STUDY/DISCUSSION GUIDE ROMANS 9:1-24. THEME: Israel s Rejection of Christ INTRODUCTION. I: A Review of v. 1-8 KEYWORDS:

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1 STUDY/DISCUSSION GUIDE ROMANS 9:1-24 INTRODUCTION God has a purpose and plan that every single person will one day have to come to terms with. It may be in this life or on the day of judgment, but it will have to be faced. In this study, we learn that God s call and promise is to be a focal point where we direct our faith and our lives. In faith, we must embrace God s call and purposes. When we do, we will always find ourselves in a place of great fruit and meaning. If we rebel against His call, we will find ourselves on the outside looking in. Even worse, our rebellious, hard hearts could actually be used as vessels of dishonor. The truths in this lesson have the potential to bring us into the glorious purposes of God as He weaves His sovereign will through the tapestry of a fallen world. THEME: Israel s Rejection of Christ I: A Review of v. 1-8 KEYWORDS: v. 1 For I - In the first eight chapters Paul developed a very complete presentation of the gospel that is, the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek (1:16). He is now going to examine the Jewish nation s past, present, and future relationship to God as seen in light of that gospel. The Truth in Christ - Paul states that his love and concern for the Jewish nation that he is about to convey is not an exaggeration. It is something that is deeply sincere and verifiable by Christ and is in fact a result of his being in Christ. I Am Not Lying - The average Jew of Paul s day felt he had become a traitor to Judaism and therefore had anything but a genuine concern or love for the Jewish people. However, Paul is seeking to show that in fact his love for them is greater than ever. My Conscience - Paul more than once validated his actions and words by the work of his conscience (Acts 23:1, 2 Cor. 1:12). The scriptures make clear that God has given humanity the capacity to weigh Page 1 of 10

2 truth and error and thereby come to proper conclusions about one s self and life. However, Paul makes an important distinction as to how a person can trust his conscience and that is in the phrase in the Holy Spirit. In the Holy Spirit - Paul understood from his own experience that the conscience can be strongly misdirected if it is given the wrong information as a basis upon which to make a judgment. That is why Paul, prior to his conversion, could have a clear conscience about persecuting the believers in Christ. Paul also warned that man s conscience can become seared (1 Tim. 4:2), thus making it insensitive and unresponsive. v. 2 Sorrow and Continual Grief - Paul experienced a deep and consuming grief over the rejection of Jesus as the Jewish Messiah by the people of Israel as a whole. This grief was centered on the end result that awaited those who rejected God s means of salvation. v. 3 I Could Wish - The grammar of this statement helps us to understand Paul s feeling here. He uses the operative mode in the imperfect tense. This conveys the idea of being willing to do something, wanting to do something, but there is an obstacle in the way of actually making it a reality. Of course the obstacle here is that Paul cannot be a substitute for the judgment for sin due the Jews who will not accept Jesus and His death on the cross as God s substitute for their sins. Accursed Anathema (Gk.) This refers to being damned and judged by God, resulting in eternal separation from God. Israel - This was the name of Abraham s grandson, born to Isaac. He was also referred to as Jacob. From him came the 12 tribes of Israel. The term Jew was used after the Babylonian exile. Adoption - This refers to the people of Israel being chosen by God from among all other nations as being placed in special position and privilege before God as a son (Ex. 4:22, 19:6; Hosea 11:1). Glory - To Israel were given special manifestations of God s power not given to any other nation in the history of the human race (Ex. 16:10; 24:16, 17; 1 Kings 8:11). Covenants - The Jews referred to three other places where covenants were given to the Jews: Horeb, Gerigin, and Ebal, besides the covenants given to Moses at Mount Sinai. God also made covenants with Noah (Gen. 9:9), Abraham (Gen. 17:2), Joshua (John 8:30), and David (2 Sam. 23:5). Giving the Law - The instruction of the law provided the Jewish people with direction to find a personal relationship with God, and a blessed nation and society. Service of God - This referred to the ministry of worship at the Tabernacle and Temple. There God had manifested His presence like nowhere else on earth. The Promises - God gave many promises of blessing to the Jews through the prophets (Acts 2:39, 13:32-24; 2 Sam. 7:8-17). The Fathers - God had given to the Jews a wonderful heritage of men whom He had revealed Himself to. Christ Came - Jesus Himself was a Jew and from the promised family line of Jesse within the tribes of Judah, from which the Messiah was to come. Page 2 of 10

