ROM 9:6-9. VINDICATING GOD – FOUR OBJECTIONS : PART 1
LAST WEEK WE SAW PAUL SHARE THE DEPTH OF HIS LOVE TOWARDS HIS JEWISH KINSMEN. HE ASSURED THEM OF HIS DEEP LOVE FOR THEM – HE WAS SORROWFUL AND WAS FILLED WITH UNCEASING ANGUISH BECAUSE OF THEIR LOST CONDITION. HE EVEN WISHED HIMSELF TO BE CURSED, CUT OF FOR THE SAKE OF HIS BOTHERS. 1-3 THESE WEREN’T THROW AWAY WORDS IN A WORLD OF SPIN BUT WORDS WHICH WERE FROM THE HEART OF THE MAN WHO CARED PASSIONATELY ABOUT HIS JEWISH BOTHERS.
PAUL HAD SOME TOUGH WORDS TO COME SO HE WANTED THEM TO KNOW THAT HE WAS NOT COMING FROM SOME SUPERIOR POSITION, HE WANTED THEM TO KNOW HE HELD NO ANIMOSITY TOWARDS THEM ON HIS BEHALF, ALTHOUGH THEIR WAS PLENTY ON THEIR BEHALF TOWARDS HIM AND THE GOSPEL HE WAS TEACHING AS IT WENT AGAINST ALL THEY BELIEVED GOD TO BE.
V6 -13 SO PAUL SETS OUT TO VINDICATE GOD - TO JUSTIFY HIS POSITION - YOU SEE ALL THAT PAUL WAS SAYING AS FAR AS THEY WERE CONCERNED VIOLATED GODS CHARACTER TOWARDS THEM AS A NATION. IT’S AS IF HE MEETS A JEWISH OBJECTOR (THE NATION) TO WHAT HE HAS BEEN SAYING AND SO HE REPLIES TOO THE QUESTIONS POSED V6 – 14 – 19 – 30.
THE FIRST OBJECTION COULD HAVE WELL GONE LIKE THIS, “IF YOU ARE RIGHT THEN PAUL THEN GOD HAS BROKEN HIS WORD, GODS PROMISES HAVE FAILED.” BECAUSE WE ARE GODS CHOSEN DESCENDANTS THROUGH ABRAHAM WE ARE BENEFICIARIES OF ALL GODS PROMISES. PAUL’S REPLY”V6 IT IS NOT AS THOUGH GODS WORD HAD FAILED. “NO YOU ARE MISTAKEN YOU HAVE MISUNDERSTOOD THE SCRIPTURES
THE JEWISH OBJECTION: IF AS PAUL TAUGHT, REGENERATION WAS ESSENTIAL TO PARTICIPATION IN THE COVENANT, AND AS A CONSEQUENCE THE NATIONS NON - ACCEPTANCE OF THAT DOGMA, THEY HAVE BEEN SET ASIDE, THEN GOD HAS BROKEN HIS WORD AND SO HE IS UNFAITHFUL TO HIS WORD.
JEWISH OPINION: THE VERY FACT OF BEING A JEW, A DESCENDANT OF ABRAHAM, ENTITLED THEM TO THE BLESSINGS OF THE COVENANT, AND TO BE REGARDED AS A CHILD OF GOD. SO PAUL BEGINS TO VINDICATE GOD THROUGH THEIR VERY OWN SCRIPTURES EXPOSING THEIR MISGUIDED ERRORS.
1. OUR BELONGING TO GOD IS NOT OF NATURAL DESCENT V6-9
V6 DO NOT CONFUSE THE TWO ISRAEL’S:
GOD KEPT ALL HIS PROMISES – HIS WORD CANNOT BE BROKEN – ALL HIS PROMISES WILL BE FULFILLED BUT WHAT THEY FAILED TO GRASP AND WE MUST GRASP V6 NOT AL DESCENDED FROM ISRAEL ARE ISRAEL (SPIRITUAL AND EARTHLY) NOT EVERY MEMBER OF ISRAEL IS A MEMBER OF GODS ISRAEL (THIS IS THE KEY THAT UNLOCKS THESE THREE CHAPTERS) SO THE REAL ISRAEL IS CONTAINED WITHIN THE NATURAL ISRAEL. TO PUT IT ANOTHER WAY, THE SPIRITUAL ISRAEL IS CONTAINED WITHIN PHYSICAL ISRAEL.
