God’s Open Arms to Rebellious Israel and His Revelation to the Gentiles
Romans 10:18–21 (NLT)
18 But I ask, have the people of Israel actually heard the message? Yes, they have:
“The message has gone throughout the earth,
and the words to all the world.”
19 But I ask, did the people of Israel really understand? Yes, they did, for even in the time of Moses, God said,
“I will rouse your jealousy through people who are not even a nation.
I will provoke your anger through the foolish Gentiles.”
20 And later Isaiah spoke boldly for God, saying,
“I was found by people who were not looking for me.
I showed myself to those who were not asking for me.”
21 But regarding Israel, God said,
“All day long I opened my arms to them,
but they were disobedient and rebellious.”
Message
Someone should be sent and he/she should tell them the message of the Good News so that they may hear, believe and call (Romans 10:14-15).
However, Psalm 19:1-3 says the heavens and the skies continue to speak without a sound or word and make God known. As a result,
“The message has gone throughout the earth,
and the words to all the world.” (18, Psalm 19:4)
Therefore, the people of Israel should have heard the message. Above all, they even had the written Law of Moses so that they could read, study and understand the message. So, the people of Israel were those who should have heard and understood the message (19a).
However, the people of Israel were disobedient and rebellious even though God opened His arms to them all day long (Isaiah 65:2). They rejected the message of the Good News when they heard it.
On the other hand, the foolish Gentiles heard the message from the heavens and the skies (18, Psalm 19:1-4). They found God and saw God (Isaiah 65:1). They believed the message of the Good News when they heard it.
Jesus taught in John 6:45 (NLT)
As it is written in the Scriptures, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me.
Therefore, God foretold through Moses,
“I will rouse your jealousy through people who are not even a nation.
I will provoke your anger through the foolish Gentiles.” (19, Deuteronomy 32:21)
