Israel's past Election (3)
Notes
Transcript
Turn to Romans chapter 9. It is our desire to go through entire bible chapter by chapter, book by book, and currently, we are studying the New Testament as it was written historically. Romans was penned around 56 A.D. 20 plus years after the Resurrection. In this section of Romans, Paul has a real passion for his own countrymen to experience the benefits of the gospel as he had. Once Saul of Tarsus, now Paul the Apostle has changed more than just his name. Last week Paul focused on God’s faithfulness making it clear that just because you were a son Abraham did not mean you were a “son of promise.” And Paul referred to Abraham & Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Esau regarding God’s foreknowledge of future events.
In this section he changes from God’s faithfulness to God’s righteousness to help Israel understand this gospel using the Torah.
So place your thumb in Exodus 33, and later Exodus 9
When the church was birthed at Pentecost it was a shocking reality to the Jews living in Jerusalem.
As the Holy Spirit came upon the 120 in the Upper Room, they spoke in tongues the wondrous works of God in Gentile languages or dialects, not in Hebrew. Over 15 nations who were proselytes to Judaism were there. And they were blown away at the message from God. But the Jews were skeptical so Peter decides to explain to his people what just happened.
Acts 2:14 tells us who this message was for.... “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem….
Peter defends the phenomenon claiming these people are not drunk as they suppose but confirming Joel 2, that God promised to pour out His Spirit on all people, leading to prophecy, visions, and dreams. But this prophecy is actually directed at the Jewish people - Joel foretells that a time of national mourning was coming and Peter was affirming it was time to turn back to God. Peter believed it because by Acts 3 he was on his way to the hour of prayer with John. But then he makes this declaration in Acts 2:22–23
22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested or proved to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God did through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of lawless men and put Him to death.
And as you read through the book of Acts the main resistors were the Jewish authorities, In other words, the Jewish leaders were the ones shouting at Pilate “crucify Him!” But Peter reveals God’s sovereignty to the Jews that yes, they may have colluded with the Romans [lawless men] to kill their Messiah, but Peter makes it clear that God used them to fulfill His predetermined plan!!
but Paul was proof that God shows mercy and gives everyone a chance to fulfill the purpose God has for them.
As 3000 were saved and baptized that day. No doubt, some common Jews responded but it was mainly the visiting nations who received this miraculous message from God, they repented and responded to Peter’s explanation - They were born-again, filled with the Holy Spirit and went back home rejoicing, preaching the gospel and starting churches!
One of those nations visiting Jerusalem was Rome! To whom Paul is writing!
This is what God wanted to do through His chosen people Israel, for centuries to reach the other nations through their Messiah to the glory of God.
Yet He already knew the hatred His Son would have to deal with as Isaiah foretold and most Jews would reject His Son as a nation, so this may which
explain while Yeshua was ministering on the earth, He “chose or elected” 12 men to follow Him.
and after His resurrection, listen to what He said “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. So Jesus commissioned His boys to “GO” into all the world and preach the gospel, make disciples, baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to keep all that He commanded them...not the ten commandments but to take up our cross and follow him and love others more than ourselves!
Paul’s next point to his countrymen was God’s righteousness in Israel’s past election. (vs 14–18)
Verses 14-16 What shall we say then? Is there any unrighteousness with God? May it never be! For He says to Moses, “I will have
mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it does not depend on the one who wills or the one who
runs, but on God who has mercy.
In other words, God’s righteousness doesn’t depend on our human will promotion but God’s character of mercy! [Ex 34:5-7]
1] God’s righteousness cannot be earned, only received
Paul quotes from Exodus 33:19 so let’s turn there for context.
Exodus 33
Before we read this: In Exodus 32 Moses had been with YHWH for 40 days and nights but when he came down with two tablets with the ten commandments written by the finger of God [first actual words] he then witnesses the nation worshipping a golden calf and in anger broke the the tablets and enraged with his brother Aaron who allowed this to happen.
