INTRODUCTION TO ROMANS 9 Distinguishing between Israel and Israel, or the Elect of God among them, and those that Were Not.

[Alan Dale Gross]

"INTRODUCTION TO ROMANS 9."

"The Apostle having discoursed of Justification and Sanctification, and of the privileges of Justified and Sanctified ones, proceeds to treat of Predestination, the Source and Spring of all the Blessings of Grace; and to observe how this Distinguishing Act of God's Sovereign Will has taken place, both among Jews and Gentiles; in treating of which, he knew he should go contrary to the sense of his countrymen the Jews, who have a notion that all Israel shall have a part in, or Inherit the World to come: and that the Gentiles will be for ever miserable;

"and nothing was more disagreeable to the Jews, than to talk of their Rejection of God, and the Calling of the Gentiles; wherefore that it might be manifest, that it was not out of pique and ill will to them, that the Apostle said the things hereafter related;

"Paul expresses the most cordial affection to them imaginable, and which he introduces in
("I say the Truth in Christ, I lie not,
my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost"; Romans 9:1),

"by way of appeal to Christ, who knew the Truth of what he was about to say, and who could, together with the Spirit of God and his own conscience, testify for him that it was no lie: the thing he appeals for the Truth of, is in ( "That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart." Romans 9:2),
that the salvation of the Jews lay near his heart; that it was no pleasure to him to think or speak of their Rejection, but was what gave him continual pain and uneasiness:

"and his great desire for their good is expressed in a very strong and uncommon manner,
("For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren,
my kinsmen according to the Flesh:" Romans 9:3),

"the reasons of it are partly the relation they stood in to him, being his brethren and kinsmen; and partly the many privileges they had been Favored with of God; an enumeration of which is given,
("Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the Adoption, and the Glory, and the Covenants,
and the giving of the Law, and the service of God, and the Promises;

5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the Flesh Christ Came,
Who is over all, God Blessed for ever. Amen." Romans 9:4,5),

"and foreseeing an objection, he prevents it, which might be made, that if the Jews were Cast Off, the Promise of God to that people that he would be their God, would become void, and the preaching the Gospel of Christ to them of No Effect; to which he answers by distinguishing between Israel and Israel, or the Elect of God among them, and those that were not; wherefore though the latter were rejected according to the Purpose of God, the Promise and Preaching of the Word had their effect in the former,
("Not as though the Word of God hath taken None Effect.
For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:" Romans 9:6),

"and that there was such a distinction, he proves from the two sons of Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael, who were both Abraham's seed; yet one was a child of Promise, and the other a child of the Flesh, and were emblematical of the children of the Promise, and the children of the Flesh among that people;
("Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children:
but, In Isaac shall thy seed be Called.

8; "That is, They which are the children of the Flesh, these are not the children of God:
but the children of the Promise are Counted for the seed.

9; "For this is the Word of Promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.

10; "And not only this;
but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;" Romans 9:7-10),

"and further confirms this by the instance of Jacob and Esau, who were born of the same parents, and were twins; and yet one was in the Favor of God, and the other Not; and that this was Owing not to works, but to the Sovereign Will of God in Election, he proves by observing that this was before Good or Evil were done by either of them, ("For the children being not yet born, neither having done any Good or Evil,
that the Purpose of God according to Election might Stand,
not of works, but of Him that Calleth;)"; Romans 9:11),

"and that this was notified to Rebekah before,
("It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger." Romans 9:12),

as appears from a passage in Genesis;
("And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb,
and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels;
and the one people shall be stronger than the other people;
and the elder shall serve the younger." Genesis 25:23),

"and by another passage in Malachi;
("I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us?
Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I Loved Jacob,

3; "And I Hated Esau, and laid his mountains
and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness." Malachi 1:2,3),

"which is cited,
("As it is Written, Jacob have I Loved, but Esau have I Hated." Romans 9:13),

"then an objection is started,
("What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid." Romans 9:14),

"that if God Loves one, and Hates another, both being in equal circumstances, as Jacob and Esau were, He must be guilty of unrighteousness; which Paul answers and removes, first by a detestation of such a charge against God, and then by producing testimonies out of the books of Moses, proving both Election and Reprobation, as being not of the works of men, but of the Will of God; the former of these he proves,
("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." Romans 9:15),

"from Exodus 33:19; ("And He said, 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 Shew Mercy on whom I Will Shew Mercy." Exodus 33:19),

"by which it appears, that the Choice of men to Salvation is not according to the will of man, but according to the Grace and Love of God,
("So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth,
but of God that sheweth Mercy." Romans 9:16),

Con't

 

[Alan Dale Gross]

"the latter he proves by the case of Pharaoh,
("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." Romans 9:17),

"and the Scripture relating to that,
("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." Exodus 9:16),

"and from both Testimonies concludes,
("Therefore hath He Mercy on whom He Will have Mercy,
and whom He Will He Hardeneth." Romans 9:18),

"that God's having Mercy on one, and Hardening another, are according to His Sovereign Will and Pleasure;

"then another objection rises, up, if so, God has no reason to find fault with men that are Hardened in sin, since they are according to His Will, and in sinning just fulfil it, and which no man resists; and this objection is formed in a very pert and sneering manner, and insinuates that God is cruel and acts unreasonably, ("Thou wilt say then unto me,
Why doth he yet find fault?
For who hath resisted his will?" Romans 9:19),

