By Pastor Rich Paradis
Romans 9:14-29
In
our previous section of Romans 9, we introduced the question that Paul
anticipated coming out of Romans 8. That question was, “What about Israel?” If
their disobedience would somehow “separate” them from God’s favor and future
plans, than the message of chapter 8 would be destroyed. He answers that
question by “defining” spiritual Israel versus national Israel and then giving
examples of His elective choice in choosing Israel and Jacob to be “children of
promise” when legally that designation should have gone to Ishmael and Esau.
Let’s continue the discussion and with it God’s elective choice and our
response to it.
I.
God’s
Choices - Mercy, Not Random Choice or Injustice Romans
9:14-18
a.
Coming
out of the discussion of Romans 9:6-13, you may have been led to believe that
God makes His choices randomly or without wisdom and regard for anyone or
anything. This section will give us insight into that false assumption.
b.
Again,
as Verse 14 opens we have a
question. That question is centered on God’s motives for making the decisions
that He makes. One might come away from the previous verses with the idea that
God is perhaps unjust in His sovereign choices. Is God unjust? Is God right or
is He wrong in His choices that we don’t understand? The question is really a
questioning of God’s character, isn’t it? Paul, thinking of the possible
question that might be on the mind of the reader, answers in no uncertain terms
as he has before when God is being questioned.
c.
The
answer is unequivocally NO! God is not unjust. His character is not in the
least questionable in Paul’s mind. But instead of putting together a long drawn
out explanation of this answer, He simply goes to the Old Testament and offers
a comment that ensures the reader that His choices are made based on mercy and
compassion, not randomness or without regard.
d.
Look
at Verse 15. This quote is from
Exodus 33:19, where God says to Moses that He will show Him His glory and will
demonstrate His mercy on those that rightly deserved to be destroyed. The
Golden Calf episode has just taken place and God has told Moses that He will
not travel with them or He might well
destroy them for their disobedience and
their idolatry. Moses appeals to God and He acknowledges the humility of their
leader. God gives us a look into His character in the Exodus passage, which is
now quoted to demonstrate the same character and the same God of the Old
Testament. His choices are not random, nor are they unjust.
e.
But
Verse 16 reminds us that they are
also not based on the performance of the people. God’s choices are made based
on His mercy, not the will of man (or the willingness of man) or man’s running
and efforts.
f.
God’s
sovereignty is demonstrated in the Old Testament quote shared in Verse 17. It is interesting to note
that Scripture is put on an equal plane as the very words of God to Moses here.
Scripture is in fact the inspired, God-breathed word of God. This quote is from
Exodus 9:16. The plague of boils is falling on Egypt and an incredible
statement is made here. God notes through Moses that Pharaoh is basically on
Earth to demonstrate God’s power to him and to the entire Earth. You see, God’s
power is not just demonstrated in His mercy, but in His wrath as well. Verse 18 reminds us that God is not a
God of random choice or injustice. He is a God of mercy that will sometimes
even allow the hardening of a heart to demonstrate His sovereignty and right to
choose as He desires.
II.
God’s
Mercy On Display Romans 9:19-29
a.
Paul
begins the next part of the discussion with another question. This question is
found is Verse 19. The question
basically is, “If God’s choices are a demonstration of His sovereignty and not
our performance or will, than why does He still hold us responsible for our
choices?”
b.
Instead
of giving any indication that the question is “fair” or even deserves an
answer, Paul immediately comes back with a question that reminds the reader of
his or her position and the results of that position. Verse 20-21 shares a picture that will position the reader not as
one that can or even should call God to account, but as a creation of the one
that they push against.
c.
The
picture is this: A hunk of clay has decided in its infinite wisdom to yell at
the potter because he has chosen to do with the clay as he wishes. The potter
has chosen to make some of the clay into a fine dish while making some of it
into a pot to cook in. Let’s don’t push the illustration to its extremes by
asking questions like, “what is the fine dish?” or “what is the pot?” The point
is that God has the right to choose as He wishes and to question that is silly
at best and dangerous at worst.
d.
Many
have argued over the next verse in that it says something that at first is very
unnerving to us. Verses 22-24 remind
us initially of the point made in the example from verse 17. No problem, right?
But look at the end of verse 22. Paul mentions a group that is referred to as
“vessels of wrath, prepared for destruction. Who are these people? There are at
least 2 opinions:
i.
A
double-predestination – The thought here is that God has made some to be saved
and some to be eternally lost. They have no choice, it is simply the way that
it is. This is unlikely in that God is not involved, except at the mercy level,
while He is “preparing” the vessels of mercy noted in verse 23.
ii.
The
Unsaved – This makes more sense in that these “vessels of wrath” are going to
suffer eternal judgment, but God is patiently enduring their antagonism towards
Him for now. We were told this in Romans 2:5, where it is stated that there is
a “storing up of wrath” being done in preparation for God’s eternal judgment.
e.
But
while there is still probably some “fog” of understanding regarding this
section, don’t let the doctrines of God’s sovereignty or Man’s Free Will be
underestimated. They are both true and even though some tension remains even
after the discussion, to try to resolve it to the point of absolute clarity
will most likely make the problem even worse as you have to erase a doctrine
that is unmistakably discussed in Scripture.
f.
Verse
24 shares a couple of connecting truths. The first is that those that are saved
are “vessels of mercy”, by God’s choice according to Romans 8:29-30. The second
is that there will be “vessels of mercy” that will come from both the Jews and
the Gentiles.
g.
Verses 25-26 will tell us
that this truth was discussed and prophesied in the Old Testament. The first
quotation is from Hosea 2:23 and is followed by a quotation from Hosea 1:10.
The original context of these passages refers to a spiritual restoration of
Israel. But Paul utilizes them to state the principle that God is a saving,
forgiving, and restoring God. He delights in taking those that are not His and
making them His. He applies this to the Gentiles who He makes His people and
grafts into the “spiritual Israel” mentioned in verse 6.
h.
The
next 3 verses that close this section are from Isaiah. Verses 27-29 indicate that while national Israel is large,
spiritual Israel will be made up of a smaller number of Jews than is
represented by national Israel.
i.
As
we move forward in our next lesson to the conclusion of chapter 9 and into
chapter 10, we will see that in fact the number of national Israel that will be
a part of spiritual Israel will perhaps even be smaller than the Gentile
majority.
III.
An
Application For All Of Us
a.
God’s
sovereign choice is never in conflict with His character.
b.
God’s
sovereign choices are not made based on anything that man either does or does
not do.
c.
God’s
sovereign choices are made based on His mercy.
d.
Thus
far we can summarize:
i.
Not
all who descend from Israel are Israelites (Vs.6-8)
ii.
Not
all Jews are God’s chosen (Vs.24)
iii.
Not
all of God’s chosen are Jews (Vs.24)
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