Author: Charlie Garrett

Sunday, 1 September 2013

“And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ There they shall be called sons of the living God.” Romans 9:26

Verse 26 is a continuation of Paul’s citing of Hosea. He turns from chapter 2, back to chapter 1 and cites verse 10. This is, as was noted yesterday, speaking to Israel about Israel. This select group of people had rejected Him. Because of this, He had rejected them. But God says,

“It shall come to pass” – As surely as time will move forward, there will be a time when the thing will come about.

“In the place where it was said to them” – The nation was exiled for disobedience. Before that occurred, it was said through the prophets that there would be a sentence pronounced. And then, after the exile happened, in that place, the pronouncement was made.

“You are not My people” – The bond is broken and you who once were the object of my affection and the apple of my eye have now been case off and disinherited.

But what is implied for the term “You are not My people” is also implied for the second statement…

“There they shall be called sons of the living God” – In that same place of prophecy which is the land of Israel, and in that same place of judgment, which is exile from the land, God has determined that Israel shall once again “be called sons of the living God.”

This was seen very clearly in the chiasm which was included with the commentary on 9:25. What God rejects, God can also reclaim as His.

The term “shall be” is, in the biblical context, as reliable as if it were already done. In other words, when God speaks that something “shall be” it is as certain as something that has already come to pass. Jesus speaks this way at times, such as in Mark 11:17 –

“Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’”?

Understanding God’s sovereign decree concerning Israel, we can therefore deduce that the same is true concerning the gentiles. If God can disinherit His people and then re-establish them as His own, then He can do so for those who are outside of that specially chosen line as well. This is where Paul is going with this, and which we will see as he continues along.

During the time of Israel’s exile for disobedience, there has been a time of God’s favor upon the gentile world. The precedent has been set in Israel and therefore it can, and does, apply to those who are not Israel as well. The interesting thing for people alive in this day is that Israel as a nation has been re-gathered to Israel the land. It does appear that the prophecy which was pronounced is coming to pass. If so, then the “times of the gentiles” may now be coming to a close.

Life application: If God’s word says something will come to pass, it is as certain as if it has already happened. When we dismiss prophecies because they don’t fit our theology, we treat God’s word as less-than-reliable. Likewise, when we dismiss a particular verse because it is contrary to what we want to hear, we hold God’s word in contempt. What God says, should always take precedence over what we do or don’t like.

Heavenly Father, at times I have dismissed a particular verse or tenet in Your word because it was contrary to what I thought was correct. However, as I have grown in Your word, I have learned that what I like or don’t like is completely irrelevant. You are God; I am man. May I never dismiss even the slightest precept, but hold fast to what You instruct. Thank You for Your word. Amen.

Saturday, 31 August 2013

As He says also in Hosea: 

“I will call them My people, who were not My people, And her beloved, who was not beloved.”    Romans 9:25

As he has consistently done in order to substantiate his claims, Paul turns again directly to Scripture to show that God’s election and calling are not just for the Jews. Today he turns to the prophet Hosea. There in Hosea 2:23, we are shown that God’s people are rejected or called according to a plan and a wisdom that we don’t always fully understand.

Hosea was a prophet who was used by God in a most unusual way. He married a woman named Gomer per the Lord’s instructions which stated –

“Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry And children of harlotry, For the land has committed great harlotry By departing from the Lord.”

Gomer had three children. The first was named Jezreel, “God sows.” The second was named Lo-Ruhamah, “No mercy.” The third was named Lo-Ammi, “Not my people.” What is implied is that the first child was born to Hosea whereas the second two were children of harlotry. God used this dysfunctional family, with an unfaithful wife and illegitimate children, to show how He works even among those who are not His while rejecting those who are His. However, even His rejection is something that won’t continue on forever. Instead, He will call His rejected people back to Himself.

The symbolism of the book of Hosea is so rich and beautiful. We reject God; God calls us back. And so Paul uses the words of this book to show us these truths in his letter to the Romans. As the apostle to the Gentiles, he shows us how God worked through the Jews to demonstrate His character and His righteous requirements. In due time, Christ came and fulfilled these requirements, thus allowing all to share in His goodness, but at this point, the Jews rejected Him.

During this time of rejection, Paul tells us of the dispensation of grace which is poured out upon the Gentiles, he being the minister of this period. Passages such as Ephesians 3:1-9 show us this. His thoughts there are summed up in verses 8 and 9 –

“To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ.”

However, despite Israel’s rejection of Christ, the symbolism of Hosea (as Jesus’ words and Paul’s writings also) shows us that they too will be called back by God at some point in the future. When the “times of the Gentiles” end, God’s attention will be focused on His people who have long rejected Him.

