Romans 9-11 : Lesson 2

Overview

Reading Romans 9–11 as a Whole

Romans 9, 10, and 11 belong together. Pulled apart, they are easily misread; held together, they form a single, coherent argument from Paul about God's faithfulness, Israel, and the scope of God's mercy. Two postures help us read well: humility before a God who is God (while we are not), and seriousness about the mission of the gospel. Paul models that seriousness in his anguish over those who do not yet believe — a grief rooted in the truth that human beings are eternal creatures destined either for God's presence or for separation from him.

The True Israel and the Promise

Paul insists in Romans 9:6 that the word of God has not failed. The fault is not with God's promise. Rather, Paul redefines who "Israel" truly is: not all who descend physically from Abraham, but the children of the promise Romans 9:7-8. The true Israel is the church — Jews and Gentiles together who trust in Christ. This is not a "new Israel" replacing the old, but Israel fulfilled. A believing Jew is, in this sense, a "completed" Jew, one who sees the Old Testament promises come to their fullness in Jesus. Gentiles, for their part, are grafted in.

Election Rests on God, Not on Us

Paul's examples make clear that God's choosing precedes human effort. Isaac, not Ishmael, was the child of promise. Jacob, not Esau, was chosen before either had done anything good or bad (Romans 9:10-13; cf. Genesis 25:19-23; Malachi 1:2-3). Sarah and Rebekah were both barren; these births were divine acts. The point is that election depends "not on human will or exertion, but on God who shows mercy" Romans 9:16.

The language of "loving Jacob" and "hating Esau" must not be read through modern emotional categories. To "hate" here means to spurn or set aside in favor of another; the emphasis falls on grace freely extended to Jacob, who by his own life story hardly deserved it. This is not a doctrine of double predestination — as if Esau's line and all like them were born condemned. Ishmael and Hagar, though set outside the line of promise, remained under God's care and provision. The Great Commission itself Matthew 28:19 presumes that the gospel is for all nations, not only the physical descendants of Jacob.

Standing Under the Word, Not Over It

When Paul anticipates the objection, "Why does he still find fault?" Romans 9:19-21, he refuses to put God on trial. The clay does not interrogate the potter. Our temptation is to read ourselves into Scripture and demand that God justify himself to us — especially on questions of who is saved. That posture inverts the proper order: we sit under God's Word; we do not stand over it.

This does not make God cold or arbitrary. Scripture is consistent that God takes no delight in death and desires that all come to know him. We see the intensity of his love and mercy displayed most fully in Holy Week — in the passion, cross, and resurrection of Jesus. God is holy and just, and so cannot be indifferent to sin; yet his mercy reaches further than the depth of our sin. Israel of old was not rejected by God; rather, Israel rejected God. And the promise still stands: "Those who were not my people I will call 'my people'" (Romans 9:25-26; cf. Hosea).

Pastoral Application

• Approach these chapters humbly. They are not ammunition for sorting the saved from the lost; they are an invitation to marvel at God's mercy.
• Take the gospel seriously, as Paul did. Eternity is real, and so is our neighbor's need. Let Paul's anguish reshape ours.
• Rest your assurance in God's call, not your performance. Election is God's work; salvation depends on his mercy, not our exertion.
• Receive Holy Week as one continuous act of worship — from the cries of "Hosanna" through Maundy Thursday and the cross to the empty tomb. There is no Easter without the passion that prepares it.

