Romans 10:15-21

As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news" [Isaiah 52:7]! But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message" [Isaiah 53:1]? Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. 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" [Psalm 19:4]. 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" [Deuteronomy 32:21]. 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" [Isaiah 65:1]. But concerning Israel he says, "All day long I have held out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people" [Isaiah 65:2].

Why is it that people reject the Gospel?

Paul asked four questions in v13-14, and he works through the answers to the questions in reverse order: Is it because God has not sent preachers? No. In v15 Paul quotes Isaiah 52:7 to show that God has sent messengers, Isaiah being a primary one. Beautiful feet are not soft and pedicured; rather, they are dirty, rough, and worn. The messengers God calls are beautiful people because of the message they carry. We sing about Jesus being beautiful, but Scripture says that there was nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him. Jesus is beautiful because of His message and His work.

Is it because the preachers have failed to share the good news? No. In v16, Paul quotes Isaiah 53:1 to show that Isaiah did deliver the message, but the people did not believe it. Isaiah 53:1 found its fulfillment in John 12:37-38. “Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in Him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: ‘Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?’”

Is it because the people didn’t hear and understand the message? No. Skip over v17 to v18. Paul quotes Psalm 19:4 to show that the people did hear. This particular verse in Psalm 19 points to creation as general revelation. The whole Psalm gives room for general (v1-6) and specific (v7-11) revelation. Just as God as given creation as general revelation – a witness to Himself, to His eternal power and divine nature, so also has God given His Word made flesh, Jesus Christ, as specific revelation – a witness to Himself through the Gospel. So Paul is “playing” with his audience here. Paul is basically saying, “If the Gentiles, who had only general revelation, have heard, then surely the Jews, who had general and special revelation, have also heard.” So the whole world has heard. See Colossians 1:23. But what about understanding?

Let me say two things regarding understanding. First, from v19-20, there is no intellectual problem. Paul proves that with quotes from both the law and the prophets. Notice that the first quote in v19 comes from Deuteronomy 32:21, and then the second quote in v20 comes from Isaiah 65:1. Paul is saying, “Look, both the law and the prophets in the Scriptures make it clear that the Gospel was clearly understood by the people of Israel, and it was made so clear that even the Gentiles, who didn’t understand, understood it.” Moses’ and Isaiah’s prophecies that the Gentiles would believe to the anger of the Israelites came true. That proves Paul’s point. The Gentiles were never very theologically sharp; they were a nation without understanding, yet they understood the message of the Gospel, that salvation is by grace through faith in the Messiah and not by works. They never sought God, but they found Him as He revealed Himself to them. But the Jews, on the other hand, were theologically sharp. They were a nation with understanding, that is, intellectual understanding or assent. But they sought God and did not find Him. So by hearing the Gentiles understood, but hearing doesn’t bring understanding for the Jew. Why not?

V21 answers this question, gives us my second point regarding understanding, and addresses the very first question Paul asked back in v14. Is it because the people heard and understood yet still failed to believe and call on the name of the Lord and be saved? Yes! The people had everything necessary to be responsible for believing; they intellectually understood, but they didn’t experientially understand. They had no understanding from the heart. Hearing is not understanding for the Jew, because it must come from the heart and not merely from the head. The Jews were disobedient and obstinate (stubborn). Paul is saying that Israel didn’t call on the name of the Lord because they went after other gods and sought God in the wrong way. The depravity of Israel kept the Jews from embracing the Savior. We’ll come back and look at v17 and v21 in more detail to finish up chapter 10 next time.