Who are the 'them' in Romans 10:20 that God was found by and made manifest to?
The 'them' are the Gentiles. Isaiah's bold statement refers to Gentile people who were not seeking God or asking after Him, yet God was found by them and made manifest to them. They were unconcerned with Israel's God and saturated in paganism, but God sent Paul to those same people.
Les teaches that Romans 10:20 is quoting Isaiah's bold statement: “I was found of them that sought me not, I was made manifest unto them who asked not after me.” The “them” are the Gentiles. They were not concerned about Israel's God, were not worried about their eternal doom, and were saturated in their paganism. Yet God sent the Apostle Paul to those very same people. This fulfills a basic rule of Scripture: no one, beginning with Adam and Eve, ever seeks God. The context also shows Gentile forefathers were without Christ, aliens from Israel, strangers from the covenants, and without God in the world, but now in Christ Jesus they are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.
More Questions
Who are the people in Romans 10:20 who did not seek God?
The Gentiles in Romans 10:20 were not concerned about Israel's God and were not worried about their eternal doom.
What scriptural rule does the Gentiles' finding God in Romans 10:20 fulfill?
The fact that Gentiles found God without seeking Him fulfills the scriptural rule that no one ever seeks God.