Transcript

Thank you so much for this day. 7s

We thank you for this week, this holy week, 10s

that we are entering today. 14s

Lord, we ask that you would draw as closer to yourself, 16s

that we would reflect in these last few days of length 22s

on our sin and what we bring to the table with our sin, 27s

and that we would be able to rejoice all the more, 32s

knowing that your grace, your love, your mercy is greater 37s

than the depth of our sin. 41s

Lord, lead us in this time as we study your word, 43s

lead us by your spirit and send us forth this week to share the good news 47s

that indeed the King has come and our sins are forgiven 53s

in you and you alone. 57s

We lift this to you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 59s

Okay, so let me just take a moment to say, 64s

I am so smart. 68s

I know, we're glad to hear that. 72s

Because I broke out this study in intersections 74s

as we talked about, and we have eight weeks of study together, 81s

but we only had seven weeks of topics broken out. 86s

I am so smart because I know myself and I know that we're going 91s

to get stuck in a couple of places, 95s

and so we need that eight week to be able to catch up 97s

to everything that I just take too much time on. 102s

So, anyway, that's the only way I'm smart. 108s

I finally learned. 110s

I know myself. 112s

Kind of. 114s

Okay, so let's go ahead and open up to Romans chapter nine. 115s

This is in the New Testament. 123s

We are after the Gospels were in, 126s

we're after the book of Acts, 131s

and then we're in Romans. 133s

So Romans chapter nine. 135s

And remember, we're looking at these as a whole. 137s

Romans chapter nine, 10 and 11, 141s

really are difficult to understand if they're read 145s

or if they're examined as separate chapters, 150s

as separate things, because they all, 155s

it really is all tied together as a cohesive point 158s

or argument that Paul is making. 162s

So we want to definitely make sure 166s

that we're reading them all together. 168s

Second thing, as we talked about last week, 171s

we know that God is God, that I am not God, 173s

that you are not God. 177s

And so we come to these chapters 178s

with, hopefully, a humble, humble spirit, 182s

humble heart, ready to learn and to hear what the Lord says 185s

and respecting our place in relationship with God. 190s

I think that's really important. 196s

Also last week, we talked about how seriously Paul 198s

takes the mission of the Gospel. 201s

It is not a light thing. 204s

And I can't remember someone said, 207s

what did you say? 209s

It was like nice brimstone. 210s

Something like that. 214s

It was like, you know, perky brimstone. 215s

And there we go, perky brimstone. 219s

He takes it very seriously because our eternal lives 222s

have a serious, serious existence, 229s

because we are eternal. 233s

And we are either eternally in the presence of God 235s

or eternally damned. 239s

And so we take this seriously. 241s

We know as a Christian people, we are eternally 244s

going to be in the presence of God. 248s

And that is today on through. 250s

But Paul takes that a step further than we usually take it 254s

for ourselves, where he is in anguish over the lost souls. 259s

And so we talked about just how seriously he takes the mission. 265s

We also talked about the, that the same promises 271s

that were made to Israel are the same promises 273s

that God keeps even today. 276s

We did talk about the real Israel. 280s

The true Israel is the church. 284s

It's composed of both Jews and Gentiles 286s

who have all come to believe and call upon the name of Christ. 289s

That is, that is the true Israel, all who believe in Christ 296s

and who rely on him, who turned to him for salvation. 301s

There was an interesting quotation regarding the prophecies 306s

that Richard B. Hayes, he's a Methodist Minister 312s

and a New Testament professor at Duke University 315s

or was, I think he's since gone to be in the presence of Christ. 319s

But he said that Paul sees the fulfillment of prophecy, 324s

not primarily in the events in the life of Jesus, 328s

but in God's gathering of a church composed of Jews 331s

and Gentiles together. 334s

His hermeneutic is functionally a crazy ocentric, 335s

rather than Christo centric. 340s

I don't, I think that's kind of an interesting, 342s

interesting thought put forth that the prophecies 344s

of the Old Testament that point to the fulfillment in Christ, 349s

that he's saying that those prophecies are fulfilled 356s

as the church is called together, 359s

as the church is called together. 363s

Now, we do definitely read scripture 365s

in a Christo centric manner 368s

where everything points to Christ. 372s

