ADDRESSES ON ROMANS
David and Moses preached this same Gospel of our crucified and risen Lord. Did Israel of old believe it? No! And Paul exhorts the Jews to whom he is writing to take warning from their fathers who lived iri the days of these prophets, yet were "a disobedient and gainsaying people." Again, Paul's use of the Old Testament Scriptures fills our hearts with wonder..-they so marvelously portray the sufferings and the glory of our Lord. Let us look at the five quotations with which this chapter closes. Verse 16 is taken from Isa. 53: 1, that chapter which graphically pictures Calvary's cross. But did Israel believe God's prophet in Isaiah's day? No, Paul says; and therefore the warning to his "kinsmen according to the flesh." Then, having referred to the fact that "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God," the apostle asks further, "Have they not heard?" And he answers his .own question by quoting Psalm 19: 4, "Yes verily" --yes, Israel of old did hear the Gospel of a coming Redeemer---"Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world." . In verses 19 and 20 yet another question is raised, "Did not Israel know?" And again Paul's answer is a twofold quo~ tation from Moses and Isaiah; for in Deut. 32: 21 and Isa. 65: 1 we read that God told His ancient people that He would pro~ voke them to jealousy by bringing the Gentiles into the place of blessing. He told Israel that the Gentiles, whom He called "no people" and "a foolish nation," them that "sought" Him not and "asked not" after Him, would be given the Gospel. And at the same time God was, even in Isaiah's day. warning His people, Israel. of their disobedience and indifference to His call of love and blessing. "All day long," He said through the prophet again, in Isa. 65: 2, "have I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people." God was patient with His people---Oh, so patient! But they rejected the gift of His righteousness; and according to their own prophetic Word, He told them that He would 'set [Page 201
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