III. DISPENSATIONAL (JUDICIAL RIGHTEOUSNESS)--9:1-11:36 (Part I)
A. God's Past Dealings with Israel--9: 1-33
1. Israel defined--vv. 1-5
a. The reaction of the apostle--vv.
1-3
(I) Introductory
matters
(A)
Chapter 9 is a natural outcome of chapters 1-8.
(1) Paul has been preaching in chaps. 1-8 that God is now blessing
all nations through the Gospel, i. e.,
that every human, apart from any distinction
as to whether he is a Jew or not, can come under the
blessing of God by simple faith in the
finished work of Christ.
(2) God was dealing with Israel alone, on the basis of the
Law through the rite of circumcision.
(3) The problem then is "How to reconcile the 'no distinction
between Jew and Greek' message that Paul
is here preaching, with God's former manner of
speech to Israel." (Newell, 352)
(4) Chapter 9-11, therefore, answers the question: "What
is the position of the Jews?"
(B)
Three major points in chaps.9-11
(1) Israel's failing rests with herself.
(2) Rejection is not complete, for some are being saved.
(3) Rejection is not final , as a nation, for all yet are to
be saved.
(II) Paul's
reaction.
(A)
An affirmation
(1) Speaks the truth as a Christian--one who is in Christ (NOTE:
"It is not an oath, 'by Christ.'"--
Alford, 403; italics are his.)
(2) His conscience bears him witness of the fact that
he speaks the truth.
(3) His conscience is one that is informed and enlightened by
the Holy Spirit.
(B)
A really emotional desire
(1) Inward sadness
(2) Mental pain
(C)
A very strong wish
(1) imperfect tense
(a) Not a historical reference to his days as
a Pharisee
(b) IDEA: "I was wishing , had it been
possible."
(c) The imperfect has the meaning of an
act unfinished due to an intervening obstacle.
(2) Accursed
(a) Greek: anathema
((I)) More than exclusion
or excommunication
((II)) Devoted to perdition
(b) From Christ
((I)) "cut off and separated
from Him for ever in eternal perdition"--Alford, 403
((II)) Thus, Paul was wishing--if
it were possible, which it wasn't--to be blotted out of the
Lamb's
Book of
Life.
(c) Cf. Moses--Exodus. 32:32f.
(3) In behalf of my brethren
(a) To make sure that no one misconstrues his
meaning he adds: "My kinsmen according to the
flesh."
(b) If possible he was willing to give
up his eternal salvation that the Jews might be saved.
(c) What love is displayed here.
(d) NOTE: These same brethren are the ones
that often stirred up people against Paul's efforts, and
they were the ones who were
trying to kill Paul because of the Gospel.
b. The Definition of Israel by the
Apostle--vv. 4, 5
(I) T'he adoption--v.
4a
(A)
Who are Israelites?
(1) This was a name of honor.
(2) Cf.
(a) John 1:47
(b) 2 Corinthians 11:22
(c) Philippians 3:5
(B)
Divine national adoption
(1) Exodus 4: 22
(2) Deuteronomy 7:6; 14:1
(3) Amos 3:2
(C)
Israel is God's elect nation.
(1) Newell, 357--"Let the nations, British, Americans, French,
Germans, or whatever they be, lay this to
heart before it is too late! For as to
God's election of Israel as His chosen nation, it is absolute and
eternal."
(2) Cf. Isaiah 66:22
(3) Newell, 357ff. (footnote)--"The envy of other races
and nations towards God's elect Israel has always
existed. But there is a mild phase and a virulent phase or this Gentile
sin-disease that should be noted:
First, the mild phase: this is Anglo-Israelism,
the teaching that the Anglo-Saxons, especially Britain
and America . . . are the 'lost ten tribes' who,
carried away East across Euphrates in God's judgment,
-- turned East into West and landed at the British
Isles! No; British and Americans are lost, but
they are not the Ten Tribes!
"Second, the virulent phase of this jealousy
and envy towards elect national Israel appears in
'anti-Semitism,' or anti-Jewism; and has lately
been carried to new depths or pagan infamy by Hitler in
Germany [one may add by Communists; note: this
work was copyrighted 1950]. For this phase of
Gentile envy rejects Scripture.
