Devotion #6: Put The Shovel Down

“But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for ‘Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.’ But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, ‘I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry.’ Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, ‘I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.’ But of Israel he says, ‘All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.’” Romans 10:18-21 

In Romans 10:18-21, Paul wrestles with the question of whether Israel has heard and understood the message of salvation.  

I remember that, as a child, when I was corrected by my parents, I would often try to avoid admitting my disobedience and sin. Instead, I would say I had not heard what they said, that I did not understand, or simply that I did not want to do what they asked. It was easier to make excuses than to face the reality of my actions. Like a child, this is how Israel acted toward the Lord. As my mother used to say, I simply did not “put down the shovel.” 

There was no excuse for Israel’s disobedience. They had been given the truth by God and day after day, they were corrected by leaders appointed by Him. Yet, despite all of this, they refused to listen. Like a child trying to avoid consequences, I used every excuse in the book. So has Israel. In Romans, Paul is telling believers that there is no escaping God’s wrath on sin. There is no fleeing from the consequences of rejecting God’s truth. We need salvation, and God has revealed the way through His Son, Jesus Christ. We must cast away all of our excuses and facades before the Lord. 

At the end of this passage, Isaiah speaks for the Lord, declaring that the conversation is over, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.” My mother used to say, “I am the parent, and you are the child; there is no discussion.” This is how the Lord handles direct disobedience. He is God, and we are not. There is no wiggle room or negotiation. We have fallen short of God’s perfect standard and are in desperate need of a Savior. 

Just like Israel, we have been a disobedient and contrary people. Yet, the Lord continues to extend His hand, longing for us to repent and believe in Jesus Christ. So many times, we try to squirm out of the Lord’s holy and righteous discipline. In these moments, we need to understand that in order to get out of the hole, we need to put down the shovel.