The Epistle to the Romans: Romans 9:17-33

Romans 9:17‑33  •  7 min. read  •  grade level: 8
Listen from:
Chapter 9, verses 17-33
The haughty ruler of Egypt had said to Moses and Aaron when they made known to him God’s claim to the children of Israel,
“Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.” Exodus 5:2.
After he had seen Aaron’s rod become a living serpent, Pharaoh’s heart was stubborn; then followed five inflictions from God, and after each, though for a moment softened, he hardened his heart against God. On the first occasion, chapter 7:13, the common translation would indicate that another (“he”) hardened Pharaoh’s heart; but it has long been known that the correct reading is “Pharaoh’s heart was stubborn.” At length (chapter 9:12) the time for patience was past; the Lord hardened the wicked king’s heart, and in the message Moses was then told to deliver were the words quoted in our 17th verse. Five more plagues fell on Egypt, but Pharaoh never repented, though Israel was redeemed, delivered out of his power, out of his land.
Who would deny to God that He may, if He chooses, harden those who refuse to heed His Word? We sometimes speak of the “gospel-hardened” —some who have often heard the message of God’s salvation, and seem to be unmoved by it. Are they, perhaps, like Pharaoh of old, fully determined that they will not listen to the call of God, and are they now subjected to a hardening of the heart which proceeds from Himself? Let him who has not put his trust in Jesus make haste to do so, for mercy is for those who will receive it. Solemn is the verse,
“Behold, ye despisers, and wonder and perish; for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.” Acts 13:41.
Verses 19, 20: Man cannot escape responsibility for his sins by pleading the sovereignty of God.
“Shall the thing formed say to him that has formed it, Why has thou made me thus?”
We have seen in the first three chapters of this Epistle God’s arraignment of mankind, culminating in verses 19 and 20 of the third chapter, with every mouth closed and all the world subject to His judgment. Only unbelief would say, Why doth He yet find fault? The potter has the right to do what he will with the clay, out of the same lump to make a vessel to honor and one to dishonor (verse 21). The Creator has the fullest right over His creatures. You often find people talking about their rights, and they will contend for them; but God’s rights are but little discussed, though they are far beyond and above any rights we may have. God may, and without doubt He does, assign to everyone such a station in life as it pleases Him to give, but He is never the author of evil, and none are predestined for hell.
The next verses, the 22nd and following, throw a flood of light on this subject of God’s rights, and in what way He exercises them. Minded to show His wrath, and to make His power known—and these two subjects were introduced in the beginning of the Epistle, chapter 1, verses 16-18—He has endured with much longsuffering, vessels of wrath fitted, or made fully ready, for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy which He had before prepared for glory. Here we have again, those two classes that we have before noticed in the Word of God—unbelievers, and believers. There is no third class; you are either in the one or in the other. “Vessels of wrath”, or “vessels of mercy”; this is very solemn, or very precious, depending upon the class you are in.
If you have put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, you are a vessel of mercy. Think of His patience, His “much longsuffering”, with the vessels of wrath, who are fitting themselves for destruction, or loss, the loss of all that God freely gives to all who come to Him through Christ. (“Destruction” in the Scriptures never means annihilation; here it means loss; eternal loss; every human soul will exist eternally.)
Forbearance, longsuffering, with the vessels of wrath until a decreed day of judgment; what of the vessels of mercy? For them the riches of His glory. God delights to give. These “vessels” have done nothing to earn God’s love. They have opened their hearts to receive Christ, confessing themselves to be lost, undone; and all the riches of the glory of God are theirs now and eternally. The same expression, “the riches of His glory”, you will find in Ephesians 3:16; Philippians 4:19, and Colossians 1:27; and in Ephesians 1:7 and 2:7 it is “the riches of His grace.”
While we are on the subject of God’s riches for poor sinners who come to Him, let us look at Romans 2:4: “the riches of His goodness, and forbearance, and longsuffering;” at Ephesians 2:4, “rich in mercy” Romans 10:12, “rich toward all that call upon Him”; and Romans 11:33, “O depth of riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God.”
May He give to you and to me to know and enjoy these riches now; depend upon it, that if earthly riches fill our hearts with desire after them, God’s riches will have little attraction; and if His riches engage the believer’s heart, what this world has to offer will not draw away his affections.
Now these vessels of mercy, of which you are one, dear young Christian, were before prepared for glory by God Himself. Little did you know, when you came to Christ, confessing yourself a sinner, that God had you in mind long before. So little a share in your salvation had you, that you had only to believe His word; perhaps you hardly realized that the Spirit of God had been speaking to you, calling you to receive of the free grace of God. You believed, and confessed Christ as your Savior; you were saved. Yes, the work of salvation is all of God, and both the ancient people, the Jews, and the Gentiles are being saved on the one common ground of grace, God’s free favor, offered to all.
Verse 25. Had God said anything to the Jews in Old Testament times about showing favor to the Gentiles? He had; undeniably their Scriptures spoke of blessing for the nations, though the proud sons of Israel, blind as to their own evil state, would have shut them out of God’s favor forever (Luke 4:25-29; Acts 13:45; 22:21-23, etc.) The prophecy of Hosea, first of the so-called Minor Prophets, chapter 2:23, is the first reference given, and this is immediately followed by chapter 1, verse 10 (latter part). A Jew might say of these passages, They refer only to Israel; but the Holy Spirit being the author of both Hosea’s prophecy and the Epistle to the Romans, we are assured that a Gentile reception of the favor of God was reflected in the Old Testament passage. Other passages in the Old Testament prophecies speak of blessing for the nations as well as for Israel (for example, Joel 2:28-32; Zech. 2:11; Isa. 65:1).
In verse 27 a passage in Isaiah 10:22 is quoted, followed by one in the same book, chapter 1:9, both showing that in the face of Israel’s utter failure as God’s earthly people, deserving only judgment to the full, He will save and bless a remnant of them. Thus is God’s sovereignty again shown, working for the eternal good of man, whether Jew or Gentile.
Verses 30-33. In view of all this that has been set before us in the chapter, what shall we say? It is very plain that Gentiles who followed not after righteousness, have obtained righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; while Israel, following after a law of righteousness, attained not unto a law of righteousness. And why did Israel fail? Because they sought it not by faith, but as by works of law, for they stumbled at the stone of stumbling—CHRIST. The reference is to Isaiah 28:16,
“He that believeth on Him shall not be ashamed.” But is not the case the same now with the Gentile as with the Jew? Man today clings to his works which can never save him; neglects, rejects, even despises, God’s salvation, which is obtained by faith alone.
(To be Continued, D. V.)