"Now all hatred of national Israel arises
from rebellion against Divine sovereign election. We know
that Israel has failed God: but God declares
He will not fail them finally, whereas the hate of modern
Gentiles (wiser than God--for are they not the
‘moderns'?) would seek to crush Israel and exalt
Gentiledom [I might add that this applies to
Arabs and also to amillennialists]. Of course, it will end
in the Antichrist, but the Lord Jesus will end
him, and all Gentile boasting, at 'the forthshining of His
arrival.'" (Italics are his.)
(II) The glory--v.
4b
(A)
The Shekinah Glory--"We all know how God's presence accompanied Israel as
a pillar or cloud by day
and of fire by night through the sea and through the
wilderness, and then filled the tabernacle! No other
nation has had or will have God's presence thus."--Newell, 358
(B)
Cf. 2 Chronicles 5:13, 14
(C)
Used of Jesus--John 1:14
(III) The covenants--v.
4c
(A)
NOTE: covenants, not covenant
(B)
Mosaic covenant excluded in view of the next item in the list
(C)
NOTE: THE COVENANTS HAVE TO DO WITH ISRAEL.
(1) Newell, 358--"With 'covenants' Gentiles have absolutely
nothing actively to do."
(2) This verse plainly states that the covenants are Israel's.
(3) Ephesians. 2:11,12
(a) Shows that Gentiles have not received any
such covenants nor do they enjoy covenant
relationships with God
(b) Also shows that Israel does enjoy such a
covenant relationship
(4) Reformed theology (held by Reformed and Presbyterian churches)
do not take into consideration
these truths (largely due to allegorizing) and,
therefore, are amillennial or at best very hazy on
eschatology.
(IV) The giving of
the Law--v. 4d
(A)
Custodianship of the Law
(B)
The Israelites were the writers of the Scripture (Dr. Luke may be an
exception, but even he may have
been a Jew by conversion rather than by birth).
(C)
No other nation has been spoken directly to by Almighty God except to be
warned, and then through
an Israelite.
(1) Moses to Egypt
(2) Jonah to Ninevah
(3) Written messages are given in the Scriptures to Israel
concerning other nations.
(V) The Service--v.
4e
(A)
Sanctuary-service
(1) Not "of God" as in Authorized Version say some.
(2) The Greek word is latreia which simply means
service.
(3) That the service of the tabernacle is in view is fairly
obvious, but that service was the service "of
God."
(B)
Had a God-given religion
(C)
Reference to the priesthood
(D)
"refers to those religious ordinances prescribed to Israel by God in connection
with the tabernacle-
worship, and afterwards the temple-worship."--Newell, 359
(E)
This service is to be resumed in the Millennium according to Ezekiel 40ff.
( Service will be memorial
rather than prophetic and/or sacrificial.)
(F)
NOTE: (Newell, 359, 360)--"Such outward form-worship belongs to the
nation of Israel, and not to
Christianity. To introduce it into christianity is to
return to paganism." One might add it is a form of
judiazing. "For Paul plainly classifies the forms and
ceremonies of Judaism as now belonging with 'the
weak and beggarly religious principles' which heathen Gentiles
engage in!"
(VI) The promises--v.
4f
(A)
Messianic--particularly those of the patriarchs in view of the
next clause
(B)
These promises belonged to Abraham and his seed, not to us; for 'No promises
were made to Gentile
nations as such." (NOTE: "The gospel now proclaimed is
not a promise, but the announcement of a fact
to be believed; and it is not preached to nations as such, but
to individuals--good news to sinners
everywhere."--Newell, 360)
(C)
Thus, these promises belong to the nation Israel and to no other nation.
(D)
Likewise, one must contradict the song: "Every promise in the Book
is mine." It might be said that by
way of application this could be true.
(VII) The fathers--v.
5a
(A)
Probably limited to
(1) Abraham
(2) Isaac
(3) Jacob
(B)
Could refer also to Jacob's sons, particularly Joseph, and Judah the royal
line
(C)
"Our hearts," says Newell--360, " include Moses, Samuel, David, and the prophets
when we think of
Israel and remember 'the fathers.'"
(VIII) The Messiah--v.
5b, c
(A)
His Humanity--v. 5b
(1) Never forget that Jesus was a Jew according to the flesh.
(2) Robertson, 381--"Paul limits the descent of Jesus
from the Jews to his human side as he did in 1:3f."
