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But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says: “I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation, I will move you to anger by a foolish nation.”<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n God\u2019s gentle prodding is to provoke us to action. If we continually resist Him, it may provoke us to anger.<\/p>\n In the phrase \u201cdid not Israel not know?<\/span>\u201d Paul uses the same double negative, m\u0113 ouk<\/em><\/span>, that he employed in the previous verse. We could paraphrase it as, \u201cdid Israel really not know?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cProvoke<\/span>\u201d is from paradz\u0113lo\u014d<\/em><\/span>, which is made up of para<\/em><\/span>, meaning \u201cbeside\u201d or \u201calongside\u201d and dz\u0113lo\u014d<\/em><\/span>, meaning \u201cto be zealous.\u201d It refers to coming alongside and exciting or provoking someone, like one would prod an animal to make it move.<\/p>\n The words \u201cmove you to anger<\/span>\u201d are from a similar word. It is parorgidz\u014d<\/em><\/span>, which means \u201cto come alongside and anger someone\u201d (perhaps by continually prodding them).<\/p>\n Paul starts off this verse with, \u201cDid Israel not know?<\/span>\u201d The implication is that Israel should have known, but they didn\u2019t. The question that we have to ask ourselves is, \u201cKnow what?\u201d Clearly, Paul has been talking about all people having evidence of God\u2019s supremacy and man\u2019s inability to be as righteous as God. But I don\u2019t think that\u2019s what Paul is referring to in this verse. Based on what he says in the following verses, I think Paul is referring to the fact that Israel clearly should have known that God was going to turn from the Jews and the message was going to go out to the Gentiles.<\/p>\n In order to make this point, Paul now quotes Moses from the second book of the Bible. In Deuteronomy 32:21<\/strong><\/span> he says:<\/p>\n They have provoked Me to jealousy by<\/span> what<\/em> <\/span>is not God; they have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols. But I will provoke them to jealousy by<\/span> those who are<\/em><\/span> not a nation; I will move them to anger by a foolish nation.<\/span><\/p>\n Here\u2019s a summary of what Moses is talking about in Deuteronomy 32<\/strong><\/span>: The Greatness of God (verse four), God\u2019s care for Israel, (verses nine and ten), the way Israel turned from God (verses sixteen through eighteen), and how God will respond by provoking Israel (verse twenty-one). Israel continually turned away from God and resisted Him so that in the end He provoked them to anger.<\/p>\n Paul\u2019s point is clear. If the Israelites had studied their scriptures then they would have known that God would turn to the Gentiles because of the unfaithfulness of Israel. The problem was that too many of the Israelites did not know what was written in their scriptures.<\/p>\n Application<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Let us all take a word of caution from this. Do you know what God wants and expects from you? Do you know what He instructs us to be and to do? Do you read and study your Bible so you will understand God\u2019s plan for you? Do you know what God has in store for you and the future of mankind?<\/p>\n If you do, that\u2019s great! If you don\u2019t, why not? Do you want God to provoke you to anger like He did to Israel? Or will you listen to Him and be stirred to action?<\/p>\n In God\u2019s service, for His glory,<\/strong><\/p>\nTruth to Learn<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Behind the Words<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Meaning Explained<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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