Unsearchable Judgments, Inscrutable Ways

Romans 11:13-36

The outline of Romans we have been working from is: 

Romans 1-3:20 Sin

Romans 3:21-5 Salvation

Romans 6-8 Sanctification

Romans 9-11 Sovereignty

Romans 12-16 Service

With the end of Romans 11, we are coming to the close of the section on sovereignty. Since we are talking about the sovereignty of God, Romans 11 comes to an end with a hymn. Romans 11:33 starts this hymn of praise saying:

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! (Romans 11:33 ESV)

When we contemplate God’s sovereignty, we are confronted with His greatness, His unsearchable judgments and His inscrutable ways.

The salvation that God provides displays His riches. As we are told in Ephesians 1:4,

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, (Ephesians 1:3 ESV)

The spiritual blessings we have received are part of the riches of the salvation we enjoy. While we enjoy great riches now, the depth or fullness of these riches is not yet apparent. However, as Romans 8:18 says:

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18 ESV)

The depth of the riches will become much more apparent when the glory this verse speaks of is revealed to us.

In the same way, the greatness of God’s judgments and ways are beyond our ability to comprehend. This being said, when we talk about God’s sovereignty, we talk about His judgments and His ways. Therefore, we are talking about things that go beyond our ability to comprehend. Because of this, we must approach this subject with humility. God has revealed much to us, and He wants us to understand what He has revealed. In Deuteronomy 29:29, the Scriptures say:

The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions. (Deuteronomy 29:29 NLT)

Today, we are going to try to understand what He has revealed to us about His judgments and His ways in Romans 11:13-36. In doing this, we will consider the following three things:

1. the root (verses 13-24)
2. the deliverer (verses 25-27)
3. the gifts (verses 28-32)

First, then we will consider the root.

The term first shows up in Romans 11 at verse 16 where it says:

...and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

Paul is talking in this passage about why he makes much of his ministry. He has stated that the rejection of the Jews has meant the reconciliation of the world and their acceptance will mean life from the dead. Now, we know that reconciliation and resurrection operate according to the sovereign will and plan of God. We also know that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself and also we know that Jesus is the resurrection and the life. 

Jesus is the root of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1) and the root out of dry ground (Isaiah 53:2) of the Old Testament. The Old Testament is the Hebrew Scriptures, the promises of God to the Jewish people. The New Testament is the fulfillment of those promises. Near the end of the last chapter of the Bible, Jesus says:

"I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star." (Revelation 22:16 ESV)

As the root and descendant of David, Jesus is the root that supports the olive tree of Romans 11. In Romans 11:17-24, we see several things about the olive tree. First, we see that branches were broken off that we might be grafted in. We are Gentiles, and so we see that the tree is Jewish by nature. A number of times this has been emphasized to us in the book of Romans. The law, prophets and forefathers are all Jewish. We might add that all the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ are Jewish.

In view of our grafting in and of their rejection, we are given two warnings. First, we should not become arrogant and second, we should not be proud. 

We show arrogance when we think we are superior to others. In the case of the olive tree, we might think we are superior to the Jews because they were cut off and we were grafted in. This sort of arrogance towards the Jewish people has marked history at different points. This is not of the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God moved Paul to say that His heart’s desire and prayer to God was that they might be saved.

We must be aware of developing arrogance in our hearts in regard to any person or group of people. Arrogance grows out of pride. Pride is an awareness of one’s own dignity and value. In one sense, there is a healthy pride that values one’s self as being created in the image of God and loved by Him. However, when we value ourselves above others, pride becomes sinful. Others are also created in God’s image and loved by Him.

In the case of the Church, the Jews were rejected and the Gentiles were grafted in. The root is still Jewish. He is still the root of Jesse. This rejection of the Jews and acceptance of Gentiles is the judgment of God, and it is unsearchable. This means it is impossible for humans to fully search out these judgments. However, we are called upon to note both the kindness and severity of God. God is very severe to those who reject His Son, Jesus Christ, and He is very kind to those who accept Him. Understanding that God’s judgments are unsearchable, and that it is of His mercies that we are not consumed should remove all arrogance and pride from our relations with other people. However, arrogance and pride are so natural to us that we must continually be reminded to meditate on God’s unsearchable judgments.

