Introduction
Paul considers the position of his own people, Israel in God’s sight.
Verses
1I tell the truth in Christ. I am not lying, my conscience testifying with me in the Holy Spirit
2that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart.
3For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brothers’ sake, my relatives according to the flesh
4who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service, and the promises;
5of whom are the fathers, and from whom is Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God, blessed forever. Amen.
6But it is not as though the word of God has come to nothing. For they are not all Israel that are of Israel.
7Neither, because they are Abraham’s offspring, are they all children. But, “your offspring will be accounted as from Isaac.”
8That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as heirs.
9For this is a word of promise, “At the appointed time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.”
10Not only so, but Rebekah also conceived by one, by our father Isaac.
11For being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him who calls,
12it was said to her, “The elder will serve the younger.”
13Even as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
14What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? May it never be!
15For he said to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
16So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy.
17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I caused you to be raised up, that I might show in you my power, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
18So then, he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires.
19You will say then to me, “Why does he still find fault? For who withstands his will?”
20But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed ask him who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?”
21Or hasn’t the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel for honour, and another for dishonour?
22What if God, willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,
23and that he might make known the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory,
24us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles?
25As he says also in Hosea,
“I will call them ‘my people,’ which were not my people;
and her ‘beloved,’ who was not beloved.”
“I will call them ‘my people,’ which were not my people;
and her ‘beloved,’ who was not beloved.”
26“It will be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’
there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’ ”
there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’ ”
27Isaiah cries concerning Israel,
“If the number of the children of Israel are as the sand of the sea,
it is the remnant who will be saved;
“If the number of the children of Israel are as the sand of the sea,
it is the remnant who will be saved;
28for He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness,
because the LORD will make a short work upon the earth.”
because the LORD will make a short work upon the earth.”
29As Isaiah has said before,
“Unless the Lord of Armies had left us a seed,
we would have become like Sodom,
and would have been made like Gomorrah.”
“Unless the Lord of Armies had left us a seed,
we would have become like Sodom,
and would have been made like Gomorrah.”
30What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who didn’t follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith;
31but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, didn’t arrive at the law of righteousness.
32Why? Because they didn’t seek it by faith, but as it were by works of the law. They stumbled over the stumbling stone;
33even as it is written,
“Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offence;
and no one who believes in him will be disappointed.”
“Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offence;
and no one who believes in him will be disappointed.”
Questions
1. Why did God raise up Pharoah?
v 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I caused you to be raised up, that I might show in you my power, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
2. What do we learn from Paul's analogy of the potter and the clay?
v 21 Or hasn’t the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel for honour, and another for dishonour
3. How does Paul say that the Gentiles become righteous (right with God) and why did the Jews fail to be righteous?
v 30 to 32 ... That the Gentiles, ... attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith; but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, didn’t arrive at the law of righteousness. Why? Because they didn’t seek it by faith, but as it were by works of the law. ...
Summary Points
- v 1 to 5 Paul laments that his fellow Jews are not responding to Christ, despite being the nation chosen by God through whom Christ came
- v 6 to 13 The chosen line of heirs to the promises goes from Abraham through Isaac and Jacob
- v 14 to 18 God is always right when He chooses whom he will be merciful to. He chooses people for his purpose so that his name can be proclaimed
- v 19 to 29 God as creator, decides what he will do with people. God is patient with those who are only fit for destruction and is merciful to those who will show his glory. God now selects from both Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews) those he calls his children
- v 30 to 33 Gentiles (non-Jews) who have faith in God’s promises can be saved, but the Jews’ desire to try to earn righteousness by their own efforts failed
Audio