3 Over All - Paul declares Jesus to be the ultimate blessing of God to the Jews, placing Him above all others. Eternally Blessed God - Paul boldly proclaims Jesus as God who is eternal and full of blessing for all eternity. v. 6 Word of God - Paul begins his look into God s dealings with Israel by pointing out that God s word has not failed, but has been misinterpreted so as to appear so by some. Not All Israel - Paul will now show from the recorded history of the Jews that their physical nation and blood line connected to Abraham was not enough to call oneself a true Israelite. The concept of a remnant, a smaller group, within the nation who were true Israel was developed early in the national life of Israel. This was the result of the often repeated fact that the majority of the nation was often in rebellion to God and His word. Children - Paul will prove his statement in verse 6 by using the example of Isaac and Ishmael. In Isaac - Both Isaac and Ishmael were from the family of Abraham. However, only Isaac was called to be the line chosen to bring forth the nation of Israel and the promised Messiah. Children of Promise - Abraham s first son was Ishmael born by his wife s maid Hagar in an effort to produce the son God had promised (Gen. 15:1-6). However, God saw this as an act of the flesh, the natural man, not the result of divine intervention and promise. It should be remembered that Ishmael did receive a promise from God, I will surely bless him (Gen. 17:20), and was commanded to be circumcised which was a sign of God s Covenant (Gen. 17:9-13, 23-26). However, he was never considered an Israelite. Paul is simply showing that descent or blood line is not enough to call oneself a true Israelite. FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Paul began chapter nine with an explanation of his own love for the Israeli people and a brief description of God s original call God for them. Jesus was a Jew, the apostles were Jews, and the teaching concerning who Jesus is was all built upon the prophecies of the Old Testament. Nonetheless, the majority of the Jewish people had not accepted Jesus as their promised Messiah. This created serious questions among both the Jewish and Gentile believers. In answering these questions, Paul began first by affirming his love for Israel and sincere respect for the place Israel had been given by God in 9:1-5. v. 6-7 However, Paul makes it clear that Israel as a nation has always had two different people within their national identity. Paul points out that, they are not all Israel who are of Israel (v. 6). Within the nation there has always been a minority, a remnant of those who were children of faith. Throughout Israel s history the majority of Jews at best had only given lip service to the call the nation had been given as the people of God, the children of promise (v. 8). It will be based upon this historical fact of the remnant of faith within Israel s history that Paul will go on to show what is still to be seen in the Jewish people s response to Jesus as their Messiah. Page 3 of 10

4 Because of this general disregard and rejection of Jesus as the nation s promised Messiah, He has removed His call upon them as a nation. They had forfeited this call and therefore God has given it to a new nation, a spiritual nation. The Church (those who have accepted Christ) have become a nation without geographic borders that is now fulfilling what God had called Israel to be as listed in 9:4-5. This transfer of Israel s call to the Church is clearly the meaning behind Jesus having told the Jewish leaders, Therefore I say to You the Kingdom of God will be taken from you and be given to a nation bearing the fruits of it (Matt. 21:43; Read the entire context in Matt. 21:24-26). This is behind the Apostle Peter s description of the Church as a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy (1 Peter 2:9-10). QUESTION/DISCUSSION: 1. What parallels do you see between the institutional, outward structure of the Church and the nation of Israel s past, in light of those who are born only as a natural seed compared to those born by faith in the promise of God (9:6-8)? 2. How does a church or an individual Christian forfeit personally sharing in the call given the church to be a living expression of the Kingdom of God in the midst of a fallen world? Read Matthew 21: How would you describe a lifestyle that is faithful to God s call upon a believer as listed in 1 Peter 2:9-10? a. A chosen generation b. A royal priesthood c. A holy nation d. A special people e. Proclaiming God s praises f. Those who receive mercy II: God s Sovereign Right (v. 9-16) KEYWORDS: v. 9 Word of Promise - Genesis 18:10, 14 is quoted to show the foundation of being God s people begins in God s promise. We must come by faith within that promise to experience its benefits. The physical descendants of Abraham, the Jews, must come within God s promises before they can call themselves true Israel. Page 4 of 10

