Grace Presbyterian Church, Montclair, New Jersey

In the next three chapters (Romans 9-11) Paul once again (as in Romans 7:7-25) seems to be in dialogue with himself. He begins by thinking through what he has just written regarding God’s faithfulness and the fact that nothing “in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:39). Paul now reflects on the present state of Israel which, by and large, has rejected the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul earlier had maintained that Israel’s faithlessness could not nullify God’s faithfulness (Romans 3:3-4). He now seeks to explain this by saying that, contrary to appearances, Israel’s present rejection is not a failure of God’s word to them but part of a larger plan for both Jew and Gentile.

1. After the great conclusion of chapter 8 with all of its tremendous hope and affirmation Paul, the individual, and, more specifically, speaking as an individual Jew, expresses his personal sorrow (Romans 9:2). Paul goes so far as to say that he would be willing to be accursed himself if this would benefit his “own people” (Romans 9:3). It is important to note here at the outset that Paul is not speaking of “Israel” in some abstract or spiritual sense. He means rather the historic covenant people, what he calls “my kindred according to the flesh” (Romans 9:3). Paul struggles with the meaning of Israel’s apparent rejection of Jesus Christ, Israel’s Messiah and Savior. How can this be?
2. Paul then moves beyond his personal sorrow to consider who the Israelites are. To them, he says, belong “the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship and the promises” (Romans 9:4). They are the heirs of the patriarchs. Through them has come Jesus the Messiah (Romans 9:5).
3. The reality of Israel’s unbelief would seem to pose a challenge to Paul’s fundamental thesis about the righteousness of God. What Paul has argued up to this point is that God’s righteousness is an expression of his faithfulness. God is faithful to the human race, to the creation itself. Neither sin in its totality, nor Adam as representative of sinful humanity, can ever negate God’s promises. God has promised to make righteous his creation through Jesus Christ. Wherever sin has dominated the grace of God in Christ has “abounded all the more” (Romans 5:20). Paul had insisted that Israel’s faithlessness could not nullify God’s faithfulness (Romans 3:3-4). He now has to explain how this is true in the light of Israel’s apparent rejection. The deeper question is this: if the unbelief of Israel, God’s chosen people, can set aside God’s promises, what about God’s other promises for humanity (Romans 3:21-26, 5:12-21) to say nothing of his ultimate promise for creation (Romans 8:19-25)? Can we count on God’s word no matter what, or is that word somehow dependent on us? And if that is the case what becomes of God’srighteousness and faithfulness? Is it the case that all things work together for good if we love God (Romans 8:28)? Or are there times when this might not be true? Is God’s promise dependent on our love for God? If that is so, how do we ever know if our love for God is sufficient (the question that nearly drove Martin Luther to despair)? Is it really the case that nothing “in all creation” can ever separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39)? Or are their times, even because of our own sin, when this is not true, as when the Psalmist cries out,

   “I am counted among those who go down to the Pit; I am like those who have no help.” – Psalm 88:4

