Mercy, Moses & Mayhem

Introduction -

This chapter begins with the passion and burden of the Apostle Paul for his people in

In the passage we see why that burden was so great - God has rejected his people.

In this passage the reason for God’s rejection of Israel is shown by the defense of four attributes of God - I will deal with these attributes as we come to them.

Last week - God’s Faithfulness - ()

God’s Righteousness ()

God’s Justice ()

God’s Grace ()

A Defense of God’s Righteousness -

This section begins with a question - Is there unrighteousness with God?

This is not an unreasonable question if one misinterprets or misunderstands Paul’s first 13 verses.

If one is unbelieving or objecting to what Paul is saying one might arrive at the conclusion that God is unrighteous. -

Paul writes as a seasoned teacher, he knows the questions people will have and raises them to help avoid misunderstanding.

The misunderstanding here concerns the righteousness of God. - Paul asks it in a negative tense - assuming he will recieve anegative response - “No there is no unrighteousness with God.”

Now Paul doesn’t give proof of this answer - but he addresses this question because

“Jews took the position that God had automatically and unconditionally elected all Jews since they were the Covenant Seed of Abraham. To them the thought that large numbers of Jews were not saved would be a denial of the righteousness of God.”

Paul’s position was that God had never promised that every member of the Covenant Seed of Abraham would be saved. (Forlines, )

By excluding Ishmael and Esau’s descendants from the Covenant People of God - a Jew can see the salvation of every Jew is not guaranteed by the fact that they are the seed of Abraham.

To illustrate this Paul gives some Old Testament quotations -

Mercy to whom God will -

- “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.”

Paul is using these Words to Moses to show two things -

1. God is God and can do no wrong -

Posted to Facebook 8:00 am 12/8/2019 just days after his wife's funeral Paul Stetler writes

I faced a rather severe test this morning. The devil had been fighting ever since I woke up at a little after 4 AM - accusing, telling me that the peace God has given me is a false peace and that I am deceiving myself. I went for a walk and began to pray, and a song crossed my mind. The song is called “Thank You for the Valley“. I have always hated that song. It was associated with some valleys that our family experienced when I was much younger – valleys that I rather resented. As I thought about my dislike for that song, God spoke to me and said “Can you thank me for this circumstance?” My first response was “That seems cruel to ask... But I know you love me and You wouldn’t be cruel.” My second response was “It is too much to ask right now.” I then began to thank God for everything I could think of - His goodness, mercy, grace, etc. As I did, I felt His presence and tears roll down my face. But God gently kept bringing me back to the question “Can you thank me for taking Jacinda when I did? Can you thank me in faith, trusting that I know what I am doing and that I am bringing about good for many, many people through this?“ It took me a long time (I am having a hard time even typing this). But finally, I said “Yes Lord, I thank you for taking Jacinda when you did because You know best - she is rejoicing in Your presence, the lives of people are being touched, and I am closer to you than ever before.” Oh the peace that comes through complete surrender. Do I miss her? More than I can say and more than you can imagine. Am I grieving? Daily, hourly, constantly... deeply. But God is enough... More than enough. I love Him.

2. God is the only one in charge of dispensing grace - and he gives it to whom he will.

Our Calvinist brethren teach this as conclusive proof of the doctrine of unconditional election. - We will come back and deal with this in a moment.

Paul goes on and says in verse 17 - “For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might e declared throughout all the earth...”

He follows that up with a principle of God -

Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

Now I want to point out that God is powerful enough to make anybody do anything he wants them to do - but when God acts in such a way he takes away free will.

To borrow from Ravi Zacharias - to even question if we have free-will or not brings us above the idea of fatalism or predetermination.

The original language used in verse 8 is really saying that God gave pharoah the ability to resist God’s command. he did not force or harden Pharaoh's heart just for the fun of it.

So we have the illustration of Moses, Mercy and Pharoah now he gives us another illustration -

Clay in the potters hand

God is saying - how you are in his hand - determines what he does with you.