Romans 9: 15-33

(Romans 9: 15-33)

For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.  For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.  Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.  Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?  Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?  What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:  And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,  Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?  As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.  Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:  For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.  And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.  What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.  But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.  Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;  As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

 

Paul talks about the distressing pain of what his people are failing, but this expression of Paul's love for his people does not continue. Despite his love for his people, Paul continued to discuss the dissolution of pedigree Judaism, which he argued in the first half of Romans. In the preceding verse 6, Paul immediately states that the failure of his own blood, Israel, was not caused by the abolition of God's word that he would bless Israel, and furthermore, all those born of Israel are not spiritual Israel. In other words, it is because they are of the same Abrahamic lineage, but in them there are physical children and children of promise, and God's promise was given to the latter. It is said that the children of promise are not automatically fulfilled according to the pedigree lineage, but not because of human desires, running, or actions, but only through the sovereign choice of God, who has compassion.

 

About this sovereign choice of God, people can question. Is there anything wrong with God? In response, Paul says firmly, "It cannot be." The way Paul defended God's justice was to proclaim God's mercy. This is because the basis for God's salvation and handling of sinners is compassion, not justice. If God has pity on those who will be destroyed, it is evidence that He is a God of mercy and love. God wants to save everyone. It is not that some people are saved and some people are not saved, but that he saves all who repent.

 

God's sovereign choices are often misunderstood by people. It comes from not understanding the nature of God's choice. God's sovereign choice is based entirely on His mercy and compassion. In addition, this misunderstanding is because, as argued in Romans 3, we are not all neutral beings who can choose between good and evil, and therefore we all lack recognition that we are inevitable to be destroyed. It also comes from. God tells us to realize that we are sinners to be destroyed and to repent.

The pedigree Jews recognized Abraham's lineage and its derivatives as a privilege. That is why the Jews cried out for God's mercy and compassion for breaking down that wall of privilege, accusing God of being unrighteous. But it is the sovereignty of a just and loving God. God tolerates sinners with long-suffering to return to repentance, even though he wants to show wrath and know its power over the vessels of wrath prepared to destroy. This is because God wants all people to repent and come to salvation without perishing (Tim 2:4/2 Peter 3:9).