   Paul then has to reconcile what he has said up to this point with the vexing example of Israel seeming to be outside God’s promises. The issue then quickly becomes, not Paul’s sorrow over his people, but God’s ultimate plan for them.
4. Paul’s response begins with the affirmation that the word of God has not failed, nor could it (Romans 9:6). Paul goes on to say that “not all Israelites truly belong to Israel” (Romans 9:6). It is not enough to be physically part of Israel. If Israel is defined by the promises of God (and it is, Genesis 15:1-6) then Israel is not simply an historical, biological entity. Abraham had two sons “according to the flesh.” But it was only the second of these, Isaac, who was the child of promise (Galatians 4:21-23). Likewise, Isaac had two sons, Esau and Jacob. Yet contrary to custom and standard it was said that “the elder shall serve the younger” (Romans 9:12; Genesis 25:23). God goes so far as to say that he loved (favored) Jacob and hated (did not favor) Esau (Romans 9:13; Malachi 1:2-3). God shows mercy as he chooses (Romans 9:15; Exodus 33:19). God’s choice was made before the two had been born “or had done anything good or bad” (9:11). God’s choice is not based on “human will or exertion” (Romans 9:16). This is all about God’s freedom to show mercy “on whom I will have mercy” (Romans 9:15). Even Pharaoh, the ancient enemy of Israel, was part of God’s plan (Romans 9:17). God shows mercy where he chooses and “hardens the heart of whomever he chooses” (Romans 9:18).
5. Before we want to protest these bold and, to our minds, hard statements we have to see how Paul’s argument is developing. Paul implicitly is saying that we shouldn’t go by appearances when dealing with God’s righteousness and faithfulness. God is working something out which is not apparently evident to the temporal observer. God has defined Israel by a promise. The promise establishes Israel and not the other way around. That promise may well appear contradictory and confusing to us (as it did to Paul). So Paul can say God’s faithfulness is not defined by Israel’s works, faithful or not. This also means that we should not presume to understand how God’s promises are fulfilled. In the moment of despair the promise that “all things work together for good” is clear in terms of what it says but it is not always clear how that promise applies to my particular circumstance when I don’t see anything good happening (when I feel like I am being “accounted as sheep to be slaughtered,” Romans 8:36; Psalm 44:22).
6. Somehow Paul is saying that even the rejection of Esau and the idolatrous pride of Pharaoh are being played out as part of God righteous plan to be merciful. Nonetheless, Paul anticipates our next question. If it all depends on God and God makes choices to be merciful or not to people who haven’t even been born, then how can God be just? For Paul the question is logical but inappropriate. Paul invokes the images of the potter from the Old Testament (Isaiah 29:16; 45:9; Jeremiah 18:1-11). This is not the Greek idea of fate, that “whatever will be, will be.” The Biblical idea of predestination never cancels out the idea of human responsibility. We are never automatons. Our decisions and actions matter. God says that he “hated” Esau but Esau chose to deny his birthright. God never forced him to do so (Hebrews 12:15-17). God gave gifts to Esau (Deuteronomy 2:1-5). The point Paul is making is that God’s mercy is not dependent or contingent in any way on human action. This was Paul’s own experience (I Timothy 1:12-15).
7. The critical theme that Paul will be developing to its fullest in these chapters  (Romans 9-11) is that God’s ultimate purpose is mercy. God is totally free in showing his mercy (Romans 9:15; Exodus 33:19). God is under no obligation to be merciful to his “enemies” (which includes us since we’re all sinners by choice, Romans 3:23, 5:10). God’s righteousness consists in the fact that God’s word and his promises never fail (Isaiah 55:8-11). Even the wicked, “the objects of wrath,” serve God’s purpose of mercy (Romans 9:22-23). The Greek text seems to be saying that God literally is “perfecting” the objects of wrath (the same word is used in I Corinthians 1:10 “united,” Galatians 6:1 “restore” and I Thessalonians 3:10 “complete”). Paul’s construction here is awkward, “and in order to make known the riches of his glory for the objects of mercy which he prepared beforehand for glory.” Paul may be saying that the objects of wrath become the objects of mercy (Psalm 30:4-5; Isaiah 54:8; Jeremiah 51:5; Hosea 11:8-9; Ephesians 2:3-5).
8. God’s purposes of wrath and mercy are closely bound up together. God has judged Israel but he has shown mercy to the Gentiles (Romans 9:25-26). Yet God has not abandoned Israel. A remnant has remained to guarantee that God’s promises to Israel “according to the flesh” have neither failed nor been forgotten (Romans 9:27-29; Isaiah 1:9).
9. Paul concludes this section with a great paradox. The Gentiles who did not seek for God (Romans 1:18-32) nevertheless have found him through faith (Romans 9:30), a faith that was often never even clear to them (Romans 2:6-16). Yet Israel who strove for righteousness missed it because they did so according to the law. The law ceased for them to be a gift from God (Psalm 119) and had become a selective example of their own spiritual superiority, a superiority which God rejects because of its blatant hypocrisy (Romans 2:17-24; Matthew 23). They have stumbled over the rock, Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate hope of both Jews and Gentiles (Romans 9:33; Isaiah 28:16, 8:14; Romans 1:16). Yet Israel in its faithlessness is not beyond salvation. Paul will continue.
10. Questions for Us -
    1. What do you see as Paul’s main concern in this chapter? Is his primary issue Israel, or is it something else?
    2. Why do you think we find the concept of God showing “mercy on whom he will show mercy” so difficult?
    3. How do we reconcile God’s will with our own choices and responsibilities?

« Back to the main Bible Study page