5 v. 10 When Rebecca - She was the wife of Isaac, Abraham s son of promise. She had twins, Jacob, who was later named Israel, and Esau. v. 11 According to Election - Paul continues to develop an understanding here of who God s remnant is. He shows how there was a separation of purpose and calling that was very different for Jacob and Esau based upon God s own decree rather than any merit in Jacob who would be chosen to produce the 12 tribes of Israel. v. 12 Older Shall Serve the Younger - Even though Jacob was the second to be born of these twins, God declared beforehand that the normal order of authority in the home would be overruled. The younger son would take the position as head of the family line at the death of their father Isaac. Here Paul shows our place of calling is God s own eternal counsel, not ours. v. 13 Esau I Have Hated - Paul quotes Malachi 1:2-3. Paul seems to be referring to Jacob and Esau as the nations they represent rather than to them as individuals only. Malachi in 5:3 goes on to refer to Esau in the context of a nation, But Esau I have hated, and laid waste his mountains and his heritage for the jackals of the wilderness (Mal. 1:3). In reference to the term hate, it must be seen in light of all that we know about God s character of love. We know God loved the whole world enough to send Jesus (John 3:16), and can be said to love sinners (Rom. 5:8), etc. It is therefore reasonable to follow the line of reasoning that sees this term hate as declaring God s rejection of the Edomite nation that came from Esau as a part of God s plan for bringing salvation to the world, choosing Israel instead. v. 14 Is There Unrighteousness - Paul points out that we cannot question God s justice in how He calls people and nations to fulfill His own purposes. This is because based on justice, God is under no obligation to do good for anyone or any nation. In fact, justice would demand the rejection and damnation of the entire world, but because He is merciful He calls some to be a part of His plan in reaching the rest of the world in His mercy. God s call to use Israel (Jacob) rather than Esau in no way condemned Esau to hell. The call here is not to salvation, but a call as to which son would God use to create a nation that would produce the Messiah. Esau still had the opportunity to believe in God and in faith accept God s plan of salvation. v. 16 Moses - Exodus 33:19 is referred to here, which is a text that declares God s mercy and compassion. Paul uses this as a proof text for his argument that God is not unjust to only choose some as His agents to be His source of salvation. Israel had been called by God not as an exclusive group but rather as a people whom God had called to be a witness to the nations as well as produce the Savior who would become the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Him Who Wills - God s work and call begins in His own eternal counsels and purposes. From that place God determines His own plan in how to bring mercy to this fallen world. It does not begin in man but in God s own desire to provide redemption for humanity. Page 5 of 10

6 FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Sovereignty is defined as supreme power; freedom from external control. Ultimately, God does not have to explain Himself or His choices to anyone. His call upon Israel and His decision to transfer that call to the Church is His right. It is for us to become children of the promise (v. 8) by accepting in faith His sovereign will. We must remember some basic things about God that may help support our decision to become children of the promise, the remnant of God. First God already knows everything. He lives outside of time and space. In that He can t help but have foreknowledge. Based on His foreknowledge of our own lives and choices He established His own plan and purposes. These plans and purposes become the things He promises to do. When we yield in faith to His plan and purpose He has promised to do in this fallen world, we become a child of the promise. God s promises are based upon His own purposes. Purposes He has already determined as One who lives outside of time. o 1 John 3:20, Isaiah 46:10, Ecclesiastes 42:19 It is clear God knows the beginning and end of all things. Everything past, present, and future is equally known by God. o Ephesians 1:4-11 That God has chosen us before the world was created (v. 4), predestined us to be adopted (v. 5) based upon His own good will; we are predestined to obtain an inheritance according to the purpose and council of His own will (v. 11) o Romans 8:29 God s destiny for our lives is based upon His foreknowledge of everything about us including our decisions and actions. In the situation with Israel, God always knew they would, in general, reject their Messiah. Therefore, He prophesied it in their own scriptures so when it happened those who were children of promise would turn in faith to the call and purpose of God given to their Messiah no matter how the majority of Israel responded. v. 9 Paul gives this example of God s sovereign use of these human events as an example of how God brought the Jewish nation into being to begin with. The first child, Isaac, of the first Jew, Abraham, was the result of God s sovereign decision. The child was the result of God s promise for a miraculous conception within the womb of a barren woman, Sarah (v. 9, Rom. 4:16-22, Gen 15:5, 17:19, 21:1-8, Heb. 11:11). v. 13 God promised Isaac and his wife Rebecca that the family line would be given to their second born. Culturally it was to be given to the firstborn, but God chose to give it to the second born. It was God s sovereign right and it had to be accepted by faith as His own purpose and call. (Please note the comments in the study notes on Esau I have hated in v. 13). The second child Jacob, later named Israel, would be the father of the 12 sons who would begin the 12 tribes of Israel. This was God s own plan and promise; it had to be accepted by faith. v This was simply a decision God made based on his own eternal councils. It will have to be accepted by Jacob s brother Esau and Jacob s father Isaac, solely on the basis of faith that Page 6 of 10