(3) Cf.
(a) Romans 1:3--Seed of David
(b) John 1: 14--Word became flesh
(c) Hebrews 2: 16--took on the seed of
Abraham
(d) Matthew 1:1--Genealogy
(4) He is over all
(a) NOTE: "Now this is an astonishing honor
to Israel--infinitely outranking all others: our Lord,
'The Mighty God' . . . is,
'according to the flesh an Israelite!" (Newell, 361)
(b) Cf.
((I)) 1 Corinthians 15:27
((II)) John 1:1, 3
((III)) Colossians 1:16,
17
((IV)) Hebrews 1:2, 3
(B)
His Deity--5c
(1) A clear statement of the deity of Jesus Christ
our Lord
(2) This passage, naturally, has been attacked; ("Such attacks
have risen from hearts of unbelief not from
faith in God's revelation of the Jesus
Christ."--source unknown)
(a) Argument centers around punctuation
((I)) Is the comma to be
retained as per Authorized Version? Then the deity of Jesus Christ
is
clearly
taught.
((II)) Should the punctuation
after "flesh" be a colon or a period. Then the deity of Jesus
Christ is
not clearly
taught, but neither is it clearly denied.
(b) The Historical argument
((I)) The early Church generally
rendered the verse as in Authorized Version proving the deity of
Jesus
Christ.
((II)) The first different
interpretation is an assertion by Emperor Julian of Rome(356 A. D. and an
apostate)
((III)) Two manuscripts of
the 12 century has the period after "flesh."
(c) The arguments against the period after
"flesh"
((I)) Without exception with
ascriptions of blessing, the Hebrew and the Greek places the word
"blessed"
(eulogetos) before the word "God"; here as in the original, it is
after.
((II)) The word "who" would
be unnecessary (NOTE: There is a switch in the word "who" from
plural to
singular in the original.)
((III)) There is no reason
here for a doxology to God.
((A)) Paul
was not in the habit of breaking out in irrelevant bursts of
praise.
((B)) Nothing
is in the context requiring one.
((C)) The
survey of Israel's privileges would not prompt it in view of his
sadness and sorrow
over their lost condition.
((D)) Neither
would the incarnation excite such praise particularly in view of the
phrase,
"according to the flesh."
((IV)) The phrase, "blessed
forever" is used twice by Paul and each time it is definitely not an
ascription
of praise.
((A)) Romans
1: 25
((B)) 2
Corinthians 11:31
((V))The same phrase and
same construction in the Greek occurs in 2 Corinthians 11:31 and
there it
definitely refers to the subject of the sentence.
(d) Alford's conclusion (page 406)--". . . no
conjecture arising from doctrinal difficulty is ever to be
admitted in the face of
the consensus of mss. and versions. The rendering given above
[i. e., in
most mss. and as rendered
in the Authorized Version] is then not only that most agreeable to the
usage of the Apostle, but
the only one admissible by the rules of grammar and arrangement.
[Italics are his.] It
also admirably suits the context: for, having enumerated the historic
advantages
of the
Jewish people, he concludes by stating one which ranks far higher than all,--that
from them
sprung, according to the
flesh, He who is God -over all, blessed forever."
2. Israel identified--vv. 6-13
a. The false--vv .6-8
(I) General
statements
(A)
Natural seed not necessarily heirs of salvation
(B)
Promises have not failed, the Jews have.
(C)
Verse 6 answers the Amillennialist who says that God will not fulfill His
word to the nation Israel.
(D)
Verse 8 answers the modernistic notion of the Fatherhood of God
and the brotherhood of man.
(E)
The sovereignty of God is again in view here.
(II) God's word has
not failed--v. 6.
(A)
Refering to the great promise made to Abraham by God, and then in turn to
Isaac and Jacob
(B)
Paul is saying, "But I do not mean that God's word has been broken."
(C)
The question here is not the impossibility of God's word being broken,
however true that may be; but
rather it is a matter of the fact that it has not been
broken.
(D)
Not all that are of Israel are really Israelites.
(1) True in the physical sense
(2) True also in a spiritual sense to the extent that they are
Israelites in God's eyes.
