s great restoration project. Quoting Isaiah, Paul reasons that maybe these Israelites didn’t know the message — maybe they hadn’t heard or been taught. But Paul say this isn’t the case:
Of course they did:
“Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”
By quoting Psalm 19, Paul does something that’s incredibly consistent with his ongoing argument. The Psalm speaks of the heavens giving voice to the goodness and greatness of God; this message from creation itself goes out “into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” Paul has been arguing that Gentiles have all the ability to know God and believe in His promises, even without extensive education in Torah or the Word of God. They are able to hear the “Word of God” quite clearly. If this is true, and if Gentiles are able to worship Adonai by simply observing creation around them, then the people of God will certainly be without excuse. It will be their own religiosity that gets in the way. (To be sure, I hope everyone realizes these principles do apply to all religious people today. I hope my readers understand I’m not trying to “pick on” the Jewish people. Instead, we should be able to learn from these timeless truths in our own experience.)
Paul then proceeds to quote more passages from the Old Testament — Deuteronomy 32 and Isaiah 65:
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.”
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.”
But concerning Israel he says,
“All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”
If you do the work to look back at the context of those quotations, you’ll understand why Paul is using them in his argument. Both passages will speak of Israel’s disobedience and refusal to partner with God in the work He’s doing in the world. In Isaiah 65, the prophet proclaims nations that weren’t even looking for God found Him, but His own people have been obstinate and stiff-necked. The quotations leave the Jewish reader with a question: Will we repeat their mistakes?
Truly, for all of us who would claim to be followers of Jesus, the question extends itself to us, as well.
In light of all this, it’s truly amazing God doesn’t abandon and reject His stubborn people (all of us, not just Jews)! But no, His grace rings true for all — even the stiff-necked.
I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”? And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.
Paul makes it clear that God is not rejecting His people, but neither is Paul rejecting his own brethren and heritage. He has not abandoned his Jewish identity in the least, but understands he is a true Israelite from the tribe of Benjamin. He also says God is always saving a remnant of people who are willing to partner with Him to carry out His purposes. Paul reminds us of Elijah and his self-righteous perspective at Horeb, how he was able to think he was the only one who loved God. But God reminded Elijah that He was at work in ways Elijah could never understand. The same was true for those believers in Rome.
The same is true for us today.
What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened, as it is written:
“God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see and ears that could not hear,to this very day.”
And David says:
“May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them.May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.”
We could take quite some time to unpack these quotations. The more I study Paul, the more amazed I become at his use of the Text and his ability to teach rabbinically. His quotation and teaching mechanics are fantastic (and this would be expected from a student of Gamaliel). Paul quotes what seems to be Deuteronomy 29; although it is not a clean quotation, there is some discussion about whether Paul is employing another gezerah shavah and combining this Deuteronomy quotation with another quote from Isaiah 29. This would make all kinds of sense considering the context of the two passages.
But let’s stick with the Deuteronomy 29 portion and note the context of the quotation. Deuteronomy is the record of the renewal of the covenant, and the passage quoted is the section where they are remembering they are the ones who have seen the miraculous deeds of the LORD in Egypt. It is their story to tell and who would understand the redemption of God better than those who were redeemed from Egypt? A fitting quotation, to say the least.
This is then combined with a quote from Psalm 69:22–23, a Psalm where David has said earlier, “May those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me.”
May that be the prayer of each of us who calls ourself a child of God and a follower of Jesus. May we constantly remind ourselves of God’s incredible grace and His pursuit of all nations and all peoples. May we keep this mission of God in the forefront of our minds so we might be appropriate ambassadors to His work.
And may those who choose to hope in the LORD not be disgraced because of us; instead, may they find the acceptance, love, and belonging God longs to give all people — the same acceptance we have experienced. May we be counted amongst the remnant God is using to put the world back together.
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