I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.
And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
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.
So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
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 be declared throughout all the earth.
Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.
Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.
And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.
What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
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 stumblingstone;
As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Romans 9 is a pivotal chapter in Paul's letter, delving into the complex and often debated topics of God's sovereignty, Israel's place in God's plan, and the nature of salvation. It follows the triumphant declaration in Romans 8 that nothing can separate believers from God's love in Christ Jesus. Yet, Romans 9 takes a somber turn as Paul expresses his profound sorrow over the fact that his own people, the Jews, have largely rejected Jesus as the Messiah. This chapter wrestles with difficult questions about God's justice and faithfulness, while ultimately affirming His unwavering commitment to His promises.
Paul's Heartache for Israel (Romans 9:1-5)
Paul begins by making a powerful, almost shocking, declaration of his deep anguish over the spiritual condition of Israel. He emphasizes the truthfulness of his words, stating that he speaks the truth in Christ and that his conscience, guided by the Holy Spirit, bears witness to his sincerity (Romans 9:1). He even goes so far as to say that he could wish himself accursed and cut off from Christ if it would mean the salvation of his people (Romans 9:3). This is a testament to Paul's immense love and burden for his fellow Israelites.
Why this intense sorrow? Paul recognized that the majority of Jewish people were relying on adherence to the law to earn God's favor, a path Paul had meticulously demonstrated in earlier chapters of Romans to be futile. They were rejecting the very Messiah who could bring them true righteousness.
Paul then recounts the extraordinary privileges that God had bestowed upon Israel. These included their adoption as God's people, the manifestation of His glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple worship, the promises, the patriarchs, and ultimately, the lineage of Christ himself (Romans 9:4-5). They were favored by God in a way no other nation had been. Given these blessings, their rejection of the Messiah was all the more heartbreaking.
Not All Israel is Israel (Romans 9:6-9)
Paul addresses a potential objection: Has God's word to Israel failed? If so many Jews have rejected Christ, does that mean God's promises are null and void? Paul responds that not all who are descended from Israel are truly Israel (Romans 9:6). He introduces the concept of a "remnant," a faithful group within the larger nation. There has always been a true people of God within the nation, a spiritual Israel within the physical Israel.
He illustrates this point by referencing the story of Abraham and his sons. Abraham had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac, but God's promise was specifically tied to Isaac (Romans 9:7). Only the children of the promise are considered Abraham's true offspring. This shows that physical descent alone does not guarantee inclusion in God's covenant people. God's plan is supernatural. If he promised it, he’ll see it through.
This principle applies today as well. We cannot assume that our children, simply because they grow up in church, are automatically right with God. Each individual must personally accept God's promise through faith in Jesus Christ.
God's Sovereign Choice (Romans 9:10-18)
Paul further explores God's sovereign freedom in choosing those who will inherit His promises. He uses the example of Jacob and Esau, the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah. Even before they were born, before they had done anything good or bad, God declared, "The older will serve the younger" (Romans 9:12). As it is written: “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."(Romans 9:13, quoting Malachi 1:2-3).
This passage raises difficult questions about fairness. Was it just for God to choose Jacob over Esau before they were even born? Paul anticipates this objection and emphatically answers, "Not at all!" (Romans 9:14). He then quotes God's words to Moses: "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion" (Romans 9:15, quoting Exodus 33:19).
It's important to note that God's election is not necessarily for personal, eternal salvation, but for blessing, service, and usefulness. God has the sovereign right to choose whom he will use to accomplish his kingdom purposes.
Paul continues to illustrate God's sovereignty with the example of Pharaoh. God raised up Pharaoh for the very purpose of displaying His power and making His name known throughout the earth (Romans 9:17). He even hardened Pharaoh's heart (Romans 9:18). However, God does not harden the hearts of people until they reject him. It was only after Pharaoh hardened his own heart that God hardened it further. God uses obedience and disobedience to accomplish his kingdom agenda while holding people responsible for their own decisions.
The Potter and the Clay (Romans 9:19-24)
Paul anticipates another objection: If God is sovereign and hardens hearts as He chooses, then why does He still find fault? (Romans 9:19). Paul responds by comparing God to a potter who has the right to make different kinds of vessels from the same lump of clay—some for noble purposes and others for common use (Romans 9:20-21).
