Is God Just? [Romans 9]
14What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! 15For He says to Moses, "I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION." 16So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. 17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH.
18So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.
19You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?" 20On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why did you make me like this," will it? 21Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? 22What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? 23And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, 24even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.
In this chapter God, through Paul, explains His own character. Verse 6 begins this discussion with, "But it is not as though the word of God has failed." God is addressing the questions about His rightness in choosing to send His Son through Israel. Is there injustice in His choice to promise Abraham that Sarah would have the son through whom God would bless the whole world? Absolutely not! His mercy and compassion come from His character and "it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy."
As the potter who created man, God has absolute right to display His wrath, to display His mercy and to display the riches of His glory. He chooses to offer people who were not His people to become His people, "sons of the living God" (v. 25) He is right to love those who are not lovable. He is offering both to the Jews and Gentiles redemption through His Son. "The one who believes on Him (Jesus) will not be put to shame" (Holman CSB) or be disappointed. (NASB)
We praise You God for Your faithfulness, Your mercy and compassion, Your rightness in choosing, Your love and Your offer of Your Son so that we can be "sons of the living God." Cause me to receive by faith the truth of who You are instead of questioning why You do what You do.
Verna McCrillis, 7/21/2009