Click here to view the entire service
If you’ve ever struggled with why God saves some and not others, you need a thorough study of Romans 9. And that’s exactly what we’re going to be studying this morning. One of the benefits of teaching through books of the Bible is that you can’t avoid portions that are either difficult to understand or controversial in nature. Our text before us is both. And we approach with full humility, confessing that we don’t understand everything here, yet understand enough to thrill our hearts and give us a high, biblical view of our God. We submit our hearts and minds to God and His Word. Whatever God says is so.
One of our problems is we have a humanistic, man-centered view of God, as if He exists for our pleasure rather than the opposite. Is God subject to man’s decisions or is man subject to God’s decisions? Do we decide who gets God’s mercy or is God sovereign in His showing mercy? In this passage, Paul emphasizes the sovereignty of God in showing mercy to some and passing over others. In chapter 10 he will emphasize man’s responsibility. Scripture never denies either divine sovereignty or human responsibility.
The doctrines of divine sovereignty, election, and predestination are deep truths. Get ready for a deep dive. Bible students have debated and argued over them for centuries. Men have even been severely persecuted for teaching them. In Steve Lawson’s second volume of Pillars of Grace he tells the story of a ninth-century German monk named Gottschalk of Orbais (“Orbay”). Gottschalk fully embraced the sovereignty of God, and that God sovereignly chose some to be saved and the rest to be left condemned in their sin. The Roman church hauled him before synods and decreed him a heretic, beating him nearly to death, and forcing him to burn his writings. He refused to recant. Lawson describes him like this, “Gottschalk was inflamed with a passion for God and His supreme glory. For him, the doctrines of grace were not a mere intellectual pursuit, but truths that transformed his life and produced high doxology within him.”
High doxology – exalting and praising God. That’s what a high view of God produces. When we embrace the truth that God individually chooses us to be His through His Son, we realize He is not some far-off deity hardly concerned with what is going on, but He is personally involved in our lives. He is with us moment by moment as our sovereign Father fulfilling His great purpose in our lives. This morning we’ll ask and answer three questions Paul deals with in response to the problem of Israel and her rejection of the Messiah and the sovereign mercy of God.
QUESTION #1 HAS GOD’S PLAN FOR ISRAEL FAILED?
Romans 9:6, But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel;
Many Jews believed just because they were Israelites they would skate right into heaven. “All
Israelites have a share in the world to come,” they thought. John the Baptist dealt with this delusion in Luke 3:8. As Jews were streaming out to where he was baptizing, he warned them, “Don’t even think we have Abraham as our Father. God can turn these stones into children of Abraham.” Jesus faced the same issue in John 8:39, “Abraham is our father” claimed the Pharisees. Jesus replied, “If Abraham was your father, you would do the deeds of Abraham!” He added, “You are of your father the devil!” Just being a Jew doesn’t make you a child of God. One Puritan author wrote, “If Abraham’s faith be not in your hearts, it will be no advantage that Abraham’s blood runs in your veins.”
The same is true of us. Your human family or even church connections don’t make you a child of God. How many people say, “Oh, I’m a Baptist. My grandpa was a preacher.” Or “I grew up a Lutheran and went through the whole confirmation thing.” Or “I’ve always been a Christian.” Oops. Impossible. You were not born a Christian. You need to be born again. It’s not being a Baptist, Catholic, Lutheran or Presbyterian that gets you to God.
So, Paul answers, “God’s Word to Israel hasn’t failed and never will fail.” The word “failed” is used in Acts 27 of a ship running aground. God’s Word will never run aground. The word also means to fall over. God’s word will never fall over – it’s infallible. Paul’s heart is grieved over the Jews who rejected their Messiah, but God’s plan hasn’t failed, God hasn’t blown it and never will. Paul knows God is sovereign in His mercy and will save every Jew He chose in eternity past. God never planned to save every Israelite. Paul knew he himself was an unlikely Jewish convert. Why did God save Paul? You may have read Rosaria Butterfield’s testimony of coming to Christ after a long-term lesbian relationship and advocate for LGBTQ issues. A pastor and his wife invited her to discussions on the Bible. Rosaria repented of her sin and came to Christ. Today she is a pastor’s wife and homeschool mother. She wrote a book about her unlikely conversion and asks in the book, “God, why pick me?” Not “Why don’t you pick everyone but why pick me?” Have you ever asked that question? Paul illustrates his point with two of Abraham’s children, both unlikely converts.
God sovereignly chose Isaac, not Ishmael.
Romans 9:7-9, nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED.” 8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. 9 For this is the word of promise: “AT THIS TIME I WILL COME, AND SARAH SHALL HAVE A SON.”