After considering the root that supports the olive tree, we come to the portion of chapter 11 that speaks of the Deliverer that is to come out of Zion. Romans 11:26 speaks of the “Deliverer” that will come from Zion.

This Deliverer, like the root, is referring to Jesus. Before we get to that though we must speak about Zion. Zion is the name of Jerusalem and of Israel. However, in the New Testament we are introduced to the idea of a heavenly Zion. Hebrews 12:22 says:

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, (Hebrews 12:22 ESV)

To shed further light on this concept of Zion, Philippians 3:20 says:

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, (Philippians 3:20 ESV)

It is from this heavenly Zion that we wait for a Savior. Israel also awaits their Deliverer to come from this heavenly Zion to the earthly Zion.

Daniel 9:24 says:

Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. (Daniel 9:24 ESV)

In this prophecy, you will notice that it says, “to finish the transgression and to put an end to sin.” This is the same sort of language used in Romans 11:26 when it says the Deliverer will banish ungodliness from Jacob. The coming of this Deliverer is described in Revelation 19 where it is telling about the end of the tribulation period, the seventieth week of Daniel. Revelation 19:19 says:

And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. (Revelation 19:19 ESV)

In Revelation, we see Jesus coming on a white horse and slaying the beast and the kings of the earth. Then He will set up His kingdom on earth, and all Israel will be saved. Romans 11:26 states it as plain as that. “All Israel will be saved.” Romans 11:25 tells us what the delay in completing this plan is. It says, “...until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” In another place the Scriptures say:

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (2 Peter 3:9 ESV)

According to these two passages, the only thing holding back the coming of the Deliverer is the patience of God. This is one of the inscrutable ways of God. Even with all that God has revealed about what He is doing, we find it difficult to understand what is happening and how it fits into God’s plan. Understanding what is being explained in Romans 11 has been one of the major dividing points of the Church and it has been the source of many cults and deceptions as men try to understand the inscrutable ways of God. It is important for this reason that we do not become wise in our own eyes as Romans 11:25 warns us. We must do what verse 26 does and stick to what is written, or in other words, to what God has revealed about His ways.

The key to us understanding what God has revealed about His unsearchable judgments and inscrutable ways is found in what I have titled the gifts. This is taken from Romans 11:29 where it says, “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” 

In another place in Scripture it says:

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (James 1:17 ESV)

According to this, God does not change. Therefore, God’s gifts do not change. Romans 11:28 assumes this fact when it says that Israel is beloved for the sake of their forefathers. God’s unchangeable nature means that the promises He made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David will never change or go away. They are irrevocable. 

The partial hardening is happening for our sakes, so that we can partake in the promises and gifts of God. This also was part of God’s promise to Abraham, when He said He would bless all the nations on earth through Abraham.

Paul warns us not to become wise in our own sight. Three things are warned against in Romans 11:13-36: arrogance, pride and being wise in our own sight.  The hymn of praise at the end of this section teaches the proper humility and awe with which we need to approach such a subject as the sovereignty of God.

We are not His counselor or teacher. We are His creatures, and we are the humble recipients of His grace. 

Chosen

Romans 11:1-12

The descendants of Israel (Jacob) are known as God’s chosen people.

Even today, if one speaks of the “chosen people,” most people understand this is a reference to the Jews.

Along with the association of the Jews with the “chosen people,” the land now occupied by the nation of Israel is known as “the promised land.” The terms “chosen people” and “promised land” have a long and storied history, dating back to the time of Abraham. The bulk of our Bible contains the history, law, poetry and prophets of the chosen people, and most of the events and stories we study and teach in the Church took place in the Promised Land.

God promised much to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the nation of Israel. Jeremiah 31:3 says:

Long ago the Lord said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself. (Jeremiah 31:3 NLT)

However, it does not seem like God has shown much love to Israel.