As a sort of hidden confirmation of these things and as if opening up a treasure of beautiful gems, the passage Paul refers to in Hosea is marked with a special pattern known as a chiasm. This pattern shows the contrast of rejection and acceptance by God. A chiasm is a pattern which states a truth and then turns around and restates it in the opposite order. Sometimes, such as in the case of this one in Hosea, the pattern says the opposite as it unfolds, thus it is a chiasm of contrasts. I discovered this one in 2007. I hope you will enjoy seeing both the grace and mercy of God revealed in it –

Hosea 1:9-2:23 – “But Me she forgot,” says the LORD. A Chiasm of Contrasts – Our Unfaithfulness and God’s Unlimited Mercy (11/23/07) a 1:9  You are not my people, I will not be your God.

—-b 1:10  Jezreel (God will sow)
——c 2:3  Dry Land, thirst.
———–d 2:5  Wife departs from her husband.
————-e 2:7  Wife returns to her husband.
——————-f 2:9  Take away the new wine.
——————–g 2:10-12  God punishes Israel.
————————h 2:13  God will punish her.
—————————-x 2:13  “But Me she forgot,” says the LORD
———————–h 2:14a  God will allure her.
——————–g 2:14b  God comforts Israel.
——————-f 2:15  Give vineyards.
————-e 2:16  LORD says, “That you will call me ‘My Husband.’”
———–d 2:19  Husband betroths wife.
——c 2:21, 22  Grain, new wine, oil.
—-b 2:22  Jezreel (God will sow)
a 2:23  You are my people; You are my God.

Life application: Though the gentiles were once out of the picture, there were still hints of God’s love for them – Ruth for example. And though the Jews rejected Christ, God has not given up on them. He will again call them as a people to Himself, thus demonstrating that He truly is a God of grace and mercy.

Lord, the treasures found in Your word fill me with wonder and awe. I know that the Bible is a gift of incomparable worth and so I ask that You give me the resolve and desire to read it, study it, share it, and love it all of my days. Help me to be a proper steward of Your word, handling it rightly and honoring You with my care of it. To Your glory I pray. Amen.

Friday, 30 August 2013

…even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? Romans 9:24

Paul has been speaking of election in the preceding paragraphs. He now turns to the concept of our calling. This progression is found in Romans 8:30 –

“Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”

The Jews and Gentiles are those described in the preceding verse (9:23), “the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory.” When speaking of these individuals, the Greek word ex is used for “of the.” This word means more precisely “out of” or “from” and indicates, as has already been revealed elsewhere in Romans, that this is a select portion of the Jews and Gentiles. It is not a national privilege, but an individual honor – for both Jew and Gentile.

This calling of the Gentiles, and selection of a portion of the Jews, is not unique to Paul. Rather, it was prophesied in the Old Testament as well. Passages such as Isaiah 49:6 show us this is so –

Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

God has always preserved a righteous remnant of the people of Israel (see Isaiah 1:9, for example). Preserving a remnant implies that not all are called. But along with this remnant would be something that is often overlooked by this covenant people. God promised to send His Servant not only for them, but to be “as a light to the Gentiles” as well. This promise is hinted all along, but was somehow dismissed by the Israelites.

Life application: In Christ, the boundaries of life are removed. There is neither slave nor free, Jew nor Gentile, black nor white, male nor female. When one is in Christ, they are a child of God and one of the elect. Handle your relationships with others in Christ in a manner fitting your calling.

Lord God, there are so many things to worry about and fret over, but You have asked me to not do so. Rather, You have told me to be anxious for nothing and to bring my troubles to you in prayer. And so with a grateful heart, I come to You, thanking You for that privilege which is available through my Rock and Refuge – Jesus. Thank You for Jesus. Amen.

Thursday, 29 August 2013

…and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,… Romans 9:23

This verse contrasts what was just said in 9:22 –

“What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction.”

It should be noted that “prepared” in 9:22 is a completely different word than in 9:23. The words are katērtismena and proētoimasen. The use of the two differing words shows us that those who were prepared for glory were placed in this category in a different manner than those who were fitted for destruction. In other words, the concept of double-predestination cannot be found in these verses. In fact, it shows that the two results came about in an entirely different way.

What needs to be remembered is where these two groups came from – the same lump (v21). The potter makes two jars. One goes to a king’s palace where it holds perfume. The other goes to a shop where it is filled with used cooking oil. The question is, does he make the two jars, deciding in advance which will be used in which location, or does he make the pots the same – one going to one location and one the other? In this instance, the use of two different words favors the latter. Both are of the same lump, but one ends in an ignoble use and will be destroyed after use. It will be taken out and tossed in the dump – it is fitted for destruction. The other ends in a noble use and so it will be kept and refilled as time goes by. Someday maybe it will be placed in a fine art museum – it is prepared for glory.

