Romans 10:19-21 - Israel's Jealousy

Romans 10:19-21 - 19 But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they? First Moses says, “I will make you jealous by that which is not a nation, By a nation without understanding will I anger you.” 20 And Isaiah is very bold and says, “I was found by those who did not seek Me,

I became manifest to those who did not ask for Me.” 21 But as for Israel He says, “All the day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”

Message: Israel didn't accept God's way of salvation and God grafts in another nation, the Gentiles

Time: Written in AD 57 from Greece, to the Christians, both Gentile and Jewish in Rome.

What the Lord is Saying: 

Background
To me, the significance of this chapter has been that in Paul communicating that people, despite appearing religious and having a zeal for God, often are not following the Lord in the way He has intended. People busy themselves with law keeping, focusing on the following the commands of God rather than surrendering to the Lord and relying on God for His provision of salvation in His Son. And it seems to be such a danger because in life we are often continually trained in the notion that doing your best or being good enough will result in favor. Right now, it is Christmas time and the message of Santa Claus is just that. Have you been good this year? Only good boys and girls receive favor from Santa Claus.

This is rather frightening. I think it calls to attention how much we are persuaded by the World and its messages. And we tend to be digressing more and more in that direction as naturalism and the worlds ways and thinking more and more takes center stage in all walks of life.

Christ ended the law of practicing righteousness. 10:4, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." 

Paul contrasts this message in verses 5-8. I find it somewhat difficult to communicate that contrast in today's world climate because that message is everywhere. Then, the message of living a principled life by the Christian seems to be absent from many lives because they think they have their "Get out of Hell free" card and so their life of living by faith is often not lived. 

This is the importance of verses 9-15. Christians must carry the Light. 

Though Paul does communicate that people need to preach the message of Christ. People need to be ambassadors of Truth. Yet, he also wants to make it clear that the revelation of Christ or the revelation of faith has not been absent from the Lord. 

Grafting another people in
Deuteronomy 32:21 says, "‘They have made Me jealous with what is not God; They have provoked Me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation." 

According to Tabletalk on August 13, 2014, "The verse in Deuteronomy is part of a song that Moses sang when the nation of Israel was about to enter the Promised Land. This song recounts God's relationship with Israel up to that point, and it also looks forward to the future. Since Israel had provoked and would continue to provoke the Lord to jealousy by serving other gods, God would provoke the Israelites to jealousy by adopting another people who were not a nation--who were not separated unto Him like the Israelites."

Thus the words in verse 19, "But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they?" Israel was given the first and greatest opportunity and yet rejected God because they did not want to worship Him according to His ways. They actually worshiped other gods in order to make God jealous. They picked up idols. And Moses predicts that another people, a foolish nation, will be grafted in; the Gentiles.

Be bold
Verse 20, "Isaiah is very bold." Proverbs 28:1, "The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, but the righteous are bold as a lion." It is said that those who have the Spirit are bold. Isaiah was bold in his declaration. It is clear that the God follower is to be bold. 

Open hands

Isaiah 65:1-2, "I permitted Myself to be sought by those who did not ask for Me; I permitted Myself to be found by those who did not seek Me. I said, ‘Here am I, here am I,’ To a nation which did not call on My name. ² “I have spread out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, Who walk in the way which is not good, following their own thoughts."

Verse 2 of Isaiah 65 says that the Lord holds out his hands. We either clinch or grab or we hold open and welcome. We are clinching people often, eager to hold onto more and more. I saw this pictured in the Hallmark movie, "Have a little faith" by the Rabbi portrayed by Michael Landau. He said we come into the world with clinched hands, grabbing, and we should leave with open hands. It is hard for the Lord to hold out his hands to a nay-saying world and a disobedient world. God is patient.

The Gentile on his own does not seek for God. Romans 3:11 says, "There is no one who seeks for God." 

A people that reject God
Isn't this interesting that Isaiah declares in prophetic way that the nation of Israel would reject the Messiah, Christ Jesus. He looks at Isaiah 65 and verse 2. 

God does not necessarily bestow his favor and grace upon those that are faithful to him. 

Deuteronomy 9:6-7, "⁶ “Know, then, it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stubborn people. ⁷ Remember, do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness; from the day that you left the land of Egypt until you arrived at this place, you have been rebellious against the Lord." Instead it says that God must deal with wickedness. His favor on people is because he must deal with the wickedness of others. 

Promise: God graciously reveals Himself.