Less than 100 years ago, one of the mightiest nations on earth tried to wipe the Jews from the face of the earth, and millions were murdered. In 1948, Israel’s neighbors tried to destroy the new nation and were defeated. In 1967, Egypt, Syria and Jordan tried to destroy Israel again. Even to this day, there remains a sizable portion of the Middle East that would like nothing more than to see Israel wiped off the face of the earth.

For centuries, Israel did not exist as a nation, and it did not appear that God loved Israel. One might ask, even now, if God has rejected His people. Humans break relationships all the time. We make promises to have and to hold, to honor and to cherish until parted by death, and we break these promises. Many know the sting and pain of being rejected outright as relationships end. Experience has taught us that we can expect promises to be broken.

Along these lines, schools of thought exist in the Church that interpret history as revealing that God has rejected His people. One common interpretation is that the Church has replaced Israel and references to Israel in prophecy are interpreted allegorically. This is an error. While the Church certainly partakes of the promises and grace extended to Israel, Romans 11, along with other passages, makes it clear that Israel still has a place in God’s plan.

Even from the earliest days of the Church, as Gentile believers became more numerous, the question of the place of Israel in God’s plan became an issue. Thus, in Romans, Paul addresses the place of Israel in God’s plan. This is the subject of Romans 9-11. 

Paul was the Apostle to the Gentiles. The other 12 Apostles ministered to the Jewish people. The Church was Jewish. However, the Church grew like wildfire among the Gentiles. At the end of Romans 10, Paul explains how God was found by those who did not seek Him, referring to the salvation of the Gentiles. And then, he quotes Isaiah 65:2, calling Israel a disobedient and contrary people.

With the salvation of the Gentiles and the contrariness of Israel as the background, Paul asks a question:

I ask then, has God rejected his people? (Romans 11:1, ESV)

He answers His own question immediately with “By no means!”

He follows this with an explanation of how Israel remains God’s chosen people, but not all of them are saved yet. They are chosen, but a partial hardening has happened for a time. Today, we are going to look at Romans 11:1-12 where three concepts in God’s plan are introduced. Those three concepts are:

1. The Remnant (Verses 1-6)
2. The Hardening (Verses 7-10)
3. The Fullness (Verses 11-12)

Israel remains God’s chosen people. However at the present time only a remnant is saved. 

Paul uses himself as an example. He says:

I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. (Romans 11:1 ESV)

Paul gives his lineage as an Israelite to show that God has not rejected His people. A complete rejection would mean that he, as an Israelite, would not be saved.

The Israelites were contrary throughout their history. In ancient Israel, when Ahab was king and Jezebel was queen (874-853 BC), the nation of Israel rejected God and replaced Him with the Baals and the Ashtoreths. Jezebel led in the persecution of the prophets of the Lord and many of them were put to death. This led to the statement that Paul quotes in Romans 11:2-4.

God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? "Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life." But what is God's reply to him? "I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." (Romans 11:2-4 ESV)

While it seemed to Elijah that all of Israel had abandoned God for the Baals and the Ashtoreths, God says He kept seven thousand men for Himself. These seven thousand then serve as an illustration of what verse 5 calls a “remnant.”  Verse 5 says:

So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. (Romans 11:5 ESV)

God, even to this day, has kept a remnant of His people. It is sad that only a small percentage of Israelites accept Jesus as their Messiah. However, those that clearly identify themselves as Jewish and believers in Jesus number over 350,000 world-wide. (This would make the current remnant to be at just over 2 percent of the total Jewish population.)

Paul makes it clear about this remnant that they are chosen by grace. In verse 2, he says that God has not rejected His people “whom he foreknew.” Once again, we are confronted with both the foreknowledge and choosing of God. This is important for us to know because as Paul points out, the election or choosing of God is based on grace. God knew (foreknowledge) that Israel would reject Him, but He chose them anyway. This is grace. This is what is referred to in Jeremiah 31:3 when He says, “With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.” God’s grace is unfailing.

