Encore Presentation: The Supremacy of God

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Bible Study Romans 9: 1-33

 

Commentary of the Book of the Romans

By Dr. Barry L. Jenkins

Text Used: Legacy Standard Bible

Bible Study Romans 9: 1-33

Text:

God’s Chosen People, Israel

9 I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. 3 For I could [a]wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, 5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the [b]Christ according to the flesh, who is God over all, blessed [c]forever. Amen.

6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; 7 nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s seed, but: “[d]through Isaac your seed will be named.” 8 That is, the children of the flesh are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are considered as seed. 9 For this is the word of promise: “At this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.” 10 And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; 11 for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that the purpose of God according to His choice would [e]stand, not [f]because of works but [g]because of Him who calls, 12 it was said to her, “The older shall serve the younger.” 13 Just as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

14 What shall we say then? Is there any unrighteousness with God? May it never be! 15 For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it does not depend on the one who wills or the one who runs, but on God who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I raised you up, in order to demonstrate My power in you, and in order that My name might be proclaimed [h]throughout the whole earth.” 18 So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.

19 You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?” 20 On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? Will the thing molded say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this”? 21 Or does not the potter have authority over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel [i]for honorable use and another [j]for dishonorable use? 22 And [k]what if God, wanting to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath having been prepared for destruction, 23 and in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles? 25 As He says also in Hosea,

“I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’
And her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.’”

26 

“And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘you are not My people,’
There they shall be called sons of the living God.”

27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved; 28 for the Lord will execute His word on the land, [l]thoroughly and [m]quickly.” 29 And just as Isaiah foretold,

“Unless the Lord of [n]Sabaoth had left to us a seed,
We would have become like Sodom, and would have [o]resembled Gomorrah.”

30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, laid hold of righteousness, even the righteousness which is [p]by faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not attain that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it [q]by faith, but as though it were [r]by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 just as it is written,

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense,
And the one who believes upon Him will not be put to shame.”

Verse by verse commentary:

Verse 1: “I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit,”

Here's my translation of this verse: I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie; my conscience in the Holy Spirit bearing witness with me. This is a very formal introduction from the apostle Paul. It's important to remember that when he wrote this, he was accused of being an enemy of his own people. Acts 23:12 tells us, "And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul." Paul frequently uses the expression, "I am telling the truth, I am not lying."

Verse 2: “that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart.”

The depth of this great apostle's anguish for his own nation is immeasurable. His enduring patience in the face of their relentless persecution clearly demonstrates this. Having once shared their animosity towards Christ and Christianity as a former Pharisee and leader, he yearned for them to embrace Christ as he had.

Verse 3: “For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh,”

The Greek word anathema, meaning " to devote to destruction in eternal hell," was used to describe the state of being "accursed." Paul's suggestion of such an exchange, though impossible, sincerely conveyed his profound love for his fellow Jews.

Verse 4: “who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises,”

Israel's unbelief is intensified by the numerous blessings they have received. Paul lists eight such privileges in verses 4 and 5.

Verse 5: “whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.”

The patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—are referred to as the "fathers." Christ the Messiah was born a Jew, identifying as such during his time on Earth, as noted by the woman at the well. Paul recognized Jesus as the God-Man, who came to the nation of Israel as a baby.

Verse 6: “But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel;”

"The Word of God" specifically denotes the privileges and promises God unveiled to Israel. The phrase "Not all Israel who are descended from Israel" signifies that not all physical descendants of Abraham are true inheritors of this promise.

Verse 7: “nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s seed, but: ‘through Isaac your seed will be named.’”

Paul clarifies the meaning of verse 6 by recalling that Abraham's racial and national promises were exclusively for Isaac's descendants. Therefore, only those descended from Isaac could genuinely be considered Abraham's children and rightful heirs to these promises.

Verse 8: “That is, the children of the flesh are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are considered as seed.”

In the nation of Israel, the apostle Paul clearly differentiates between the elect and the non-elect. He states that "the children of the flesh" are not God's children, but rather "the children of the promise" are considered the true descendants. Following Christ's death and resurrection, thousands of Jews in Israel converted, forming the elect whom Paul consistently referred to as "Israel." By the close of the first century, when the Lord addressed the churches in the Book of Revelation, He indicated that these groups no longer belonged to a synagogue that worshipped Him, but instead one that worshipped Satan.

Verse 9: “For this is the word of promise: “At this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.”

The children of the promise are not those who exercised belief; Isaac, for example, was the promised seed and was born without any prior act of faith. God made a promise, and God fulfilled it. We now approach some powerful declarations.

