Paul is really asking, “What more can be said about God’s right to do what, in His perfect wisdom, is best for mankind and His creation?” Having already pointed to the national history within the sacred texts, Paul adds further support to God’s right to pick favorites among His children by referring to the prophetic writings of scripture.
Knowing the natural reaction people give toward favoritism, Paul asked the question, “Is God unjust?” (v.14b) He answered with a resounding, “Not at all!” (v.14c), then he continued his lesson in systematic theology by resurrecting God’s conversation with Moses:
“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” (v.15; Exodus 33:19)
A person can do nothing on his/her own merit to achieve right standing with God, whether it be through one’s intentions or effort. It is entirely dependent on God’s mercy (v.16). Continuing with his historical reference on how God works, Paul cited Exodus 9:16, where God directed Moses to tell Pharaoh:
“I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” (v.17)
To us, God’s ways may not make sense. Paul asserted God’s right to rule by referring to the Exodus 33 passage: “Therefore, God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.” (v.18) The passage refers to Pharaoh’s heart hardening toward God until God Himself hardened it by halting further chances for redemption. The same warmth from the sun’s light which melts the snow also hardens the ground, leading to a barren desert. God is God, He rightfully rules and reigns without equal… He gives and takes away.
Paul was making a distinction between the faith of those who are the children of the promise and those who profess to be God’s children through one’s ancestry. Paul anticipated a possible question from those familiar with the sacred texts: “Then why does God still blame us? For who resists His will?” (v.19) This would have been a typical reaction from the pharisees with whom Paul had learned and worked with all his life. Paul challenged such thinking, referencing both Job and Isaiah:
“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 this way?’ Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?” (vv. 20 – 21).
Paul answered the probable queries with some inspired questions of his own:
“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? 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 – even us, whom He also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?”
This ‘Socratesian” approach to debate is called maieutics, and is used to encourage logical thinking. Paul may have picked it up from Gamaliel, his mentor as a pharisee intern. Paul followed his questions with a quote from Hosea 2:23:
“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.” (v.25)
Paul then cited Hosea 1:10 which depicts God recognizing His people in the very place where it was earlier said they were NOT his people (v.26). Isaiah was the next source Paul cited, which prophesied that though they would be as numerous as sand, only a remnant of Israelites would be saved (v.27).
Now…. I have only tried to retell this portion of the letter for a basic understanding of Paul’s argument for faith being the basis of right standing before God, as opposed to a family history of religious practice. I encourage you to read the passages in their context to get a fuller picture of how God worked and of election. While Paul made it clear that the nation of Israel had experienced many blessings from God’s favor (vv. 4 – 5), he also cited how only a remnant would understand God’s covenant of faith (v.25). It is that remnant, however, that keeps a generation from becoming like Sodom and Gomorrah (v.29) by being salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16).
What then shall we say? Well, we can thank God for His mercies that are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23)! And we can tell of God’s great plan: how He raises rulers up and brings rulers down (Daniel 2:21). We can share the difference made in our hearts and lives because of His redeeming love!
Yes… God works through you and I to be the descendants pointing future generations to faith in Christ Jesus! Our children and grandchildren are not guaranteed admittance to Heaven because of our faith, but they can hear it from our mouths how we first believed and became followers of Christ… so pass it on to them – it’s the biggest blessing you could ever impart to your descendants.
Have a blessed day…