(III) Physical descent
from Abraham does not make one a child of the promise--vv. 7, 8
(A)
Cf. Genesis 17:19-21--background
(B)
Quotation from Genesis 21:12
(C)
"This is Divine sovereign action." (Newell, 363)
(D)
Other references
(1) John 8:37-40
(2) Galatians 3:7
(E)
The explanation of v. 8 follows in v. 9.
b. The true--vv. 9-13
(I) In Isaac shall
thy seed be--Gen. 21:12.
(II) The children
of the promise are reckoned for a seed.
(III) Verse 9--"Read
the connection there carefully. Isaac, the coming child, did not believe
the promise in order
to
be born! But, God promised Isaac to Abraham, and kept His promise by
a miracle. When Isaac was
born,
therefore, he was a child of promise,--a promised child, in God's sovereign
will."--Newell, 363
(IV) The elder shall
serve the younger.
(V) Physical descent
is worthless.
(A)
One mother
(B)
one father
(C)
Twins
(1) One chosen
(2) One hated
(VI) God's sovereign
purpose is the answer.
(A)
A strong argument for some aspects of Calvinism
(B)
Election not based on works (past, present, or future ones)
(C)
Election based on the sovereign purpose of God Himself as the One who
calls.
(D)
Someone said to Spurgeon that they could not understand why God should say
He hated Esau. To this
Spurgeon replied, "That is not my difficulty. My trouble
is to understand how God could love Jacob!"
(Quoted in Newell, 364)
(E)
Remember these men had their future planned while they were yet in the womb,
"not having done
anything good or bad."
(F)
The word "hate"
(1) New Testament usage is somewhat less severe than our
usage.
(2) God hated Esau in the sense of a decisive rejection
of one who had rival claim to His purpose.
3. Choice of Israel in the sovereign purpose of
God-vv. 14-24
a. The first question raised--vv. 14-18
(I) The question--v.
14
(A)
A question Godward
(B)
Is God unrighteous?
(C)
NOTE: The phrase, "What shall we say then?" anticipates a difficulty or
objection.
(D)
The question is raised because of the previous idea that God "chooses
as He will, without any
reference to previous desert."(Alford, 408)
(II) The answer--vv.
14-18
(A)
Far be the thought! --the standard answer to these rhetorical questions
(B)
Recall the circumstances under which God spoke these words to Moses--Ex.
32:10ff.; Ex. 33:12ff.
(C)
DARBY: "Here the apostle shows Israel from their own history that they
must leave God to His
sovereignty or else they must lose their promise; and
then that in the exercise of this sovereignty He
will let in the Gentiles, as well as the Jews. If, says
Paul, you Israelites will take your promises by
descent, we will just see what comes of it. You
say , we be Abraham's seed, and have a right to the
promises by descent; for these Gentiles are but dogs, and have
no right to share with us in God's promises.
Well if God
has His sovereignty [and He does], He will in grace let in these Gentile
dogs! But now I will
prove to you that you cannot
take the promises by descent. In the first place, 'They are not all
Israel
which are of Israel'; yet if it is by descent you
must take in all Abraham's seed. And if you take in
Abraham's children, then you must take in Ishmael-- those Arabians!
Oh no, say they, we cannot allow
that; what! Ishmaelites in the congregation of Israel,
and heirs of promise? Yes, if by descent! You
must take it by grace; and if it is by grace,
God will not confine this grace to you, but will exercise it
toward the Gentiles. But now, to go further down in
your history , you have Jacob and Esau; and if you
go by descent, you must let in the Edomites by the same title
as yourselves. But in verses 5 and 9, it says,
'the children of the promise are counted for the seed';
so that it must rest on Isaac and Jacob, and Ishmael
and Esau remain outside: therefore your mouth must now
be closed as to descent, for your mouth is
bound up by God's saying, 'Jacob have I loved, but Esau
have I hated.' He has chosen, according to His
sovereign title, to bless you, and on that alone your blessing
depends; as your own history shows, and your
own prophetic testimony proves. You cannot rest it on
a mere title by descent. But further, see how their
(the Jews') mouth is stopped; for when did God say , 'I will
have mercy on whom I will have mercy'?
When every Israelite had lost all title to everything
God had to give, then God retreated, if I may use
the expression, into His own sovereignty, that He might
not cut them off." (Quoted in Newell, 366, 267,
footnote; it is uncertain whether the italics are Darby's
or Newell's.)
