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Israel

In antiquity

Romans chapter 9: 1-29

In chapters 9 to 11 Paul touches an issue that really interested him, as a religious Pharisee that he was before his conversion, to which he would have devoted much research. It is a subject that even today causes dissensions, and concerns the maintenance by God of the promises made to the people of Israel, in view of there being now another people including Gentiles, which is the church of Christ. Paul places emphasis on the divine sovereignty and human responsibility expressed in the people of Israel in antiquity (chapter 9), at present (chapter 10) and in the future (chapter 11).

Paul made a statement starting with something like a triple oath:

• He spoke the truth in Christ.
• He was not lying.
• His conscience in the Holy Spirit witnessed with him.

His statement was that he had a profound sadness, and incessant heartache. So great was the suffering, which took him to the point of "almost wishing" (e¯uchome ¯n) even to "be accursed" (anathema) from Christ (and thus sacrificing his own salvation) for love of his blood related compatriots the Jews. With this, he responded to some supposed critic who said that he had rejected his people, and that he was a turncoat for having become a Christian. This same criticism is often directed to those who convert to Christ, coming from cultures traditionally prey to a particular religion.

The Israelites were privileged: adopted by God, He gave them the "glory" (the glory of God, chapter 3:23), covenants, legislation, the service of God and the promises; theirs are the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) and from them descended physically the Christ who is Lord of all, God blessed forever. Is a clear statement of the divinity of Christ, following the endorsement of His humanity (Acts 20:28, Titus 2:13).

We, the Gentiles, owe much to the privileged Jews: the knowledge of the true God, our Creator, comes through them, as well as our Saviour, and the Gospel that came by being disseminated by the Jewish apostles.

Paul declares now that the word of God had not failed (in relation to the promises of eternal blessings to the descendants of Abraham), but that "not all those who are of Israel (physically descendants) are Israelites (heirs of the promises)". The purpose of God (election) has always been to distinguish between those who were physically descendants, blessing some and not others.

We have the following examples:

1) Abraham had two sons, but only Isaac (son of promise, begot through Sarah) was intended by God to be the heir. Only the “children of the promise" are children of God.

2) Isaac had twin sons but God chose only Jacob (the youngest), before he was born, to be the heir. It was a choice on which one was chosen and the other was not. As neither of them had been born yet, the choice could not have been made in the light of actions revealing their character, but only by the wisdom and foreknowledge of God. God was not unfair to make that choice so early, but He exercised His sovereignty to do whatever He wanted.

God chooses whom he wants to favour, and determines the place of each without having to explain Himself to anyone. He said to Moses: "I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion" (Exodus 33:19). He was the One who raised Pharaoh in Egypt, to show His power to liberate the people and to be known in all the Earth. We have no right to criticize His decision because He is the omniscient creator of everything and acts with Supreme Justice.

Due to the preliminary choice that God makes, some people take advantage of this situation to apologize for bad deeds, with the argument that He should not complain, because no one can resist His will. Man would be only an instrument in the hands of God to develop His purposes, and cannot be blamed for the actions that follow this divine purpose. There is nothing he can do or say to change his fate.

Paul rebukes the insolence of the one who dares to think or speak that way. Mortal creature, steeped in sin, ignorance and weakness is not in a position to argue with God and to doubt the wisdom and justice of His ways. Using as a figure the potter and the clay of which he makes the object of his choice, he demonstrates God's sovereignty to do whatever He wants of His creature.

The potter uses the clay to make a vase for honourable use and another for dishonourable use: he has every right to do this, nobody can complain. The clay is as humanity made useless in its sin, destined for eternal perdition, without any value. God, in his mercy, by his grace picks some sinners who repent and trust in the redemptive work of his Son, cleanses them of sin, and conforms them to the image of his Son. Nobody can complain about this, as He has every right to do so.

God is not destining the rest to hell. They are already condemned to perdition because of their own sin, disobedience and rebellion, and not by some arbitrary decree of God. God still tolerates with much patience the wrongdoers, or vessels of wrath, prepared for perdition, in order to:

• Show His anger.
• Make known His great power.
• Reveal the riches of His glory in vessels of mercy, prepared beforehand for glory, for those who are saved by their faith in Christ, both Jews and Gentiles.

Someone has already said, "the sovereignty of God is never exercised in the condemnation of men who should be saved, but, on the contrary, results in the salvation of those who should be lost."

God had already announced through the prophet Hosea (1: 9-10) that people who were not the people of Israel would be called His people, and the children of the living God. Through the prophet Isaiah (10:22-23) He warned that no matter how much the number of the sons of Israel grew, only a remnant would be saved: this will be fully complied with, and soon. As yet Isaiah prophesied (1:9), if the Lord of hosts had not preserved the heritage of the Jews, they would have disappeared.

 

R David Jones

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1 I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit,
2 that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart.
3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh,
4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises;
5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

6 But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel,
7 nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, "IN ISAAC YOUR SEED SHALL BE CALLED."
8 That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the 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 when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac
11 (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls),
12 it was said to her, "THE OLDER SHALL SERVE THE YOUNGER."
13 As it is written, "JACOB I HAVE LOVED, BUT ESAU I HAVE HATED."
14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not!
15 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."
16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.
17 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."
18 Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.
19 You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?"
20 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?"
21 Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?
22 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,
23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,
24 even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
25 As He says also in Hosea: "I WILL CALL THEM MY PEOPLE, WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, AND HER BELOVED, WHO WAS NOT BELOVED."
26 "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."
27 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.
28 FOR HE WILL FINISH THE WORK AND CUT IT SHORT IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, BECAUSE THE LORD WILL MAKE A SHORT WORK UPON THE EARTH."
29 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 chapter 9: 1-29