God's Rejection of National Israel

Introduction -

This chapter begins with the passion and burden of the Apostle Paul for his people in Romans 9:1-5

In the passage Romans 9:6-13 we see why that burden was so great - God has rejected his people.

The next passage Romans 14-18 deals with the reason for God’s rejection of Israel.

Paul uses a defense, in this argument, of four attributes of God.

God’s Faithfulness - (Romans 9:1-13)

God’s Righteousness (Romans 9:14-18)

God’s Justice (Romans 9:19-29)

God’s Grace (Romans 9:30-33)

Paul Defends God’s Sovereignty in Israel’s National Election. Romans 9:19-33

a. God is Absolutely Right to Make National Choices - Romans 9:19-29

Paul raises the question of God’s Justice - Romans 9:19 - “Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?”

By the idea of “resisted his will,” Paul is not saying that man cannot oppose God’s purpose but rather no one can defeat God’s purpose.

Within these two questions “are hidden all the accusations and bitter charges that men bring against God”

Men get mistaken ideas about God such as:

“If God is sovereign, then he is responsible for all human evil.”

Warren Wiersbe tells the story of the time he was passing out tracts at the corner of Madison and Kedzie in Chicago.  Most of the people graciously accepted the tracts, but one man took the tract and with a snarl crumpled it up and threw it in the gutter.  The name of the tract was "Four Things God Wants You To Know." "There are a few things I would like God to know!” the man said. "Why is there so much sorrow and tragedy in this world?  Why do the innocent suffer while the rich go free?  Bah!  Don't tell me there's a God!  If there is, then God is the biggest sinner that ever lived!" And with another snarl, the man turned away with a sneer, and was lost in the crowd.

When one misunderstands the sovereignty of God they use their misunderstanding to blame God for all evil.

Paul gives us God’s answer to man’s question Romans 9:20-29

Knowing the difference between man and God

Who are you that repliest or answers back to God? (Rom. 9:20)

Then Paul asks a powerful question - “Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?”

He goes even further with an analogy of a potter and clay.

Can’t the potter do what it wants with the clay

“Paul is asking for man’s credentials to examine God.”

Finite man with limited knowledge and understanding, frail with a short life-span a breath of air and he is gone. Asking God who is infinite, with unlimited knowledge, power, wisdom, understanding, might.

We get a little picture of this in Job 38-41 in fact, Paul may be alluding to this.

“Because we do not understand even a tiny fraction of the things to be known, we have no basis for charging God with unfairness.”

God does not, however, rebuke sincere questions. We have an example of this in “O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! Even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!” (Habakkuk 1:2, KJV 1900)

God answers Habakkuk who praises God with a hymn when he recognizes God’s purposes in history.

Paul’s assertion - “God is answerable to no one” (Romans 9:20b)

God is totally, absolutely sovereign. “Because we don’t really understand God, we tend to not like the concept. TO us sovereignty is usually connected with tyranny. To trust anyone with that kind of power is to put ourselves in the hands of someone who might destroy us and we instinctively fight that”

While God does what he pleases, what he pleases is always in harmony with his character.

Romans 9:21 Paul is illustrating this point of God’s sovereignty using an analogy of the potter and the clay.

God is revealing two things about his will concerning Israel.

One part of the nation will be shaped into a vessel unto honor

The other part will be shaped into a vessel of dishonor.

Our Western minds perceive this in a fatalistic view. The Hebrew mind would interpret this in the near opposite way.

Paul is no doubt thinking of Jeremiah 18:7-11 where he explains the basic lump of clay that forms a nation will either be built up or broken down depending on their own moral response.

This is true not only on a national level but on an individual level as well. “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house, there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man, therefore, purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:19–21, KJV 1900)

God Always Has Holy Purposes Romans 9:22-24

God desires to make His power known

When someone boasts about their greatness wanting people to notice and acknowledge them we usually call them a braggart and say they are conceited. Or even a narcissist.

But stop and think of this for a moment - God gives us a whole set of sixty-six books that is a self-revelation of His greatness.

God does this for the created’s welfare.

We tend to, as humans, to descend into thinking, “God as nothing but an enlarged man, and in doing so attribute to God our own motives.”

When we seek our own glory - we become destructive - we have to put others down in order to raise ourselves up.

What God does is give us a greater understanding of the Greatness and Glory of God

When God does this he is not trying to massage his ego - it is for our benefit our help.

What does it mean, “Fitted for destruction”? The tense here is actually in the middle voice giving us a proper interpretation of, “they fitted themselves for destruction.”

God’s Actions Are In Harmony With His Prophecies Romans 9:25-29

In this section, we have some quotes from the Old Testament.

Romans 9:25 Paul quotes - “And I will sow her unto me in the earth, And I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; And I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; And they shall say, Thou art my God.” (Hosea 2:23, KJV 1900)

Romans 9:26 Paul quotes “Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.” (Hosea 1:10, KJV 1900)

Romans 9:27-28 Paul quotes “For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, Yet a remnant of them shall return: The consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness. For the Lord God of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, In the midst of all the land.” (Isaiah 10:22–23, KJV 1900)

Romans 9:28 probably refers to God's work of judgment during the Tribulation, when the nations of Israel will be persecuted and judged, and only a small remnant left to enter into the kingdom when Jesus Christ returns to earth.   

But, the application for today is clear: only a remnant of Jews are believing; and  they, together with the Gentiles, are the "called of God" (v.24)   

The final quotation in Romans 9:29  is from Isaiah 1:9 and emphasizes the grace of God in sparing the believing remnant. 

“Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, We should have been as Sodom, And we should have been like unto Gomorrah.” (Isaiah 1:9, KJV 1900)

The Determinative Factor in God’s Choices Romans 9:30-33

The fourth attribute of God raised - the attribute of God’s grace.

What is the key factor that determines national and personal destiny? 

If you can't tell one's election by the advantages they have, how can you tell?   

The way you can tell is by what you do with Jesus.   

God has planted a stone in the midst of society.  That stone is Jesus Christ.   

When you walk down a path and come to a big rock in the middle of the path, there are  two things you can do.    You can stumble over it, or you can step up on it.  That is what God says Jesus is.

He is  a rock. 

THE JEWS, WHO DETERMINED TO WORK OUT THEIR  SALVATION ON THE BASIS OF THEIR OWN BEHAVIOR, their own good works, stumbled over the stone.   

Romans 9:31-32: 

 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.  Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith,  but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone.   

The Gentiles, who see they need a savior, awakened by his grace, desire to be saved and are thus saved by grace through faith.    They stand upon that stone.     

The testing point of all humanity is Jesus.  What we do with Jesus is the all-determining factor. 

Israel, nationally, is rejected because she would not accept salvation by grace through faith.  Rather, she tried to earn her salvation by works. 

This is one reason I do not accept “dispensationalism” a form of Calvinism that says, “OT people were not saved like we are” Now I understand there are different aspects to salvation in the NT than were available in the OT but it has always been BY FAITH!!! Never was the way to God by works or actions. It has always been by faith.

Our personal election is determined by whether we have faith in Christ or not.

How about you? DO you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ?

Many of the thoughts and ideas for this sermon have been taken from Class notes from Romans & Galatians GBS&C Dr. Alan P. Brown.