Most people, when first exposed to the doctrine of election, think that's. not.  fair. We may agree that God is sovereign, but election, we think, just goes too far. Whenever we encounter a Scripture that is contrary to our present understanding, we often resort to an improper hermeneutic. When examining any Scripture, we must first understand what it says and then what it means. Too often we expect the text to describe our emotional experience. We interpret Scripture using the lens of our emotions or personal experiences instead of humbly listening to what the Spirit of God is saying to us.  The purpose of the written language of Scripture is to give us a picture of who God is. Scripture describes a sovereign God, who through His mercy granted salvation to some and not others. 

As we have seen in this series of sermons, Paul raises four rhetorical questions in this chapter. 

1. Has God’s Word Failed? (vv. 6-13)

2. Is God unjust? (vv. 14-18)

3. Why does God still find fault? (vv. 19-29)

4. How do we reconcile unbelief? (vv. 30-33)

Today, we examine the second question: Is God unjust? Paul raised this question, anticipating that his readers would react by questioning God’s justice, so he begins his argument by citing other Old Testament Scriptures that would cause them to further question God’s justice. Paul does not ignore these objections but faces them head-on. Paul wants his readers to understand that God is sovereign over all His creation. Scripture tells us that God created everything, and God is telling us, through Paul, how He governs His creation, how His is choosing a people for Himself.

1. Has God’s Word Failed? (vv. 6-13)

In verse 14, Paul abandons all human reasoning and philosophies, and unapologetically states the facts. Paul told them that they had to repent of their sin and believe in their Messiah. The Jews hated Paul for this because they had developed an elaborate set of laws based on their heritage, and Paul was a threat to their system. However, Paul’s teaching was not new. God’s Word hadn’t failed, and election hadn’t failed; the Jews just didn’t understand election properly.

The Jews were God’s people, chosen to declare the truth of God to a sinful world. However, the message that they proclaimed was that they were the elect because of their birthright and their obedience to the law. Gentiles could be incorporated into Jewish society, but only as second-class citizens. They could participate in the temple worship but could not go beyond the Court of Gentiles. Gentiles could never be a part of God’s elect because of their heritage. Paul challenges the Jews by saying that election is not by birth. God’s Word has not failed regarding Israel, for not all Israel is Israel, not all the descendants of Abraham are Israel. There is ethnic Israel and there is spiritual Israel, the Israel of God. Paul states that election is not based on birthright. Rebecca was told “The older will serve the younger.” Before Jacob and Esau were born, and had done anything either good or bad, in order that God’s purpose in election might continue, He chose Jacob and rejected Esau (v. 12).

Paul also explains that the elect are not chosen based on behavior. God did not call Jacob because of his outstanding character, for Jacob’s name means deceiver, and that is what he was – until God changed his character and changed his name to Israel. God continues to prove that He is the One who elects, who calls people unto Himself. From a human point of view, if we consider how differently God treated Jacob and Esau, we are tempted to ask…

II. Is God unjust? (vv. 14-18)

The normal human reaction to God choosing Isaac over Ishmael or choosing Jacob over Esau is God isn’t fair. It seems that God is acting arbitrarily in choosing one person even before he has the opportunity to either accept or reject God. A person might question God’s justice with a humble heart, desiring to know Him better, and this is appropriate. However, Paul is addressing the person who implies that God is not dealing with His creation in a morally acceptable way. Paul is essentially saying no, no, no, no, God is not unjust! He is righteous and holy is all He does.  Paul’s answer to this question will become clear as we consider how God dealt with Moses and with Pharaoh. 

• Moses (vv. 15-16)

In Deuteronomy 32:4 Moses declared that God is faithful, just and upright. These words were written by a man whose sin had prevented him from entering the Promised Land. Moses praised God as being fully just. Paul is saying that the people were approaching the issue of God’s justice from the wrong perspective. Paul will address the idea of God’s justice to Pharaoh, but he begins with Moses. In Romans 9:15, Paul quotes Exodus 33:19, “For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’" Because of the Golden Calf, God threatened to destroy Israel and rebuild a nation through Moses (Exodus 32:10). But Moses interceded for Israel and God relented (Exodus 32:30); however, God punished Israel by sending a plague on them (Exodus 32:35).

God would have been perfectly just if he had destroyed everyone, but He chose to kill only 3,000 of them. At this point Moses was apprehensive about leading Israel to the Promised Land, probably wondering if God might destroy all of them, himself included, the next time they sinned. God had threatened to not go with the people (Exodus 33:3), but Moses pleaded with God and He relented (Exodus 33:14). Moses sought assurance of God’s continuing presence, so he asked to see God’s glory, a request which God granted (Exodus 33:18ff). Even though Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land, God showed great mercy to him, going with him and allowing him to see His glory. Great mercy is shown to believers today in forgiving our sin and allowing us to get a glimpse of His glory through the Holy Scriptures.

