"What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid." Romans 9v14-18
Paul assumes this question might arise from what he has said in verses 9-13. There Paul noted that God MAKES CHOICES in the accomplishment of His purposes, that He has the right to choose, that He did choose, and His choice was vindicated because what He predicted actually happened. This choice of Isaac over Ishmael did not preclude the sons of Ishmael from divine blessing; His choice of Jacob over Esau did not preclude the sons of Esau from similar blessing; just as it did not mean that the choice of Jacob would mean divine blessing on every son and daughter of Jacob, but simply formed the lineage through which God would bring salvation to the entire world.
Contrary to the idea that God is unrighteous or unfair in any way, the apostle Paul refers to two incidents in history. The first is in verses 15-16 and refers to the nation of Israel; the second refers to Pharaoh the ruler of Egypt in connection with the nation of Israel and the details are in verses 17-18. These two illustrations serve to remove any idea of the supposed unrighteousness of God.
The first illustration takes us back to the book of Exodus chapters 32-33. There the greater part of the nation rebelled against God, supported by Aaron, demanding that they go back to Egypt and insulting God's redemption of them. God could righteously have annihilated the nation there and then, for their rebellion, just as he could annihilate all of us today for our rebellion right now for our failure to honour Him. Indeed, He suggested to Moses that He would do just that and make of him a great nation. ( Exodus 32v9-10 ) Instead He chose to be merciful saying to Moses in Exodus 33 v 19 "I will make all my goodness pass before thee and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy." Instead of banishing them, which they deserved, he gave them the opposite of what they deserved. The prophet Jeremiah wrote in Lamentations 3v22 " It is of His mercies that we are not consumed." Mercy is God's PREROGATIVE; it comes straight from the heart of God; it is not a right of man, it is wholly the prerogative of a merciful God: and so God's sovereignty in choosing to bless undeserving man, comes only from Himself, and not from any other source, so the apostle concludes it is "not of him that wills, but of God that shows mercy."
The second example is Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Pharaoh was in this position only by the favourable disposition of God; this is true of all world leaders including up to the present time; " The most high rules in the kingdoms of men and sets up over them whomsoever He will." At this time Egypt is under a serious of plagues due to their refusal to obey the Lord. God, through Pharaoh, would demonstrate His power to Egypt, to Israel, and to the whole world that no-one opposes the Lord and wins. After nine plagues, a nine-fold demonstration of the power of God, which devastated the nation, Pharaoh still would not yield. What happened was that Pharaoh incurred a divine hardening. there are nine references to the Lord hardening Pharaoh heart; Exodus 4v21; 7v3;9v12;10v1;10v20;10v27;11v10;14v4;14v8. There are also nine occurrences of Pharaoh hardening his heart against the Lord. Exodus 7v13; 7v14;7v22;8v15;8v19;8v32;9v7;9v34;9v35. Let all beware today that as we harden our heart against God, so God may harden us, making it more difficult for us to obey Him. A similar teaching is found in Romans chapter 1, where three times over it says, that when men abandon God, God abandons them.
The lesson is clear, there is no unrighteousness with God, He simply pays people back what is their due. Close your mind to God continually, turn away from God to your own ways, harden your heart against God and He will harden yours. God will never bless those who don't want to acknowledge Him; God will never impose Himself on those who don't want Him; but to those who turn to Him He will be merciful.
GOD IS PERFECTLY JUST IN SHOWING MERCY TO THE PENITENT, AND JUDGING THE IMPENITENT.
Contrary to the idea that God is unrighteous or unfair in any way, the apostle Paul refers to two incidents in history. The first is in verses 15-16 and refers to the nation of Israel; the second refers to Pharaoh the ruler of Egypt in connection with the nation of Israel and the details are in verses 17-18. These two illustrations serve to remove any idea of the supposed unrighteousness of God.
The first illustration takes us back to the book of Exodus chapters 32-33. There the greater part of the nation rebelled against God, supported by Aaron, demanding that they go back to Egypt and insulting God's redemption of them. God could righteously have annihilated the nation there and then, for their rebellion, just as he could annihilate all of us today for our rebellion right now for our failure to honour Him. Indeed, He suggested to Moses that He would do just that and make of him a great nation. ( Exodus 32v9-10 ) Instead He chose to be merciful saying to Moses in Exodus 33 v 19 "I will make all my goodness pass before thee and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy." Instead of banishing them, which they deserved, he gave them the opposite of what they deserved. The prophet Jeremiah wrote in Lamentations 3v22 " It is of His mercies that we are not consumed." Mercy is God's PREROGATIVE; it comes straight from the heart of God; it is not a right of man, it is wholly the prerogative of a merciful God: and so God's sovereignty in choosing to bless undeserving man, comes only from Himself, and not from any other source, so the apostle concludes it is "not of him that wills, but of God that shows mercy."
The second example is Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Pharaoh was in this position only by the favourable disposition of God; this is true of all world leaders including up to the present time; " The most high rules in the kingdoms of men and sets up over them whomsoever He will." At this time Egypt is under a serious of plagues due to their refusal to obey the Lord. God, through Pharaoh, would demonstrate His power to Egypt, to Israel, and to the whole world that no-one opposes the Lord and wins. After nine plagues, a nine-fold demonstration of the power of God, which devastated the nation, Pharaoh still would not yield. What happened was that Pharaoh incurred a divine hardening. there are nine references to the Lord hardening Pharaoh heart; Exodus 4v21; 7v3;9v12;10v1;10v20;10v27;11v10;14v4;14v8. There are also nine occurrences of Pharaoh hardening his heart against the Lord. Exodus 7v13; 7v14;7v22;8v15;8v19;8v32;9v7;9v34;9v35. Let all beware today that as we harden our heart against God, so God may harden us, making it more difficult for us to obey Him. A similar teaching is found in Romans chapter 1, where three times over it says, that when men abandon God, God abandons them.
The lesson is clear, there is no unrighteousness with God, He simply pays people back what is their due. Close your mind to God continually, turn away from God to your own ways, harden your heart against God and He will harden yours. God will never bless those who don't want to acknowledge Him; God will never impose Himself on those who don't want Him; but to those who turn to Him He will be merciful.
GOD IS PERFECTLY JUST IN SHOWING MERCY TO THE PENITENT, AND JUDGING THE IMPENITENT.
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