But I thought that was an interesting thought 376s

that that New Testament professor had. 380s

As we continue in this class into chapter 11, 383s

we're gonna see the distinction that Paul makes 386s

regarding Israel and God's chosen people 388s

or as God's chosen people in the past. 391s

And Israel, God's chosen people, 393s

post-crucifiction and resurrection, 397s

that the Gentile believers are grafted into Israel, 400s

that there is not a new Israel, 404s

God's chosen are God's chosen. 408s

But, because all who believe in Christ are God's chosen 411s

people, but we're gonna see that the understanding of 417s

Israel, that is opened up. 423s

We understand it more clearly. 427s

It's not that there is a new Israel, 430s

it is that Israel fulfilled. 432s

I was recently speaking with a gentleman 436s

who introduced himself as a, 440s

he said, I'm a Messianic Jew, I'm a completed Jew. 444s

And I thought it was really neat 448s

that he uses that term that he is completed, 449s

because he has believed on the prophecies 454s

and the promises of the Old Testament 459s

and he believes and knows that it is fulfilled in Christ. 461s

And so, while he is from Israel geographically, 467s

he is a completed Jew. 473s

We're also, we also noted that, 476s

however much Paul was grieving or is grieving over the Israelites, 480s

he immediately insists that the fault lies 486s

with Israel, not God's word. 489s

So if we look at verse six of Romans, chapter nine, 491s

and excuse me, he says, 499s

he's talking prior to this about the anguish 502s

that he's in over his lost brethren. 505s

And then he says, it's not as though the word of God has failed. 509s

So he's very immediate to not place the fault on God. 515s

And I think this is where there's a big disconnect 520s

with people and our relationship to God 523s

is that we are very egocentric by nature, 529s

we think of ourselves and ourselves first. 535s

And sometimes we don't grow out of that, sometimes we do. 538s

But Paul is saying, it's not the fault of God. 543s

So we can't look at God and blame him. 552s

So we're gonna go ahead and keep moving through. 556s

So we talked about who is the real Israel. 559s

So let's go ahead and look at chapter nine beginning in verse 10. 563s

And we're gonna read through verse 18. 569s

So he's talking about, I'm gonna back up a little bit. 573s

So let's actually back up to verse eight. 577s

Let's actually back up to verse seven. 581s

Not all of Abraham's children are his true descendants, 585s

but it is through Isaac that descendants shall be named for you. 589s

This means that it is not the children of the flesh 592s

who are the children of God, 595s

but the children of the promise are counted as descendants. 597s

For this is what the promise said. 601s

About this time, I will return and Sarah shall have a son. 603s

Nor is that all. 607s

Something similar happened to Rebecca 609s

when she had conceived children by one husband, 611s

our ancestor Isaac. 614s

Even before they had been born or had done any good or bad 616s

so that God's purpose of election might continue not by works, 620s

but by his call, she was told the elder shall serve the younger. 625s

As it is written, I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Israel. 630s

What then are we to say? 636s

Is there injustice on God's part? 638s

By no means, for he says to Moses, 640s

I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, 644s

and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. 646s

So it depends not on whom I will be or exertion, 651s

but on God who shows mercy. 655s

For the scripture says to Pharaoh, 657s

I have raised you up for the very purpose of showing my power in you 659s

so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth. 664s

So then he has mercy on whom ever he chooses, 668s

and he hardens the heart of whom ever he chooses. 671s

Okay, so. 676s

We're going to back up a little bit. 680s

So being physically children of Abraham does not make mankind children of God. 682s

The physical, the physical decendency does not make one a child of God. 690s

Remember Isaac and Ishmael, they are both physical descendants of Abraham. 696s

They have different mothers, but the same father. 704s

And yet Isaac is the one of the promise. 708s

Jacob and Isau had the same father and the same mother. 714s

They were born, they were conceived at the same time. 720s

Sarah and Rebecca, it's very interesting. 726s

Sarah and Rebecca were both barren. 729s

And so the birth of Isaac, the births of Isau and Jacob, 732s

those are divine occurrences. 740s

Those are miracle birds. 744s

Now of course, just a little aside, we could argue that every birth is a miracle birth, 748s