ALTHOUGH THE NATION WAS CHOSEN TO TRANSMIT THE SCRIPTURES - TO SPREAD ONE GOD – ALTHOUGH THEY HAD GREAT PRIVILEGES V4 -5 THE CHOOSING OF THE NATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT EVERY INDIVIDUAL WITHIN IT WAS CHOSEN FOR SALVATION.
SO THE FACT THAT SOME DON’T BELIEVE DOESN’T CANCEL OUT GODS PROMISES BECAUSE GOD NEVER INTENDED THAT EVERY JEW TO BELONG, ONLY A REMNANT. ROM11: 4-6 THE REMNANT – OT: 7000 RESERVED - WHAT ABOUT THE THOUSANDS WHO HAD BOWED TO BAAL. GOD ONLY EVER SAVED A REMNANT.
ENTER INTO THE NEW TESTAMENT
1- JOHN. 8:37 -39 JESUS DENOUNCED THE JEWISH OPINION ABOUT DESCENDANTS OF ABRAHAM
2- MATT 3:9 JOHN THE BAPTIST DENOUNCES JEWISH OPINION .
3- JOHN 1:47. JESUS POINTS TO A GENUINE OUTWARD JEW /INWARD JEW. HIS RESPONSE V49
4- GAL:3: 6- 7 JUST AS ABRAHAM, “ BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS ACCOUNTED HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS’.” THEREFORE KNOW THAT ONLY THOSE WHO ARE OF FAITH ARE SONS OF ABRAHAM
5- ROM 4:11,12 ABRAHAM‘S REAL DESCENDANTS CIRCUMCISED AND UNCIRCUMCISED. BUT BOTH WALK BY FAITH.
V7A. PAUL UN–PACKS GENESIS: NOR BECAUSE THEY ARE ABRAHAMS DESCENDANTS ARE THEY ALL ABRAHAMS CHILDREN. SO THE FACT YOU ARE DESCENDED FROM ABRAHAM DOESN’T AUTOMATICALLY MEAN YOU ARE ONE OF GOD’S CHOSEN CHILDREN. PAUL QUOTES GODS WORD TO ABRAHAM GEN 21:12. IT IS THROUGH YOU OFFSPRING ISAAC THAT YOUR OFFSPRING WILL BE RECKONED.”
V8 -9 REMEMBER ABRAHAM HAD EIGHT SONS IN ALL THE FIRST OF WHICH WAS ISHMAEL THROUGH THE SLAVE GIRL HAGAR - THEN THEIR WAS ISAAC WHO CAME AS A RESULT OF A PROMISE FROM GOD AND THEN HE HAD 6 OTHERS AFTER SARAH DIED WITH KETURAH GEN 25:1-2. ISHMAEL AND THE SIX WERE DESCENDANTS OF ABRAHAM THESE WERE THE NATURAL CHILDREN V8 NONE OF THEM WERE TO BE THE INHERITORS OF THE PROMISED COVENANT.
V 7 BUT ONLY ISAAC, WHO WAS BORN THROUGH THE DIVINE PROMISE OF GOD GEN 17 19 – 22, THE COVENANT PROMISES WOULD COME THOUGH HIM ALONE AND NOT ALL THE NATURAL DESCENDANTS OF ABRAHAM. GOD CONFIRMED THIS TRUTH TO ISAAC. GEN 26:3 – 4. SO THE FACT THE ISAAC ALONE WAS TAKEN INTO THE COVENANT MADE BY GOD WITH ABRAHAM DID NOT MAKE THE WORD OF GOD NON EFFECT! (V6 IT HAD NOT FAILED) GOD HAD NOT BROKEN HIS COVENANT PROMISE BUT IT HAD BEEN KEPT THROUGH ABRAHAM – ISAAC – JACOB – AND IN THEIR SPIRITUAL LINEAGE, WHO AE BORN OF THE PROMISE (SUPERNATURALLY RE-BORN BY FAITH)
V8 SO ITS NOT THE NATURAL CHILDREN THAT ARE COUNTED AS ABRAHAMS OFFSPRING ONLY THOSE WHO ARE CHILDREN OF THE PROMISE, THE CHILDREN OF THE PROMISE ALONE ARE COUNTED AS ABRAHAMS TRUE DESCENDANTS. ALL THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN CHRIST? AS PAUL SAYS ROM 2:28 -29 A GENUINE SPIRITUAL JEW NOT JUST OF NATURAL DESCENT BUT INWARD WITH CIRCUMCISION OF THE HEART BY GODS SPIRIT.
