In 2009, world famous magicians Penn and Teller have just finished a show and a man comes to Penn Jillette and hands him a Gideon Bible. Penn, a lifelong outspoken Atheist of course completely disagrees with the religious content of the bible, but in a surprising turn, commends the man for his actions. He deeply respects that mans gesture to share what to him is a life saving message.
He uses the analogy of a truck – if you saw a man on a highway who hadn’t noticed that a truck was bearing down on him – you would intervene. He acknowledges (while not believing the message necessarily) that the prospect of eternal life and avoiding hell is far more critical than a physical threat…
And then he famously states…
How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that eternal life is possible and not tell them that?
He views the refusal to share ones faith as a sign that a believer either does not truly believe their own religion or (ponder on this) cares more about their own comfort than the other persons soul.
Quite a sharp start to our time this morning – but I wonder if that lands a punch this morning for someone here like it does for me. That great cost of comfort – if think even this Atheist guy gets it exactly right here. We have a faith that springs forth from sacrifice. What it took for the Gospel good news to reach your ears. But how often we as a people – won’t pass it on, because, its uncomfortable. Its awkward. Its not cool. Its not easy. And we’re not willing to pay that price, were not willing to go out and tell others. Sometimes we’re too lazy to even remind ourselves…
Our passage this morning is in Romans 10 – picking up from verse 14.
If you were here a couple of weeks ago we ended on verse 13. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Part of the bigger theme running through Romans - the whole Jew vs Gentile discussion, is God only for the Jews, is there a meaningful difference between the two groups, do they different standing under God, is the same Saviour for all. And we concluded yes, most certainly, Jesus is the only name. And He is for all. Anyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame.
And now, starting at the point of salvation for the individual, Paul works backwards through the steps required.
Let’s read:
14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”[g]
16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”[h] 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about 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.”[i]
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.”[j]
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.”[k]
21 But concerning Israel he says,
“All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”[l]
So backwards we step in to vs 14-15. Pauls desire that his people may be saved – but salvation comes from believing – we had that last week as well. Remember this is a faith thing, not a national identity thing, not being born into the right group of people in the right time in history. You can’t, even the special people of God, can’t claim salvation on a national basis – this is an individual matter, of personal belief. And whoever truly believes – is saved. But he frames it in the negative rhetorical question – if you haven’t believed in Him – if you don’t believe – you can’t call on him for salvation.
But to believe in something you must know something about the subject of your belief. You didn’t just make this up yourself - you heard – somebody told you – and so Paul traces those steps. You had to hear something to believe it, if you heard it, we somebody would have had to tell you about it.
Then for that somebody to have preached to you / told you about it, they would have had to have been sent, or motivated, or encouraged, asked convicted to go out there, get out of their comfort zones and preach.
It’s almost like a physics lesson – cause and effect, the continuous chain reaction of the gospel spread.
And then in the image of a war time messenger, maybe travelling vast distances in dangerous terrain to bring news of victory, or bring news of help on the way – how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news – this is Isaiah.
Lot of rhetorical questions here, lots of direct Old testament prophecy verses – this is a learned man giving a considered argument – this is how the chain should work, and it is a beautiful, God planned and God ordained thing. I wonder how many of us could remember the conditions, the situations, the surrounding we were in when we first learned of the Good news of Jesus. May your parents shipped you off to Sunday school. Well Sunday school attendance, worldwide, is down. Maybe you learnt about Jesus in a bible class in your primary school – reading the bible in school is practically non-existent anymore. Except in Texas, apparently? Go figure.
But people, people are always in fashion, and I would bet we all can think of human beings who influenced us greatly in our journey to faith. Walking talking, messengers, with their beautiful feet, bearing the news – Our God is Victorious – our God Reigns.
But, verse 16 BUT – back to the subject matter at hand. This does not mean that everyone will believe.
Not all the Israelites accepted the Good news. Some did – Like Paul himself – he has tasted and seen. But some have not. The most beautiful life saving message has been rejected.
And, like I just did a moment ago, we bemoan our secular society and remember the good old days when bibles were in schools or whatever… but this is not a new problem, Not for us, not even for Paul 2000 years ago and he kicks the references – again to Isiah. The reality is this, even the Ancient prophets grappled with this. Ancient Prophets, Modern Prophets, I’m sure many of us have spent an evening or two trying to nail down this idea of determinism. Of the will of man. Of the desire of God. What do you take out of these verse and how easily do you reconcile. Some will accept, and some will reject.
