July 7th
14: How then shall they call on him in whom
they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not
heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15: And how shall they
preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them
that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 16: But
they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed
our report? 17: So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of
God. 18: But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all
the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. 19: But I say, Did not
Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are
no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. 20: But Esaias is very
bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest
unto them that asked not after me. 21: But to Israel he saith, All day long I
have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.
Paul continues his theme regarding the future
purpose of God for Israel. He says, How will Israel call on the Lord if they do
not believe in him? And how will they believe in him if they have never heard
about him? And how are they going to hear without a preacher being sent to
them? This passage must warm the heart of every Gospel preacher. The really
exciting thing is that the preacher only preaches the Gospel but the sinner
hears and in hearing believes and is saved. WOW what a great responsibility and
great honour. Then Paul says how will the preacher go if he is not sent by God?
So the first qualification of a preacher of the Gospel is a commission from the
Lord to go. I said to a young man recently; don’t go unless you must go,
because you are called of the Lord. Paul quotes scripture, How beautiful are
the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of
good things! There is no greater joy and no more beautiful thing that to be a
herald of the glad tidings. Then Paul comes down to earth. He says But they
have not all obeyed the gospel. The gospel had gone out to every synagogue of
the Roman Empire but the Jews did not always obey the command to repent and
return unto the God of their Fathers. Because Isaiah also said, who has
believed our report? Isaiah prophesied of unbelief in Israel. Paul summarises
before he moves on - faith comes by hearing, and what do they hear? - The word
of God. The phrase 'word of God' is used here to describe the message of the
Gospel. So Paul asks the question, have they (the Jews) not heard? And the
answer is, Yes in truth, the sound of the Gospel went out into all the earth,
and their words unto the ends of the world. Then Paul goes on to ask, didn’t
Israel know about Jesus and the Christians who believed in him? Firstly Moses
said, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a
foolish nation I will anger you. Moses here is predicting the coming of the
Church. The church is a people that is no people. In other words they are an
assembly of people from every ethnic group including Israel and the Jews have
looked on in Jealousy of Gods blessing shed abroad on the church. And their
Jealousy led to anger and persecution of Christians (see Paul life) Isaiah
said, of the gentile believers in Jesus - I was found of them that sought me
not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. Yet to Israel the
Lord said, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and
gainsaying people. How sad that Israel who knew the Lord were disobedient and
rejected Christ but how glorious that Gentiles who did not know the Lord turned
to believe in Christ in their millions.
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