Romans 9 : Esau and Pharoah and Election

First The Text In Question:

(vs 29 :" Lord of Sabaoth" = Lord of Hosts; lit : Lord of the Armies of Israel)

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Romans 9 : 9-33

9  For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.

10  And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;

11  (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)

12  It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.

13  As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

14  What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.

15  For he saith to Moses,

I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy,

and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

16  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.

17  For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh,

Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee,

and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

18  Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

19  Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?

20  Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

21  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

22  What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:

23  And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

24  Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

25  As he saith also in Hosea,

I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.

26  And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.

27  Isaiah also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:

28  For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.

29  And as Isaiah said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodom, and been made like unto Gomorrah.

30  What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.

31  But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.

32  Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;

33  As it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stumblingstone and rock of offense: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

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The above text has been used by some in an attempt to prove that God elects or chooses people to send to hell. This could not be farther from the truth.

a) With regards to Esau, we have in Genesis the prophesy:

Gen 25:23  And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

 

This has nothing to do with individual salvation, but rather with the nation Israel and what the line of descent would be. God was going to bring the nation of Israel about through Jacob and not Esau. Esau's salvation depended on whether he accepted or rejected God - NOT whether God choose him to damnation.

b) With regard to Pharaoh we need to read the following verse from Exodus:

Exo 8:15  But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

Thus, Pharaoh first hardened his own heart!! He continually rejected God and thus God (after having great patience!) further hardened his heart. All God really had to do was let Pharaoh be Pharaoh!

A good scripture we could use here :

2Thess 2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

12  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

c) Verses 22-24 : Once again, God has not made a predetermined list where he chooses those who go either to heaven or hell. God wants ALL to be saved:

Rev 22:17  And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

John 6:37  All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

1Tim 2:3  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior;

4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

5  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

6  Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

Vessels of wrath :  God DID NOT fit them for destruction - the text does NOT say He did. They did it to themselves. One can get a sense of what is being said by reading :

1Thess 2:15  Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men:

16  Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins always: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.

 

d) Regarding Israel : They also condemned themselves and do not attain righteousness because (vs 32) :" they sought it not by faith." One of many scriptures that could be given here (with regard to Israel)

Mat 13:15  For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

In summary, I close with one verse :

2Thess 2:14  Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We ARE CALLED, but by THE GOSPEL !