Aaron excuse? “They said to me, ‘Make gods for us who will go before us; for this Moses, we do not know what has become of him.’ “And I said to them,
‘Whoever has any gold, let them tear it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.” We have to remember, Israel had been under Egyptian influence for over four generation! It was a land of gods and that’s all they knew.
In the meantime, Moses can a people completely out of control honoring the golden calf —What's the most dangerous thing about finding a gold coin?The urge to find another... and another... until you're bankrupt! so Moses shouts “Whoever is on the Lord's side, come to me!” And the sons of Levi gathered to Moses, and he tells them to go kill the offenders. Three thousand were slain as judgment which was merciful in light of what God wanted to do to the entire nation!! He was ready to wipe them out and start over with Moses.
But like Paul, Moses intercedes for the nation; “But now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out from Your book which You have written!” Sound familiar? The Apostle Paul wished he could be accursed and separated from Christ for the sake of his brothers!
So Yahweh said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. So, it appears all names are written in the book of Life before birth but if we choose to reject God, we can be blotted out.
So God commands Israel to “Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst because you are a stiff-necked people, lest I consume you on the way.” God is quite angry here but for good reason!
But in Exodus 33 all Israel is weeping and mourning that God wanted to destroy them so Moses goes into the Tabernacle to plead for God’s mercy and the pillar of cloud comes as the people stood looking on and waiting to see what God tells Moses. And notice the boldness of Moses. It’s amazing because God considered Moses a friend in vs 11!! Look at verse 12.
12 Then Moses said to Yahweh, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people!’ But You Yourself have not let me know whom You will send with me. Moreover, You have said, ‘I have known you by name, and you have also found favor or grace in My sight.’
Moses reminds God of His sovereignty and His favor or grace in His sight!
13 “So now, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight. See also, that this nation is Your people.”
What an amazing prayer - Moses reminds God, if he has found favor in His sight then let him know God’s ways that He might know God, so he might find favor in His sight. See also, that this nation is Your people.” You see, this is what Paul wanted for Israel! Relationship, reasoning, reminding God of His word in a friendly manner.
14 And He said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 Then Moses said to Him, “If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. 16 “Indeed, how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth?”
Moses reminds God why Israel is a special people He chose to be above all other nations for His glory!!
17 Then Yahweh said to Moses, “I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; for you have found favor in My sight, and I have known you by name.”
Moses senses God’s loving response & it prompts him to get closer. I think we can relate to that.
18-19 Then Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your glory!” [here’s Paul’s quote] And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of Yahweh before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.”
Reading this conversation explains why God said this and why Paul quoted it. Moses wanted God Himself and God foreknew that in 1200 years this will become a reality!! But even then God was gracious enough to give Moses a taste of His glory! How? Verses 20-23
20-23 But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!” Then Yahweh said,“Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. “Then I will remove My hand, and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.”
Don’t you love it? Moses wanted to see His glory. It’s what we take for granted as Christians – While Moses could only get a glimpse of His glory, for us, the cleft of the Rock represents “Christ in you, the hope of glory!! What we have in our possession as believers is through through Christ His Son for He who knew no sin became sin that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
[Back to Romans 9] - check time
Verse 16-18
So then it does not depend on the one who wills or the one who runs, [that is, humans] but on God who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I raised you up, in order to demonstrate My power in you, and in order that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.”So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.
2] God’s righteousness gives us power and purpose in life!
Ok, why does Paul bring Pharoah up? There’s a lot to unpack here. But if we follow the context Paul is comparing Israel’s past election to Pharaoh's past election!
Turn to Exodus 9
Before we read from Exodus 9 We all know that YHWH appeared to Moses in the burning bush and sent Moses to go deliver his people who were in bondage and slavery in Egypt and to tell Pharoah to let them go and when Moses asked about His name “Ha shem” what shall he say? God says “You shall tell that “eh-yeh-ashar-eh-yeh “I AM WHO I AM” has sent me to you. The phrase “I AM” is an active verb -An active verb is when the subject of a sentence performs the action, making them the "doer" of the action, God says "I shall be that which I shall be” He exists independently and chooses to reveal Himself to us in a way that we can understand. Which is why Jesus used the term 40 times in the gospel of John! From the bread of life, to the light of the world to the resurrection and Life, Jesus is the “I AM” in human flesh!