Sovereign God, ruler of all things – His message comes to you, mere mortal, and you say no thanks?
Does that trouble you? OR are we all totally comfortable with it.
I get the sense that this troubles Paul.
And so, pondering this, he asks and answers himself in some more rhetorical questions.
He asks, if faith is through hearing, and the message heard through the word about Christ – remember, this comes from Christ. This is all from God. You can’t say that because you heard the message, you somehow contributed…
But Paul starts testing this, for the specific case of the Israelites…
Could they make the case that nobody told them? Did they not hear, of course they did!
Again, answered beautifully in an old testament reference – Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world – this is messianic prophecy, that these are the words of their own people.
The Messiah was born into his own – you read through the books of Acts and see how quickly word spreads. I would imagine an obvious example of how Paul would know this, is by virtue of the fact that he is witing this letter to an established church in the centre of the that time modern world, and he hasn’t even visited this church. It would seem, that this movement is so popular and widespread, that to fall back on an argument that ‘we didn’t know about it’ or, nobody told us about it, isn’t reasonable. Not even a good argument for the greater Roman empire, but definitely not flying for the Jewish nation. This is also being written some 25 years after the death of Christ. Word has spread.
That verse that is used however tracks back to Psalm 19, and you might remember Psalm 19 is that one about the Heavens and Earth declaring the Glory of God. So even more that just, have you heard the latest about the upstart Jesus claiming to be the Messiah…– are you even considering that the whole of Creation points to this. The Heavens declare the Glory of God. That evidence, that the deniers demand so clearly, what proof do you have , what evidence points to a creator – some people you just wanna take them outside on a beautiful starry night, or a majestic sunrise (anybody see the sunrise on Friday morning? Just incredible), and just go – THERE – look, do you feel nothing?
So Paul has little time for the argument, nobody told us. And this then begs the obvious next question… Maybe they were told, and they just didn’t understand…
Verse 19 Again I ask – setting up another objection that he can counter – did Israel not understand. So maybe they heard but they didn’t fully grasp what was happening.
I mean, ok, some might say if they rejected him, him, obviously they didn’t fully understand – but what is implied is that they had no chance of understanding, of comprehending the Good news. That the message, even though heard, was somehow indecipherable. Was beyond them.
And in response to this argument Paul brings up a foretelling from Moses time and then again from the prophet Isaih. He now refers to the Gentiles.
Those who are not a nation. A nation that has not understanding, those who did not seek me, those who did not ask for me – guess what – they received me.
Your people have been provoked to anger and jealousy as you try and understand what is happening. They would have been expecting to be the vehicle through which THE message goes from God himself - to the Jews, then the Gentiles.
This verse kind of flips that around – it turns the Gentiles who have received Christ into witnesses against the Jews, who have not. And God in his sovereignty, has used a nation (who, at national level) are not His nation – to achieve his purposes. In anger, and jealousy. Can God really use this situation full of anger and jealousy, you know, these negative traits. To bring forth the knowledge of Him, yes he can.
From Romans 9 we are reminded – I will call them my people, who were not my people.
Again, another layer onto the theme of the whole book – the door is open to them as well, the door is open to us.
We can, even in our limited, human brains, understand enough, to believe. It has been made possible. Not by you, you clever clogs – but by God.
In other words, you can’t say it was impossible to understand and believe – even, with all the historical advantages – when you neighbour nation starting from zero (that’s what is meant when it says there has no understanding) was able to understand. And receive. And accept the gift.
There's a good opportunity to once more consider that there’s a national level to this type of language, and of course, a very personal level. To say corporately that the Jews did not receive Christ runs the risk of implying that not one Jewish individual would or could be saved. Not true.
Conversely to say Gentiles on the other hand understood and receives implies that corporately – they are all saved. Also not true.
The point being made here isn’t specifically about individuals accepting Christ, it would seem that focus is rather on how the nations, generally, have heard and believed the message. Nations and peoples, vast general groups. And God doing the unexpected.
Do you see the irony in the gentiles receiving and the Jews not.
