Ep. 298. Romans 9 | I Would Be Accursed

EPISODE 298

I WOULD BE ACCURSED: ROMANS 9

For Romans 9-11, Paul will be tackling the topic that the Jews, as a whole, had rejected Jesus. It would be really helpful for the reader to read Romans 9:1-5, Romans 10:1-4, and Romans 11:1-10 in quick succession. The beginning verses of each of these tell a clear story. Paul says in today's reading that he would be willing to be cursed and separated from God if it meant the Jews would come to faith. In chapter 10, Paul talks about how the Jews had a zeal for God but not according to wisdom. In chapter 11, Paul reminds his audience that not everyone who descended from Israel actually belongs to the people of God.

In chapter nine, Paul clearly states that "it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as his offspring." Paul is referring here to the difference between Ishmael and Isaac. though both were sons of Abraham, only Isaac received the inheritance. Only through Isaac was Abraham's offspring counted. Ishmael came through the "work" and the "flesh" of Abraham, but Isaac come through faith in the promise of God.

"Has the potter no right over the clay to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?" From one people, God made some who would come to know him and others who would reject him; from both the Jews and the Gentiles. This chapter isn't about election and predestination as much as some people might want to believe but is more about God showing, yet again, that righteousness wasn't a birthright given to the Jews who had descended from Abraham, but rather righteousness was always by faith working through the promises of God. "Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved." The Jews of the day believed their righteousness was intact because they were "the people of God." Paul uses, in this chapter, the examples of Jacob and Esau, along with Moses and Pharaoh, to show that God's purpose stands, not man's purpose. In this case, God's purpose is that righteousness would come by faith rather than works of the law.

Please don't read Romans 9 in isolation. Ask yourself how this fits in with the first eight chapters. Remember, there is a narrative of faith at play. Set your eyes on the bigger truth sewn throughout the book of Romans. Don't get tunnel vision. Plus, the next two chapters flow directly from what Paul teaches in this chapter.

ADDITIONAL READING: Genesis 21:12; Genesis 18:10; Genesis 25: 22-23; Malachi 1:2-3; Exodus 33:19; Exodus 9:16; Isaiah 29:16; Isaiah 45:9-11; Hosea 2:23; Hosea 1:9-10; Isaiah 10:20-23; Isaiah 1:9; Isaiah 28:16