9:19-26
Having established God’s sovereignty over salvation, Paul anticipated the next question: why does he still find fault, for who can resist his will? (19) In other words, if God shows mercy to whom he wills, and hardens whom he will, how can he hold people accountable for their unbelief?
There is a fallacy in this claim, as everyone who rejects the gospel resists God’s will. Everyone who sins resists God’s will, refusing to do what God says to do.
Paul does not explain that conundrum, however. Instead, he said who are you to talk back to God? Human nature, especially our rebelliousness against God, causes us to question his actions and his nature.
An example of this occurs when a mother tells a child to do something and the child demands to know why. It is not that the child knows he or she is ignorant and seeks enlightenment from the mother. Rather, it is the child questioning the mother’s authority to command the child and the reasonableness of the command. If you have ever read the comic strip “Calvin and Hobbes”, you have seen some examples of this.
The most common response of mothers to this question is “because I said so”. By that the mother means I have the authority to command you and you do not have the right to challenge me.
Paul does that very thing here. He gives two examples. First, the object molded does not question its molder why he made them like this. This is an argument “ad absurdum” or reductio ad absurdum - showing that the opposing argument results in absurdity.
Did you ever make a candle as a craft when you were a child. One way is to cut down a milk carton, pour in paraffin, and insert a wick. You get a square candle out of it. The candle does not puff up and demand that you explain why you did not make it round instead.
Second, a potter has a right to make whatever kind of object he wants of his clay. If he wants to make a vessel for honorable use, he can. If he wants one for dishonorable use, he can do so. In this metaphor, the honorable stands for the saved and dishonorable for the unsaved, unbelieving. God has the right to choose which sinner he will save.
You might remember that Job questioned God, saying if he had sinned, he would understand his suffering, but, since he had not sinned, he wanted God to explain himself (“let the Almighty answer me”). (Job 31)
Instead of explaining himself, God stated, with multiple examples, why Job had no right to question him. (Job 38-41) God summarized his statements with the rhetorical question: “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty?”. (Job 40:2). Job got it. He repented in dust and ashes. (Job 42:6)
Third, God had the right as God to show his wrath and power. He exercised much patience toward those who do not believe. He called them “vessels of wrath prepared for destruction”. (22) He did this to make known the riches of his glory for undeserving vessels of mercy (those he saved.) (23) (Ephesians 1:6)
Paul again spoke of predestination, saying he prepared the vessels of mercy, those whom he saved (prepared for glory), “beforehand”. We are reminded of Ephesians 1, which says God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world and that he predestined us for adoption as his sons, all according to the purpose of his will. ( Ephesians 1:4-5)
Paul also referred to believers as those he called. (24) This refers us back to 8:30, where he said that those God predestined he also called.
Those he called, believers, are not just from the Jews but also from the Gentiles. (24) In support of this idea, Paul cited the Old Testament book of Hosea. (25) There God foretold that he would call those who were not his people, i.e. not Jews, his people, beloved, and sons of the living God. (Hosea 2:23) Paul those shows the Jews that it was God’s purpose and intention to bring the Gentiles into “his people” in addition to the Jews. He will develop that idea further in chapter 11.
The Jewish Remnant Saved
9:27-29
As further proof that God’s word had not failed, Paul shows us that God had previously said only a remnant would be saved. He cited two passages from Isaiah for proof.
First, Paul cited Isaiah 10:22, saying that Israel may have many people, but only a remnant of Israel will be saved. The original context was the invasion of Israel by Assyria. Paul gave it an second fulfillment regard the unbelief of the Jews.
The second citation is from Isaiah 1. There, Isaiah, speaking for the Lord, decried the spiritual state of Israel. They rebelled against God, despising him and becoming estranged from him. He told of the desolation that God had brought upon the nation because of their iniquity. Things were so bad that, if God had not let some survive, they would have been completely destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah. (Isaiah 1:9)
The idea of saving a remnant appears in several places in the Bible. Noah’s family was a small remnant God saved as he destroyed the world with a flood. (Genesis 6) Only Lot’s family were saved from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. (Genesis 19) During the time of Elijah, all of Israel served Baal except a remnant of 7,000 God had preserved for himself. (1 Kings 19)
Jesus also spoke of a remnant of humanity being saved. He said: “"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
The Great Contrast
9:30-33
Paul pointed out the reason for the failure of the Jews to be saved. They did not pursue righteousness by faith, but by works. They came to believe they could observe the rituals and rules outwardly without believing and trusting in God inwardly. Jesus often criticized the Pharisees for this.
Because of this, Jesus became a stumbling block for them. They were offended by his claim that they were sinners who needed to repent. They were offended by his claim to be the Son of God in whom they were to believe. And these things were foretold by God through the prophet Isaiah. (Isaiah 28:16; 8:14; 49:23)
It is good news for us, though, that the last line of the quote is that whoever believes in Jesus will not be put to shame.
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