But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our report? So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:16-17)

I have known since I wrote the last post on the New Covenant that the theme of this post would be based upon Romans 10:17, the truth that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. But it was not until this morning that it occurred to me that I really ought to examine the verse that Paul quotes from Isaiah before I wrote about it. So today I read Isaiah 53:1, the source of this Scripture. I did not just read that verse though. I began at Isaiah 52:13 and read through Isaiah 55:13. And once again I saw an amazing thing… how the Book of Isaiah so often sheds light upon truths revealed in the New Testament.

First, this passage from Isaiah prophesies and predicts the centuries later suffering and crucifixion of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is here where we first learn that God will send a particular servant who will be cruelly despised and tortured by men, a servant who will offer himself up as a living sacrifice and offering for the sins of all mankind. Yes, here resides the wonderful verse which reveals that all men have gone astray from their Creator, but that God laid mankind’s iniquity upon Jesus instead of the sinners themselves.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)

And it is just before this where Isaiah says, “Who has believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?” the verse which Paul quotes in Romans 10. Now consider what Paul says next.  “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Interestingly, Isaiah talks about this very thing within the passage of Scripture from 52:13 to 55:13. Before considering the particular verses remember that in the Book of John Jesus calls him “the water of life” in chapter 4 and “the Bread of Life” in chapter 6. Also recall from many previous teachings on this site that the Biblical definition of “food” is God’s Word, or true doctrine. The following verses make this abundantly clear:

⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. ⁹ Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods which have not benefited those devoted to them.¹⁰ We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. (Hebrews 13:8-10)

Amazingly, then, later in this passage under consideration in Isaiah, the prophet speaks directly about food. He says,

“Come, everyone who thirsts,
    come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
    come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
    without money and without price.
² Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
    and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
    and delight yourselves in rich food.
³ Incline your ear, and come to me;
    hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant (the NEW COVENANT!),
    my steadfast, sure love for David. (Isaiah 55:1-3)

And now we have come full circle.  Isaiah has given us the secret for obtaining faith from God. We have to come to Christ for food and water, that is, come to him for the truth of His Word. Then we have to “buy” that food (truth) from him.  But, we don’t buy it with the money of men like we do “for that which is not bread.” We spend our dollars, our silver, and our gold for the natural foods, wants, and pleasures our flesh desires. But that is not true bread, says Isaiah. Instead we need to buy Christ’s water, bread, wine, and milk. But, these are spiritual things and we “buy” them “without money and without price!” How?

We buy Christ’s food, Christ’s truth, by “listening diligently.” Do you really care about the things of God? Or do you pretend you are a “good Christian” because you regularly attend church, say your prayers, and retain friendships with a few other “Christians?” Paul says that “faith comes by hearing.” You can only hear, says Isaiah, if you come to Christ, incline your ear to him, listen diligently for what he has to say to you, and then eat (take to heart) that which he says. THIS IS what it means when Paul says that “hearing comes by the Word of God.”

And this is why Paul begins his statement concerning faith by referring us to Isaiah 53:1. To have faith means that we become obedient to that “word of faith” each of us individually receives. “But they have not all obeyed the gospel.” No, we Christians have not all obeyed the gospel, nor have we obeyed the individual words of instruction God has given us. Instead, many of us have turned the doctrine of faith into a gospel of “grace to sin.” Others of us turned the true gospel of grace into a set of laws that bar many from salvation. This is why Paul says that whatever we do which does not proceed from faith is sin (Romans 14:23) and is also why he says not to quarrel over many doctrinal opinions (Romans 14). As we diligently listen to Christ, then he will lead us into all truth, “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:17)