Romans Chapter 9:14-33
Memory verses for this week: 1 Pet 1:3 Blessed be the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his
abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1
Pet 1:4 To an
inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away,
reserved in heaven for you,
Introduction:
Last week, in
the first part of chapter 9, we saw the desire and love that
Paul had for his nation of Israel.
We covered the many benefits of being a member of God’s
chosen nation. This
week we cover more deeply the two nations
that descended from Isaac, Jacob and Esau.
I.
Is
God Unrighteous in Distinguishing between the Nations?
Rom
9:14 What shall we say
then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
In
verse 13 of last week’s lesson, we saw Paul speaking of the
special love God showed towards Jacob(the nation Israel) and hating
Esau (the nation of Edom.)
He then asks in this verse, “Is there unrighteousness with God?”
for establishing between the nations?
The answer is straight and direct, “God forbid.”
We
have special privileges today her in America that no other nation
has. We are so
blessed. What God does
among the nations is His business, and no man can stay His hand.
Rom
9:15 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.
Rom
9:16 So then it is not
of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that
showeth mercy.
Rom
9:17 For the scripture
saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee
up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be
declared throughout all the earth.
In
verse 15, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy on whom I
will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have
compassion”. It is
important to distinguish that God does not say “I will condemn
whom I will condemn to eternal destruction.”
God’s desire is that none should perish.
2
Pet 3:9 The Lord is not
slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is
longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but
that all should come to repentance.
In
verses 16 and 17, it speaks of at least one of the purposes of life
for Pharaoh.
Exo
9:16 And in very deed
for this cause have I raised thee up, for to show in thee my power;
and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.
II.
The
Potter and the Clay
Rom
9:18 Therefore hath he
mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
Rom
9:19 Thou wilt say then
unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
God
says he will have mercy on whom He desires.
Each of us who have found Christ as our Savior should really
be thankful that He showed us mercy.
If you study some of the scriptures over in Exodus, you find
that Pharaoh made up his own mind of his own free will.
God allowed him to go on in his wicked way.
Exo
4:21 And the LORD said
unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do
all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand:
but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.
Exo
8:15 But when Pharaoh
saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not
unto them; as the LORD had said.
Exo
8:19 Then the magicians
said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart
was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.
Exo
8:32 And Pharaoh
hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the
people go.
Rom
9:20 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?
Rom
9:21 Hath not the
potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto
honour, and another unto dishonour?
In
Chuck Swindoll’s study on Romans, “Learning to Walk by Grace”,
he explains what Paul meant concerning “For who hath resisted his
will?” “Paul
isn’t condemning the asking of sincere searching questions.
Rather, he’s dealing with a spirit of rebellion—those who
call into question God’s sovereign right to do as He wishes with
His creatures. That’s
as foolish as the clay asking the potter to explain himself.
Paul’s answer
is a reminder that God works according to His own perfect counsel
and wisdom, even though we may not understand all His reasons.
God
has the right to even give men over to a reprobate mind if He so
desires.
Rom
1:28 And even as they
did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to
a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Because
God hardens whom He will and has mercy on whom He will does not mean
that God forces men to do every thing.
If man did the will of God, all men would b saved.
II Pet 3:9 (listed above)
1
Tim 2:4 Who will have
all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
The
very moment that one speaks of God, he must realize that He is God
and has a right to do as He pleases.
To replay against God is vanity.
The potter has the right over the clay to make it as it
pleases Him. Man in his
fallen state has no right to claim anything at the hand of God, for
we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Isa
29:16 Surely your
turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's
clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or
shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no
understanding?
Isa
45:9 Woe unto him that
striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds
of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What
makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?
Rom
9:22 What if God,
willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with
much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
Rom
9:23 And that he might
make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he
had afore prepared unto glory,
If
He so chose, God would have a perfect right to destroy al sinners.
He has a right to show mercy according to His own will, in
order to carry out His purpose.
Rom
9:24 Even us, whom he
hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
The
riches of God’s grace and glory extends to all believers, both of
the Jews and Gentiles.
III.
Prophecy
about the Gentiles from the Old Testament
Rom
9:25 As he saith also
in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and
her beloved, which was not beloved.
Rom
9:26 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.
We
are told in these verses that only a remnant shall be saved.
Some today teach that a Jew (born as a Jew by a natural
birth) is born into the family of God.
This is not so. Only those who are born again are born into the family of
God.
John
8:39 They answered and
said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye
were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.
John
8:40 But now ye seek to
kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of
God: this did not Abraham.
John
8:41 Ye do the deeds of
your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication;
we have one Father, even God.
John
8:42 Jesus said unto
them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded
forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
John
8:43 Why do ye not
understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
John
8:44 Ye are of your
father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a
murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because
there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his
own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Rom
9:27 Esaias also crieth
concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as
the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
Rom
9:28 For he will finish
the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work
will the Lord make upon the earth.
Rom
9:29 And as Esaias said
before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been
as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.
Verse
27 comes from Isaiah 10:22 and verse 29 comes from Isaiah 1:9.
It is the Lord who is the one who left the remnant.
IV.
The
Gentiles Attained Righteousness because they Sought it by Faith
Rom
9:30 What shall we say
then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness,
have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of
faith.
Rom
9:31 But Israel, which
followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the
law of righteousness.
What
shall we say then? The Gentiles, who did not follow after righteousness, have
attained to righteousness by faith.
They believed the Gospel and were saved by faith in Christ.
Acts
13:44 And the next
sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of
God.
Acts
13:45 But when the Jews
saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against
those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and
blaspheming.
Acts
13:46 Then Paul and
Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God
should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you,
and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to
the Gentiles.
Acts
13:47 For so hath the
Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the
Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the
earth.
Acts
13:48 And when the
Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the
Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
V.
The
Gentiles attained Righteousness because they Sought it by Faith
Rom 9:32
Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it
were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that
stumblingstone;
Rom 9:33
As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and
rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be
ashamed.
Israel
sought righteousness by the law and failed to obtain it because
God’s righteousness is not obtained by the law or works of the
law, but by faith. Rom
4:1-5, Gal 3:11
Because
the Jews sought righteousness by the works of the law, they stumbled
at the stumbling stone which is Christ.
1
Cor 1:23 But we preach
Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the
Greeks foolishness;
1
Cor 1:24 But unto them
which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and
the wisdom of God.
Acts
4:11 This is the stone
which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of
the corner.
Acts
4:12 Neither is there
salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven
given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Salvation
is not now, neither has it ever been obtained in any other way
except by a trusting
faith in Jesus Christ. In
Isaiah, he spoke of a special stone.
That stone is foundation stone, a tried stone, a precious
corner stone, a sure foundation. That sure foundation is Jesus Christ.
Isa
28:16 Therefore thus
saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone,
a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that
believeth shall not make haste.
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Prov 4:18 But the
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