Paul
the apostle asked 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 he added, “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.”
In
chapter ten and verse twenty-one of Romans,
Paul shared how Isaiah wrote, “all
day long I have stretched forth my hands”
where
we read:
But
to Israel he said, All day long I have stretched forth my hands
unto a
disobedient and gainsaying people.
The
verse begins, “But
to Israel he said, All day long I have stretched forth my hands ...”
Paul
began with the word, “but”
which means “moreover and” “to
Israel”
which means “toward the Jewish people who belong to Israel” “he
said”
or “God uttered, proclaimed and declared”, “all
day long”
which means “the whole and complete twenty-four hour day” “I
have stretched forth” or
“God has spread out and extended” “my
hands”
which refers to “God's help, agency or means symbolizing his might,
activity and power”. Paul continued to refer to Isaiah as he
relayed the idea that God desires to “reach” people “all
day long”.
The
verse goes on to say, “...
unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.”
Paul
added the words, “unto
a disobedient”
which means “toward a refusing, unbelieving and non-compliant”
“and
gainsaying”
or “speaking against and contradictory”
“people”
which means “tribe, nation and all those who are of the same stock
and language”. “Isaiah”
declared how God reaches out to people who are “unbelieving,
non-compliant and contradictory”.
When
we meditate upon these words of Paul, we see how God “reaches out”
to people whom He knows are “defiant and contradictory” toward
Him. He “stretches forth his hands” toward them, and sent
His Son Jesus Christ to save “sinners”who are often obstinate to
God. God desires to save them anyway, and should there be one reading
these words who is “disobedient and gainsaying”, turn to
the Lord Jesus Christ who “reaches out” “all day long”.
Next
time we begin a new chapter and see Paul ask the question,
“has
God cast away his people?”,
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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