This analogy highlights God's ultimate authority and creative power. He has the right to shape and mold individuals and nations according to His purposes. Paul emphasizes that God patiently endures vessels of wrath, prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of His glory on vessels of mercy, which He prepared in advance for glory (Romans 9:22-23). This suggests that God's patience with the wicked ultimately serves to magnify His glory and grace towards those who receive His mercy.
God's Mercy Extends to Gentiles (Romans 9:25-29)
Paul then quotes from the prophets Hosea and Isaiah to demonstrate that God's plan has always included the Gentiles. He declares that God will call "those who were not my people 'my people,' and her who was not beloved 'beloved'" (Romans 9:25, quoting Hosea 2:23). Even though Israel was subjected to God’s wrath in history, their remnant will return as God’s Beloved and People.
He also cites Isaiah, who prophesied that though the number of Israelites would be like the sand of the sea, only a remnant would be saved (Romans 9:27). This highlights the fact that salvation is not based on national identity or physical descent, but on God's gracious choice.
Israel's Stumbling Block (Romans 9:30-33)
Paul concludes the chapter by contrasting the Gentiles' attainment of righteousness with Israel's failure to do so. The Gentiles, who were not actively seeking righteousness, obtained it through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 9:30). Israel, on the other hand, pursued a law of righteousness but did not attain it because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were by works (Romans 9:31-32).
They stumbled over the "stumbling stone" (Romans 9:32), which is Christ himself. Because they sought to establish their own righteousness through works of the law, they rejected the righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus. Jesus is either the stone we trip over in our self-righteousness, or he’s the rock we build our lives upon.
Romans 9 is a challenging chapter that grapples with profound theological questions. It affirms God's absolute sovereignty while also highlighting human responsibility. It underscores the fact that salvation is not based on ethnicity or works, but on God's grace received through faith in Jesus Christ. This chapter serves as a powerful reminder of God's faithfulness to His promises, even when His people stumble and fall. It calls us to examine our own hearts and ensure that we are pursuing righteousness through faith in Christ, not through our own efforts.
I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.
And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
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.
So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
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 be declared throughout all the earth.
Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.
Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.
And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.
What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
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 stumblingstone;
As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Romans 9 is a pivotal chapter in Paul's letter, delving into the complex and often debated topics of God's sovereignty, Israel's place in God's plan, and the nature of salvation. It follows the triumphant declaration in Romans 8 that nothing can separate believers from God's love in Christ Jesus. Yet, Romans 9 takes a somber turn as Paul expresses his profound sorrow over the fact that his own people, the Jews, have largely rejected Jesus as the Messiah. This chapter wrestles with difficult questions about God's justice and faithfulness, while ultimately affirming His unwavering commitment to His promises.
Paul's Heartache for Israel (Romans 9:1-5)
Paul begins by making a powerful, almost shocking, declaration of his deep anguish over the spiritual condition of Israel. He emphasizes the truthfulness of his words, stating that he speaks the truth in Christ and that his conscience, guided by the Holy Spirit, bears witness to his sincerity (Romans 9:1). He even goes so far as to say that he could wish himself accursed and cut off from Christ if it would mean the salvation of his people (Romans 9:3). This is a testament to Paul's immense love and burden for his fellow Israelites.
Why this intense sorrow? Paul recognized that the majority of Jewish people were relying on adherence to the law to earn God's favor, a path Paul had meticulously demonstrated in earlier chapters of Romans to be futile. They were rejecting the very Messiah who could bring them true righteousness.
Paul then recounts the extraordinary privileges that God had bestowed upon Israel. These included their adoption as God's people, the manifestation of His glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple worship, the promises, the patriarchs, and ultimately, the lineage of Christ himself (Romans 9:4-5). They were favored by God in a way no other nation had been. Given these blessings, their rejection of the Messiah was all the more heartbreaking.
Not All Israel is Israel (Romans 9:6-9)
Paul addresses a potential objection: Has God's word to Israel failed? If so many Jews have rejected Christ, does that mean God's promises are null and void? Paul responds that not all who are descended from Israel are truly Israel (Romans 9:6). He introduces the concept of a "remnant," a faithful group within the larger nation. There has always been a true people of God within the nation, a spiritual Israel within the physical Israel.
