Romans 9:6-18

Romans 9:6-Job : . God’ s Free Election.

Romans 9:6-1 Samuel : . We must distinguish: “ to be of Israel, is not to be Israel.” Mere physical heredity counts for nothing: “ Isaac” was the proper “ seed” of Abraham, designated as “ the child of promise” ( Genesis 21:12, etc.). Here Isaac’ s case illustrates the sovereignty of God; in Romans 4:18-Ecclesiastes :, the efficacy of faith.

Romans 9:10-1 Chronicles : . The case of Esau and Jacob is equally significant. Twin offspring of the same parents, the unborn babes had done nothing to achieve merit or display worth, when God said, “ The elder shall serve the younger,” an election governing the history of the descendant peoples ( Malachi 1:2 f.*).

Romans 9:14 . No Jew would deem “ God unjust” in such preferences; the question of Romans 9:14 answers itself. The application to contemporary Judaism is patent.

Romans 9:15 f. The election of Jacob recalls words used to Moses: “ I will show mercy to whomsoever I will show mercy,” etc.— not that God is arbitrary in His compassions, but He is untrammeled; even Moses may not prescribe to Him. Hence the inference: “ it is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs” (as Moses was doing then, Paul now, for Israel’ s salvation), “ but of God,” etc. ( cf. 1 Corinthians 3:6 f.). Dictation, like prerogative, is out of court.

Romans 9:17 f. This holds in respect of “ hardening” too. Witness the Pharaoh of the Exodus: God “ raised” this evil-hearted man to greatness, “ on purpose to demonstrate His power” as the Judge of the earth. As the story shows, the monarch’ s defiant temper was the nemesis of unbelief; cf. Romans 1:24 ; Romans 1:28. In every decision God judges for Himself, despite human pleas of privilege and pride of power: “ Whom He will He compassionates, whom He will He hardens.”