Israel Rejects The Gospel
August 6, 2020
Commentary
This passage applies primarily to Jews, but it applies also to all lost souls around the world. Dr. E. Meyers Harrison, a veteran missionary and professor of missions, says there are four reasons why the Church must send out missionaries:
1. The command from above – “go ye into all the world” (Mark 16:15).
2. The cry from beneath – “send him to my father’s house” (Luke 16:27).
3. The call from without – “come over and help us” (Acts 16:9).
4. The constraint from within – “the love of Christ constrains us” (II Corinthians 5:14).
In Isaiah’s day the Jews did not believe God’s Word, and they still do not believe it today. This rejection results in the following:
1. Israel is guilty – (v. 18). She heard, but she would not heed (Psalm 19:4).
2. The message goes to the Gentiles – (vv. 19-20). One reason why God sent the Gospel to the Gentiles was that they might provoke the Jews to jealousy (Isaiah 65:1).
3. God still yearns for His people – (v. 21). God’s favor to the Gentiles did not mean that He didn’t still love the Jews (Isaiah 65:2).
Paul shows in this passage how unreasonable (vv. 16-20) and how unrelenting (v. 21) Jewish disbelief in the Lord really is. “Faith comes by hearing and hearing with the Word of God.” The tragedy is that people refuse to hear. They may consent to listen, but they refuse to hear. There is power in the Word to those who will hear, but the Jews refused to hear. Despite God’s repeated invitations and warnings, Israel persisted in rebellion and disobedience, refusing to be persuaded.
Application
What kind of a missionary am I? If people that I know are going to be saved, they must call upon the Lord. They will not know to call upon the Lord unless I share my faith with them.
Romans 10:14– 21 (NET)
14 How are they to call on one they have not believed in? And how are they to believe in one they have not heard of? And how are they to hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How timely is the arrival of those who proclaim the good news.” 16 But not all have obeyed the good news, for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 Consequently faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the preached word of Christ.
18 But I ask, have they not heard? Yes, they have: Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. 19 But again I ask, didn’t Israel understand? First Moses says, “I will make you jealous by those who are not a nation; with a senseless nation I will provoke you to anger.” 20 And Isaiah is even bold enough to say, “I was found by those who did not seek me; I became well known to those who did not ask for me.” 21 But about Israel he says, “All day long I held out my hands to this disobedient and stubborn people!”