because it is back to the class. 752s

But those were the conception of birth of those sons, 756s

it was done so by divine intervention. 761s

God's declaration over Jacob and Isau had been prior to birth. 766s

His declaration that we see here, 774s

the elder shall serve the younger. 778s

I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Isau. 781s

That is before they are born, before either of them could perform 784s

any sort of deed or work. 790s

This upholds God's sovereign election. 797s

So let's go to Genesis, keep a bookmark there in Romans, 801s

because we're going to come back to it. 806s

But let's go to Genesis, this is the first book in the Bible. 807s

Genesis chapter 25, 810s

looking at verses 19 through 23, 814s

these are the descendants of Isaac, Abraham's son. 823s

Abraham was the father of Isaac, 828s

and Isaac was 40 years old when he married Rebecca, 831s

daughter of Bethel and Aramian, 834s

of Patan Aram, sister of Leiband the Aramian. 837s

Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren, 840s

and the Lord granted his prayer, 844s

and his wife, wife Rebecca conceived, 846s

the children struggled together within her, 849s

and she said, if it is to be this way, why do I live? 851s

So she went to inquire of the Lord, and the Lord said to her, 856s

two nations are in your womb, and two people's born of you shall be divided. 860s

The one shall be stronger than the other, the elder shall serve the younger. 866s

Then let's go over to Malachi. 872s

This is in the prophet, so you're going to find yourself in the middle of 875s

scripture, you'll find Psalms and Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Isaiah, 880s

keep on going past Ezekiel past Daniel, 885s

when you find yourself at, oh, I'm sorry, I'm going to Malachi, 889s

or Micah right now, and I need to go to Malachi. 893s

Malachi, that's even easier to find. 896s

If you go to the New Testament and go back one book in the Old Testament, 898s

you're at Malachi. I was looking for Micah, but no. 901s

Genesis, chapter 25, verses 19 through 23. 907s

So now we're looking at Malachi. Malachi, chapter 1, 913s

verses 1, or verses 2 through 3a. 921s

Where it says, I have loved you, says the Lord, but you say, how have you loved us? 928s

Is not E-Sau Jacobs' brother, says the Lord, yet I have loved Jacob, 933s

but I have hated E-Sau. I have made his hill country a desolation and his heritage 938s

a desert for jackals. Okay, so the emphasis, or not the emphasis, sorry, 944s

we see that the initiative we can go back to Romans now. 952s

We see that the initiative is completely gods without any work that's been done. 956s

No work, when God says to Abraham that he will be the father of many descendants 963s

and Abraham and Sarah try to take things into their own hands and Ishmael is born. 973s

Ishmael was not born of the promise. 977s

Isaac hadn't even been conceived yet and yet God said that there will be one of the promise. 981s

And that was Isaac before he could do anything before he was even in existence. 987s

Jacob and E-Sau before they could do anything as they wrestled in the womb. 994s

God said there is a purpose and a plan for their lives. 999s

So it's God's work without anything done by Jacob, without anything done by E-Sau. 1003s

Now the understanding that's important here is the understanding of love and hate 1011s

because we cannot read the word hate through our modern understanding. 1017s

When we say that we hate something or we hate someone, we are wishing it's existence to be gone. 1022s

We are smiting that person or that thing. 1032s

I love teaching in confirmation about murder, you know, 1037s

thou shalt not murder or thou shalt not kill and you know, we ask the kids, 1040s

well who all hear his murdered someone and, 1045s

but you, not mean, then we talk about have you hated anyone in your mind. 1047s

Have you wished that they'd be out of your sight? 1052s

And oh, have a murder? 1055s

Yeah, we all are. 1057s

We all are. 1058s

This is not that kind of hate. 1060s

Hate here means spurned. 1062s

And it's really important that the emphasis that we have in reading this is not on the spurning of E-Sau, 1067s

but it's on the promise, it's on the child of the promise that is Jacob. 1077s

The focal point is not that we're drawing conclusions of divine rejection. 1087s

The focal point that we see here is that Jacob is loved from grace freely extended, not because he is deserving of it. 1096s

In fact, if you go back and rewatch pastor eyeballs studies, adult education on Genesis, 1107s

he goes through Jacob and you see, you see Jacob has many moments where he's really, 1117s

if it were up to us, we would not think that he should be a recipient of any sort of divine promise. 1126s

It's not according to his doing. 1135s

It's not according to him, but Jacob has loved from grace that is freely extended. 1138s

