WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday August 14, 2016
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GOD’S SELECTION OF ISRAEL
(Living under GOD’s mercy)
(Romans 9)
Here in
Romans chapter 9, the Apostle Paul lays the foundation that will support his
argument, that, post-CHRIST Israel consists not just of the Jewish descendants
of Abraham, but rather, of both Jews and Gentiles, who together, form the
chosen covenant community of GOD.
In this passage, Paul speaks of Israel
while making a distinction between being a “descendant of Abraham”, and being a
member of “the Covenant Community of GOD”. Here Paul seeks to show that the
covenant community of GOD has always been composed, not of Abraham’s “natural”
children, but rather, of his “spiritual off-springs” who share Abraham’s strong
faith. It is those who believe GOD’s promise about HIS SON, CHRIST JESUS, who,
share in the Covenant promise, not those who share Abraham’s physical genes.
In verses 6-13, Paul shows how GOD made
promises to Abraham, and then chose who HE wanted to inherit those promises.
Though both Ishmael and Isaac were Abraham’s natural sons, only Isaac would
inherit the promise. GOD chose Isaac to inherit the promise, even though both
boys were Abraham’s son. And even when Isaac grew up and married Rebecca, and
she gave birth to twins, before either child was born, GOD had already chose
Jacob over Esau to inherit the promise.
In GOD’s Word, we see set forth, on the one
hand, HIS sovereignty over all things. On the other hand, however, we see that
GOD has given to man, the freedom to choose the way that he wants to go in
life. And out of that privilege of “freedom to choose”, man automatically inherits
the responsibility to “make right and GODly choices” before the LORD. Abraham
chose to be faithful to GOD, and GOD, chose to bless Abraham and “the
inheritors of his faith” with the Covenant promise.
GOD also makes HIS OWN choices freely and
sovereignly, and HIS decisions are not bound by our understanding, and nor are
they bound by our lack of understanding. GOD is clearly subject to no one’s
will, but HIS OWN, and, unless GOD chooses to be merciful to us, none of us
could be saved from sin and death (permanent separation from GOD).
And so we see that, GOD, WHO is the Potter,
or, Creator of all things made, both, freely makes HIS OWN choices, and, HE
gives man to ability and authority to do the same, to a lesser degree (Romans
9:20-21). GOD has every right to select who HE sees fit, for what HE sees fit,
when HE sees fit. And HE will always exercise HIS judgment and power, even to
be patient with those who are the object of HIS judgment, and, are only fit for
destruction (Romans 9:22).
GOD also has the right to pour out the
riches of HIS glory on those who are the object of HIS mercy (Romans 9:23). Who
receives GOD’s promise is not up to us, and we can’t receive it by doing good
works. GOD will show mercy to anyone HE chooses, even to an ungodly person if
HE sees fit. Remember when GOD told the ungodly Pharaoh of Egypt that, “I have
appointed you for the very purpose of displaying MY power in you, and so that
MY fame will spread throughout the earth”.
And so we see, GOD, shows mercy to some
just because HE wants to, and HE chooses to make some people who display a huge
amount of stubborn pride, like the Pharaoh, and who HE knows will refuse to
listen, to play a role in HIS plans for others. And this does not mean that GOD
is responsible for our sinful condition. Those who are “prepared for
destruction” have already chosen to do evil. And despite the fact that their
evil deeds cry out for judgment, GOD remains patient with them, giving them
every opportunity to change for the better. GOD always uses HIS sovereign
power, by choosing to go the route of “love”, “patience”, and “grace”.
If a man’s
heart goes out in love and submission to JESUS, then JESUS represents for that
man, salvation. But if a man’s heart is entirely unmoved or angrily rebellious,
JESUS represents for that man, condemnation”. In Romans 9, verses 30-33, the
Apostle Paul once again hits his readers with the, now familiar, rhetorical
question, “What then shall we say?”
Here, Paul draws a stunningly vivid
contrast between the Jewish way, and the Gentile way, of viewing GOD. The Jews
set out to try and earn their way to Heaven through deeds, and, by trying to
follow the letter of the Law, while the newly admitted Gentiles in the church,
tended to seek GOD the correct way, which is of course, by faith.
When we try to earn our way to heaven the
way the Jews sought to do, we are, in effect, attempting to put GOD into our
debts. But man, because of his imperfections, can never satisfy the letter of
the Law. He can never walk “according to the light of GOD”, but rather, he can
only seek to walk “in the light of CHRIST”. And even that can’t be done without
his or her obedience to the power of the HOLY SPIRIT in them, to guide and
counsel them in the right direction.
We can never stack up enough brownie
points, that GOD will owe us salvation in return for our good deeds. Salvation
is the gift that keeps on giving through faith, and it cannot be purchased by
money, or, by deeds. JESUS CHRIST never did conform to the Jews’ expectations
from HIM, and as a result, they rejected HIM rather than to respond to HIM by
faith. They ultimately delivered HIM into the hands of Pilate, and in order to
save himself from his own, self-imposed, troubled career, Pilate was compelled,
to sentence CHRIST to death.
Driven by their hatred for JESUS, the
Jewish leaders lost all sense of proportion, and they totally forgot about the
mercy, that they themselves had so often preached about in the temple every
Sabbath. In fact, they forgot all about justice, and in the end, as it is
recorded in John 19:15, they denounced GOD, and professed Caesar as their king.
And to show how GOD had anticipated this
kind of action from HIS “chosen people”, Paul reminds them of a couple of
contrasting quotes from the prophet Isaiah, some 750 years earlier (Isaiah 8:14
& 28:16), in verse 33. Here, we are forced to accept one great eternal
truth about CHRIST JESUS. HE was sent into this world to be both a SAVIOR of men,
and, the living human example by which all men are judged.
A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander
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