Romans: Mercy and Mystery

Romans 9:14-29

The sovereignty of God has been one of the most debated doctrines throughout church history. It was a concern even during the early days of the church, and it remains a topic of discussion today. Is God’s sovereign work fair? Why does he hold people responsible? Is God just in his sovereignty? How do we accept something we find so difficult to understand? 

These are the issues Paul addresses in Romans 9:1-11:36. 

After explaining the power of the gospel (Rom. 1:1-17), the problem of sin (Rom. 1:18-3:20), the plan of salvation (Rom. 3:21-5:21), and the process of sanctification (Rom. 6:1-8:39), the apostle turned to God's sovereignty in his letter to the Romans. Paul has stated that God chose us in eternity past and will safely bring us to heaven to live with him forever (Rom. 8:30). This statement raised several questions. 

To demonstrate that God's sovereignty was not a new concept, Paul provided two examples from the Old Testament, which we have already discussed. The stories of Ishmael and Isaac, and Esau and Jacob, show that our relationship with God depends not on what we do but on God’s work in our lives (Rom. 9:6-13). This caused some people to ask, “Is God fair?”

Romans 9:14-15
What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means!  For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. 

To the question, “Is there injustice on God’s part?” Paul responds with the strongest Greek negative, me genoito, “By no means!” Then Paul quoted from a conversation Moses had with God. Here’s the context. 

As Moses led God’s people, he requested, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here” (Ex. 33:15 NIV). To confirm, Moses asked to see God’s presence (Ex. 33:18). God doesn't reveal his glory in such an intimate way to everyone, but in this case, he did for Moses. He explained this special situation by saying, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion” (Exodus 33:19 NIV). Paul clarifies that Moses was not manipulating God, because the decision wasn't based on “human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” Whatever God does is rooted in his character of mercy and compassion. Therefore, his actions are always just and fair. 

Romans 9:17-18
For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. 

First, let’s be clear that Pharaoh was not a godly man. He was a brutal dictator overseeing the cruel abuse and oppression of Israel. A pharaoh before him (maybe even the pharaoh in Exodus) ordered that all Israelite male babies be killed (Ex. 1:16). Second, on two occasions, Pharaoh hardened his own heart (Ex. 8:15, 32). Third, as the plagues continued, he ignored God’s warnings. 

While we see that Pharaoh acted according to his own desires, it is also true that God raised Pharaoh to leadership to demonstrate God’s sovereign power, “that [his] name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” And the word certainly did get out! Forty years later, Rahab recalled the event. God’s actions with Pharaoh made those in Jericho tremble when Israel prepared to conquer them (Josh. 2:9-11).

This also raises a concern: if God “has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills,” then how can he hold humanity responsible? 

Romans 9:19-20
You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?”

Paul asks, (my paraphrase), “Who are we, mere mortals, to question the holy, eternal Creator of all things?” This reminds me of God’s response to Job. He never explained to Job why he was being tested or why he had to endure suffering. God replied to Job’s questioning with, “Dress for action like a man; I will question you... Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding” (Job 38:3-4).

Paul continues to emphasize the truth of God’s sovereignty by using the example of a potter. The potter has the right to shape the clay into a beautiful vase or a simple cooking utensil (Rom. 9:21). Paul then follows with this probing question, which serves as a statement. 

Romans 9:22-24
What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—  even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? 

God does not act arbitrarily. Like a potter shaping clay, there is sovereign design and purpose in everything he does. Paul asks, "Why are you accusing God of being unfair? All he does is for you!” God desires to “make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory." Essentially, Paul tells the readers, “You are accusing God of being unfair while all the time he is working on every believer’s behalf!” 

To support the truths he has presented, Paul concludes this section with quotes from the Old Testament. His quotations from Hosea 2:23 and 1:9-10 demonstrate that God’s sovereign purpose was always to accept Gentiles into his family: “They will be called ‘sons of the living God’” (Rom. 9:26). 

The second quotation is from Isaiah 10:22-23 and 1:9. Paul uses this to assure the Jews that God will not let his people be destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah (Rom. 9:29). He will always preserve a Jewish “remnant, chosen by grace” (Rom. 11:5). 

God’s sovereign work, as Paul lays it out in this section, can be hard for us to grasp. It all boils down to this: Can you accept that God is in control over all and works according to his eternal purpose, yet at the same time, still holds people responsible for their actions?  

Theologian J. I. Packer calls this tension of God’s sovereignty and humanity’s responsibility an “antinomy”—two truths side-by-side, seeming irreconcilable, yet both undeniable. Here’s what Packer says:  

What should one do, then, with an antinomy? Accept it for what it is, and learn to live with it. Refuse to regard the apparent inconsistency as real; put down the semblance of contradiction to the deficiency of your own understanding; think of the two principles as not rival alternatives but, in some way that at present you do not grasp, complementary to each other.[1]

There is much more to consider regarding God’s sovereign work. We’ll stop here today.  

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD 
Time in the Word: Read and reflect on Romans 9:14-29. Thank God that he works his divine purposes for your good.

Talking to God: How can you live humbly before a sovereign God while still taking responsibility for your actions? Think about how sovereignty and responsibility coexist in your walk with Christ.

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