The Roman’s Road to Righteousness (Chapter 9:14-33)‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏

Hello Friends!

Welcome Back! Let’s continue our journey through the book of Romans – “The Romans Road to Righteousness.”

The Roman’s Road to Righteousness (Chapter 9:14-33)

 
This week we will conclude our reading of chapter 9, verses 14-33 as we consider Israel’s Rejection & Present Condition and God’s Justice…

Many people struggle with the truth of the Sovereignty of God. That is, God is free to do whatever He wants and is free to determine “all things” according to His own “pleasure.” But that is exactly what the Scripture teaches! Rationalizing or reasoning this truth away is “sin” – and we call God a liar! God is God and He does exactly what He “chooses” to do. God is “Sovereign.” God is “Most High.” God is “King of kings and Lord of lords” and He is the ultimate Authority doing His will “in heaven and on earth“ – no one can prevent it and no one can argue with it! God hasn't violated His Word, He hasn't cancelled His promises and He certainly hasn't lost His credibility...

Here in this section of the book to the Romans the Apostle Paul writes a very challenging expose of truth which is undeniably quite difficult to understand. Its emphasis is clearly on the Sovereignty of God. In fact, I believe it is one of those doctrines written by Paul of which the Apostle Peter spoke of when he said Paul “according to the wisdom given to him” writes “these things” that are “hard to understand”:

and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures – 2 Peter 3:15-16

It is indeed “hard to understand” in our finite minds what is said here in chapter 9. However, in no way does our misunderstanding lessen its importance and truthfulness. These “written” words of warning by Peter to the “untaught” and “unstable” false teachers who “twist” the “Scriptures” to their “own destruction” should be taken into serious consideration… 

 

The Apostle Paul has already proved to us in verses 6 to 13 that the unbelief of “Israel” is not inconsistent with God's Promise. Here in this week’s passages, we find that the unbelief of “Israel” is not inconsistent with God’s Person, Plan or Prerequisite.

 

God’s Person:

What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.” Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens. You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?” But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? – Romans 9:14-24

Paul asks “What shall we say then?” In other words, “Are we are going to say that God isn't fair because He will have “mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens” as He decides? “Is there unrighteousness with God?” – “Does the fact that God chooses men mean that He's unjust, unfair and unrighteous?”

 

So what's Paul's answer? "Certainly not!" This is the strongest negative in the Greek language – "No! Impossible! Absolutely absurd! Madness!” Remember, it was “Ishmael” who “wills” for the blessing, but he didn't get it. And it was “Esau” who “runs” for the blessing, but he didn't get it. Why? Because “it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy” God is in total sovereign control of “all things” as Paul has already explained in earlier passages. 

 

So what's the proof? Paul again takes two examples out of Old Testament Scripture. Here is the first example:

…I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion – Exodus 33:19

The verb “mercy” is the action and “compassion” is the feeling behind the action. When God desires to show “compassion” He acts in His “mercy.” Therefore, the Lord is not unrighteous in His “election” – and this too is Paul's answer.

 

Here is the second example:

For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth – Exodus 9:16

God says to Pharaoh “I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you.” That's a very interesting phrase in the Greek which means to cause to stand up or to be prominent. The idea here is to bring someone forward on the stage of history. In other words, “you were also elect – not to salvation but to a unique purpose.”

 

Today, when any Jew celebrates God's redemption, what is it that he celebrates? The Passover – deliverance from Egypt – the Old Testament benchmark of redemption! That's why the Jews kept the Passover celebration throughout their history. It was their identification of God as redeemer from their slavery in Egypt. It was symbolic of their soul redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ as well. May God’s “name may be declared in all the earth” – AMEN!

 

Now all of that discussion will prompt another important question: “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?” In other words, “If it is His will alone that is determinate relative to who is saved and who is lost, then how can I be responsible? How can God blame the victim of His sovereignty?” Notice verse 20: “But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God?” In other words, “How dare you ask that question? God does choose who will be saved and God does choose those to be hardened!” By the way, if that were a false assumption, Paul would have corrected it – but he doesn't! He bluntly says: "Shut your mouth, don't ask that question. Don't you dare impugn the character of God!" 

 

Paul also draws from the analogy of the “thing formed” and the one “who formed it” by asking “Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?”” and continues “Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?” The analogy and the answer is quite obvious. A “potter” makes choices and the “clay” has no choice! God has the power to do whatever he wants and He makes a “vessel” as He chooses.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE: With that said, I do not believe the Scripture teaches that God creates sinful and damnable human beings in order to punish them. Nor do I believe the Bible teaches that God creates them for hell. The Bible very clearly says that hell was created for “the devil and his angels.” However, God is claiming His right to deal with “sinful” people as He wills. He pardons or punishes as He sees fit. He doesn't make men sinners but He chooses the disposition of those who are sinners. The one that God has “chosen” will demonstrate that he too chose God. And the one that God had “hated” will demonstrate that he too rejects God. Therefore, God is not responsible that men are sinners. Satan is the author of Original Sin… And the unregenerate man loves his “sin” and refuses to repent – Scripture makes this very clear!