Verse 10: “And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac;”

The divine election principle is also illustrated by Isaac and Rebecca.

Verse 11: “for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that the purpose of God according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls,”

The example of Jacob and Esau conclusively demonstrates divine election through three key points:

• Identical Nature: As twins, they possessed the closest possible equality in nature.

• Divine Reversal: God's purpose intentionally reversed any minor existing distinctions, leading the older brother to serve the younger.

• Preordained Purpose: God's purpose was declared before their birth, establishing its independence from any of their future actions.

Therefore, election is not determined by foreknown actions, deeds, or faith, but rather by God's sovereign, predestining grace.

Verse 12: “it was said to her, ‘The older shall serve the younger.’”

This is a quote from Genesis 25: 23 which was given before the two boys were born.

Verse 13: “Just as it is written, ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.’”

God's distinct purpose in election is further substantiated by Malachi 1:2-3, which explains God's love for Israel as being rooted in His free choice of Jacob over Esau. The term "hated" here cannot be simply interpreted as "loved less," as the context of Malachi 1:3-4 clarifies. It unequivocally conveys rejection and antipathy. After reading these verses in Malachi, it would be challenging to conclude that God merely loved Esau less.

Verse 14: “What shall we say then? Is there any unrighteousness with God? May it never be!”

Paul anticipates his readers' objection that his theology—where God chooses some for salvation and bypasses others regardless of their merits or actions—would imply that God is arbitrary and unfair.

Verse 15: “For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’”

Paul refers to Exodus 33:19 to counter the claim that God's sovereign election contradicts His fairness. This Old Testament passage affirms God's absolute sovereignty and His prerogative to choose who receives salvation, demonstrating that this does not compromise His other divine attributes. God ultimately decides who receives mercy. However, to be clear, God never turns anyone away that comes to Him in faith.

Verse 16: “So then it does not depend on the one who wills or the one who runs, but on God who has mercy.”

Salvation is entirely the Lord's doing, not initiated by human decision or earned through human effort. Even faith itself is a divine gift.

Verse 17: “For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I raised you up, in order to demonstrate My power in you, and in order that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.’”

As stated in verse 15, this is another Old Testament quote demonstrating God's sovereign choice in selecting who will serve His purposes and how. "Raised you up" signifies bringing forward or elevating, a phrase often used to describe the ascent of leaders and nations to prominence. Pharaoh undoubtedly believed his position and actions were of his own free will, serving his own agenda. However, he was, in fact, serving God's purpose. "My name" encompasses the entirety of God's character.

Verse 18: “So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.”

God's powerful deliverance of Israel from Pharaoh's grip revealed two corresponding truths. Both Moses and Pharaoh were sinful individuals, even murderers, and equally deserving of God's wrath and eternal punishment. However, Moses received mercy while Pharaoh faced God's judgment, an outcome determined by God's sovereign will.

The Greek word for "hardens" literally means to make something hard, but it is often used figuratively to denote making someone stubborn or obstinate. The Book of Exodus refers to God hardening Pharaoh's heart ten times, and at other times, to Pharaoh hardening his own heart. This does not imply that God actively created unbelief or evil in Pharaoh's heart. Instead, He withdrew the divine influences that typically restrain sin, allowing Pharaoh's wicked heart to pursue its sin unrestrained.

Verse 19: “You will say to me then, ‘Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?’”

How can God hold individuals accountable for their sins if He has already hardened their hearts against Him? Paul offers a partial explanation rooted in human experience: it is both unreasonable and disrespectful to question God's divine judgment. Just as a potter has absolute discretion over their clay, God has the right to act as He chooses. All humanity, originating from "the same lump" of fallen Adam, actively engages in sin even before God further hardens them in their transgressions. God's decision to show mercy to some, transforming them into vessels of honor, is an act of gracious kindness. Conversely, His choice for others to become vessels for lesser purposes is an exercise of His sovereign right and, in itself, a demonstration of perfect justice towards them. The question is not why doesn’t God save everybody, but rather, why does He save anybody. Some get mercy, some get justice, but no one gets injustice.

Verse 20: “On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? Will the thing molded say to the molder, ‘Why did you make me like this’?”

The solution lies not in human reason, but solely in the profound and awesome mystery of God's sovereignty. Faith humbly accepts this truth with obedience. Unbelief, however, resists it and remains subject to the very wrath and judgment of the God it challenges.

Verse 21: “Or does not the potter have authority over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?”