However, when we choose to reject His grace, there are consequences. We do not derail His plans, but we suffer for our rejection. The remnant reflects God’s unfailing grace, but the consequences of rejection are reflected in the hardening.

This is the second concept we will look at in relation to Israel in God’s plan: the hardening.

Verse 7 starts with a question, “What then?”

As a side note, you might notice that the three concepts we are looking at today are each introduced by a question. Each concept leads to the next as questions arise. 

The whole of verse 7 says:

What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, (Romans 11:7 ESV)

Israel was seeking. In Romans 10, Paul said:

For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. (Romans 10:2-3 ESV)

In these verses, we see that they were seeking to establish their own righteousness, and they did not submit to God’s righteousness. Romans 11:7 says they “failed to obtain” what they were seeking. The elect, the chosen remnant, did obtain it. We have already seen that there are those who have received the grace of God and who are not trying to establish their own righteousness. Their salvation is by grace alone (Romans 11:6). The non-elect, the rest, it is said are hardened.

Their hardening takes place in two parts. 

First, we see that they are given a spirit of stupor, or eyes that do not see. (Romans 11:8)

When we refuse to receive the message of truth, even what we do receive is quickly lost. In the parable of the sower and the seeds, Jesus likened the truth to seeds that were sown. Seeds that landed on the path, or hardened soil, were soon snatched up by birds. This is what happens when the truth comes to those who are hardened against the truth. 2 Corinthians 4 tells us:

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Corinthians 4:3-4 ESV)

This blindness is the first part of the hardening. The second follows after it like floods follow rain.

Romans 11:9 says:

And David says, "Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; (Romans 11:9 ESV)

Imagine a table laden with good things. How does this become a snare and a trap?

This is a quote from Psalm 69. This Psalm contains a prophecy about the crucifixion of Jesus. To give you more of that context the verses involved say:

They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink. Let their own table before them become a snare; and when they are at peace, let it become a trap. (Psalms 69:21-22 ESV)

The “sour wine” is a foretelling of Jesus on the cross. The Israelites who gave up Jesus to be crucified had the Law of Moses. They had the prophets. They had this very Psalm of David that is being quoted. They were partakers in the mighty grace of God. These blessings were and are still theirs. Their table was piled high with blessings. However, these tremendous blessings were the trap that snared them because seeking to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 

If we refuse the grace of God, the very grace we refuse becomes the trap that hardens us to the truth. The hardening of Israel has taken place in two parts. The first part was blindness because they refused the truth, and the second part was to stumble over the grace that would have saved them. 

This hardening brings us back to the original question, “Has God rejected His people?  In Romans 11:11, Paul asks:

So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? (Romans 11:11 ESV)

This question is a little different than the question we started with. This is a question of why they stumbled. Therefore, while we are back to the original question, it is with the added purpose of seeking to understand why there is only a remnant and why there is a hardening.

The answer is astounding.

So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. (Romans 11:11 ESV)

Here, the purpose of God is revealed in part. “Through their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles.”

This is not some sort of backup plan. God foreknew the Israelites and He foreknew you and me. The Church and the salvation of the Gentiles have always been part of His plan. In Daniel, we have the prophecy of the seventy weeks. In that prophecy, we have a precise timetable for the crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ took place precisely at the end of week 69. The seventieth week is still to take place. At the end of the seventieth week, Jesus will return and set up His kingdom, and all Israel will be saved.

This is what is meant by Romans 11:12.

Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean! (Romans 11:12 ESV)

These words “full inclusion” are referring to the completion of God’s plan for the nation of Israel. “How much more will their full inclusion mean!” It is not a question. It is an exclamation.

While we might become confused and be conflicted about much of what happened to Israel, there is much we can learn about the purpose and working of God in our world and lives.

As we look at our own lives and families, we see the effects of grace and hardening. And, we may wonder about God’s working. However, I want to leave you with two thoughts.

First, Jesus will return, and it is going to be wonderful. Our present suffering will not be worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed.

