16. But not all have accepted the Good News. Isaiah himself said, “Lord, who believed our message?”
17. So then, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through preaching Christ.
18. But I ask: is it true that they did not hear the message? Of course they did — for as the scripture says:“The sound of their voice went out to all the world;their words reached the ends of the earth.”
19. Again I ask: did the people of Israel not understand? Moses himself is the first one to answer:“I will use a so-called nationto make my people jealous;and by means of a nation of foolsI will make my people angry.”
20. And Isaiah is even bolder when he says,“I was found by those who were not looking for me;I appeared to those who were not asking for me.”
21. But concerning Israel he says, “All day long I held out my hands to welcome a disobedient and rebellious people.”