7 God promised this to be as part of His own plan, which is not based upon the merits or worth of those He chooses, but upon mercy (v ). In the current situation, the Jewish struggle was in accepting their promised Messiah as called by God to be Jesus, and the call God had given to the church that used to be exclusively Israel s. But the fact is, God has always made promises concerning His call upon His people according to His own mercy and good pleasure. Our response to His call can be one of a child of promise or a child of rebellion. If God chooses to change His call upon us as individuals, as a church, etc., we really only have one answer: Yes. God promised a Messiah and salvation by mercy that would encompass people from every nation. And He promised to do so apart from the Jewish Law He had used in the past. God s sovereignty to ordain salvation or anything else is based upon His own eternal council and purposes, and our only logical response is faith. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob all the way to Jesus were called out of mercy and God s own sovereign plans before time began, and so it will be until time is no more. QUESTION/DISCUSSION: 1. Read and review the following passages concerning God s own sovereign plans that have been determined before the world was created. Then explain how this affects God s prophecies, promises, and plans for His people: Ephesians, 1:4-11, Romans 8: Why do we struggle at times with God choosing to call people to fulfill His plans who, from a human perspective, do not seem to deserve the call? How does that relate to the Jewish struggle with God calling the Gentiles and no longer using Jewish Law as a path to salvation? 3. Why are mercy and compassion a much better basis to be called by God than how worthy we are (v. 16)? III: God s Plan Uses Both Vessels of Honor and Dishonor (v ) KEYWORDS: v. 17 To the Pharaoh - This refers to the Pharaoh who withstood Moses and the children of Israel. He is an example of God s sovereign ability to use, for His own purpose, even the lives of those who are as arrogant and rebellious as this Pharaoh. Raised You Up - God reveals that Pharaoh s rise to power placed just the right man in this position. God knew he would be predisposed to harden his heart toward Him and His servant Moses. God knew Pharaoh would act in ways that would provide God with an international platform to reveal His own power and authority over the gods of Egypt (Ex. 15:14-15; Josh. 2:9-10; 9:9). Page 7 of 10

