The Daily Audio Bible

This Is Why God Sent Forth His Messengers With The Report About Christ

¹⁴ How then^[a] may they^[b] call-upon the One in Whom they did not believe? And how may they believe the One Whom^[c] they did not hear? And how may they hear without one proclaiming? ¹⁵ And how may they proclaim if they are not sent-forth?— just as it has been written^[d] [in Isa 52:7]: “How beautiful are the feet of the ones announcing-good-news-of good things!” ¹⁶ But^[e] they did not all obey the good-news, for Isaiah says [in Isa 53:1], “Lord, who put-faith-in our report?” ¹⁷ So^[f] the faith^[g] comes from a report-hearing^[h], and the report-hearing through a word^[i] about^[j] Christ.

But It Is Not As Though Israel Did Not Hear

¹⁸ But I say^[k]— it is not that they did not hear^[l], is it ? On the contrary: “Their voice went-out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world” [Ps 19:4].

And It Is Not As Though Israel Did Not Know

¹⁹ But I say— it is not that Israel did not know^[m], is it ? First, Moses says [in Deut 32:21] “I will provoke you to jealousy over what is not a nation. I will provoke you to anger over a nation without-understanding^[n]”. ²⁰ And Isaiah is very-bold and says [in Isa 65:1] “I was found by the ones not seeking Me. I became visible^[o] to the ones not asking-for Me”. ²¹ But with-regard-to Israel He says [in Isa 65:2], “I held-out^[p] My hands the whole day toward a disobeying^[q] and contradicting^[r] people”.

But God Did Not Reject His People

11 Therefore I say, God did not reject^[s] His people, did He? May it never be! For I also am an Israelite, from the seed of Abraham, the tribe of Benjamin. ² God did not reject His people whom He foreknew!

There Is Still a Remnant Chosen By God

Or do you not know what the Scripture says in-connection-with^[t] Elijah [in 1 Kings 19:14], how he appeals to God against Israel?— ³ “Lord, they killed Your prophets, they tore-down Your altars, and I alone was left, and they are seeking my life”. ⁴ But what does the divine-response say to him [in 1 Kings 19:18]?— “I left-remaining for Myself seven-thousand men^[u] who did not bow a knee to Baal”. ⁵ In this manner then, there has come-to-be a remnant^[v] also at the present time, according-to the choosing of grace. ⁶ And if it ^[w] is by grace, it is no longer by works. Otherwise the grace becomes grace no longer.

But The Rest Were Hardened By God

⁷ Therefore what? This^[x] which Israel is seeking-for, it did not obtain. But the chosen^[y] obtained it, and the rest were hardened, ⁸ just as it has been written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor [Isa 29:10], eyes that they may not see and ears that they may not hear, until this very day” [Deut 29:4]. ⁹ And David says [in Ps 69:22-23], “Let their table become a snare and a trap and a cause-of-falling and a retribution to them. ¹⁰ Let their eyes be darkened that they may not see. And bend^[z] their back continually”.

And Israel Did Not Stumble So As To Fall

¹¹ Therefore I say, they did not stumble in order that they might fall^[aa], did they? May it never be! On-the-contrary, by their trespass^[ab] salvation came to the Gentiles, so as to provoke them to jealousy. ¹² But if their trespass is riches for the world and their defeat^[ac] is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fullness be!