 

The Apostle Paul then applies this analogy by beginning with another question: “What if God” It's like saying, "So what if God did that and what right do you have to question Him?” By the way, this is an unfinished sentence in the Greek. “What if?” It's an open-ended question. “What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known…” We see that God allowed and “endured” evil and “sin” for the purpose of “wanting” to reveal His Holy “wrath” and “power” with “much longsuffering” – patience – in its final judgment and punishment. And then Paul denotes the other side of God’s attributes – “He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy” It had to be this way for God to be fully revealed in all of His “glory” and “mercy” as God – He cannot posses any attributes that do not have function. All in all – God is “Holy, Holy, Holy” and must judge “sin” and wickedness... and one “Day” He will!

 

So, that's the line of questioning being proposed here. These are the same type of questions people ask today. People still think the doctrine of Sovereign Election somehow makes God unrighteous or unfair. Unrighteous actually means not doing what is right – this is the antithesis of God’s character and nature! Again, Paul’s response is right to the point – “O man, who are you to reply against God?”

 

This section finishes with a beautiful thought: “even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?” We as “Gentile” Christians can rejoice in this good news! The doctrine of the Sovereignty of God is given to make “us” thankful that we have been “called” to God! This is the effectual “call” – the internal saving “call” – which is always portrayed throughout Paul's other epistles. And it comes not only to the “Jews” but also to the “Gentiles” – Thank you Jesus!

 

REMEMBER: The Person of God is the issue here – not our unbiblical theologies, ideas, attitudes or philosophies. Therefore, the “unbelief” of “Israel” does not violate God's “promise” and the closer we draw to Him the better we'll “understand” this amazing truth!

 

God's Plan:

As He says also in Hosea: “I will call them My people, who were not My people, And her beloved, who was not beloved.” And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ there they shall be called sons of the living God. Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, the remnant will be saved. For He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, because the Lord will make a short work upon the earth.” And as Isaiah said before: “Unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have been made like Gomorrah.” – Romans 9:25-29

Again, the unbelief of the “Jews” does not violate God's Plan. Here in a very systematic way Paul proves his point again as he uses two Old Testament prophets. In each of the first two points he had two Old Testament quotations and here he now uses two Old Testament Prophets. By the way, when Paul wants to make his point, he goes directly to what? Scripture! Paul now quotes from the Prophets “Hosea” and “Isaiah”…

 

Here is Paul’s first example from the Prophet “Hosea”:

Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth, and I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy;  then I will say to those who were not My people, ‘You are My people!’ And they shall say, ‘You are my God! – Hosea 2:23

The Prophet “Hosea” was a very loving, forgiving and gracious man. He also says:

The Lord said to Hosea: Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry, for the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the Lord – Hosea 1:2

As we see in the book of Hosea, he marries a woman “Gomer the daughter of Diblaim” and she becomes a prostitute. She gives him three children: one named “Jezreel” = (scattered) the second named “Lo-Ruhamah” = (not pitied) and the third named “Lo-Ammi” = (not My people). And to what do those children’s names have reference? This represents God's attitude toward adulterous “Israel” referring to their rejection by God and their future restoration. “Hosea” lived to see the Northern and Southern Kingdoms of “Israel” conquered by the Assyrians and the Babylonians – because God took His protective hand off of them. They were “scattered” and there was no more “pity” for them – they were “not My people.” And yet after all of this devastation, eventually God brought back the Southern Kingdom and a remnant of the Northern Kingdom. So this prophecy was historically and literally fulfilled as God brought them back to the “land.” He gave them back their “temple.” He gave them back their “nation” and their Jewish identity.

 

But that was only the first historical fulfillment. There was also a yet future prophetic perspective. Paul here identifies it with the unbelief of the “Jews” during the time of Jesus Christ and in 70 A.D. when they were “scattered” again under the persecution of Nero and Titus when they were “not My people” and suffered immensely! So the point Paul is making here is that we should not be shocked by Israel's “unbelief” – quite to the contrary. We expected it because God promised their restoration despite their “unbelief.” 

 

NOTE: The Jews are also not “My people” today until this period of the Dispensation of Grace – The Church Age –– is complete and the 1000-year Millennial Kingdom is established on earth in Jerusalem by Jesus Christ Himself. The unbelieving “Jews” of today are just like the unbelieving “Gentiles” of today – they are in unbelief and equally “not” God's people.

 

Here is Paul’s second example from the Prophet “Isaiah”:

For though your people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, a remnant of them will return; the destruction decreed shall overflow with righteousness. For the Lord God of hosts will make a determined end in the midst of all the land – Isaiah 10:22-23

Isaiah prophesied in Judah under Azziah about 760 B.C. For approximately 48 years, “Isaiah” cried out “O Israel!” And although there are many Jews – “as the sand of the sea” – only a “remnant of them will return.” Isaiah saw the “unbelief” of Israel and that not all of them were going to be saved. Isaiah was looking at something that was imminent on the timeline of the historical calendar. For out of all of the Jews in the time of Jesus Christ, only a few believed. And out of all the Jews since the time of Jesus Christ, only a few believe… Just as it was in the time of Isaiah.