Keep in mind: Moses grew up in Egypt, but he ran away to Midian after he defended a Jewish slave being beaten by an Egyptian taskmaster and buried him.
So in trying to defend his people in his own strength didn’t work and so he had to flee into exile.
But now God appears and say “come and I will send you to Pharaoh, and so you shall bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.”
Why so many excuses? Perhaps for Moses, it was returning to the scene of a crime!!
Yet YHWH considered Himself the God of the Hebrews and sent Moses to tell Israel and Pharoah a message! After several plagues, Pharoah continued to harden his heart and also be hardened with strength by the Lord. From Exodus 5-8
Let’s read as God speaks to Pharoah through Moses Exodus 9:14–17
“For this time I will send all My plagues against your heart and amongst your servants and your people, [Egypt or Gentiles] so that you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth. “For if by now I had sent forth My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, you would then have been wiped out from the earth.“But, indeed, for this reason I have caused you to stand, in order to show you My power and in order to recount My name through all the earth. “Still you exalt yourself against My people by not letting them go.
Keep in mind, Moses was a Hebrew sent to the place where he grew up to face his half-brother who’s now the Pharoah. God in His mercy was reminding Pharoah without YHWH he would have been wiped out from the earth. Then the verse that Paul quotes “For this very purpose I raised you up, in order to demonstrate My power in you, and in order that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.”
So, what was God’s original purpose for Pharoah? To demonstrate His power in him and to proclaim God’s name throughout the earth!! Just as the previous Pharoah worked with Joseph. [So it sounds like God raised him up] but the next verse reveals the problem! Still you exalt yourself against My people by not letting them go.
So why did Pharoah reject the message from Moses?
Because Pharaoh's believed they were the living embodiment of the god of the sky Horus which means "the one who is above".
Horus was the god depicted as a falcon and a protector of Pharoah, while Ra was the god of the sun depicted as a man with the head of a hawk.
Ra was the primary deity for the pharaohs but sometimes merged into a single deity called Ra-Horus but Egyptians believed Pharaoh was Horus “incarnate or Horus in human flesh.”
These familiar images are carved in ancient stones all over Egypt.
The familiar“Eye of Horus” depicted his left eye & Ra depicted his right eye.
Well, if the Pharaoh believed he was a god, why submit to another God? The power went to his head!
So, as Pharoah pride continued to resist God’s sovereign will for him, he hardened his heart, so God used that pride and hardened his heart for him to humble him and set Israel free from Egypt!
Even as God used Israel’s hardened heart that we Gentiles might be given a purpose to proclaim His name in all the earth!! More in Romans 11.
God will have His way because He isn’t just faithful but he’s righteous! He’s I AM”and the bottom line for us is we all deserve condemnation—not mercy.
Think of it: Moses was a Jew, Pharaoh was a Gentile; yet both were sinners and murderers!
Both saw God’s signs and wonders, yet Moses was delivered, Pharaoh was defeated.
Pharaoh was a ruler, and Moses was a slave; yet Moses experienced God’s mercy and compassion through humility and became a ruler while Pharaoh was lost.
And just as God used Moses did to show signs and wonders; God sent His son to Israel to do the same thing! God wanted to demonstrate His power in Israel and that they would proclaim God’s name “ I AM” throughout the earth but they rejected a greater than Moses and exalted themselves against His people by not letting them go and keeping them from Christ. God had a plan for them but they failed. And they crucified their own deliverer and commanded His crucifixion as Peter stated in Acts - He was nailed to a cross by the hands of lawless men and put Him to death but He was delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, Romans 9:14 What shall we say then? Is there any unrighteousness with God? May it never be!
So Romans 9:18 So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.
18 So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.
So God’s mercy is a gift to anyone who humble themselves under His mighty hand. But if exalt ourselves God will use us as He desires because He’s sovereign. We just can’t blame God if we are humiliated and ashamed. Better to fall on His mercy!
And next week we will see His justice and grace.
Communion