"to which Paul answers, by putting the objector in mind that he was a man, a mere Creature that started it, and that it was God against Whom it was made; and by observing the folly and madness of replying against God, and the absurdity of such a procedure, taken from the consideration of the one being a Creature, and the other the Creator,
("Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God?
Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it,
Why hast thou made me thus?" Romans 9:20)

"and by instancing in the case of the Potter, Who has Power over His clay, to Form it in what Shape, and for what Use He Pleases, ("Hath not the Potter Power over the clay,
of the same lump to make one Vessel unto Honour, and another unto Dishonor?" Romans 9:21)

"and accommodates this, both to the affair of Election and Reprobation, and to the business of Reprobation first, ("What if God, Willing to Shew His Wrath, and to Make His Power Known, endured with much Longsuffering the Vessels of Wrath fitted to destruction:" Romans 9:22)

"where Paul observes the End of God in Reprobation to Show Forth His Power and Wrath, and describes the subjects of Reprobation, which clears Him from injustice, and points at the Patience of God towards them, which frees Him from the charge of cruelty,
(What if God, Willing to Shew His Wrath, and to Make His Power Known,
endured with much Longsuffering the Vessels of Wrath fitted to destruction: Romans 9:22)

"and then proceeds to apply the metaphor before used, to the objects of Election styled Vessels of Mercy, and the End of the Lord to Manifest the Riches of His Glory in the Elect, and the Method He takes to Bring them to Eternal Happiness, by Preparing them for Eternal Happiness by Grace,
("And that He might Make Known the Riches of His Glory on the Vessels of Mercy,
which He had afore Prepared unto Glory", Romans 9:23),

"which is Done in the Effectual Calling, the objects of which are both Jews and Gentiles,
(Even us, whom He hath Called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?" Romans 9:24)

"That it is the Will of God that the Gentiles should be Called, Paul proves,
("As He saith also in Osee, I Will Call them My people, which were not My people;
and her Beloved, which was not Beloved.

26 "And it shall come to pass,
that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people;
there shall they be called the children of the Living God." Romans 9:25,26)

"from some passages in Hosea, ("And I Will Sow her unto me in the Earth;
and I Will have Mercy upon her that had not obtained Mercy;
and I Will say to them which were not My people, Thou art My people;
and they shall say, Thou art my God".....

"Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea,
which cannot be measured nor numbered;
and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them,
Ye are not My people, there it shall be said unto them,
Ye are the sons of the Living God." Hosea 2:23 1:10)

"and that God had Chosen, and so would Call some among the Jews, he clearly makes appear,
("Esaias also crieth concerning Israel,
Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea,
a Remnant shall be saved:

28; "For He Will Finish the Work, and Cut it Short in Righteousness:
because a Short Work Will the Lord Make upon the Earth.

29; "And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had Left us a seed,
we had been as Sodoma, and been Made like unto Gomorrha."
Romans 9:27-29)

"from some Prophecies of Isaiah,
(For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea,
yet a Remnant of them shall Return:
the consumption Decreed shall overflow with Righteousness.

23 "For the Lord GOD of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined,
in the midst of all the land."..."Hear the Word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom;
give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah." Isaiah 10:22,23 1:10)

"and then he concludes the Chapter by observing the Free and Distinguishing Grace of God, in the Calling of the Gentiles, and the Justification of them by the Righteousness of Christ; that such who were far off from the Righteousness of Christ, and sought not after it, should enjoy the Righteousness of Christ,
("What shall we say then?
That the Gentiles, which followed not after Righteousness, have attained to Righteousness,
even the Righteousness which is of Faith." Romans 9:30)

"when the Israelites, who were diligent and zealous in seeking after a righteousness to justify them before God, yet did not arrive to one, ("But Israel, which followed after the Law of Righteousness,
hath not attained to the Law of Righteousness." Romans 9:31)

"the reasons of which are given, ("Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith,
but as it were by the works of the Law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;" Romans 9:32)

"because it was not the Righteousness of Faith, or the Righteousness of Christ Received by Faith they sought; but a legal one, and by works which can never be attained by sinful men: they sought after a wrong righteousness, and in a wrong way, because they stumbled at Christ, and rejected him and his righteousness;

"and this removes an objection which is suggested in the two preceding verses, that God is unrighteous in calling the Gentiles, who never sought after righteousness, and in rejecting the Jews that followed after one: and that they did stumble at Christ and His Righteousness, is no other than what was foretold in Isaiah 8:14;
("And He shall be for a Sanctuary; but for a Stone of Stumbling and for a Rock of Offence
to both the Houses of Israel, for a Gin and for a Snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem." Isaiah 8:14),

"and that whoever believes in Christ, whether Jew or Gentile, shall be saved, he suggests is a Doctrine agreeably to ("Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold,
I Lay in Zion for a Foundation a Stone, a Tried Stone, a Precious Corner Stone, a Sure Foundation:
he that believeth shall not make haste." Isaiah 28:16)

"which passages are referred to, ("As it is Written,
Behold, I Lay in Sion a Stumblingstone and Rock of Offence:
and whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed." Romans 9:33).