PAUL HAS VINDICATED GOD BEFORE THEM THROUGH THEIR OWN SCRIPTURES REVEALING THE TRUE SPIRITUAL DESCENDANTS OF GOD - ARE PARTAKERS IN GODS COVENANTAL PROMISES. VINDICATING GODS SOVEREIGN WILL AND PURPOSES, PROVING THAT V6 GODS WORD HAS BY NO MEANS FAILED
BUT IS BEING FULFILLED AS THE GOSPEL IS PREACHED - THEIR REJECTION SIMPLY PROVES THEY ARE NOT TRUE DESCENDANTS OF THE SPIRITUAL ISRAEL A REMNANT WAS ALWAYS THE PLAN AND ELECTIVE PURPOSES OF GOD.
APLLICATION.
1. NO PERSON HAS A RIGHT TO THE PROMISES OF GOD THROUGH DESCENT. MANY JEW’S TODAY BELIEVE THEY ARE THE DESCENDANTS OF ABRAHAM AND INHERITORS OF THE PROMISES OF GOD AWAITING THEIR MESSIAH THEY ARE MISTAKEN.THEY REJECT JESUS –THIS SHOWS THEY ARE NOT THE TRUE ISRAEL.
2. THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO BELONG TO THE VISIBLE CHURCH AND YET NOT TO THE INVISIBLE! BECAUSE THE TRUE CHURCH IS NOT JUST VISIBLE BUT INVISIBLE AND SPIRITUAL.
3. IT’S POSSIBLE TO BELONG TO A CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY, AND YET NOT BE A CHRISTIAN! BECAUSE THE TRUE CHRISTIAN IS NOT JUST ONE OUTWARDLY BUT ONE INWARDLY.
4. OUR BELONGING TO GOD IS NOT OF WORKS. V10 -13
NOT ONLY WERE THESE JEW MISGUIDED INTO BELIEVING BECAUSE THEY DESCENDED FROM ABRAHAM THAT GOD WAS OBLIGATED TO BLESS THEM, BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF THEIR OBEDIENCE TO THE LAW, THEY ALSO BELIEVED GOD WAS ALSO OBLIGATED TO BLESS THEM, BECAUSE THEY DESERVED IT... SO PAUL POINTS OUT TO THEM ALSO THAT IT IS NOT ABOUT WORKS EITHER BUT ALL DEPENDANT UPON GOD.
PAUL BAKES UP HIS ARGUMENT AS HE TAKES HIS OBJECTOR TO ANOTHER HISTORICAL PICTURE THIS TIME TO ISAAC AND REBECCA,WHO HAD TWIN BOYS JACOB AND ESAU AND IT SAYS V11 YET BEFORE THE TWINS WERE BORN OR HAD DONE ANYTHING GOOD OR BAD - IN ORDER THAT GODS PURPOSE IN ELECTION MIGHT STAND V12 NOT BY WORKS BUT BY HIM WHO CALLS – SHE WAS TOLD “THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER”(GEN 25:23)
1. NOTE THAT GOD HAD BESTOWED THIS BLESSING BEFORE THE TWINS WERE EVEN BORN OR BEFORE THEY HAD DONE ANYTHING GOOD OR BAD. PAUL IS SAYING NO PERSON IN THIS WORLD CAN SAY THAT THEY DESERVE TO BELONG TO GOD BECAUSE WE HAVE DONE THIS! OR DONE THAT! OR THE OTHER! IT SOLELY DEPENDS NOT UPON OUR MERITS BUT UPON HIS MERCY V14.