(D)
First conclusion--v. 16
(1) A hard verse
(2) "Perhaps no statement of all Scripture so completely
brings man to an utter end. Man thinks he can
'will' and 'decide' Godward, and that after he
has so 'decided' and 'willed,’ he has the ability to 'run,'
or, as he says, to 'hold out.'" (Newell, 367)
(3) God's mercy is traced to God Himself.
(a) There is here the repeated emphasis on God's
sovereignty.
(b) Though national rejection of the Jews
is in view, this sovereignty extends to every exercise of His
mercy. (NOTE: Alford,
409--"It is in part of Scripture like this, that we must be
especially
careful not to fall short
of what is written: not to allow of any compromise
of the plain and
awful words of God's
Spirit , for the sake of a caution which He Himself does not teach
us."--Italics are his.)
(E)
Recalls the case of Pharoah--v. 17
(1) Exodus 9:16 quoted
(2) God's severity is in view, i. e., His wrath.
(a) In accord with other Scripture--cf. John
3:36
(b) God's wrath sets forth His purpose.
(3) Pharoah raised up (caused to appear ) at this particular
time
(a) To show forth God's power and name
(b) God even uses the unsaved to set forth His
glory.
(F)
The second conclusion--v. 18
(1) emphasises God's sovereign choice
(2) Has mercy on whom He will
(3) Hardens whom He will
(a) The Scriptural testimony
((I)) God knew Pharoah's
heart.
((A))Exodus
3:19
((B))Exodus
4:21
((II)) Pharoah hardened his
own heart.
((A)) Exodus
7:13, 14
((B)) Exodus
9:7
((III)) God's retributive
justice
((A)) Exodus
9:12
((B)) Romans.
1:24, 26, 28
(b) Belongs to God as Governor of the
universe
((I)) Alford, 409, 410 (Italics
are his.)--"Whatever difficulty there lies in this assertion, that God
hardenth
whom He will, lies also in the daily course of His providence,
in which we see
this harden
process going on in the case of the prosperous ungodly man. The
fact is patent,
whether declared
by revelation or read in history; but to the solution of it, and its
reconciliation
with the equally
certain fact of human responsibility, we shall never attain in this
imperfect state,
however we
may strive to do so by subtle refinements and distinctions.”
((II)) Newell, 369--"God
had a perfect right to allow Pharaoh to remain (Where we all would
have remained
apart from Divine sovereign mercy!), in a disobedient. God-defying
attitude:
'Who is Jehovah
that I should obey Him?' Pharaoh fulfilled the Divine counsels."
((III)) Newell, 369--"What
God's Word tells us as to His dealing with Pharaoh, explains 'He
hardenth.'
But nothing else than a subject heart of faith will enter, with reverent
footstep, into
the twice
repeated words, 'Whom He will,' here. And we say boldly, that a believer's
heart is
not fully
yielded to God until it accepts without question, and without demanding
softening, this
eighteenth
verse."
b. The second question raised--vv. 19-24
(I) The question--v.
19
(A)
A question manward
(B)
Why does He find fault?
(1) This question is one that applies to all mankind and is
likely to be asked by anyone.
(2) The question implies "a certain irritation on the part of
the objector." (Alford, 410)
(3) The word fault
(a) Stronger than blame
(b) Seen also in the next question
(4) Who has resisted His will?
(a) A very cagey question
(b) He is saying, "If it be His will to
harden the sinner, and the sinner goes on in His sin, He does not
resist but goes with the
will of God."
(II) The answer--vv.
20-24
(A)
The Apostle Paul does not answer the question directly , but deals with the
heart attitude that produced
it.
(B)
The first reply implies that man has "neither right nor power, to call God
to account in this manner."
(Alford, 410)
(C)
The opening phrase of the reply-vv. 20a
(1) Can be rendered. "O man, yes! but rather,--you, who are
you, replying against God?" (Newell, 370)
(2) The words yea, rather "take the ground from under
the previous assertion and supersede it by
another." (Alford, 410)
(3) These words are a rebuke with severity.
(4) Stifler's statement is good-- "He who replies against God
must mean that it is God's hardening that
deprives a soul of salvation; that if
God did not interpose with an election and take some and leave
others to be hardened, all men would have at
least an equal opportunity of salvation. This is false.
If
God did not elect, none would be saved, for there
is 'none that seeketh after God' (Romans 3:11).
