WWUTT 1313 Have They Not Heard (Romans 10:18-21)

Have they not heard the gospel of Jesus Christ? Indeed they have. That message has gone out to the world and is still going out. Pray that they would turn from sin and believe in Jesus and so be saved when we understand the text.

This is When We Understand the Text, a daily study of God's word that we may be filled with the knowledge of his will. For questions and comments, send us an email to whenweunderstandthetext at gmail .com.

Here's your teacher, Pastor Gabe. Thank you, Becky. We come back to our study of Romans 10 and we'll finish up our study of this chapter today. I'm gonna begin by reading verse 14 and we'll go through verse 21.

The Necessity of Preaching for Faith

The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Rome, how then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news, but they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?

So faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ. But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for their voice has gone out to all the earth and their words to the ends of the world.

But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation with a foolish nation I will make you angry. Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, I have been found by those who did not seek me.

I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me. But of Israel, he says all day long, I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people. Throughout this particular section, Paul has been making reference to Old Testament passages that testify to this very thing that is going on.

And where we read here in verse 18, but I ask, have they not heard? That's where we're picking up today. The they in that sentence is Israel. We're still coming back to a statement that was made at the beginning of Romans 9 concerning the Jews who did not believe though they had been given the oracles of God.

Paul states this in Romans 3, yet they did not believe in Jesus Christ whom all the law and the prophets is pointing toward. So if they did not have faith in God, has God's covenant promise to the Jewish people not been fulfilled?

And to that argument, Paul says that not everyone who is descended from Israel belongs to Israel, but it is through the child of the promise that we are children of Abraham. And that of course is Jesus Christ, the one who was the promised seed, again, who fulfills everything that was prophesied in the Old Testament.

We've had these constant references here to those things that were prophesied. Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame as it says in verse 11. And then in verse 13, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

And then we have that wonderful reference to Isaiah 52 in Romans 10, 15, as it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news. And then we go to Isaiah 53, verse one, where it says, Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?

And verse 17, so faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ. And that was how we finished up yesterday, understanding that this saving faith that we have come into is by hearing the gospel and believing it.

If it was not for somebody preaching the gospel to us, we would not be saved. Our salvation, our election was determined before the foundation of the world, as Paul had argued back in Romans 9. But God has ordained not only the ends, but the means to that end.

So if he has elected you for salvation, he is going to bring the people into your life to share the gospel with you that you must believe in order to be saved. Christ died for you. It is by faith in him that you demonstrate you were elected before the foundation of the world.

And then Peter talks about in 2 Peter 1, affirming your election through the works that you do. You show that you are a follower of Christ when you live as Christ has called you to live. He said to his disciples in John 14, 15, if you love me, you will keep my commandments.

And we are told in 1 John 2, 5, whoever keeps his word in him, truly the love of God is perfected. By this, we may know that we are in him. Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

So a response to the gospel requires a change in your life. If you believe what has been preached to you, then your life will be changed by that belief. You will no longer walk in the pattern of this world, but being transformed by the renewing of your mind, a statement Paul is gonna make coming up in Romans 12, 2, you will walk as Christ has walked.

You will desire to obey God, not to obey the passions of your flesh. But now you are a slave of Christ, the theology that Paul had laid forth back in chapter six. So faith comes from hearing. The word of Christ preached to us and we believe it.

Hearing through the word of Christ, verse 18. But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have. And remember the they here is Israel. They have heard the declaration of the gospel. So is the reason that they don't believe, is it because they haven't heard?

No, they've heard. They've heard the gospel proclaimed for, as it says in the scriptures, we still have another Old Testament reference here. Their voice has gone out to all the earth and their words to the end of the world, to the ends of the world.

This is from Psalm chapter 19 and it's a direct quote from verse four. I'm gonna start at the beginning of verse one. So you can hear the context here in this citation that Paul is making. The heavens declare the glory of God.

And the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech and night to night reveals knowledge. We're gonna talk about this some more tomorrow with our Proverbs study as well. Going on into verse three.

There is no speech, there are no words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber and like a strong man runs its course with joy.

Its rising is from the end of the heavens and its circuit to the end of them. And there is nothing hidden from its heat. Now it appears here that the Psalm is talking about general revelation, not special revelation.

General revelation is knowledge of God in things that have been made. You can look at creation and you can know that there is a creator, but you don't know God. You don't hear his word in the things that have been made, which is special revelation.