APPLICATION: ISN’T IT THE CASE WITH MOST RELIGIOUS PEOPLE THEIR RIGHT STANDING BEFORE GOD IS BASED UPON THEIR OBEDIENCE TO CERTAIN RELIGIOUS CRITERIA - SO IT WAS WITH THESE JEWS AND STILL IS TODAY . YET THE BIBLE CLEARLY STATES EPH 3:8 FO IT IS BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED – THOUGH FAITH AND THIS IS NOT OF YOURSELVES IT IS A GIFT FROM GOD. NOT BY WORKS SO NO ONE CAN BOAST.
3.OUR BELONGING TO GOD IS ALL ABOUT GOD’S ELECTING LOVE V11-13
SO WE HAVE SEEN THAT WE DON’T BELONG TO GOD BY OUR DESCENT AND WE DON’T BELONG TO GOD BY OUR WORKS – HOW DOES ANYBODY BELONG TO GOD – WELL AT HE CENTRE IS GODS SELECTIVE PURPOSES HE ELECTS INDIVIDUALS ‘HIS ELECTIVE LOVE V11’ SO OUR BELONGING TO GOD IS ALL OFF GOD – HE APPOINTS.
ROM 9:9 AT THE APPOINTED TIME.... FIXED OR ESTABLISHED ESPECIALLY BY ORDER OR COMMAND; "AT THE TIME APPOINTED (OR THE APPOINTED TIME")
• THE STORY OF ABRAHAM IS A CASE IN POINT – GEN 15: HAD BEEN PROMISED MANY DESCENDANTS – BUT SARAH HAD BROUGHT HIM NO CHILDREN - THEY WERE BOTH ADVANCED IN YEARS – SO THEY MANUFACTURED THEIR OWN PROMISE CHILD THROUGH HAGAR AND ISHMAEL IS CONCEIVED GEN 16: YET GOD CONTINUES TO PROMISES THEM A CHILD THROUGH SARAH GEN 17:16- 17 - 19 THROUGH WHOM GOD WOULD ESTABLISH HIS COVENANT. GEN 18:14 THEY RECEIVE THREE VISITORS AND THE LORD SPEAKS OF THE APPOINTED TIME HE WOULD RETURN V21 THE CHILD WOULD BE BORN GEN 21:2 AT THE APPOINTED TIME GOD HAD PROMISED.
FRIENDS IF WE BELONG TO GOD HERE TODAY ITS BECAUSE GOD HAS APPOINTED IT TO BE SO – ITS HIS ELECTIVE PURPOSE: ACTS. 13:48 AND ALL WHO WERE APPOINTED TO ETERNAL LIFE BELIEVED.
THE NEXT HISTORICAL EXAMPLE IS FROM ISAAC AND REBECCA AND THEIR TWIN BOYS JACOB AND ESAU HERE HE SHOWS GOD’S DIVINE PURPOSE OF ELECTION ONCE AGAIN. V11-13.
JACOB AND ESAU - BOTH THESE BOYS WERE NATURAL DESCENDANTS OF ISAAC - DESCENDANTS OF THE PROMISE - SO WERE BOTH RECKONED AS GODS PROMISED SEED? NO! V10 -13 GOD CHOOSES ONE TWIN BOY ABOVE THE OTHER. ESAU WAS THE FIRST BORN HE WAS THE ONE WHO SHOULD HAVE HAD THE DOUBLE BLESSING. YET ONCE AGAIN GOD CHOOSES - JACOB AND NOT ESAU - NOTICE BEFORE THEY WERE EVEN BORN OR HAD DONE ANYTHING BAD OR GOOD. REBECCA WAS TOLD THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER ROM 9:11. GEN. 25:23.