Second, let’s remember the words of our Lord Jesus:

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. (John 15:16 ESV)

A Contrary People

Romans 10

Ancient Israel serves as an example for us.

Their crossing of the Red Sea shows how God rescues His people from slavery. Their journey through the wilderness shows how God provides and cares for His people.

Pharaoh and his army chased the people and when they had nowhere to go, God opened a way through the Red Sea and drowned Pharaoh’s army in that same sea.

In 40 years in the wilderness, they received manna from heaven every day except the Sabbath. In addition, their clothes and shoes never wore out

God rescued and provided for His people.

1 Corinthians 10:11 tells us:

Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. (1 Corinthians 10:11 ESV)

Both the good and the bad are included in the example. God’s provision and God’s judgment are examples for us. The Israelites’ wanderings and grumblings, as well as their victories are examples for us.

God is not finished with Israel, as Romans 11 makes clear. However, they serve as a picture of what God’s rescue and deliverance of all mankind looks like.

In Romans 10, the Apostle Paul discusses Israel’s failure to apprehend the salvation that God provided. He discusses three bridges they needed to cross in order to receive the salvation God offered.

First, Paul takes us back to the subject that he began in the first verse of chapter 9, his desire for his kinsmen according to the flesh to be saved. He says:

Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. (Romans 10:1 ESV)

In chapter 9, he said that he wished that he could be cursed in order to save them. He was willing to die for them, and here in chapter 10, he is saying he petitions God for their salvation. However, he recognizes that they have not only stumbled over the stumbling stone (Chapter 9), but they also have some obstacles to recognize and cross, for this they need bridges.

The first bridge is knowledge.

His discussion of this is found in verses 2-4.

In verse 2, he recognizes that they have a zeal for God, but the problem with their zeal is that it is not according to knowledge.

Zeal for God is good and necessary. However, ignorant zeal can be dangerous. Zeal without knowledge strengthens us in our ignorance, or in other words, hardens us to the truth.

According to verse 3, Israel was ignorant of God’s righteousness, and therefore tried to establish its own. This is true of all of humanity. We try to establish our own righteousness, and, consequently, do not submit to God’s righteousness.

The important knowledge that Israel remained ignorant of is given in verse 4:

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. (Romans 10:4 ESV)

The first bridge that anyone who would be saved, Israelite or otherwise, must cross is that of knowledge. We all must come to the truth that we are not saved by any righteousness of our own. Many remain unsaved simply because of ignorance.

However, for those who come to the truth that we are not saved by any righteousness of our own, another obstacle comes up that must be bridged.

The second bridge is the message.

Verse 5-13 cover the message.

Romans 10:5 starts the section on the message by bringing up what Moses writes about the law that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. It is at this place that the message becomes objectionable to many people, because the law makes it abundantly clear that not one of us can ever manage to keep the whole law without stumbling at any point.

Therefore, the message moves forward with the statement:

But the righteousness based on faith says, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) "or 'Who will descend into the abyss?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). (Romans 10:6-7 ESV)

The “ascending into heaven” and “descending into the abyss” is about human effort. We make saints out of people who seem to us to be spiritual giants. To us, it seems like our saints have managed to climb all the way to heaven by their great holiness and spirituality. Some even try to emulate saints by talking holy, praying holy and using holy words in all their speech. The message starts with abandoning all efforts at making yourself holy or righteous, not even suggesting it in your heart.

Once we come to this point, the message is simple. Are you ready? Here it is:

But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. (Romans 10:8-10 ESV)

From this, we gather that salvation is a mouth and heart issue, with the mouth one confesses and with the heart one believes. Notice no works are mentioned here. By believing, we are justified. By confessing, we are saved.

Another obstacle that we humans have to accepting this message is our prejudices. The Israelites thought that since God gave the message through them, they were the only ones to whom the message applied. In other words, they thought they were the only ones who could be saved. We are all tempted to think in these terms. If you are not born into the right family, do not even try. Well, this might be the human way, but it is not God’s way. Romans 10:12-13 says:

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:12-13 ESV)

Salvation is for any person who will believe in their heart and confess with their mouth. Salvation is for any person who will believe.