He illustrates this point by referencing the story of Abraham and his sons. Abraham had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac, but God's promise was specifically tied to Isaac (Romans 9:7). Only the children of the promise are considered Abraham's true offspring. This shows that physical descent alone does not guarantee inclusion in God's covenant people. God's plan is supernatural. If he promised it, he’ll see it through.
This principle applies today as well. We cannot assume that our children, simply because they grow up in church, are automatically right with God. Each individual must personally accept God's promise through faith in Jesus Christ.
God's Sovereign Choice (Romans 9:10-18)
Paul further explores God's sovereign freedom in choosing those who will inherit His promises. He uses the example of Jacob and Esau, the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah. Even before they were born, before they had done anything good or bad, God declared, "The older will serve the younger" (Romans 9:12). As it is written: “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."(Romans 9:13, quoting Malachi 1:2-3).
This passage raises difficult questions about fairness. Was it just for God to choose Jacob over Esau before they were even born? Paul anticipates this objection and emphatically answers, "Not at all!" (Romans 9:14). He then quotes God's words to Moses: "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion" (Romans 9:15, quoting Exodus 33:19).
It's important to note that God's election is not necessarily for personal, eternal salvation, but for blessing, service, and usefulness. God has the sovereign right to choose whom he will use to accomplish his kingdom purposes.
Paul continues to illustrate God's sovereignty with the example of Pharaoh. God raised up Pharaoh for the very purpose of displaying His power and making His name known throughout the earth (Romans 9:17). He even hardened Pharaoh's heart (Romans 9:18). However, God does not harden the hearts of people until they reject him. It was only after Pharaoh hardened his own heart that God hardened it further. God uses obedience and disobedience to accomplish his kingdom agenda while holding people responsible for their own decisions.
The Potter and the Clay (Romans 9:19-24)
Paul anticipates another objection: If God is sovereign and hardens hearts as He chooses, then why does He still find fault? (Romans 9:19). Paul responds by comparing God to a potter who has the right to make different kinds of vessels from the same lump of clay—some for noble purposes and others for common use (Romans 9:20-21).
This analogy highlights God's ultimate authority and creative power. He has the right to shape and mold individuals and nations according to His purposes. Paul emphasizes that God patiently endures vessels of wrath, prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of His glory on vessels of mercy, which He prepared in advance for glory (Romans 9:22-23). This suggests that God's patience with the wicked ultimately serves to magnify His glory and grace towards those who receive His mercy.
God's Mercy Extends to Gentiles (Romans 9:25-29)
Paul then quotes from the prophets Hosea and Isaiah to demonstrate that God's plan has always included the Gentiles. He declares that God will call "those who were not my people 'my people,' and her who was not beloved 'beloved'" (Romans 9:25, quoting Hosea 2:23). Even though Israel was subjected to God’s wrath in history, their remnant will return as God’s Beloved and People.
He also cites Isaiah, who prophesied that though the number of Israelites would be like the sand of the sea, only a remnant would be saved (Romans 9:27). This highlights the fact that salvation is not based on national identity or physical descent, but on God's gracious choice.
Israel's Stumbling Block (Romans 9:30-33)
Paul concludes the chapter by contrasting the Gentiles' attainment of righteousness with Israel's failure to do so. The Gentiles, who were not actively seeking righteousness, obtained it through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 9:30). Israel, on the other hand, pursued a law of righteousness but did not attain it because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were by works (Romans 9:31-32).
They stumbled over the "stumbling stone" (Romans 9:32), which is Christ himself. Because they sought to establish their own righteousness through works of the law, they rejected the righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus. Jesus is either the stone we trip over in our self-righteousness, or he’s the rock we build our lives upon.
Romans 9 is a challenging chapter that grapples with profound theological questions. It affirms God's absolute sovereignty while also highlighting human responsibility. It underscores the fact that salvation is not based on ethnicity or works, but on God's grace received through faith in Jesus Christ. This chapter serves as a powerful reminder of God's faithfulness to His promises, even when His people stumble and fall. It calls us to examine our own hearts and ensure that we are pursuing righteousness through faith in Christ, not through our own efforts.