And, men are not lost because they are hardened;
they are hardened because they are lost; they are
lost because they are sinners.
"God is not responsible for sin. He is
under no obligation to save any one. Obligation and
sovereignty cannot both be predicated of God.
If He saves any one it is a sovereign act of mercy."
(Quoted in Newell, 371)
(D)
The illustration of the potter--vv. 20b, 21
(1) The answer to the question lies in relation of man
to his Creator.
(2) Cf. Isaiah 45:9; 29:16
(3) Newell, 371--"In the Scriptures, those who meet God, fall
into the dust. 'I am but dust and ashes,'
said Abraham. And Job: 'Mine eye
seeth Thee, and I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.'"
(4) Cf.
(a) Jeremiah 18:3-6
(b) Isaiah 40:15, 17
(c) Genesis 2:7; 3:19
(5) NOTE: "God has rights high above all our poor
comprehension. We know that God will always act
righteously. We are not God's judges!
God has a right 'from the same lump of human clay to make
one part a vessel unto honor, another unto dishonor.'
No godly person challenges that right. Nay,
godly people most reverently bow to it!"--Newell,
372. This so true, for it is those who are REALLY
unbelieving that question God's right as
Creator.
(E)
Vessels of wrath--v. 22
(1) Fitted for destruction
(a) NOTE: Does not say that God fitted
them
(b) NOTE: Newell, 373
(footnote)--"Nevertheless, we must let certain Scriptures lie just as they
are,
whether or not they consort
with our conceptions, or whether we find ourselves able to 'reconcile'
them with our 'theological
system' or not."
((I)) Psalm 58:3
((II)) Proverbs 16:4
((III)) Ezekiel 3:20
((IV)) Ezekiel 20:24, 25
((V)) I Peter 2:8
((VI)) NOTE: "However,
even in these passages, solemnly terrible as they are, we must separate
God's action
from man's responsibility. God is not the author of evil; He
tempteth no man; 'He
would have
all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.'"--Newell,
374
(footnote)
(c) The verb fitted
((I)) Perfect passive
participle
((A)) Perfect
passive denotes an action antecedent to the main verb.
((B)) Passive
implies a source outside of oneself.
((II)) Does not lead to the
conclusion that God so fitted them
(d) Cf. Romans 2:4, 5
(2) The longsuffering of God
(a) God exhibited towards them long-suffering.
(b) Cf. 2 Peter 3:9, 15
(c) Because of this long-suffering of
God towards them, they are justly punished.
(3) Destruction
(a) Endless perdition
((I)) Matthew 7:13
((II)) 2 Thessalonians 2:3
(b) Exhibits God's holy wrath against sin.
(4) The context may imply that he is talking about nations.
However, individuals may also fall into this
category. (NOTE: If individuals are
in view, these who are fitted for destruction still have free-will,
for God also exhibits toward them His longsuffering
to lead them to repentance.)
(a) Romans 2:4
(b) 2 Peter 3:9
(F)
Vessels of mercy--v.23, 24
(1) Praise God that some are such, for apart from God's mercy,
we would all be vessels of wrath.
(2) God is still the God of love.
(a) Ezekiel 33:11
(b) Micah 7:18
(c) Christ wept over Jerusalem--Luke 13: 34 ,
35
(d) Sorrow over Judas Iscariot--John 13:21
(e) Lament over the fall of Lucifer--cf.
Ezekiel 28:11ff.
(3) Chosen for glory
(a) Note that such are prepared aforetime
(b) Cf. Romans 5:2
(c) Riches of His glory is based on His
being rich in mercy--Ephesians 2:4-7.
(4) Notice the change in verbs here.
(a) Fitted for destruction
(b) But prepared for glory
(c) This should silence any voice about God's
electing any to perdition.
(5) Newell, 376--"How constant, in Paul's consciousness, the
owing all to God's sovereign grace."
"Surely no one can miss, in this apostle, the
supreme consciousness that he is God's--not by his choice,
but God's own choice,--an eternally settled thing,
uncaused by Paul! All believers will have the same
consciousness, when they find, (as Paul found),
along with their Divine election, that there is in them,
in their flesh, 'no good thing'!"
(6) This mercy is to Gentiles as well as Jews.
