July 22
Romans 9:17-18, “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. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.”
Paul has been arguing the fact of God’s election, that God chose some out of Israel to be saved, and that He chose some not to be saved (reprobation). Paul proved his point using the case of Abraham, Abraham’s son Isaac (to the exclusion of Ishmael) and Isaac’s son Jacob (to the exclusion of Esau). Paul raised the question: Is God unjust in so operating? Paul’s answer: “God forbid,” (a more up-to-date rendering of that answer would be: “No, No, a million times No”). In Romans 9:15 Paul proved his denial by quoting from the O.T. (the acknowledged authority), “For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion” (Quote from Exodus 33:19). Paul concluded that “it is not of him that willeth [man’s desire], nor of him that runneth [man’s effort], but of God that sheweth mercy” (Romans 9:16).
The salvation of the elect is the positive side of God’s action. Romans 9:17-18 is the negative side of God’s action (reprobation), namely wrath and judgment. Romans 9:15 begins with the word “For:” “For he saith to Moses.” So does verse 17, “For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh.” After the O.T. proof is cited, verse 18 gives a conclusion which is parallel to verse 16; “Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.”
On the one hand, we have God making His mercy known through saving some, like Moses, and on the other hand, God makes His power known by judging others, the example is Pharaoh.
The text takes us back to Exodus. The first six plagues on Egypt had already taken place, and God sends Moses back to Pharaoh to say that the seventh, an even more terrible plague is coming. The first six plagues had been mild, when we compare them to the last four plagues, and not because God was unable to deal more harshly. God could have destroyed Pharaoh and the Egyptians with one plague, at the beginning of the contest, but God spared Pharaoh, so that God’s full range of power might be known. Exodus 9:15-16, “ For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth. And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.”
Boice writes, “That is exactly what happened, of course. With each phase of the king’s resistance, the force of the judgments increased; and with each raising of the ante, God’s power became more visible and his powerful and sovereign name was more widely blazed forth.”
The point is that God raised Pharaoh to his high position of prominence and sustained him in it through the earlier plagues, so God might be glorified in His power. Paul’s point in quoting the text is that God both acts this way, and He is right in so doing.
In studying the doctrine of reprobation, on the one hand, we understand that God’s raising Pharaoh to this position does not mean that God made Pharaoh sin. Pharaoh sinned because he chose to sin, and he resisted God and hardened his heart because it is the nature of sinners to resist God and the nature of sin to harden hearts. But on the other hand, we cannot deny that the text also says that God chose to deal with Pharaoh this way, because He wished to show His power in judgment to the world through Pharaoh. God was under no obligation to save Pharaoh, as He saved the Israelites, and God was not unjust in choosing Pharaoh as the one in whom His justice and power would be known.
Boice summarizes this in three statements: (1) “God is not responsible for the sin of men and women, and He passes by those He has chosen not to save, after the fact of their sin rather than before.” (2) “God retains the freedom to save whom He will and judge whom He will.” (3) “In both cases His name is glorified.”
Ezekiel 28:22, “And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Zidon; and I will be glorified in the midst of thee: and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall have executed judgments in her, and shall be sanctified in her.”
Ezekiel 39:12-13, “And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land. Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord God.”
Isaiah 49:1-3, “Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a Polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”
Adapted from “Romans” by Boice.
In Christ,
Dan Todd
Romans 9:17-18, “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. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.”
Paul has been arguing the fact of God’s election, that God chose some out of Israel to be saved, and that He chose some not to be saved (reprobation). Paul proved his point using the case of Abraham, Abraham’s son Isaac (to the exclusion of Ishmael) and Isaac’s son Jacob (to the exclusion of Esau). Paul raised the question: Is God unjust in so operating? Paul’s answer: “God forbid,” (a more up-to-date rendering of that answer would be: “No, No, a million times No”). In Romans 9:15 Paul proved his denial by quoting from the O.T. (the acknowledged authority), “For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion” (Quote from Exodus 33:19). Paul concluded that “it is not of him that willeth [man’s desire], nor of him that runneth [man’s effort], but of God that sheweth mercy” (Romans 9:16).
The salvation of the elect is the positive side of God’s action. Romans 9:17-18 is the negative side of God’s action (reprobation), namely wrath and judgment. Romans 9:15 begins with the word “For:” “For he saith to Moses.” So does verse 17, “For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh.” After the O.T. proof is cited, verse 18 gives a conclusion which is parallel to verse 16; “Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.”
On the one hand, we have God making His mercy known through saving some, like Moses, and on the other hand, God makes His power known by judging others, the example is Pharaoh.
The text takes us back to Exodus. The first six plagues on Egypt had already taken place, and God sends Moses back to Pharaoh to say that the seventh, an even more terrible plague is coming. The first six plagues had been mild, when we compare them to the last four plagues, and not because God was unable to deal more harshly. God could have destroyed Pharaoh and the Egyptians with one plague, at the beginning of the contest, but God spared Pharaoh, so that God’s full range of power might be known. Exodus 9:15-16, “ For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth. And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.”
Boice writes, “That is exactly what happened, of course. With each phase of the king’s resistance, the force of the judgments increased; and with each raising of the ante, God’s power became more visible and his powerful and sovereign name was more widely blazed forth.”
The point is that God raised Pharaoh to his high position of prominence and sustained him in it through the earlier plagues, so God might be glorified in His power. Paul’s point in quoting the text is that God both acts this way, and He is right in so doing.
In studying the doctrine of reprobation, on the one hand, we understand that God’s raising Pharaoh to this position does not mean that God made Pharaoh sin. Pharaoh sinned because he chose to sin, and he resisted God and hardened his heart because it is the nature of sinners to resist God and the nature of sin to harden hearts. But on the other hand, we cannot deny that the text also says that God chose to deal with Pharaoh this way, because He wished to show His power in judgment to the world through Pharaoh. God was under no obligation to save Pharaoh, as He saved the Israelites, and God was not unjust in choosing Pharaoh as the one in whom His justice and power would be known.
Boice summarizes this in three statements: (1) “God is not responsible for the sin of men and women, and He passes by those He has chosen not to save, after the fact of their sin rather than before.” (2) “God retains the freedom to save whom He will and judge whom He will.” (3) “In both cases His name is glorified.”
Ezekiel 28:22, “And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Zidon; and I will be glorified in the midst of thee: and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall have executed judgments in her, and shall be sanctified in her.”
Ezekiel 39:12-13, “And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land. Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord God.”
Isaiah 49:1-3, “Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a Polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”
Adapted from “Romans” by Boice.
In Christ,
Dan Todd
