14 What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be!
15 For He says to Moses, "I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION."
16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.
17 For 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."
18 So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.
V. 14 - “There is no injustice with God, is there? “ - I think this NASB translation of verse 14 is mildly confusing. Other versions or translations eliminate the ‘double negative’ by putting it “Can we say God is unjust?” The answer to this rhetorical question is, “Of course not!”. One of the themes in scripture is that justice and righteousness dwell in the Lord. (See: Gen. 18:19; Job 37:23; Psa. 33:5; Isa. 15:5; Jer. 9:23, 24; Mic. 6:8, as a sample). God’s justice is not capricious, or unpredictable.
V. 15 -"I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY..." - Quoted from Exo. 33:19. It is part of a conversation Moses is having with God. (See also: Exo. 33:12-23.) Moses wants assurance that God is going to go with or before them. It is a good question because this is just after the golden calf incident. Moses does not want to go anywhere with these people unless God goes with them. Without God, how will anyone know that the Israelites are any different than any other nation on earth? God assures Moses He has chosen Israel and Moses to lead them. God will show His compassion and mercy on them because He has chosen them. The choice is based on the promise made to Abraham, and God will not change that promise.
Interestingly enough, God responds that it is His “goodness” that will be shown to Moses (and ‘Thy people”), not God’s glory. HIs glory would overwhelm, in fact it would slay anyone who sees because they are not ready. God’s grace and mercy (or compassion) once proclaimed will not be withdrawn. I tell you, we WANT to see His goodness toward us, His mercy toward us, His grace for us. These characteristics are part of the reason God sent His Son to take our penalty upon Himself.
V. 16 - “So then it does not depend “ - What is the “It” called out here? My salvation. My righteousness. My sanctification.
“On the man who wills or the man who runs” - My salvation does not happen by my exertion and effort, nor by my willing it to happen.
V. 17 -"FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU ..." - Quoted from Exo. 9:13-16. The event referenced is after the sixth plague has struck Egypt, and still the Pharaoh refuses to let God’s people go. Pharaoh is warned that he and all the Egyptians could be wiped out, but God is allowing Pharaoh to exist to demonstrate God‘s power to the whole world. Neither the Pharaoh’s actions nor his will power would have any impact on the outcome. God will free His people!
The connection is that it is God who saves us, not ourselves.
V. 18 - “He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.” - I do not think this is a Calvinist statement, in that God points you, you and you - (indicating salvation); and points him, him and her - (indicating condemnation). God does not capriciously choose who will or who will not be saved. God’s mercy is shown to those who accept Him (including Jesus, of course) because that is how He has decided it will be done. Those who reject the gift of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will be hardened to the point of condemnation. His desire is to save all who believe. Those who reject Him will receive their just desserts.
From a commentary by Matthew Henry, concerning this verse: "The various dealings of God, by which he makes some to differ from others, must be resolved into his absolute sovereignty. He is debtor to no man, his grace is his own, and he may give it or withhold it as it pleaseth him; we have none of us deserved it, nay, we have all justly forfeited it a thousand times, so that herein the work of our salvation is admirably well ordered that those who are saved must thank God only, and those who perish must thank themselves only, Hos. 13:9. We are bound, as God hath bound us, to do our utmost for the salvation of all we have to do with; but God is bound no further than he has been pleased to bind himself by his own covenant and promise, which is his revealed will; and that is that he will receive, and not cast out, those that come to Christ; but the drawing of souls in order to that coming is a preventing distinguishing favour to whom he will. Had he mercy on the Gentiles? It was because he would have mercy on them. Were the Jews hardened? It was because it was his own pleasure to deny them softening grace, and to give them up to their chosen affected unbelief."***
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