SO AGAIN WE SEE A DEMARCATION WITHIN THE DESCENDANTS OF ISRAEL THOSE WHO ARE TRUE SPIRITUAL DESCENDANTS AND THOSE WHO ARE DESCENDANTS FROM SIMPLY NATURAL BIRTH. GOD CHOSE JACOB BEFORE HE WAS EVEN BORN BEFORE HE HAD DONE ANYTHING BAD OR GOOD THIS IS GODS PRE-ORDAINED ELECTING LOVE UPON HIS CHILDREN. NT EXAMPLES: ROM: 8:29, 11:7. 2TIM 2:10, TIT:1:1. 1PET1:1 MATT 24:22,24,31 JHN13:18,
• V13 JUST AS IT IS WRITTEN. “ JACOB I LOVED AND ESAU I HATED.” SOURCE: MAL:1:2 I DON’T THINK WE CAN JUST BRUSH THIS VERSE UNDER THE CARPET....
NOTE: V13 : SOME PEOPLE THINK THE WORD ‘HATED’ IS TO STRONG HERE AND OUT OF CHARCTER FOR GOD - SO THEY WILL SAY THE BEST WAY OF UNDERSTANDING THIS SCRIPTURE IS SEEING IT AS A HEBREW IDIOM (MEANING CANNOT BE DEDUCED FROM THE LITERAL DEFINITIONS AND THE ARRANGEMENT OF ITS PARTS, BUT REFERS INSTEAD TO A FIGURATIVE MEANING THAT IS KNOWN ONLY THROUGH COMMON USE.)
NT GUIDANCE: WE SEE JESUS HIMSELF USED THIS IDIOM LKE 14:26 WE CANT BE HIS DISCIPLES UNLESS WE HATE OUR FAMILY. YET IN THE SAME SITUATION MATT 10:37 WE AE FORBIDDEN TO LOVE THEM MORE THAN HIM. THIS OF COURSE MAKES THE WORDING MORE ACCEPTABLE: ”JACOB HAVE I LOVED AND ESAU I HAVE LOVED LESS.” JOHN STOTT FAVOURS THIS VIEW.....
I DISAGREE BUT PLEASE NOTE THIS STATEMENT IS NOT PRIMARY A PERSONAL REFERENCE TO THEM AS INDIVIDUALS AS GOD HATING ONE AND LOVING THE OTHER THE SCRIPTURES NEVER MAKE THAT REFERENCE UNTIL 1000 YEARS LATER BY THE PROPHET MALACHI 1:2 AND THEN IT MUST BE SEEN IN CONTEXT AS BEING APPLIED TO THEIR RESPECTIVE NATIONS ISRAEL AND EDOMITES.
• JOHN MACARTHUR WRITES ," IT DOESN’T SAY, ”JACOB HAVE I LOVED AND ESAU I HAVE LOVED LESS.”.IT SAYS HE HATED HIM. I MEAN, LET GOD HATE IF HE WANTS TO HATE, AND HE HATES EVIL AND HE HATES IDOLATRY AND HE HATES PAGANISM AND SO HE HATES ESAU...HE HATES. YOU CAN READ ABOUT GOD’S HATE IN PSALM 5:5, YOU HATE ALL WHO DO WRONG PSALM 11:5, THE WICKED AND THOSE WHO LOVE VIOLENCE HIS SOUL HATES PSALM 26:5 I ABHOR THE ASSEMBLY OF EVIL DOERS. YOU CAN READ IT IN PROVERBS 6:16 WHERE IT SAYS SIX THINGS THE LORD HATES, YEA SEVEN ARE AN ABOMINATION TO HIM. IN JEREMIAH 44 :4 THE ABOMINABLE THING I HATE, SAYS GOD. YOU CAN READ IT IN HOSEA 9:15, AMOS 5:21, ZECHARIAH 8:17 AND MALACHI 2:16 AND MANY OTHER PLACES, GOD HATES. HE HATES EVIL, HE HATES WICKEDNESS, HE HATES IDOLATRY. AND HE HATED WHAT HE SAW IN THE SEED OF ESAU. IT SAYS AT THE END OF MALACHI 1:4 THAT AGAINST EDOM THE LORD HAS INDIGNATION FOREVER.
