We continue in the 9th chapter of Romans where the Apostle Paul reveals the doctrine of the Sovereignty of God in Election and Restoration, which has caused misunderstandings and divisions in the Christian community for 1900 years or so. Part of the problem is that some either don’t recognize or don’t want to admit the human condition. This is evidenced when, at the mere mention of election, they respond that they know God didn’t arbitrarily choose for them to go to heaven and condemn others to hell. They apparently don’t understand that everyone, Jew or Gentile, is under sin, Romans 3:9; “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” Romans 3:10 – 12. The phrase “as it is written” here refers to several passages in the Old Testament (OT); Psalms 14:2 – 3; Psalms 53:2 – 4; Ecclesiastes 7:20. The fact is that mankind is estranged from God; everyone is born a sinner, Psalms 51:5. *
Like it or not, even those who outwardly appear to be outstanding nice people, if they are not believers, not only are not righteous before God, but they don’t even seek after Him. They live “according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in (them, because they are) the children of disobedience:” Ephesians 2:2b, and they are unable to change themselves, Jeremiah 13:23; Jeremiah 17:5. Every believer was at one time in this lost condition before they came to believe the Gospel, Ephesians 2:1 – 3. Therefore, God didn’t choose that they will go to hell, everyone is on their way there unless they truly believe the Gospel; which is all they have to do to be saved, Acts 16:32. Their salvation can only be accomplished by faith of Jesus Christ, Romans 3:22, see also Romans 4:11; Romans 4:24; Romans 10:9; 1 Corinthians 1:21; 1 Corinthians 15:1 – 4; Galatians 3:22; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Timothy 1:16.
Chapters 9, 10 and 11 of Romans resolves the issue of how the special privileges God promised to the Nation of Israel will be fulfilled in light of the teaching in the previous 8 chapters about justification for both Jew and Gentile by grace through faith, apart from works (see also Ephesians 2:8 – 9). Chapter 9 discusses Israel’s past, and we covered Romans 9:1 – 11 in our last study. Today, we continue at the recounting of Rebecca conceiving twins by Isaac, “(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) Romans 9:11. The Greek translated “election” here means “a picking out, selection, then, selection made, that which is chosen.” God picked out, selected, elected Jacob before he and Esau were born: “It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.” Romans 9:12 – 13.
Some may claim this unfair, as if they have standing to say to the God who created this Universe and all within is unfair. Anyone who believes this, is mistaken as the account continues: “What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 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?” Romans 9:14 – 21.
If mankind were sinless, he might have standing to criticize God for electing some, but the fact is that all are lumps of sinful clay fitted for destruction. Therefore, it is not unjust for God to make some of that clay into vessels of mercy. ** Those who think God was not fair to love Jacob and hate Esau before they were born don’t understand that God knew them before they were born: “Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his (own) birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.” Hebrews 12:16 – 17. Jacob was not perfect, just as no one except Jesus Christ has ever been perfect, but Jacob believed God and his faith was counted for righteousness. Regarding Esau selling his birthright for one meal: “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost,” Romans 14:17. Obviously, Esau valued a meal before faith in God.
God, willing to show wrath and make His power known, endured with longsuffering (over a long period of time) those unbelievers (without faith) who were prepared for perdition or destruction (hell), Romans 9:22. God held off judging sinful humanity, both Jews and Gentiles who had a chance to believe and be saved just as a sick person has a chance to follow doctor’s orders, take the cure for their disease and be healed. But they refused to believe God’s Word and be saved. Thus, God endured with longsuffering those bound for hell: “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?” Romans 9:23 – 24. The election out of the Gentiles is first mentioned here in this chapter. However, had only those among the Gentiles been saved, God’s promise to Abraham would have failed. Therefore, the doctrine of the sovereignty of God in election based on grace, reconciles the “no difference” between Jew and Gentile of Romans chapters 1 to 8 with the promises God gave Abraham, Romans 9:3 – 6. **
Just as some Gentiles are called of God, so are some Jews called out of Israel: “As he saith also in Osee, (Hosea) I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.” Romans 9:25, from Hosea 2:24. Hosea’s prophesy refers to the fact that not all Israel are saved into Christ’s earthly Kingdom when He returns to reign after the Tribulation and during the Millennium. Many Jews will perish because of their unbelief (lack of faith) but there will be a remnant of Israel saved out of that Nation who will reign with the Lord Jesus Christ. “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.” Romans 9:26, from Hosea 1:9 – 10, as follows: “Then said God, Call his name Loammi: (meaning “not my people”) for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God. Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.”
To explain this, Paul writes next: “Esaias (Isaiah) 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 (Isaiah) said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.” Romans 9:27 – 29, from Isaiah 10:22 – 23. God promised Abraham that his offspring would be as the sand of the sea, which will come to pass. However, many of them from the past all the way to the present are unbelievers and will go to hell, just as Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed. But God promised a seed of blessing to Israel and that Seed is Jesus Christ and God has and will save many Jews who are saved by the faith of Jesus Christ, just as He has saved many among the Gentiles: Romans 3:22 – 30.
* Other passages attesting to mankind’s depravity; Mark 7:21 – 23; John 3:19; John 3:27; Romans 2:1; Romans 3:23; Romans 5:12; Romans 7:14; Romans 8:7; Titus 1:15 – 16.
** George Williams Complete Bible Commentary, pages 868 – 869.
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