Vindicating God (Part 4) Gods Plan, Our Pursuit Series

ROMANS 9:25- 33. VINDICATING GOD (PART 4) GOD’S PLAN OUR PURSUIT...

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN THROWN INTO THE DEEP END OF THE SWIMMING BATHS AS A CHILD, WHEN YOU COULDN’T SWIM? I’VE EXPERIENCED IT......FOR ALL YOUR WORTH YOU TRY AND KEEP YOUR HEAD ABOVE WATER BUT TO NOW AVAIL YOU BEGIN SINKING, SWALLOWING IN WATER, GASPING FOR AIR, YOU CANNOT SAVE YOURSELF THE MORE YOU TRY, THE HARDER IT BECOMES TO STAY AFLOAT, YOU BEGIN SINKING DEEPER UNTIL SOME ONE DIVES IN, RESCUES YOU, YOU ARE BROUGHT TO THE SURFACE, THEN THEY PASS YOU A BUOYANCY AID TO STAY AFLOAT.

THESE LAST FEW WEEKS WE HAVE BEEN THROWN INTO THE DEEP END (GODS SOVEREIGNTY, HIS ELECTIVE PURPOSES ) AT TIMES WE MIGHT HAVE FELT THAT WE ARE SINKING TRYING TO RECONCILE GODS SOVEREIGNTY AND OUR HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY. THE ONLY THING THAT WILL ENABLE US TO STAY AFLOAT IN SUCH DEEP WATERS WILL BE IF WE OURSELVES ARE LIVING BY FAITH, IF YOU ARE WITHOUT FAITH THEN YOUR NEED IS TO PURSUE FAITH. FAITH IS OUR BUOYANCY AID IN THE DEEP THINGS OF GOD. OUR FEET WILL NEVER TOUCH THE BOTTOM OF GODS PURPOSES WE ARE JUST FLOATING UPON THE SURFACE OF THE DEPTHS OF GODS SOVEREIGN PURPOSES ..... ROM: 11 33 OH THE DEPTH OF THE RICHES OF THE WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE OF GOD! HOW UNSEARCHABLE HIS JUDGEMENTS AND HIS PATHS BEYOND TRACING OUT.

AS MATTHEW HENRY SAID, “WHEN WE CANNOT, BY SEARCHING, FIND THE BOTTOM, WE MUST SIT DOWN AT THE BRINK AND ADORE THE DEPTH.”

LIVING BY FAITH, WE SIMPLY TRUST A SOVEREIGN GOD WHO UPHOLDS US BY FAITH. YET WITHOUT FAITH WE WILL DROWN. WE WILL BE MEN AMD WOMEN MOST MISERABLE A BIT LIKE THESE JEWS WHO ARE ARGUING THE TOSS WITH PAUL AND WITH THE GOD HE IS PROCLAIMING......INSTEAD OF SIMPLY TRUSTING IN A GOD WHO IS WAY DEEPER AND BIGGER THAN OUR HUMAN MIND CAN COMPREHEND.

PAUL’S COUNTRYMEN HAVE WANTED ANSWERS AND PAUL HAS VINDICATED GOD.....

• ISRAELIS UNBELIEF DOESN’T BREAK ANY OF GODS PROMISES BUT FULFILS THEM. V6- 13

• THAT ACCUSATION THAT GOD IS UNJUST REFUTED BY SHOWING GOD TO BE MERCIFUL (SALVATION) AND JUST.V14- 18

• WE CANNOT BLAME GOD, BUT NEED TO STAND IN AWE OF GOD GLORY SHOWN . V19 -24

• NOW HE SHOWS HOW GENTILE INCLUSION AND JEWISH UNBELIEF ISN’T INCONSISTENT WITH THE PLAN OF GOD SHOWN THOUGH THE PROPHETS V25 –33. AND OUR HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY IN PURSUING GOD IS MOST IMPORTANT..

VINDICATING GOD PART 4 IS STILL ALL ABOUT GODS ELECTING LOVE, THIS TIME IT FEATURES THE INCLUSION OF GENTILE BELIEVERS V25 -26 AND A REMNANT OF JEWS V27 -29 . HE POINTS AS TWICE BEFORE TO A COUPLET OF SCRIPTURE PASSAGES PREVIOUSLY FROM THE TORAH NOW FROM THE PROPHETS. PAUL POINTS TO HOSEA AND ISAIAH WHO MINISTERED AROUND 750 BC TO THE SOUTHERN AND NORTHERN KINGDOMS.

1. GODS INCLUSIVE PLAN V25 -26.

PAUL IS QUOTING FROM THE PROPHET HOSEA 2:23 READ , WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN A PROPHET SPOKE GODS WORD INTO A SITUATION IT OFTEN HAD A THREEFOLD FULFILMENT FIRSTLY IMMEDIATE HISTORICAL FULFILMENT, INTERMEDIATE AND SPIRITUAL AND THIRDLY AN ETERNAL FULFILMENT.

THE IMMEDIATE (HISTORICAL ISRAEL 8H BC TO THE NORTHERN KINGDOM.

HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO IN A RELATIONSHIP IF YOUR HUSBAND/WIFE WAS CONSISTENTLY UNFAITHFUL? HOW COMMITTED WOULD YOU BE TO THAT RELATIONSHIP? COULD YOU CONTINUE TO FORGIVE, COULD THERE BE RECONCILIATION? WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT GOD HAS BEEN IN THAT TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP HE WAS A HUSBAND TO ISRAEL AND THEY PROSTITUTED THEMSELVES TO IDOLATRY..........

A. THE JEWISH CONNECTION

THE PROPHET HOSEA WAS TOLD BY GOD TO TAKE A WOMAN WHO WOULD BECOME AN ADULTEROUS WIFE 1:2 READ , THIS RELATIONSHIP REPRESENTED THE RELATIONSHIP THAT GOD WAS HAVING WITH ISRAEL AT THE TIME, THE PEOPLE HAD TURNED AWAY FROM GOD THEY HAD PROSTITUTED THEMSELVES TO IDOLATRY TO BAAL AND OTHER GODS. OVER TIME HOSEA AND GOMER HAD CHILDREN WHETHER THEY WERE HIS OR NOT IS DEBATABLE AS SHE PROSTITUTED HERSELF TO OTHERS, BUT ITS THE NAMES WHICH AR E IMPORTANT THAT GOD CALLED HOSEA TO GIVE .......

1:4 . A SON – CALLED JEZREEL - MEANS SCATTERED. 25 YEARS LATER THE NORTHERN KINGDOM OF ISRAEL WAS SCATTERED 722 BC.

1:6 A DAUGHTER - CALLED LO RUHAMAH: MEANS NOT LOVED. BECAUSE HE WILL NO LONGER SHOW LOVE TO THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL

1:9 A BOY- CALLED LO-AMMI . MEANS NOT MY PEOPLE

THESE NAMES HAVE ALL REFERENCE TO GODS RELATIONSHIP WITH ISRAEL - BOTH THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN KINGDOMS WERE SCATTERED – GOD TOOK HIS LOVE AWAY FROM THEM - AND THEY WERE NO LONGER HIS PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY BROKE THEIR PROMISES, THEY WERE UNFAITHFUL. GOD IS DISSOLVING HIS COVENANT WITH THEM, JER 7:23 GODS WARNING CAME TO FRUITION (DEUT 28:15-68).