From the same mass of humanity, God shapes Moses, then Pharaoh. Initially, all the clay was flawed, unappealing, blind, and sinful. Through His mercy, He creates a vessel for honorable purposes, yet it remains the Potter's prerogative to fashion another for common use.

Verse 22: “And what if God, wanting to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath having been prepared for destruction,”

Paul has previously affirmed God's sovereign freedom to act. He now demonstrates God's patient and merciful dealings even with those destined for wrath. These individuals were not created for destruction; rather, their own rebellion and sin prepared them for judgment.

Verse 23: “and in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory—”

The preparation Paul refers to is not specified in detail. The mention of "beforehand" regarding the vessels of mercy likely emphasizes that this mercy is rooted in God's eternal good pleasure. In contrast, the wrath is a direct, just recompense for existing ungodliness and unrighteousness. The fundamental difference between the elect and the reprobate is solely in God's will, as all people inherently deserve wrath. Nevertheless, those designated for destruction receive a wrath that is a just and unavoidable consequence of sin.

Verse 24: “even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles?”

In this concluding section of the chapter, Paul emphatically establishes that Israel's selection was solely due to God's sovereign will, entirely independent of their own merit. God's choice extended beyond merely selecting a nation and saving the perpetual remnant within that nation who believed; He is currently, even among the Gentiles, calling out a people for Himself.

Verse 25: “As He says also in Hosea,

“I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’
And her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.’”

While Hosea prophesied Israel's eventual restoration to God, Paul emphasizes that this restoration necessarily highlights Israel's current separation from Him. Consequently, Israel's present unbelief is actually in agreement with the revelation of the Old Testament.

Verse 26: “And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘you are not My people,’

There they shall be called sons of the living God.”

This second prophecy, found in Hosea 1:10, concerns Gentiles across the globe who convert to Christ now and in the future.

Verse 27: “And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved;”

Paul cites Isaiah 10: 22-23 to emphasize that only a remnant of Israel will be saved during the Great Tribulation Period. This concept of salvation for only a small portion is consistent throughout history, applying to both Israel and Gentiles.

A stark example of this small ratio is seen in the Great Tribulation: out of approximately fifteen million Jews alive today, only 144,000 will be sealed as God's witnesses. While it is believed that others will also be saved during this time, the number of sealed witnesses highlights the enduring truth that only a small remnant will ultimately be saved.

Verse 28: “for the Lord will execute His word on the land, thoroughly and quickly.”

Israel's rejection and the inclusion of the Gentiles are integral parts of God's unchangeable, eternal plan, established before the creation of the world.

Verse 29: “ And just as Isaiah foretold,

“Unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left to us a seed,
We would have become like Sodom, and would have resembled Gomorrah.”

Paul quotes Isaiah 1: 9 in this verse, a startling statement that serves as a fitting climax to the doctrine of God's sovereignty. The text emphasizes that even the elect nation, Israel, would have fallen to the depravity and rebellion of Sodom and Gomorrah had God not intervened with sovereign mercy to preserve a remnant.

Verse 30: “What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, laid hold of righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith;”

Paul attributes the Jewish people's rejection of the faith to two interconnected causes: divine sovereignty and human willfulness, the latter stemming from a fundamental error in seeking righteousness. Because of God's grace and sovereign plan, Gentiles, who were not actively seeking God's righteousness, have now attained it through faith in Christ. In contrast, the Jewish people as a whole failed to receive this righteousness because they pursued it through adherence to the law—a means by which it could not be secured. Consequently, Christ has become a barrier, a "stumbling stone," over which the Jewish people have tripped and fallen.

Verse 31: “but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not attain that law.”

The central error of the Jewish people was not in the object of their pursuit, but in the method. Paul indicates they pursued it "not...by faith, but...by works," likely referring again to the Mosaic Law.

Verse 32: “Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were [b]by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,”

Jews stumbled over it, and Gentiles deem the cross as foolishness. Salvation is for anyone—Jew or Gentile—who simply believes. A humble mind approaches with simple heartfelt faith. Conversely, the "natural man" attempts to achieve salvation through his own efforts, seeking to reconcile God's sovereignty and human responsibility as if the limited, fallible human mind were capable of understanding such a divine mystery.

Verse 33: “ just as it is written,

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense,
And the one who believes upon Him will not be put to shame.”

The rejection of the Messiah by Israel was foretold by the Old Testament prophets long before His arrival, illustrating that Israel's lack of faith aligns entirely with Scripture. This is supported by quotes from Isaiah 8:14 and 28:16.