Islam teaches that Ishmael was the chosen seed; that Abraham offered Ishmael and a ram was miraculously provided in Ishmael’s place. But the Bible says when Sarah was too old to have a child, she and Abraham cooked up a scheme with Hagar and Hagar had Ishmael. In Genesis 17 Abraham told God Ishmael would be the promised seed. No, God assured him he and Sarah would have a son named Isaac, meaning laughter. Abraham laughed, being 100 years old and Sarah was 90! In Genesis 18 God told Abraham in one year Sarah would have a son. Sarah heard it and laughed! Sure enough, God took note of Sarah and at the appointed time, “Laughter” was born, a gift of sheer grace. Isaac was the chosen son of promise.
God’s Word has not nor ever will fail, even against all human odds. Abe and Sarah were way past child-bearing age. God keeps His promise. You can count on His Word. It will never, never run aground like that ship Paul was on that ran aground on the way to Rome. When God promises, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” or “Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you,” or “My grace is sufficient for you,” you can count it. Never worry that God is losing. So here God promised this totally impotent, aged couple a son and sure enough, laughter fill Abraham and Sarah’s house. Isaac not only was born, but God in His sovereign mercy chose Isaac and not Ishmael.
God sovereignly chose Jacob, not Esau.
Romans 9:10-13, 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 God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, 12 it was said to her, “THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER.” 13 Just as it is written, “JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED.”
Notice how Paul is using the Scripture to prove the Scriptures. Here he goes to the birth of Jacob and Esau to show God’s Word hasn’t failed. God keeps His promise. In this case you have two babies born of the same mom and dad. Rebekah was barren. Isaac prayed for her. She conceives. Twins are in there, and Rebekah feels like WW3 is going on down there. We must read this.
Genesis 25:22-23, But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If it is so, why then am I this way?” So she went to inquire of the LORD. 23 The LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb; And two peoples will be separated from your body; And one people shall be stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger.”
That word “struggled” is the Hebrew “ratzats” – to crush, crack, bruise. Jacob the Bruiser was having it out with Esau the Crusher even before they were born! Finally, here they come. Esau is the first born, with Jacob the “heel catcher” (Hebrew meaning of Jacob) grabbing Esau’s heel. Now, which is the child of promise? First, they are both of the same parents. Second, Esau, being born first, would be the honored son. And third, they hadn’t done anything good or bad. God sovereignly chooses the younger, not based on works of any kind. Both of these bad boys were sinners. Neither deserved God’s mercy. Both deserved God’s justice.
You can’t read this account and come away saying God chooses us because we choose Him or because of anything in us. Verse 11 “Not because of works but because of Him who calls or chooses.” This was Paul’s whole point back in Romans 4:5, “But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.” God sovereignly chose Jacob to be the promised seed.
Now look at this famous verse 13, quoting Malachi 1:2, “God loved Jacob but hated Esau.” A lady said to Spurgeon, “I cannot understand why God should say that He hated Esau.” Spurgeon replied “That is not my difficulty, madam. My trouble is to understand how God could love Jacob.” Jacob was no angel. I’d rather buy a used car from Esau than from Jacob. But how do we handle this love and hate issue? We don’t want to pussyfoot around this. We don’t want to defang the lion of truth, blunt the sharp edge of God’s Sword. We clearly see that Jacob didn’t deserve God’s love or grace or mercy. God sovereignly chose Him in His sovereign mercy. That’s God’s prerogative.
But here Esau is a sinner, Esau deserved God’s judgment and wrath, just like all of us. We are born guilty sinners and John 3:36 says the wrath of God abides on all who do not come to Christ. So, God hated Esau in his sin just like he is angry with the wicked every day! The amazing thing isn’t that God hated Esau, but that God loved Jacob for no reason, in fact contrary to every reason He should hate Jacob. This is God’s glorious, sovereign mercy to undeserving sinners like you and me, unlikely converts. God’s sovereign, electing, everlasting love placed on us from eternity past and brought to us here in our lives ought to fill our hearts with gratefulness and humble worship. We should go around all day long wondering, not why God punishes wicked people, but “God, why pick me?” And all we can conclude is that it was His good pleasure, as Ephesians 1:6 says, “to the praise of the glory of His grace which He freely bestowed on us in His Beloved Son.” This is what the converted slave trader John Newton’s song Amazing Grace is all about. “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.” But all this leads to another question.
QUESTION #2 – ISN’T GOD UNFAIR TO CHOOSE SOME AND NOT OTHERS?