In Romans 9:15, it is clear that God is sovereign, for four times in this verse God says “I” – “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." God is essentially saying, I will deal with My creation as I see fit. I will choose to whom I show mercy. This verse begins, “For He says to Moses…” This is present tense, and we should understand it as applying to us today. God is teaching us how He operates with His world. In this verse, Paul uses two words, mercy and compassion, similar but with a slightly different nuance. Mercy is identified with graciousness, with a desire to relieve suffering, have pity on, a desire to be kind. Mercy is God choosing to not punish deserved sin. Compassion is a feeling produced by the suffering we see and recognize that there is something we should do. Combining the two means that when we have feelings of compassion, mercy leads us to put the feelings into action.

Paul’s point is that if we begin with compassion or emotion, we end up with the wrong argument. Humanity looks at God’s actions and then questions whether God is just? The proper question is not is God just, but why does God show mercy. Paul will use Moses to explain this mystery. If God showed only justice, we would all be destroyed. Romans 9:15-16, “For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” Salvation never had its origin in man’s will; it is always by God’s grace. Both Ishmael and Esau, descendants of Abraham, desired God’s mercy but did not receive it.

If salvation is strictly of God, what is the role of faith? Hebrews 11:20-21 states, “By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau. 21 By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff.” These men had faith while Esau did not, as demonstrated by his immoral lifestyle (Hebrews 12:16). Where does faith come from? It is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8), from Jesus, the founder and perfector of faith (Hebrews 12:2); for the sake of Christ, we are granted faith to believe (Philippians 1:29). Acts 3:16 says that faith is through the name of Jesus. Faith is a gift, when exercised, confirms our effectual calling and this brings our election into reality. We only will to believe when God changes our hearts and makes us a new creation.

• Pharaoh (vv. 17-18)

Returning to the question of God’s justice, we saw in the case of Moses, that God showed mercy to people who did not deserve mercy. God is sovereign and He overpowered Moses’ own will, so that he would lead His people to freedom. In God’s dealing with Pharaoh, we see what happens when God exercises only His justice. In Romans 9:17-18 we see that God raised up Pharaoh to demonstrate His power. God has raised up many people and left them in their sin to accomplish His divine purposes: Ex. Nathan rebuked David (2 Samuel 12:11) and the Chaldeans disciplined Judah (Habakkuk 1:6). People of the world trembled at the power of God, because they had seen how He had led His people through the Red Sea, and how He had defeated powerful armies. Rahab trembled, knowing that God had given her people into the hands of the Jews (Joshua 2:9-10a).

Paul concludes his argument that God is not unjust by stating: “So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.” (Verse 18) This is “a rock of offense” for many people (Romans 9:33). They hate a god who would do that. Two things happened here: Pharaoh hardened his heart and God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, but God’s hardening came first. Exodus 4:21 explains that God told Moses, even before he went to Pharaoh, that He would harden Pharaoh’s heart.  Did God cause Pharaoh to sin? No, that was his natural inclination. God did not tempt Pharaoh, for God tempts no one (James 1:13). Any overcoming of evil requires an act of God, otherwise men persist in evil.

Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones said: “God did not create the evil in Pharaoh’s heart or put it there, but He aggravated it for His own purposes.” Similarly, the Law aggravated Paul in that knowledge of the Law caused him to covet more. God is just in judging sin, even sin in a believer. In 1 Corinthians 5:5 Paul told the church to deliver a “man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.” First Corinthians 11:30 warns that taking the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner can lead to illness and even death.

The real question is, why should God ever show mercy to anyone; for all are sinners. Why would He bless the Israelites? Why would He create the church? God chose to have mercy on some, combining the natural and the supernatural, creating a people to proclaim His name. What is our response when we understand God’s purpose? We believe. But if we don’t believe, John 8:24 says we will die in our sins and John 3:18 says whoever does not believe is condemned already. God’s grace is shown to the humble (James 4:6); those who confess their sins are forgiven and cleansed (1 John 1:9).  God never turns away anyone who comes to Him with a humble heart. God is too loving, too just, and too wise to ever unjustly condemn anyone, especially his own creation. Election is a humbling doctrine; there is no room for pride. 

Selah:

1. What was your reaction when you first heard the doctrine of election?

2. What is your response to Ben’s statement: “We only will to believe when God changes our will?”

3. Do we have free will?