Understanding Romans 9: God's Sovereign Choice

Understanding Romans 9: God's Sovereign Choice

The ninth chapter of the Apostle Paul’s Epistle to the Romans stands as one of the most profound and, at times, perplexing passages in all of Scripture. It delves deeply into the mysterious yet undeniable truth of God’s absolute sovereignty, particularly concerning His elective purposes for both Israel and humanity’s salvation. For many, Romans 9 presents a theological challenge, prompting questions about divine justice, human free will, and the nature of God’s promises. However, approaching this chapter with humility and a firm reliance on the Holy Spirit’s illumination reveals not a capricious deity, but a God who is perfectly righteous, unfailingly faithful, and utterly supreme in all His ways. Our aim is to understand that God’s choice, though often beyond our full comprehension, is always just and ultimately for His glory, extending mercy to whom He wills and demonstrating His power as He sees fit. This chapter is not an abstract theological debate, but a crucial component of Paul’s broader argument concerning God’s faithfulness to His covenant people and His gracious plan for all who believe.

The Broader Context of Romans

To properly grasp the weighty truths of Romans 9, it is essential to appreciate its place within Paul’s larger theological treatise. Chapters 1-8 lay the foundational doctrines of human sinfulness, justification by faith alone through Christ, and the glorious assurance of salvation for those in Christ Jesus. Paul meticulously explains that both Jews and Gentiles are under sin (Romans 3:23) and that righteousness comes not by works of the law, but by faith (Romans 3:28). Having established the universality of sin and the singular way of salvation, Paul then confronts a critical question that naturally arises: If salvation is by faith and Israel, as a nation, has largely rejected Christ, has God’s word failed? Has He abandoned His chosen people? Romans 9, 10, and 11 form a cohesive unit addressing this very issue, affirming God’s faithfulness to His promises while simultaneously revealing the depth of His sovereign prerogative.

Paul's Anguish and Israel's Privileges

Paul begins Romans 9 by expressing profound sorrow and anguish for his kinsmen according to the flesh, the Israelites. His grief is so intense that he wishes he could be accursed from Christ for their sake, if it would lead to their salvation. This personal lament underscores the deep love Paul held for his people, despite their unbelief. He then enumerates the extraordinary privileges bestowed upon Israel:

• The adoption: God chose Israel as His son (Exodus 4:22).
• The glory: The visible manifestation of God’s presence among them (e.g., the Shekinah glory in the tabernacle).
• The covenants: God’s solemn agreements with Abraham, Moses, and David.
• The giving of the law: The divine moral and ceremonial codes.
• The service of God: The temple worship and sacrificial system.
• The promises: All the wonderful pledges God made to them.
• The fathers: The revered patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
• And most supremely, from whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came: The Messiah, the very Son of God, was born of their lineage.

These verses establish the undeniable fact that God had lavished His grace and favor upon Israel. Yet, despite these unparalleled advantages, many had stumbled. This sets the stage for Paul to explain how God’s word has not failed, but rather how His sovereign choice operates within His divine plan.

God's Word Has Not Failed: The Principle of Election

Paul quickly asserts that God’s word has not failed, even though many Israelites rejected Christ. He clarifies this by introducing a crucial distinction: "For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel" (Romans 9:6). This means that being a physical descendant of Abraham does not automatically guarantee one is part of the true spiritual Israel, the recipients of God’s saving promises. Paul illustrates this truth through two Old Testament examples:

God's Unquestionable Righteousness and Sovereignty

Understanding God’s sovereign choice naturally leads to a profound question: "Is there unrighteousness with God?" (Romans 9:14). Paul’s emphatic response is "God forbid!" He then defends God’s righteousness by appealing to God’s own declarations in the Old Testament. First, from Exodus 33:19, Paul quotes God’s statement to Moses:

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

Romans 9:15

This verse unequivocally states that mercy is not owed to anyone; it is a sovereign act of God’s free will. Salvation is therefore "not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy" (Romans 9:16). Paul then presents the example of Pharaoh to illustrate God’s sovereign power to harden hearts for His purposes:

For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

Romans 9:17

This shows that God’s hardening of Pharaoh’s heart served to magnify His power and glory. Therefore, Paul concludes, "Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth" (Romans 9:18). This does not imply God is unjust; rather, it highlights His absolute prerogative as the Creator.

Paul anticipates the human objection: "Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?" (Romans 9:19). His response is a powerful rebuke to human arrogance and an affirmation of God’s supreme authority, using the analogy of the potter and the clay:

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

Romans 9:21

God has the right to create vessels for different purposes. Some are vessels of wrath, fitted for destruction, upon whom God endures with much longsuffering. Others are vessels of mercy, which He has afore prepared unto glory. The purpose of this display is to make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy (Romans 9:22, 9:23). This passage is a profound declaration that God’s sovereign purposes, including His judgments and His mercies, are beyond human questioning and are always perfectly just and glorious.

The Broad Scope of God's Call: Jews and Gentiles

Having established God’s sovereign right to choose, Paul reveals the expansive scope of this choice: it is not limited to physical Israel, but includes both Jews and Gentiles. He quotes from the prophet Hosea to demonstrate God’s intention to call a people who were not His people:

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

Romans 9:25

This clearly refers to the Gentiles, who were once alienated from God’s covenants. Paul then quotes Isaiah to show that even within Israel, God’s salvation would come through a remnant, not the entire nation:

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

Romans 9:27

And further:

And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.

Romans 9:29

These prophecies confirm that God’s plan of salvation was always intended to include a chosen people from among the Gentiles, and that His faithfulness to Israel would be demonstrated through a preserved remnant, not through the salvation of every individual Israelite. This demonstrates that God’s sovereign choice transcends ethnic lines and is ultimately about His purpose to gather a people for Himself from all nations.

Israel's Stumbling Block: Righteousness by Works vs. Faith

Paul concludes Romans 9 by explaining why Israel, despite having such privileges and the very law of God, failed to attain righteousness, while the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, found it. The crucial difference lay in the method of pursuit:

What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;

Romans 9:30

Israel sought righteousness through their own efforts and adherence to the law, rather than by humble faith in God’s provision. They failed to recognize that Christ Himself was the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth (Romans 10:4). Paul identifies Christ as the "stumblingstone" and "rock of offence" mentioned in Isaiah (Romans 9:33, referencing Isaiah 8:14 and Isaiah 28:16). Those who believe on Him shall not be ashamed.

This highlights that God’s sovereign choice does not negate human responsibility. While God is sovereign in election, humanity is responsible for its response to Him. Israel’s failure was not because God withheld salvation, but because they refused to embrace it on God’s terms—by faith in Christ.

Conclusion: Adoring God's Sovereign Grace

Romans 9 is a profound declaration of God’s absolute sovereignty in salvation. It teaches us that God’s purposes are not contingent on human will or effort, but flow from His own eternal counsel. Far from portraying a capricious God, this chapter reveals a deity who is:

• Perfectly Just: His choices are always righteous, even when they challenge our limited understanding.
• Unfailingly Faithful: He keeps His promises, even if it means working through a remnant or bringing in unexpected people (Gentiles).
• Supremely Glorious: