Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20080210.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Romans: Charter Of Salvation Grace
Part V: God's Plan Of Salvation In View Of His Plans For Jews And Gentiles
A. God's Plan Of Salvation In View Of His Past Interaction With Israel
(Romans 9:1-33)
  1. Introduction
    1. Much misunderstanding exists today on the current and future role of God with the nation Israel: some teach the Church replaces Israel so that there is no future program for the Jew (non-dispensationalists).
    2. Though God is not now working through the nation Israel, by no means are His national promises to her not to be literally fulfilled. Romans 9-11 exposes that program in view of God's overall plan of salvation, and Romans 9:1-33 reveals God's plan of salvation as it relates to His past interaction with Israel:
  2. God's Plan Of Salvation In View Of His Past Interaction With Israel, Romans 9:1-33.
    1. The Apostle Paul, himself a Jew (Philippians 3:5), was so burdened for the salvation of his Hebrew countrymen that he could have wished himself accursed from Christ for their sake, Romans 9:1-3.
    2. Paul noted that Israel in her past possessed many benefits from God: she had been adopted as God's sons in a national sense (Exodus 4:22), she had seen God's glory (Exodus 16:10), received His covenants (Ephesians 2:12) and been given the Mosaic Law, tabernacle and temple service, numerous promises, the Hebrew patriarchs and the Messiah, Romans 9:4-5; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978 ed., ftn. to Rom. 9:4-5.
    3. Nevertheless, not all in the physical nation of Israel were truly saved, for not all were God's elect, a theme Paul introduced in Romans 9:6 and developed extensively in Romans 9:7-29:
      1. Paul noted that not all of the seed of Abraham were God's elect; only the seed of Isaac were chosen to receive God's promises, Rom. 9:7-8. Thus, racial heritage produced nothing of God's blessing, 9:8-9!
      2. Paul added that in the generation after Isaac, God's election selected the younger Jacob over his older brother Esau, meaning one's birth order did not affect his qualification for blessing, Romans 9:10-13.
      3. At this point in his argument, Paul anticipated an objection from his Hebrew readers, the claim that he presented God as unrighteous for not selecting the elder son or both sons of Isaac for His blessings, Romans 9:14a. Paul strongly denied this suggestion, clarifying that God sovereignly had the right as God to show mercy upon whom He sovereignly chose to show mercy, Romans 9:15-16.
      4. Another illustration Paul used is that of Pharaoh, Romans 9:17-18: Paul cited Exodus 9:16 where God revealed He raised up Pharaoh to show His judgment to the world by way of His plagues on Egypt!
      5. Then, Paul noted in Romans 9:18 that God shows mercy to those he chooses, and whom he wills, he hardens (as He hardened Pharaoh, cf. Exodus 4:21) so that He can exhibit His righteous judgment.
      6. [Before concluding the ERRANT view that God destines the lost to be hardened to force unbelievers not to trust in Christ and so go to hell, we note Exodus 3:18-19 that shows before Moses approached Pharaoh, God foreknew he would reject Moses' request to release Israel; the "hardening" came by miracles by Moses and Pharaoh's men to accent Pharaoh's own rejection of God, Exodus 7:8-13 NIV!]
      7. In anticipating the critique that Paul suggested God is responsible for sin in those sinners He hardens, Paul explained that God was right and sovereign in making one vessel unto glory and another one unto dishonor when He had already been longsuffering toward hardened sinners, Romans 9:19-22; if He then chose to arrange for a series of events that would lead them to harden themselves further than they had already hardened themselves, all to reveal His glory unto the just, He could do so, Rom . 9:23-24.
      8. Indeed, Paul noted God's startling contrast of blessing today upon Jews and Gentiles who have trusted in Christ versus hardened Jews who had rejected Him, Romans 9:25-29.
    4. To explain just WHY not ALL in physical Israel were God's ELECT ones, while some Jews and Gentiles are being saved today, Paul noted in Romans 9:30-33 that God's ELECT included ONLY those who seek His righteousness by FAITH in Christ and NOT by the WORKS of the LAW!
Lesson: God's shift in blessing from the NATION Israel to Jewish and Gentile individuals in Christ is based on His SOVEREIGN WILL to CHOOSE those He chooses to BLESS, and that CHOICE is based NOT on human meritorious entities such as race, birth order or works, but on FAITH in CHRIST!

Application: As God CHOOSES to bless BELIEVERS ONLY, MAY WE BELIEVE in His Word!