4. Choice of Gentiles in the Scriptural prophecies
of God--vv. 25-33
a. The dual statement--vv. 25-29
(I) Vessels of
mercy among the Gentiles--vv. 25, 26
(A)
Hosea 2:23
(1) Newell refers this verse to believing Israelites.
(2) Alford and Robertson say that it is applicable to
Gentiles.
(3) Furthermore Peter alludes to this passage in Hosea in 1
Peter 2:9, 10
(4) In both places it is not certain that the writer is talking
to Jews, rather these verses here in Romans
are certainly to Gentiles.
(5) Paul does not affirm that Hosea 2:23 is fulfilled in the
Gentile, but rather that the Scripture teaches
that God does "receive as His people, those who
were formerly not His people."
(B)
Hosea 1:10
(1) This passage as quoted in v. 26 explains the statement of
v. 25.
(2) This is the day of grace and consequently both Jew
and Gentile by faith in Jesus Christ are "Sons of
the Living God."
(3) Thus, to make v. 26 here refer to the Gentiles, and v. 25
refer to the Jews is not valid.
(4) Cf. Galatians 4:1-7
(5) The phrase: "That in the place where it was said to them"
has no locality in view, but rather is a
general statement.
(II) Majority of
Israel are vessels of wrath--vv. 27-29
(A)
Quotes Isaiah 10:22, 23
(1) Paul says in effect, "Isaiah cries in anguish over the outlook
for Israel, but sees hope for the
remnant."--Robertson, 385
(2) Part of Isaiah 28:22 is also quoted here.
(3) Destruction is determined.
(4) The word work is actually the Greek word logos
which is almost universally rendered "word."
(a) The KJV has it as work as does Calvin
and others.
(b) This unusual rendering of logos
may well be due to the prophetic nature of the passage.
(5) Paul is saying in effect, God will yet swiftly accomplish
His word in righteousness.
(B)
Then he quotes Isaiah 1:9.
(1) Another proof that a remnant of Israel will
be saved
(2) By God's sovereign goodness, Israelites in the past were
saved.
(3) Apart from God's sovereignty we would all be as Sodom and
Gomorrah.
(4) Newell, 380--"Thus it becomes plain (for Israel is but a
sample of the human race) that opposition to
the truth of Divine elective mercy arises
from ignorance of or blindness to the utter sinfulness and
wholly lost state, of mankind. All
would go to perdition unless God in mercy intervened!"
b. The reason--vv. 30-33 (transition to
Chapter 10)
(I) Man's
responsibility--vv. 30, 31
(A)
An inferred truth--Paul makes an inference that the Gentiles who followed
not after righteousness have
obtain righteousness by faith.
(B)
Israel who pursued a law
(1) Not the Law of Moses as such
(2) But a law which should give righteousness
(3) They had the Law of Moses as guide lines.
(4) But they did not even arrive at that Law, i.
e., they fell short even of the Mosaic Law.
(II) The reason
stated--vv. 32, 33
(A)
The quotations
(1) Isaiah 8:14
(2) Isaiah 28:16
(B)
Sought righteousness by works, not by faith
(1) They hoped to obtain righteousness by their self-efforts.
(2) Cf.
(a) Romans 3:28
(b) Galatians 3:10-14 (Verses 1-9 are also
good.)
(c) Ephesians 2:8, 9
(d) Titus 3:5
(C)
Therefore, Israel stumbled at Christ.
(1) Christ is the stumbling stone to the unbelieving.
(a) 1 Corinthians 1:21-24
(b) 1 Peter 2:8
(2) Newell, 382--"When Christ came, saying, 'Transfer your trust
from yourselves to Me! Moses gave
you the Law, but none of you keepeth the
Law':--they turned in fury and slew the Righteous One!"
(3) Christ was the Rock of offence.
(a) To all their false claims of
righteousness
(b) To the leaders of Israel by exposing
their sin
(c) To the hopes of an immediate, carnal,
earthly kingdom
(d) To the whole nation by overthrowing its whole
superstructure and foundation of works
(4) Stumble
(a) Not accidental stumbling
(b) An irritation--annoyed at a thing
(5) The appeal to Scripture
(a) Paul ends this chapter with an appeal to
Scripture.
((I)) Isaiah 8:14
((II)) Isaiah 28:16
(b) We need to simply do as Newell (385) says,
"Teach the words of Scripture and let it go at
that." (Italics are
his.)