The word of God given to his prophets and apostles and then spoken to us through the scriptures, that's a special revelation. So Psalm 19 appears to be talking about general revelation and Paul has discussed this before in Romans 1, verse 18.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them.

For his invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world and the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

No one will be able to say on the day of judgment, well, we didn't even know God existed. Well, yes, you did. You suppress the truth with unrighteousness, but the evidence of God is in all that has been made.

General revelation is not salvific. You can see evidence of God in the things around you, but you don't know him except through the hearing and believing in his word, which is special revelation. So why is it then that Paul would make a reference to Psalm 19?

Remember that the question asked here is, have they not heard? Romans 10, 18. I ask, have they not heard? And then he answers it by saying, indeed they have, for, in a reference to the Old Testament scriptures, their voice has gone out to all the earth and their words to the ends of the world.

Well, that's in reference to creation. It's general revelation of creation according to Psalm 19. Did Paul not check his context? No, let's look deeper at the context. Let's go on from where I read to you here.

I ended in verse six, Psalm 19 up to verse six. Look at what it says now in verse seven. The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.

The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The rules of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover, by them is your servant warned. In keeping them, there is great reward. So we're not just talking here about general revelation. We're also talking about special revelation. If God by his word has created all things that give testimony to God in his righteousness, then he has also by his word commanded us that also gives testimony to his righteousness.

And the people of Israel, of all people on earth, had no excuse not to know what God has said. He proclaimed it to them, the first to receive the oracles of God. So they have heard. They've heard. They have no excuse to say that they do not believe.

For all of the law and prophets were pointing to Christ. The angels from heaven declared the message of the gospel, even to lowly shepherds there outside of Bethlehem. Yet with all of the things that were presented to the Jews, there were so many who yet did not believe.

They are the they that Paul is referencing here when he says, I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have. For their voice has gone out to all the earth and their words to the ends of the world. The gospel's been proclaimed everywhere.

Why is it that the Jews who were the first to receive the oracles of God did not believe it? But I ask, verse 19, did Israel not understand? So they heard it, but did they not understand? First Moses says, I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation.

With a foolish nation, I will make you angry. And this is a fulfillment of a prophecy made by Moses. Of course, that's the reference there. Back to Deuteronomy 32, verse 21. They have made me jealous with what is no God.

They have provoked me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are no people. I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation. For a fire is kindled by my anger and it burns to the depths of Sheol, devours the earth and its increase, and sets on fire the foundations of the mountains.

These are the words of the Lord God through the prophet Moses. We are that people who were not a nation. As it says in Titus chapter three, verse three, for we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God, our Savior appeared, He saved us. Not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ, our Savior, so that being justified by His grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

We read in 1 Peter chapter two, verses nine and 10, you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. So we as Gentiles, we're once not a nation. It doesn't matter whether you came from America or the UK or South Africa or Australia, or you're listening from North Korea, South Korea, China, the Middle East somewhere, Russia, Canada, anywhere else on any other continent, no matter what nation's borders surround you, before you came to Christ, you were not a nation.

You were not a part of a nation. You were among those who were hated by others and hating one another. Without Christ, we're nothing but divided against one another. We are striving for our own autonomy.

I'm doing it my way. I don't need God. I can be good without God. And this not only brings you in conflict with God, it brings you in conflict with everybody else around you because it's just your autonomy versus their autonomy.

And it's not until we come to Christ that we are saved out of this world and we are made into a people. You are reconciled not only to God through faith in Jesus Christ, but you are reconciled to one another.

And now once not a people, now you are part of a people. You are part of the family of God. You have been adopted by his grace as his child, as a son or daughter of God, that you may walk in this world in a manner that is worthy, that is pleasing unto God.

He has made you worthy by his grace, covering you by the blood of his son. And now you desire to live as a worthy son or daughter of God, pleasing the one who has saved you, who has given himself for you.

We were once not a nation, but now in Christ, we've been made a kingdom of priests. And Israel is jealous. The Jews are jealous to see that there are people out there who are following their God. Wait a minute, this God was our God.

He wasn't your God. You were Gentiles. You were lost. You were wandering around, sinning and doing all manner of unrighteousness. But of course, Paul comes back to that again in Romans 2, where he says, you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges for in passing judgment on another, you condemn yourself because you, the judge, practice the very same things.

The Jews weren't any better than Gentiles. In fact, the blame was heaped even more greatly on them since they had the law of God and did not follow it. They heard it, but they did not understand it. And because they did not understand what God said to them, he says, I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation.

