Paul
the apostle told the people in Rome, “Did
not Israel know? First Moses said, I will provoke you to jealousy by
them
that are
no people, and
by a foolish nation I will anger you”,
and
in
chapter ten and verse twenty of Romans,
Paul referred to Isaiah again concerning people receiving the gospel
and stated, “I
was found of them that sought me not”
where
we read:
But
Isaiah is very bold, and said, I was found of them that sought me
not;
I
was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.
The
verse begins, “But
Isaiah is very bold, and said, I was found of them that sought me
not;”
Paul
began with the word, “but”
which means “moreover and” “Isaiah”
which refers to “the famous Hebrew prophet whose name means
Jehovah's help and prophesied in the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz,
and Hezekiah”, “is
very bold”
or “assumed and ventured plainly”, “and
said”
which means “and uttered, proclaimed and declared”, “I
was found”
or “God was come upon, met with, searched for, inquired of, thought
about and observed” “of
them”
which refers to “by the people” “that
sought me not”
or “who did not seek after, strive for, require, demand or crave”.
Paul referred to the prophet “Isaiah”
as he shared about people finding God who never looked for Him.
The
verse continues, “I
was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.”
Paul
added the words, “I
was made manifest”
which means “God was shown openly while giving proofs of his saving
grace” “unto
them”
or “toward the people who did not seek for God”
“that asked not”
which means “who never questioned, inquired of, requested or
demanded” “after
me”
or “about or toward God”. “Isaiah”
shared
how God was revealed to these people who never “questioned or
inquired about” Him.
When
we consider these words of Paul, we see his reference to Isaiah
chapter sixty-five and verse one, “I
am sought of them
that asked not
for me;
I am found of them
that sought me
not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that
was not called by my name.” Although
the Jewish people rejected God's Son Jesus Christ as their “Messiah,
Savior and Lord”, many of the Gentiles or “foreign nations” did
not. God revealed Himself to people who never looked for Him, asked
about Him nor “craved” a relationship with Him, and many of them
received His Son Jesus unto “salvation”. God desires people
everywhere to be “saved”, and He has the ability to reveal
Himself to whomever He desires. Perhaps He is revealing Himself to
someone who is reading these words right now. If so, yield to Him,
and accept Jesus Christ His Son as a personal “Savior” today.
Next
time Paul shares with his
readers how Isaiah wrote, “all
day long I have stretched forth my hands,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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