Understanding this message, is the second bridge that we must cross to enjoy the salvation that God offers. However, along with knowledge and the message, another bridge must be crossed. This bridge is really the determining factor. As Romans 10:10 says, “For with the heart one believes and is justified.” The third bridge is the bridge to the heart.

If one is ignorant, knowledge must be given or received before one can even begin to think about salvation. And if belief is required for salvation, then the message must be understood before one can partake of salvation. In the transition to considering the heart, Paul points out the truth of the antecedent bridges of knowledge and the message. Romans 10:14 says:

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? (Romans 10:14 ESV)

A person cannot believe in someone they have never heard of. This is obvious, and it points out the obvious need of a messenger. This is why Jesus told us to preach the gospel to all nations and to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send forth workers into the harvest.

A person cannot believe in someone they have never heard of. This is why verse 15 says:

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!" (Romans 10:15 ESV)

While this has much to do with our mission as a church, it does not cross the final bridge. Verse 16 points out the difficulty.

But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?" (Romans 10:16 ESV)

The difficulty is that not everyone believes when they hear and even understand the message. Romans 10:18 makes it clear that Israel heard the message. In addition, it refers to Psalm 19:4 when it says, “Their voice has gone out to all the earth.” Romans 1 already told us that mankind is without excuse because God has made His existence and glory obvious in His creation. However, Romans 10, verses 19-20 addressing whether or not Israel understood the message, do not say that they understood the message. Rather, God says He will make them jealous. Jealousy and the affections are a matter of the heart. While the message addresses the mind and the understanding, the heart must be addressed for one to make a decision.

Therefore, God says:

 “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.” (Romans 10:21)

The word translated “contrary” here in verse 21 literally means to “say the opposite.” Another translation would be to “contradict.” Therefore, we have a picture of a people that say the opposite whenever they hear a word from God. God says something is good. So, they say it is bad. God says something is bad. So, they say it is good.

This was true of Israel. Jesus preached a message of repentance to them. Repentance means to change one’s mind and to agree with God. However, while many repented and believed on Him, the vast majority did not.

This is still true in our world today. While Christianity is the largest and fastest growing religion in the world today, the vast majority of people on the earth do not believe in Jesus. Many have not heard, and we must continue to labor until everyone hears. However, most have heard and do hear. The problem is the contrary heart.

People have many different reasons for resisting the Holy Spirit. Psalm 2 speaks of resistance to the Holy Spirit when it says:

Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed... (Psalms 2:1-2 ESV)

Not just the kings of the earth set themselves against the Lord. The people of the earth do the same. Although the message is almost universally available, the vast majority of people do not believe.

However, we do not need to despair or give up. Two things about this contrary people give us hope. First, we see in Romans 10:20 that those who were not seeking found the Lord. He showed Himself to those who did not ask for Him. You and I fit into this group. However, God can save those whom He chooses, even if they have contrary hearts. Many are yet to be saved. Our labor is not in vain in the Lord. The second thing that gives us hope is as God says in Romans 11:26.

And in this way all Israel will be saved...

We do not know all God plans on doing, but we have His promise that His word does not return to Him without accomplishing that which He has sent it to do. And, we know that He is not willing that any should perish.

So, what are we to do in light of the contrary nature of people’s hearts?

God shows us by example what we are to do. As Romans 10:21 says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.” Our tendency is to write people off, or count them as unreachable or beyond hope. However, God never gives up. He continually holds out His hands in invitation. He does not just offer one hand as in a hand up. But, He holds out both hands as in pleading and inviting. Dare we do any less? God tells us to preach the gospel. He holds out His hands to all people everywhere.

Another example we have is that of Paul. He begins chapter 10 with the statement that He petitions God for the salvation of Israel. Do we pray for the lost? Are we burdened with their condition?

What can we do?

We can pray, and we can tell the message.