Vindicating God (Part2) Series

ROM 9: 14-18. VINDICATING GOD PART 2.

RECAP: LAST TIME PAUL EXPOUNDED GODS SOVEREIGNTY IN HIS ELECTING LOVE OF INDIVIDUALS. THE JEWS WERE SELF ASSURED OF THEIR HERITAGE – YET IT WAS AN ASSURANCE WHICH WAS MISPLACED. THEY BELIEVED BECAUSE THEY WERE NATURAL DESCENDENTS OF ABRAHAM AND ISRAELITES THAT THEY WERE AUTOMATICALLY GODS CHILDREN. WHAT PAUL WAS PROCLAIMING MADE GOD OUT TO BE A LIAR BECAUSE GOD WAS BREAKING HIS COVENANTAL PROMISES. SO PAUL SETS OUT TO VINDICATE GOD.TO CLEAR UP THEIR MISUNDERSTANDINGS. V6 ITS NOT AS THOUGH GODS WORD HAD FAILED. PARAMOUNT TO HIS EXPLANATION TO HIS JEWISH HEARERS WAS V6 NOT ALL DESCENDED FROM ISRAEL ARE ISRAEL. NOT TO CONFUSE THE TWO ISRAEL’S: (SPIRITUAL AND EARTHLY) NOT EVERY MEMBER OF ISRAEL IS A MEMBER OF GODS SPIRITUAL ISRAEL (THIS IS THE KEY FOR THE NEXT 3 CHAPTERS)

HE GOES ON TO EXPLAIN THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN ABRAHAM’S NATURAL CHILDREN AND THE CHILDREN BORN OF THE PROMISE V7 NOR BECAUSE THEY ARE ABRAHAMS DESCENDANTS ARE THEY ALL ABRAHAMS CHILDREN. HE CLEARLY SHOWS FROM THEIR OWN SCRIPTURES THAT ISAAC WAS SELECTED AS A CHILD OF PROMISE. V7-9. GEN 21:12 AND NOT ISHMAEL NOR THE OTHER NATURAL CHILDREN THAT ABRAHAM HAD.

V10 -13 THEN HE WENT ON TO SHOW AGAIN GODS ELECTING LOVE, IN SELECTING JACOB OVER ESAU EVEN THOUGH BOTH WERE FROM THE PROMISE SEED OF ISAAC - YET GOD BRINGS DISTINCTION AGAIN . BEFORE THEY WERE EVEN BORN OR HAD DONE ANYTHING GOD OR BAD GOD’S ELECTING LOVE SELECTED JACOB. GEN 25:23. THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER

PAUL WANTS US TO KNOW ABRAHAM‘S REAL DESCENDANTS ARE GOSPEL BELIEVERS ROM 4:11,12 SOME MAY BE CIRCUMCISED AND UNCIRCUMCISED. YET BOTH WILL WALK BY FAITH. THESE ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE RECEIVED GODS ELECTING LOVE AND ARE THE REAL SPIRITUAL DESCENDANTS OF ABRAHAM AND THE TRUE ISRAEL. SO GODS WORD HAS NOT FAILED - SO DO NOT CONFUSE THE TWO ISRAEL’S.... BUT IS BEING FULFILLED AND THEIR UNBELIEF IS CONFIRMATION OF THEIR TRUE LINEAGE.

SO EARLIER THE FIRST OBJECTION WAS AN ATTACK ON GODS PROMISES V6, HERE THEY ARE ATTACKING GODS CHARACTER V14.

LETS READ ROMANS 9:14-18:

• ANYBODY WHO IS A PARENT WILL HAVE OFTEN HAD TO MAKE HARD DECISIONS ON BEHALF OF THEIR CHILDREN AND WHEN THOSE DECISIONS HAVE GONE AGAINST THE CHILD’S WISHES . WE’VE ALL HEARD THE CHILD SAY “THAT’S NOT FAIR!” AND “WHY?” BUT THE PARENT MAKES THOSE DECISIONS FOR THE CHILD WHETHER GOOD OR BAD AND T DOESN’T HAVE TO GIVE AN EXPLANATION. BECAUSE THEY ARE THE PARENT THE OTHER IS THE CHILD.

• AS WE GET OLDER THAT SAME OUTLOOK WE SHOW AS CHILDREN TOWARDS OUR PARENTS CAN OFTEN MANIFEST ITSELF AS ADULTS TOWARDS GOD. HOW OFTEN HAVE YOU HEARD THE ACCUSATION AGAINST GOD “THAT’S NOT FAIR?” WHEN SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED WHICH A PERSON DOESNT LIKE?

YET GOD IS GOD......GODS IN SOVEREIGN CONTROL : WE NEED TO REMEMBER THE GOD IS SOVEREIGN IN CREATION AND THE AFFAIRS OF THAT CREATION. THIS MEANS HE HAS THE RIGHT OF GOD TO DO AS HE WISHES (PS. 50:1; 115:3 IS. 40:15; 46: 9-10. 1 TIM. 6:15) WITH HIS CREATION. THIS IMPLIES THAT THERE IS NO EXTERNAL INFLUENCE UPON HIM AND THAT HE ALSO HAS THE ABILITY TO EXERCISE HIS RIGHT ACCORDING TO HIS WILL. BEFORE WE WERE EVEN AROUND REV4:11 “YOU ARE WORTHY, OUR LORD AND GOD, TO RECEIVE GLORY AND HONOUR AND POWER , FOR YOU CREATED ALL THINGS, AND BY YOUR WILL THEY WERE CREATED AND HAVE THEIR BEING.” PAUL CONFIRMED THIS FACT IN, ACTS 17 “IT’S IN HIM WE LIVE AND MOVE AND HAVE OUR BEING.”

SO OUT OF HIS OWN FREE CHOICE HE CREATED ALL THINGS....FROM THE FIRST MAN ADAM TO THE ZEBRA AND NOBODY INFLUENCED HIM AT ALL. AND HE IS SOVEREIGN CONTROL OF ALL THE AFFAIRS THAT TAKE PLACE UPON THIS EARTH, WHETHER ITS A SPAROW FALLING TO THE GROUND OR NATION RISING UP AGAINST ANOTHER NATION NOTHING HAPPENS WITHOUT IT GOING THOUGH HIM FIRST, NOTHING AT ALL TAKES HIM BY SURPRISE.

• FIRST LESSON: WE LEARN FROM THIS PASSAGE IS THAT WE NEED TO LET ‘GOD BE GOD’ AND REMEMBER THAT HE IS SOVEREIGN KING. HE HAS THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY HE DOES AS HE CHOOSES. AND NONE OF US CAN RETORT BACK TO HIM “THAT’S NOT FAIR.”

THE ACCUSATION GOD IS UNJUST. V14 WHAT SHALL WE SAY IS GOD UNJUST?

THIS IS EXACTLY WHERE PAUL’S OBJECTORS ARE, THEY THROW A VERBAL ACCUSATION TOWARDS HIM “WHAT YOU ARE SAYING IS NOT FAIR!” YOU ARE MAKING GOD OUT TO BE UNJUST.” HOW CAN HE CHOOSE ONE OVER THE OTHER?

THEIR BIG PROBLEM - YOU SEE IF GOD CHOOSE ISAAC AND NOT ISHMAEL, AND GOD CHOOSE JACOB AND NOT ESAU THEN GOD MUST BE UNJUST (UNRIGHTEOUS) THEY ARE INFERRING THAT GODS PURPOSE IN ELECTION IS COMPLETELY UNJUST A COMPLETE BREECH OF HIS CHARACTER.