You will see that they have become a nation unto me. I've called them out from the world and made them holy and blameless before me through the imputed righteousness of Christ. And you're gonna be jealous of them with a foolish nation, those who did not know, because they didn't have the law of God.

They're gonna hear the gospel and they're gonna believe and follow me, and you will be angry about that. This is prophesied to the Jews all the way back in Deuteronomy. And then we come back to a reference in Isaiah.

This is Romans 10, 20. Then Isaiah is so bold to say, I have been found by those who did not seek me. I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me. I've been found by those who did not seek me.

Remember, no one seeks for God. We were not seeking after the God of the Hebrews. We weren't seeking after God at all. We were rebellious against God. We were going our own way in this world. And yet we found the God we were not seeking.

How is that? How is that possible? Well, as Jesus said in John 6, 44, no one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him and I will raise him up on the last day. So we like sheep had gone astray.

We were wandering aimlessly. We were headed to our own destruction, but the good shepherd called and the Holy Spirit regenerated our hearts to hear that voice and turn from that way of destruction to follow the good shepherd to everlasting life.

As Jesus also prayed in Matthew 11, he says, all things have been handed over to me by my father and no one knows the son except the father and no one knows the father except the son and anyone to whom the son chooses to reveal him.

You have come to the knowledge of God because God has shown himself to you. It is by his grace and mercy that you are a follower of Jesus. I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me by God's grace.

But then it says in verse 21, but of Israel, he says, all day long, I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people. Remember that Jesus wept over Jerusalem after the triumphal entry. And we read in Luke 19, starting in verse 41, when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it saying, would that you, even you had known on this day the things that make for peace, but now they are hidden from your eyes.

For the days will come upon you when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another in you because you did not know the time of your visitation.

Though the Israelites thought of themselves as being saved because, hey, God called us out of slavery. He gave us the law. We have everything that we need. All we have to do is keep these rules and we're good.

The rest of the world is going to destruction, but we have everlasting life because we're following the law. No Paul's laying out here in Romans, you did not keep the law. You failed at it. James even says, anyone who breaks the law at one point has broken it at every point.

And so the only way of salvation was through Christ. And yet Jesus came to them in their midst in Jerusalem. They did not believe in him. They continued to rely on themselves and their own ability to keep God's law.

And it would go to their own destruction because they did not know who it was who was in their very midst. All day long, I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people. Now this is concerning the Jews as we conclude this out here in Romans chapter 10.

But my friends, there are many who are going to go to destruction even today for the same reason. They heard the word of God and they did not believe it. They heard the law. Their sin was revealed to them.

The righteousness of God was preached to them. They heard the gospel. Turn from your sin and believe in Jesus and you will live. But they refused it. They did not believe. And so just as Paul said this of the Israelites, so it could be said to many of this generation, have they not heard?

Indeed they have. It has been proclaimed to the ends of the earth. The gospel is still going out to all the earth and we must preach it, my friends, because once again, Romans 10, 17, faith, saving faith comes by hearing and hearing through the word of Christ.

How will they know to call on him? In whom they have not believed, how are they to know unless someone preaches it to them? And how are they to preach unless someone is sent, unless they are sent? We must continue to raise up persons who love the gospel of Christ and preach the gospel of Christ for the sake of this lost and dying world, this crooked and depraved generation in which we are to shine like stars holding out the word of life so that many may turn from their sin to Christ and be saved.

There are many who will reject this message and go to their own destruction, but in obedience to God, we must continue to proclaim it until his coming. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you that we have been saved by this message and not by anything that we have done, but by your grace and mercy.

You called us out of darkness into your marvelous light. We like sheep have gone astray. Our iniquity has been laid upon Christ and we are now followers of the good shepherd. So may we not be ashamed of this gospel message for it alone is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes that Jesus died on the cross for sins.

He rose again from the grave and whoever believes in him will not perish under the judgment of God, but have everlasting life. Keep us bold to this message. May we not shrink back from it, but continue to proclaim it until Jesus comes and we live according to this gospel message.

Keep our steps from stumbling, our hearts from the world and unto you living to Jesus with every day that we have on this earth. We pray in Jesus' name, amen.

You've been listening to When We Understand the Text with Pastor Gabe Hughes. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, Gabe will be going through a New Testament study. Then on Thursday, we look at an Old Testament book.

On Friday, we take questions from the listeners and viewers. Tomorrow, we'll pick up on an Old Testament study When We Understand the Text.