Without Understanding
“By a nation without understanding will I anger you.” Romans 10:19
Without Understanding – Embedded in Paul’s discussion of the failure of the Jews to recognize God’s plan of righteousness is this remarkable thought. It is a quotation from Deuteronomy 32:21. Today is a day when we need to absorb what Paul is implying and take it to heart, not only individually but also as a nation. It is very serious business.
Paul says that even though the Jews had superior theological knowledge and advantageous conscious acknowledgement of God, these factors did not lead them to righteousness. In fact, God took the “not-nation” of the Gentiles who were theologically retarded and morally deficient and powerfully demonstrated His grace to them. In spite of their disadvantages, they got it! One of the reasons God did this was to cause the Jews emotional distress in hopes that they would return to the true message. God used those “without understanding” to guide those “who should have understood.”
The Greek word here is asuneto. It covers quite a bit of ground. It describes those who do not have a high moral stand. It includes those who are too foolish to see the truth of God’s clear message. It implies theological and moral stupidity. So, now we need to ask a rather telling question: Have we become a “nation” who should have understood the simple and pure truth of God but refused to obey? Do you suppose that God will give His clear message to another “not-nation”, leaving us behind in order that we will be provoked to repentance and turn back to Him?
When I survey the moral decay of our country and the theological insanity propagated under the guise of tolerance, I wonder if Paul isn’t sitting at a desk in the next room writing about my generation. H. W. Prentis probably produced the now famous sequence of civilization:
“From bondage to spiritual faith;
from spiritual faith to great courage;
from courage to liberty;
from liberty to abundance,
from abundance to complacency;
from complacency to apathy,
from apathy to dependence,
from dependence back into bondage.”
Does this make you shudder?
Today: “Father, I pray for the remnant who are followers of Jesus within this “christian” nation. May they rise to proclaim Your truth and arrest the tide of senselessness.”