Romans 9:14-17, What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? 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 man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH.”
So, is God unjust to judge sinners? No, a thousand times no! God is never unjust or as we call it, unfair. What did God warn us about sin? The wages of sin is death. Plus, He said we’ve all sinned and come short of the glory of God. And He warns us over and over, if you reject His Son and die in unbelief, you’ll be under His wrath forever.
Is God unjust to show mercy to sinners? Again, absolutely not! God is free to have mercy and compassion on whomever He pleases. He is not obligated to show mercy, but He is God and He can have mercy on whomever He pleases. And notice, verse 16 says it doesn’t depend on your will or your running or striving, but on God who sovereignly shows mercy. He gets all the glory. What about free will? George Whitefield answered, “Man has a free will to go to hell but not to go to heaven.” Our wills are bound by sin and not free to choose Christ. No sinner would naturally choose Christ. God has to give you a new heart with a renewed will to turn from sin and embrace His Son.
Paul uses Pharaoh in verse 17 to show that God is sovereign over all people, including big shots and god-wannabes like Pharaoh. “For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH.” God raised up this human potentate to show His power and great name. God didn’t make Pharaoh sin or inject evil into his heart. Pharaoh’s heart was already evil and hard. God sovereignly in His providence raised up the sinning and hardened Pharaoh at that particular time to bring about His purposes. As you read the account in Exodus you read over and over that Pharaoh hardened his heart. God didn’t intervene to soften his heart. In Exodus 15:9-11 Pharaoh said, “I will pursue, overtake, divide the spoil, take my sword and destroy them,” and God says, “No you won’t.” He drowned them in the Red Sea. Don’t mess with God Almighty.
God hardens hearts in at least three ways: letting people alone in their sin; turning them over to more sin called judicial hardening as seen in Romans 1; and using their hard hearts to fulfill His purpose. God doesn’t create evil or make evil, but God does use man’s evil to accomplish his purposes. This is seen in Genesis 45 where Joseph told his brothers who sold him into slavery, “God sent me here.” You see this clearly in the crucifixion as God used the evil of Judas, the Jews, and the Gentiles to accomplish His great and eternal plan of redemption.
Acts 4:27-28, For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.
QUESTION #3 – IS GOD FREE TO DEAL WITH PEOPLE AS HE PLEASES?
Romans 9:18, So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.
God is free to show mercy and He is free to harden hard sinners. Aren’t you glad God has mercy on sinners like us? He isn’t obligated to show mercy to anyone. He doesn’t owe us mercy. He would be completely just if He left us all in our sinful, willful pursuits and condemned us forever. But God delights in showing mercy to sinners. I like Jonathan Edwards comment here, “He may have mercy on the greatest of sinners, if he pleases, and the glory of none of His attributes will be in the least sullied.” He may save people who resisted the gospel for a long time or have been involved in the worst of human sins, because all His abhorrence and displeasure against their sin has already been paid for in the sufferings of Christ. This is the beauty and glory of the gospel.
SO WHAT?
What great truths does all this teach us? What can we take with us?
First, God is sovereign in every way including in whom He saves. God is God and we aren’t. God is on the throne in the heavens; we are sinners on earth. This stomps all over our pride and keeps us from trusting in our own human good. Spurgeon said, “There is no attribute of God more comforting to his children than the doctrine of Divine Sovereignty…. “On the other hand,” says Spurgeon, “there is no doctrine more hated by worldlings than the sovereignty of the infinite Jehovah. Men will allow God to be anywhere but on His throne, sovereignly disposing all things according to His good pleasure….” Spurgeon concludes, “But it is God upon the throne that we love to preach.”
Second, whatever God does is right and whatever He says is true, whether I understand it or not. We don’t bring God to the bar of our own opinions. We’ve heard people say in response to God’s sovereignty over salvation, “That’s not the God I serve.” Sadly, then the God you serve is a figment of your own imagination. Luther told the humanist Erasmus, “Your thoughts of God are too human.”
Brothers and sisters, our hearts should thrill that God would include us in His mercy. If He showed mercy to us, then He may show mercy to many others. Has He shown mercy to you through the gospel? You might say, “How do I know?” Humble your heart, admit your lost, sinful condition, and do what the tax collector did in the temple. He was so convicted of his sin that he couldn’t even look up to heaven. He simply cried out, “God, be merciful to me the sinner.” Jesus said this man went down to his house justified. Wouldn’t that be wonderful if it was true of you, of everyone here, that we leave this gathering of worship blessed by God’s sovereign, saving mercy! Here’s the promise of God – Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved! If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.