Romans 9:10-24 - The Bible's Horrible Doctrine
Even in the midst of the Bible's most horrible doctrine, you can find comfort.
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CONTEXT: After celebrating that nothing can separate us from God's love, Paul abruptly switches gears, expressing his anguish is for his fellow Israelites, who have received so many of God's covenant blessings yet rejected Christ. Paul explains that God's promises have not failed, since not all who descend from Israel belong to Israel.
Romans 9:2–24 (ESV)
2 ...I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart.
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10 ...when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— 12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! 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 depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?
Canons of Dordt
Point I, Article 10: Election Based on God’s Good Pleasure
The cause of our undeserved election is exclusively the good pleasure of God. This does not involve his choosing certain human qualities or actions from among all those possible as a condition of salvation, but rather involves his adopting certain particular persons from among the common mass of sinners as his own possession.
Summary
It's one of the most abrupt shifts in all of Scripture - this transition from Romans 8, which is arguably the Bible's most triumphant celebration of the assurance that stems from salvation worked out by our Sovereign God, to Romans 9, which confronts us with the difficult reality that God's tremendous gift of grace is not equally extended to all.
If what you just read in today's passage doesn't at least give you a bit of pause, go back and read it again. It gave its author great sorrow and unceasing anguish.
Paul begins with the Bible's most famous set of twins, Jacob and Esau. Esau had been born first, with Jacob grasping his brother's heel. But even though as the older brother Esau should have had all the rights that society then conferred upon the oldest son, their mother Rebekah was told that, in order for God's purpose of election might continue, that the older will serve the younger. And not only did Esau lose his privileged position, but Paul quotes the prophet Malachi's shocking statement that the LORD loved Jacob, but hated Esau.
Next, Paul reminds that God raised up Pharoah for the very purpose of stubbornly hardening his heart, so that God might show His power in him, that God's name might be proclaimed in all the earth.
This leads to the rhetorical question that Paul asks on everybody's behalf. If neither Esau nor Pharoah ever stood a chance - if God had sealed their fate before they'd even been born - why does He still find fault? For who can resist His will?
Dig Deeper
But for as honestly obvious as the question is, Paul - inspired by the Holy Spirit - makes it clear that we do not have the right to ask it. Who are you, O man, Paul retorts, to answer back to God? He goes on to borrow from an often used Old Testament metaphor to explain your relationship to your Creator: you and I are molded clay, while God is the molder and potter.
You can and should derive great comfort from what we read the last few days in Romans 8, knowing that rather than receiving the condemnation you deserve, you were instead chosen for adoption to sonship by the One who works all things out for the good of those who love Him and were called according to His purpose. This is the Biblical doctrine of unconditional election.
But this doctrine has a flip side called reprobation, which is that some lumps of clay - that is, people like Esau, Pharoah and countless others - are formed by God into vessels of wrath prepared for destruction. After all, God both has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
But even in the midst of this, the Bible's most difficult doctrine, you can find comfort:
God’s purpose in election does not depend on your works but is fully based on him who calls;
Salvation depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy;
God has done this in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— even us whom he has called.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who desires to show His wrath and to make known His power so that as vessels of mercy we might better know the riches of His glory;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that even though you do not fully comprehend this horrible doctrine (John Calvin's words), that you would submit to its truth;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
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