But what if both of them were bought by the same person in the king’s castle and both were used for perfume. Then both of them would have been “prepared for glory.” Albert Barnes notes the distinction between the two –

“We are here brought to a remarkable difference between God’s mode of dealing with them and with the wicked. Here it is expressly affirmed that God himself had prepared them for glory. In regard to the wicked, it is simply affirmed that they “were fitted” for destruction, without affirming anything of the agency by which it was done. That God prepares his people for glory – commences and continues the work of their redemption – is abundantly taught in the Scriptures…”

In the Bible, ever since Adam’s transgression, “destruction” is seen as the default setting for humanity. We are all “fitted” for destruction. When the change in nature occurs by accepting God’s provision (such as when the Hebrew Abraham “believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness” or when Guirinopolous Lanciavinius the Roman called on Jesus as Lord and believed in his heart that God raised Him from the dead) our default setting of being fitted for destruction changes to being prepared for glory.

With this in view, we can see why God would want to endure “with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction.” The reason is that they can, in fact, find mercy if they pursue it. By doing so “He might makes known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy.”

There will be no thought of injustice when judgment comes upon the wicked because it is where all are headed. But when the jars receive God’s provision, they are filled with God’s Holy Spirit and are thus spared from what is justly due. They receive His mercy and are prepared for glory. There can be found nothing unjust in how God deals with His people because He has dealt in a completely fair manner with all of them.

Life application: Understanding that all of us are under the same sentence of condemnation can help us to see that God is completely fair in how He deals with man. We can’t blame God for giving any of us what we already deserve. However, if God bestows upon us His grace and mercy, then we can’t take any credit for that either.

Lord, Your word says that we have all sinned and fallen short of Your glory. If it were up to us, there could only be one possible destination. But in Your grace and mercy, You have offered us a pardon through the death of Your Son. Thank You for the innocent Lamb who was slain in place of my sin. Thank You for the cross of Calvary. Amen.

Wednesday, 28 August 2013

What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,… Romans 9:22

Here in today’s verse we see the first portion of a train of thought which could easily be confused with the doctrine known as double-predestination – God creating some for destruction and some for salvation. One would have to ignore the vast body of evidence to the contrary to come to this conclusion though.

It should be noted that a contrast is being made between those who will receive mercy and those who won’t. This shows us, quite clearly, that there are two groups of people on earth – the lost and the saved; sinners and saints. If “all have sinned” as the Bible shows us to be true (Romans 3:23) then all were once lost. The category of the saints is one which is received after being a part of the category of the lost – and none deserved to be saved. Therefore, when Paul says, “What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known” he is saying that it is something which is deserved on all people. We can go to Ephesians 2:3 to confirm this –

“…among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.”

Understanding that we were all under God’s wrath, we can now put in context the second half of this verse (which is cited as a validation of his comments about Pharaoh). God “endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction.” The term “much longsuffering” indicates that God was extremely patient with these people, allowing them to continue on when they only deserved destruction. But remember again, we also were “children of wrath” and so this is speaking of us as much as it is of Pharaoh or anyone else who has existed.

God has spared us, despite our fallen and rebellious state. During this time, he offered to us His pardon and, being saved, we must have accepted it. God likewise offered the Pharaoh temporal pardon. “Let my people go” indicates that if Pharaoh obliged, he wouldn’t have been destroyed. It also allows that Pharaoh could have said, “If these are Your people, and You are God, then I will join to Your people.” Proof of this is found in Ruth 1:16, 17 –

“Entreat me not to leave you,
Or to turn back from following after you;
For wherever you go, I will go;
And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
Your people shall be my people,
And your God, my God.
Where you die, I will die,
And there will I be buried.
The Lord do so to me, and more also,
If anything but death parts you and me.”

Ruth was in the same boat as Pharaoh (the boat we all were in) until she made her eternity-changing decision. Before she was a vessel of God’s mercy, she was a vessel prepared for destruction. Pharaoh had a choice to make and he chose unwisely. Double-predestination cannot be found in this verse. Nor can be found the concept of monergism (salvation apart from free-will).

Life application: When you see the lost, know that this means more than a casual concept of “not going to heaven.” Instead, it means that they are vessels prepared for destruction. How can you willingly hold back the good news which will bring them life when such a fate is otherwise assured?

Lord, Your word teaches that there are just two categories of people – the lost and the saved. Your word also teaches that there is but one way to move from “lost” to “saved” and that is through the shed blood of Christ. I thank You that He died for me and I ask that You use me as a vessel to share this great gospel of hope with others. Guide me to doors of opportunity and then give me the right words of instruction to receptive hearts. Amen.