Romans 9:19-33
The chapter is
about
These verses are written as a response to the illustration of Pharaoh.
9:19
One of you will say
to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?"
9:20
But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to
him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' "
First of all, just like Job, you are not even
qualified to question God.
Isaiah 29:16
Isaiah 45:9
9:21
Does not the
potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for
noble purposes and some for common use?
2 Timothy 2:20-21
Jeremiah 18:6
9:22
What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with
great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?
“Prepared” means to make ready, to prepare. The
Prefect tense emphasizes the state of condition.
Some see this verse as teaching double
predestination. That is where God elects
some to go to heaven and some to eternal damnation.
1.
This verse does say
they were prepared for destruction, but it does not specifically say God
prepared them for destruction. Neither
does scripture.
2.
Scripture teaches that
the object or the creation prepares itself.
Pharaoh prepared himself for
destruction. The vessel in 2 Tim. 2 prepared
itself for noble or ignoble.
3.
Why would God prepare
something for destruction and then have it said that he “bore with great
patience the objects of his wrath?” If
he is waiting patiently he must be waiting for something. If he has predestined them then God’s
patience is just an illusion along with mans’ freewill, God’s justice,
evangelism, his will that all men be saved, and other major Bible Themes. But, you do prove that God is sovereign and
omnipotent.
a.
Romans 2:3, 4, “. . .
.do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness. . . .not realizing that
God’s kindness lead you toward repentance.?
b.
2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord
is not slow in keeping his promises. . .He is patient with you, not wanting
anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
c.
1 Timothy 2:4, “Who
wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
4.
“Prepared” indicates a
process, but it does not have to be a process that God caused. In Romans 1:18-28 we see clearly that it is
man responding to God. Men prepare themselves
for destruction because he continues to deteriorate even though God has made
himself known (Rom. 1:19, 20) and putting it in their conscience (Rm. 1:28;
2:14)
9:23
What if he did this
to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he
prepared in advance for glory—
“Objects of his mercy” are those
who respond to God.
”Whom he prepared in advance for glory”
1) “pro-etoimazw” make up the Greek word
a.
“Pro”
means “before”
b.
“etoimazdo” means “to make
ready, to prepare.”
2)
This refers to the same
principle as 8:29 as “those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed. .
. .those he justified, he also glorified.”
9:24
even us, whom he also
called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?
The ones that God “prepared for
glory” are both the believing Jews and the believing Gentiles.
9:25
As he says in Hosea:
"I will call them 'my people' who are not my people;
and I will call her 'my loved one' who is
not my loved one,"
This is Hosea 2:23.
In context it was spoken to
Here and in First Peter 2:10
this verse includes more than Jews, but also Gentiles.
9:26
and,
"It will happen that in the very place where it was said
to them,
'You are not my people,'
they will be called 'sons of the living God.' "
This is Hosea 1:10
9:27
Isaiah cries out
concerning
"Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by
the sea,
only the remnant will be saved.
9:28
For the Lord will carry out
his sentence on earth with speed and
finality."
This is Isaiah 10:22, 23
Here we see there will be a
sifting of natural
9:29
It is just as Isaiah
said previously:
"Unless the Lord Almighty
had left us descendants,
we would have become like
we would have been like
This is Isaiah1:9
If God had treated
Paul switches subjects here and makes a new point.
This is his sermon to
the Jews that have not believed.
All the terms and phrases of Paul’s gospel are used in this section:
a) gospel (10:15, 16)
b) Salvation or save (10:1, 9, 10, 13)
c) All (10:4, 11, 12, 13)
d) Jew and Greek (10:12)
e) Faith (10:3)
f)
Righteousness
of God (10:3)
Paul will also turn to OT verses
to show the gospel in the
a) Law (10:6-8, 19)
b)
The
Prophets (9:32-33; 10:15-16, 20-21)
c)
The
Writings (10:18)
9:30
”What then shall we say?” indicates a new point or a new step in his argument
in Romans.
Paul begins to use terms like
“righteousness”, “faith”, believe”,
“works”
This topic begins in 9:30 and
goes to the end of the chapter at 10:21.
The theme of this new section is
human response.
This section is giving directions to
It could be considered Paul’s sermon to the Jewish unbelievers.
The use of the words “pursue”
and “obtain” are the picture of a foot race.
9:32
The runners stumble in the foot race over the stumbling stone.
9:33
Combines Isaiah 8:14 and 28:16