8 v. 18 He Hardens - We are told repeatedly in Exodus that Pharaoh hardened his own heart against God (Ex. 7:13, 14, 22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7, 34, 35). That was followed by God hardening Pharaoh s heart as referred to here by Paul. God hardened Pharaoh in his position against God and used his own hard heart as a means of escalating the situation. The situation Pharaoh created by his hardened opposition against God provided God with a perfect situation He could use in a public way to reveal His power in judgment against Pharaoh and the idols of Egypt. v. 19 You Will Say - Paul anticipates that some will perceive it as a moral flaw in God that He hardens a person s position of rebellion and yet still holds that person accountable for his actions. It must be remembered that in this section Paul is addressing the hardened position of the Jews in not recognizing Jesus as their Messiah. It is Paul s intent to show that God not only is free to choose through whom His promises and blessings will flow (i.e. - Abraham, Isaac, Jacob), but is also free to use people who disregard His chosen path of promise. Paul is working to show that Israel s hardened position against Christ has been used by God in opening a way to involve Gentiles in His plan. But they, just as the Jews will be, are accountable for their own rejection or acceptance of Christ. v. 20 Who Are You - Paul further addresses the objection some may have with God s sovereign use of a person s wicked heart and actions by contrasting the greatness of God as creator with the feebleness of fallen man. v. 21 Vessel - Paul points out that God has every right to use people who have a hardened heart and are in sin as He chooses. It is God s prerogative to use for good those who foolishly think they are free from God s hand. As Psalm 76:10 rightly declares, Surely the wrath of man shall praise you. God will even use man s anger against God as a backdrop to reveal His own glory and excellencies. v. 22 To Show His Wrath - Paul points out here that God capitalizes on man s hardened heart against Him by using them as an object of warning to all. Those who will not accept His offer of mercy and forgiveness through Christ are forewarned of the wrath against sin He has and will display against all who arrogantly reject His provision of mercy. Prepared For Destruction - The Greek word rendered prepared is in the passive tense. The preparation that is described here began in man s own hardened condition. God s foreknowledge in knowing what choices we will make helps shape His response to our choices (Rom. 8:28-30). It is important to note that originally hell was prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41), not man. v. 23 Riches of His Glory - This points to God s perfect attributes that are inexhaustible. Beforehand For Glory - Paul refers here to the fact of God s foreknowledge about all things. That He therefore already knows and has prepared an eternity of unspeakable glory for all who will accept His ordained means of mercy and forgiveness, Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:28-30; Eph. 1:4-5, 9-11; 1 Peter 1:2; 1:20). v. 24 Whom He Called - Here Paul returns to his larger theme that is to show his Jewish readers that God has opened the way of salvation for both Jew and Gentile. Furthermore, this call to accept Jesus as the Messiah is equally binding for the Jew and the Gentile. If the Jew does not respond to the call of Page 8 of 10

9 Jesus Christ, their physical heritage as a Jew does not provide an alternative salvation. Any more than a Gentile s rejection of Christ can be replaced by manmade gods. FOOD FOR THOUGHT: The Pharaoh of Egypt who hardened his heart against both God and Moses is given as a clear example of how God uses even the wicked as a part of His plan. God knew Pharaoh would harden his heart against God, so God used that hard heart to create an opportunity to reveal the glory of the only true and living God, the God of the Jews. God used Pharaoh s own heart simply by taking it for His own purposes. God held in place this hard heart to use it for a purpose, a call, that God had already planned for. This same thing was behind Jesus calling Judas as an apostle. Judas own greedy heart would move him to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. This was ordained by God. Judas simply provided out of his own heart a person God could use. Joseph recognized this same sovereign plan of God in his own life. Being sold into slavery had eventually led Joseph through a series of sovereign events to become to second in command in all of Egypt. A position that God used to mightily bless the new tribes of Israel during a severe famine. Joseph captures principles of how God calls things into being in his statement in Genesis 45:4-5, 7-8: And Joseph said to his brothers, Please come near to me. So they came near. Then he said: I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. And also in Genesis 50:20: But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. v God s choice to use a person s hard heart or any other sinful motivation has often been pointed to as proof that God is unjust. However, it is always a stretch to accuse God who created the unique sense of justice within the human race as Himself being unjust. Logically, there is not injustice on God s part to simply use a person s own evil choices or actions in a way that He can ultimately use for good in the life of His people. Their actions were independent of how God will weave His own sovereign thread to use that action for good. Romans 8:28 states this principle clearly, saying: And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. God takes the clay we are and uses the vessel we become ultimately for His own purposes. Page 9 of 10

10 Yet before we can say God has forced us, made us to be vessels prepared for destruction apart from any personal responsibility for that destruction, consider 2 Timothy 2: Timothy 2:20-21 makes it very clear we play the central role in whether we become a vessel of honor or dishonor. We are told that it s our decision, if we set ourselves apart for God, that determines whether we will be a vessel for honor or dishonor. QUESTION/DISCUSSION: 1. Describe the irony of a person who has always lived in prideful rebellion against God who God has used, because of his hard heart, for His own purposes all along (like that of Pharaoh, v. 17). 2. Because God will use us either way, what steps can you take in your own life to be a vessel God can use for honorable things? Read 2 Timothy 2: CONCLUSION What an amazing thing God is doing in our world as He weaves our choices, good or bad, into a plan that He has destined to ultimately cause all things to glorify Him. Our only real decision is whether we want to be a vessel of honor or a vessel of dishonor. We saw here that Israel has temporarily been set aside to dishonor because of their hard hearts. May our hearts be soft and may we become true children of faith and promise as God s purposes move us through this fallen world. Page 10 of 10