THE SCRIPTURES TELL US THAT ESAU WAS AN UNRIGHTEOUS MAN HEB 12:16 .SO ESAU WAS SEXUALLY IMMORAL AND GODLESS. AFTER ALL HE INTERMARRIED WITH CANAANITES , WHICH WAS FORBIDDEN, HE MARRIED ISHMAELS DAUGHTER, HIS OWN COUSIN, HE SOLD HIS BIRTHRIGHT FOR A BIT OF STEW , SO THE PROMISES OF GOD MEANT NOTHING TO HIM GEN 25: 34,.SO ESAU CHOSE AGAINST GOD, GOD CHOSE AGAINST ESAU. JACOB CHOSE GOD , GOD CHOSE JACOBDESPITE HIS FAULTS. BOTH WERE BORN OF ABRAHAM, BOTH WERE BORN OF ISAAC, BOTH WERE CHILDREN OF PROMISE. YET TWO NATIONS, AROSE ONE THE PEOPLE OF THE PROMISE, ONE THE PEOPLE OF ETERNAL INDIGNATION, JUDGMENT AND WRATH. MALACHI.1:4 THEY WILL BE CALLED A WICKED LAND A PEOPLE ALWAYS UNDER THE WRATH OF THE LORD.
SO DOES THE LOVE OF GOD CONTINUALLY ABIDE UPON PEOPLE NO MATTER WHAT THEIR CHOICES? UPON THOSE WHO PERSIST TO REJECT HIM – AND CONTINUE SINFUL LIFESTYLES - DOES GOD CONTINUE TO LOVE THE UNRIGHTEOUS?
CONSIDER JOHN 3: 36 WHOEVER BELIEVES IN THE SON HAS ETERNAL LIFE BUT WHOEVER REJECTS THE SON WILL NOT SEE LIFE FOR GODS WRATH (NOT LOVE) REMAINS UPON THEM.
SO RECAP: V11 YET, BEFORE THE TWINS WERE BORN OR HAD DONE ANYTHING GOOD OR BAD - IN ORDER THAT GOD’S PURPOSES IN ELECTION MIGHT STAND. THIS IS ELECTION ITS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE LIFE OF JACOB AND ESAU IT CONFIRMS GODS ACT : WE SEE THAT JACOB LIVED FOR GOD, AND JACOB CHOOSE GOD AND GOD CHOSE JACOB AND WE SEE THAT ESAU REJECTED GOD AND GOD REJECTED ESAU.
IMPORTANT NOTE: LOOK BEFORE THEY WERE BORN OR HAD DONE ANYTHING GOOD OR BAD GOOD ELECTED ONE ABOVE THE OTHERS... (IT WASN’T THAT GOD SAW HOW THEY WOULD LIVE IN THE FUTURE HOW MORE GODLY JACOB LIVED ) YOU SEE IF WE HAD ANY PART IN IT AT ALL? WHO WOULD GET THE GLORY? WE WOULD ...BUT GOD GETS ALL THE GLORY BECAUSE ITS HIS WORK PSALM 115:1. "NOT TO US LORD BE GLORY BUT UNTO YOU BE GLORY". SO WHAT MAKES A PERSON A CHILD OF GOD? IS IT DESCENT? IS IT WORKS? IS IT A HUMAN DECISION?
• JOHN 1:11-12 HE CAME TO HIS OWN, BUT HIS OWN RECEIVED HIM NOT, YET TO ALL WHO RECEIVED HIM , TO THOSE WHO BELIEVED IN HIS NAME HE GAVE RIGHT TO BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD - CHILDREN BORN NOT OF NATURAL DESCENT, NOR OF HUMAN DECISION OR A HUSBANDS WILL, BUT BORN OF GOD.
IN CLOSING: THE CHILDREN OF THE PROMISE ARE ... EPH 1:4 CHOSEN IN HIM BEFORE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD. ARE YOU A CHILD OF PRROMISE? WELL YOU WILL CONFIRM HIS CHOOSING OF YOU,WHETHER YOU BELIEVE IN HIS NAME!
AMEN