Do you see the irony in the Zealous Jews stumbling over their own religiosity, with their own misguide man made legalism becoming a barrier to true faith, rather than a vehicle…
And so then – last verse for the morning verse 21 Paul zeroes again specifically – concerning Israel:
ANOTHER OT quote
All day long I have held out my Hands
To a disobedient and obstinate people.
In his patience, in his Grace, in his kindness and mercy as he faces his people – his hands are held out. All day. There’s not – sorry, you missed it. That was then and this is now. From the dawn of creation, all metaphorical day long, his hands are reaching out for the Israelites.
It does not tire, it does not relent. At what point would you, in your human understanding, start to say, that’s enough, You had your chance. Let me hand you over to your own choices and decisions. Then draw back your outstretched gracious arms, fold them up into a posture of judgement and dismal. Too late, too bad. But that is not the picture here, is it. All day long.
As for the Zealous people of God Israelites?
NO, listen to the language change – the disobedient and obstinate.
Disobedient – not following Gods instructions, despite all their knowledge and special placing, all their advantage, all their history.
Obstinate. Stiff-necked, you see all over the bible.
An agricultural metaphor, for the farmers amongst us. And animal is led by the head. If you yoke an oxen, you effectively lead it by the neck. If it stiffens its neck, it refuses to go where you direct it – it stays stuck on its path.
Israelites are often accused of being a stiff necked people. In this passage, resistant to change. Unwilling to turn, unwilling to following guidance and instruction. Actively hardened, actively resistant , because they are so convinced that their own way is right.
I wonder if you know types like that. And I would dare to say of the MOST stiff necked people you might come across are religious types.
They can be the worst! Blind compliance to rules, strong opposition to arguments and ideas. My way or the highway.
Hands opened wide to a people. Have they not heard? Of course they have heard.
Have they not understood, oh they understood.
But they stubbornly refuse.
We’re learning a lot about here about the Israelites, we’re learning a lot here about Paul and His heart for them…. Maybe that’s all boring to you. Maybe you think to yourself – who cares – 2000 years ago some guy wrote a letter to strangers – so what.
But I would say we’re also learning quite a bit about the human condition here.
In need of saving – personal. Not corporate – God save this people – God save me. I cannot do this alone, my own stiff neck needs loosening and God would you turn my head where you need to turn it. Do we need loose necks? Doesn’t sound right.
Give us the right kind of stiff neck.
I was watching the Grand Prix with my daughter (I know, who knew) and Sarah was sneering saying, do you really need to be in shape to drive these cars, so I carefully mansplained well actually these guys are incredibly fit, conditioned – especially with regards to their NECKS.
Cos when your car is veering to the left and 100 mph and gravity is throwing your head to the right, you need to be strong. And look straight ahead and fix your eyes on where you need to go.
So don’t be a weak necked people. Be Obedient, strongly obedient, be a stiff necked people for God.
And then lastly, really look at what this chapter has shown us about Our God.
Our impartial, accessible, patient, forgiving, arms outstretched Father.
Next week Carlos will continue with Romans 11, with a specific focus on whether or not God has then rejected the Jews, spoiler alert, He hasn’t.
But as we wrap up this morning, there’s a great opportunity just to absorb the picture here. The outstretched arms of God THE patient, longstanding, care for his people, the timeless, faithful invitation extended to all.
And we have to recognise that that is God’ posture to us as well, isn’t it?
We started our service with a song about God being a good good father.
A few weeks ago, around the time of Fathers Day, our young passionate pianist here sent that song to our worship team and said like, check out this song I found. And we were like don’t worry Bro, Medway KNOWS that song, very well. And we sung it so well this morning, because its true.
That is the posture of a patient, loving, perfect in all of your ways, Father, to a rebellious, unfaithful, disobedient, obstinate, child. We are loved by him and He calls us with his outstretched arms to come to Him.
Pray
There is a redeemer, Jesus Gods own Son, Precious Lamb of God Messiah, Holy One.
Thank you o my father for giving us your son and leaving your spirit til the work on earth is done.
Father What is our work? At the very least, to speak of your love to us.How will they believe if they do not hear. Of your great commission gospel commission sent out to all. Give us courage. Give us a rightsizing of the cost of our own comfort. That our comfort truly comes not from how easily we live our lives, or how easily and smoothly we can share our faith. But our comfort rests in the loving outstretched arms of the Good Good Father.
Amen