Think about how Jacob loved Rachel and hated Leah. 1145s

What does it mean that he wanted Leah out of his sight? 1153s

He spurned Leah. 1157s

He favored Rachel. 1159s

He maintained Leah as his wife. He had seven children with her. 1164s

So he maintained that relationship he loved, he had preference for Rachel. 1169s

So love and hate as we read, as we read that Jacob is loved and E-Sau's hated, 1178s

we're not reading about these emotions that God has. God is not emotionally feeling 1186s

love or hate towards these two brothers. These are actions that he's carrying out. 1195s

He is carrying out an action of divine favor or promise upon Jacob. 1203s

He is carrying out a spurning of E-Sau. 1212s

They're not a statement about election and predestination to damn nation. 1219s

That is double predestination when we talk about, well, if some are destined to be saved, 1224s

then logically, that means that some are destined to be damned. 1233s

And that is not what is happening here. 1237s

That is double predestination. That is, there are Christian churches that do teach that. 1239s

But that, I mean, we're not even, I'm sure we're going to go into this eventually. 1246s

But we're not going into that right now. But we do not, we do not uphold double predestination. 1252s

That would be saying that all of the descendants of Jacob would be saved and all of the descendants 1261s

of E-Sau would be consigned to help. But we know that that is not true. 1267s

Otherwise, Jesus would not have given the commission to his disciples to go forth and make 1275s

disciples of all the nations, baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 1282s

We have a mission, and a commission from God, and it's not just two, 1287s

those who are descended from Jacob physically. 1299s

E-Sau, just as Ishmael is rejected from that perspective, right? 1305s

Like Ishmael is not the child of the promise, Isaac is the child of the promise. 1314s

Both of them remain under God's care. Remember, when Sarah is, she says that Hagar, Ishmael's mother, 1320s

is making her life bitter, and she's complaining to Abraham, and Abraham says, do what you want. 1331s

And so Sarah makes sure that Hagar and Ishmael get banished. They get rejected tossed out of the family. 1337s

And God does not leave them unprotected or uncared for. 1348s

In fact, he goes and he has divine protection where he brings water forth so that Hagar can make sure 1355s

that her son has the water that he needs. So we see that God is still active. God is still loving. 1366s

God is still merciful. Paul is writing of two individuals, not the nations that come forth 1376s

from Jacob and Isau. So, excuse me, hold on. 1386s

So, in verse 16, so it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who shows mercy. 1397s

So again, we're seeing that that our election, the fact that we are saved, 1407s

is not done, is not determined by ourselves being made right in our own works or our own actions. 1416s

But it is God's will. It is God's will. It is God's will. It is God's work. 1425s

Going on in verse 17, for the scripture says to Pharaoh, 1431s

I have raised you up for the very purpose of showing my power in you so that my name may be 1435s

proclaimed in all the earth. So then he has mercy on whom ever he chooses and he hardens the heart 1441s

of whom ever he chooses. So this raising up, this does not mean that Pharaoh was born for the 1448s

purpose of being smited. It was that God allowed him to rise to this place of prominence. 1461s

He allowed him to arise to this leadership and through that God is glorified. Through that God 1469s

shows his power and his might. We see this as the Israelites, the future Israelites from Pharaoh, 1481s

they are in captivity. Babylonian captivity. God uses God uses the, oh my goodness, 1492s

Cyprus. He uses Cyprus to take over Israel. And he uses him. He uses throughout scripture. 1506s

God uses people that have risen to places of prominence to bless God's people. 1516s

God used. I mean, what are we, we're in Holy Week now. God used pilot 1529s

who had risen to a place of prominence to ultimately show God's great power. We see God's 1535s

greatest power in the victory that he has over death itself. I love in service today, 1546s

how we talk and this is another aside. I love how Pastor Eibel talks about this is today is the 1557s

beginning of a week long worship service. It is a continuation, this entire week. We are, 1563s

seeing and, and observing and praising and worshiping and experiencing the passion that God has 1573s

for his people. As we go from Huzana through Monty Thursday to the cross, we can't have Easter 1582s

without experiencing the week that led to it without experiencing the passion of Christ. 1599s

We are going to, we're going to, we're going to put a pin in the whole conversation around 1612s

him. He heartens the heart of whomever he chooses. We're going to put a pin in that. 1624s