 

These events of Jewish history monitored by “Hosea” and “Isaiah” are prophetic pictures of the events in the time of Jesus Christ and the presenting of the Gospel in the Church Age in which we live. The Jews have also “rejected” God and have thus been severed – “scattered” – from Him. 

 

This has been difficult doctrine to discern, as the Sovereignty of God is indeed a very deep Truth. This is indeed “hard to understand…” But now Paul wants us to see something that ought to refresh our spirits – we can rest on these final thoughts as he concludes this powerful chapter…

 

God's Prerequisite:

 

What does God require from us to be related to Him? What is God's Prerequisite in one word? That word is “Faith!” We find that this final little section of Scripture is a welcome balance to the heavy dose of the Sovereignty of God in which we've been exposed up to this point. The Apostle Paul will now speak to the doctrine of Man’s Responsibility = “Faith!”

What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. As it is written: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame” – Romans 9:30-33

Now Paul asks, "What shall we say then?" In other words, “What's the conclusion of all this discussion?” Do you think that the “Gentiles” – that non-Jewish mass of people in the world – are pursuing the true “God” and His “righteousness?” Hardly! Paul essentially reiterates the truth that “Gentiles” who never “attained to righteousness” as a way of life received it by “faith.” Why? Because the greatest obstacle to salvation is self-righteousness – you cannot be “born again” if you don't know you need to be! And that's what the problem was for the Jews. They thought they were already self-righteous “by the works of the law” and sadly spent their whole life pursuing the “law of righteousness” – a right relationship with God through their own religious self-efforts. 

 

Concerning this “stumbling stone” and “rock of offense” laid in “Zion,” the Apostle Paul again paraphrases the Prophet “Isaiah”:

He will be as a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, as a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem– Isaiah 8:14

Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever believes will not act hastily – Isaiah 28:16

When the Gospel of Jesus Christ arrived and boldly condemned the Jews for their “sin,” it simply did not compute because they thought themselves already righteous enough! So the Jews “stumbled at that stumbling stone” and rejected Jesus Christ – the “rock of offense” – as their Messiah... Except for a very small “remnant” of Jews that “believes” on “Him” and will “not be put to shame” – Halleluiah!

 

In closing:

 

When we get too heavy on the Sovereignty of God we can get very frustrated and confused. We then can start bearing some heavy doctrinal “loads” of uncertainty. Therefore, we need another Biblical side of this tension – Man’s Responsibility – saving “faith” given from God as a “free gift!” We must grasp the apparent paradox of this mutually exclusive balance – the Sovereignty of God coupled with Man’s Responsibility. God planned “before the world began” according to His will to require our “obedience” to Him through the power of the Holy Spirit. These truths appear to be contradictory and opposite – however, they are not! It is our minds that are too limited and can't fully perceive them... However, in God's mind they have perfect harmony!

 

Scripture affirms the fact that God is in charge. He does “whatever He pleases” and no one can stop Him! Now granted, that's a difficult thing for us to fathom. The fact is, God has a right to govern His universe and He has a right to do whatever He wants, whenever He wants to whomever He wants… 

 

Let’s take a brief look at other various portions of Scripture that give us a broader idea of the Sovereignty of God as presented throughout the Bible…

The Lord has made all for Himself, yes, even the wicked for the day of doom – Proverbs 16:4

 But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases – Psalm 115:3

All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, “What have You done?” – Daniel 4:35

Which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords – 1 Timothy 6:15

You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created – Revelation 4:11

The people who want to argue with God about being Sovereign must ultimately go back to the Creation Account of Genesis and ask themselves a question: "When God created everything before man even existed… Who was in charge?" Obviously, God was in change! We must be satisfied to let God be God. He is “righteous,” “holy,” “just,” “loving,” “compassionate” and “merciful.” We must not try to bring God to trial into our courtroom and act as if we are His prosecution and judge. We must realize the limits of our understanding. If we start thinking about this doctrinal truth too much, we'll blow our brain circuits. It's way beyond our full understanding! Anyone who questions God – “O man, who are you to reply against God?” – shows the folly of his own pride and arrogance!

 

Out of His own “choice” He created the angels. He created the universe – the stars, planets, sky and earth. And on the earth He created the mountains, the seas, the rivers, the deserts, the plains, the lakes, the streams, the sunshine, the rain, the snow and the ice. He also created the insects and the elephants & everything in between! At the pinnacle of His awesome “creation” – created in His image – is “mankind” ~ Praise the Lord! 

Please continue reading verses 14-33 of the ninth chapter of Romans.

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