We're going to come back to it. We're going to keep going today, but we're putting a pin in this. 1632s

Next week we do not have adult education. We have breakfast between services. So the week after that, 1640s

we will come back to this terminology, the hardening of the heart. Okay, so let's continue with verse 19. 1647s

You will say to me then, why then does he still find fault for who can resist his will? 1657s

But who indeed are you, a human being, to argue with God? Will what is molded say to the one who molded? 1664s

Why have you made me like this? Has the potter know right over the clay to make out of the same lump, 1671s

one object for special use and another for ordinary use? What if God, 1678s

desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience the objects of 1684s

wrath that are made for destruction? And what if he has done so in order to make known the riches of his glory 1690s

for the objects of mercy which he has prepared beforehand for glory, including us, 1697s

whom he has called not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles. As indeed, he says in 1704s

Joseah, those who were not my people, I will call my people. And her who was not beloved, I will call 1713s

love it. And in the very place where it was said to them, you are not my people. They shall be called 1722s

children of the living God. So I want to back up to verse 19 here. You will say to me then, 1731s

why then does he still find fault for who can resist his will? But who indeed are you a human 1741s

being to argue with God? It's very interesting. So there are a couple of terms, 1749s

exegesis and exegesis. Exegesis is taking from scripture. Scripture teaches us. 1757s

Isegesis is reading into scripture. There's a funny term. It's not a real theological term. 1767s

So do not think that this is real, but I think it's very interesting. I've heard the term 1776s

Narcigesis, a bandit about. Narcigesis where we are reading ourselves into scripture. And this 1783s

portion is a perfect example of that. God's word is absolutely for us. God's word gives us life. 1794s

God's word is active in our lives. Is is performative in our lives? There is no question about that. 1809s

But what's happening here and what happens in these chapters is that mankind is trying instead of 1821s

being here under the Word of God and the authority of God's word. We are trying to stand over it 1834s

and demand answers and to demand God to defend himself because we don't like that there is anything. 1844s

Anything that would not save all. And so we are ready to put God on trial 1863s

and it comes back to the predestination thing. We are ready to put God on trial. 1873s

Why isn't everyone saved? That's not our place. That is not our place. There's a lot that's 1881s

wrapped up in this. But the first understanding comes back to God is God. 1891s

I am not God you are not God. And when we try to demand answers from God and we try to demand 1900s

him to defend himself before us we are way out of line. 1907s

Chapter 9, 10 and 11 are not with the intent to say, 1917s

nan, nan, booboo. I am saved. How about you? It's not a matter of 1927s

anyone being rejected. It's a matter of God's grace, divine appointment, his love, his mercy. 1938s

God does not delight. We hear this. Or read this everywhere in scripture. God does not delight 1953s

in death. He does not delight in being rejected. God wants that all will be saved. That all 1961s

would come to know him. And this is again going back to last week going back to earlier in this 1974s

lesson when we talk about Paul's intense emotion over his brethren that are lost. The intense 1982s

emotion is because he knows it serious. And God has an intense love and mercy for us. We see the 1994s

intensity of his love and mercy play out in Holy Week. And excuse me. But God is also God and God is 2009s

completely holy and God is completely righteous and God is completely just. And so God cannot be 2019s

and cannot associate with sin. And there is one sin as we know. There is one sin that is unforgettable. 2031s

As Jesus tells us in scripture, He says the one sin that's unforgivable is blaspheming the Holy 2039s

Spirit. And when we blasphem the Holy Spirit, we are rejecting God. We are rejecting what God is doing, 2045s

what we reject, what God has done. We've had a sermon on this before. We've had teachings on this 2052s

before. And again, I want to encourage you that if you ever question, have I committed that sin? 2059s

If you have any concern, have I blasphemed the Holy Spirit, then you're not. Because one who is 2068s

blaspheming the Holy Spirit doesn't care. It doesn't make any difference. Because there is no God 2076s

in His or her mind. But we can't find fault with God. God's word goes forth. God's word 2087s

of life goes forth. It is not God who rejects Israel of old. It was Israel that was rejecting 2102s

God. 2123s