22 What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?
23 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory,
24 even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.
25 As He says also in Hosea, "I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, 'MY PEOPLE,' AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, 'BELOVED.'"
26 "AND IT SHALL BE THAT IN THE PLACE WHERE IT WAS SAID TO THEM, 'YOU ARE NOT MY PEOPLE,' THERE THEY SHALL BE CALLED SONS OF THE LIVING GOD."
27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, "THOUGH THE NUMBER OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL BE LIKE THE SAND OF THE SEA, IT IS THE REMNANT THAT WILL BE SAVED;
28 FOR THE LORD WILL EXECUTE HIS WORD ON THE EARTH, THOROUGHLY AND QUICKLY."
29 And just as Isaiah foretold, "UNLESS THE LORD OF SABAOTH HAD LEFT TO US A POSTERITY, WE WOULD HAVE BECOME LIKE SODOM, AND WOULD HAVE RESEMBLED GOMORRAH."
In which Paul makes the case for Gentiles being God’s people, just as the Jews were God’s people. This paragraph is a continuation of the thought began in this chapter - God has chosen who will be saved by setting the conditions which must be met. God has chosen Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David. None of these people earned his way into God’s grace - He decided. He bestowed, by His mercy. Paul extends this line of reasoning to us.
V. 22 - “What if God...” - I want to think about this: Paul presents a case showing God’s patience and judgement in order to show that both Gentile nations and the Jews are a means to show His mercy to both Jews and Gentiles.
“although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known” - God is so patient with people who defy Him. He waits, and calls them to Him, encouraging them to return to Him.
- People decided they could be like God, until He destroyed the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11:9).
- Mankind refused to acknowledge God until He cleansed the world with the flood (Gen. 6:13ff).
- Nineveh was godless and rebellious, until God sent a reluctant prophet and evangelist (Jonah).
- Sodom and Gomorrah suffered destruction because there were no righteous people found there (Gen. 18:20ff).
- God tolerated a defiant Pharaoh for a while, but demonstrated His power (Exo. 14:17-28).
- God was patient with the Israelites as they transversed the desert to the promised land. They rebelled at the border, and so wandered another 38 years until a new generation was willing to enter (Deut. 1:8-35).
- Also there was the time of the Judges, the Northern Kingdom of Israel, the Assyrians, and Babylonians or Medes and Persians...
“endured with much patience” - Not once did God immediately destroy a nation, a people, or a person when they disobeyed or rebelled (OK. There was the incident with Uzzah and the Ark of the Covenant. See: 1 Chr. 13:9) Look at the patience shown to Israel during the times of the Judges - 450 years of the cycle - rebellion, oppression, crying to God, a deliverer raised up, rest, repeat. God was patient with the Northern Kingdom, and then had them carted away by the Assyrians. God was patient with the Southern Kingdom, and the Babylonians were used to get their attention. A remnant returned to Jerusalem after 70 years in exile.
V. 23-24 - “Make known the riches of His glory” - It would have been so easy for God to wipe it all out, and start with a clean slate. Poof! It all disappears. Prang! A new universe. But that would not have been a demonstration of mercy, patience or forgiveness. There is no glory in destruction done in a fit of pique. There is no forgiveness there. God demonstrated mercy to the Jews by rescuing them from famine and destruction - they came to Egypt, being saved by the brother they had abused. Joseph was sold into slavery, but rose to power by the grace of God. Moses was spared the Pharaoh’s verdict of death, and went on to lead the Jews to Canaan. God was merciful to the rebellious and stubborn Israelites - ten (10!) incidents in which the Jews grumbled or rebelled against God and His authority (Exo. 5 through Num. 14). God delivered them from the Egyptians, the Amalekites, the Canaanites, Edomites, Midianites, etc.
God delivered the Jews from oppression to show His power and His glory to the world around.
“upon vessels of mercy,” - The Jews received the mercy shown in God’s power. Inanimate objects do not need mercy, nor do they rejoice in God’s glory. (I’m guessing that animals do not receive mercy, nor do they acknowledge or worship the Lord. I have no theological basis for saying this, other than no animals are mentioned as having a relationship with God.) The image of people being vessels is a good reminder that a pot, a crock or a pitcher do not seek to have stuff put in them. They are receptors of what is poured in.
“Even us, whom He also called,” - That is, we are the vessels. We likewise, do nothing to earn the mercy from God. It is poured upon us when we accept the gift of Christ Jesus. It is also important to note the Jews were called to be God’s own people as we are called to be Christ’s own, children of God. Look back to verse eight of this chapter: the children of God are those who accept and believe the promise. Physical birth comes to every one, spiritual rebirth does not. All of us are called to be one of His children, not all of us respond to the call.
“From among the Jews... also among the Gentiles.” - We know the Jews were called or chosen by God. The OT is the story of God and His people. Here Paul pivots from the Jews to the Gentiles. Paul was chosen by God to spread the gospel to the Gentiles. Just as the Jews were called by God to be His own, Christ has called us to be His own.
V. 25-26 - “I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, “MY PEOPLE,” - Quoted from Hos. 2:23, 1:6, and 1:10. The life of the prophet Hosea was an object lesson for the northern kingdom of Israel (the 10 tribes that split away after Solomon died). His wife, Gomer, was as faithful to him as Israel had been faithful to God. Hosea was instructed to name his children:
(1) A son “Jezreel” after an atrocity committed (Jezreel was the city where the last of king Omri's dynasty was destroyed - a whole city put to the sword!), what was about to happen to Israel was a disaster for them;
(2) a daughter “Lo-ruhamah” (‘no compassion’) because the Lord would show no compassion to Israel because of their infidelity; and
(3) a son “Lo-ammi” ('not my people') for God was declaring His divorce from Israel - He would not be their God, they would not be His people.
The message to Israel: The Gentiles were never called God’s own people. The Gentiles were not the children of the promise. They were never called His beloved people. It is not that God hated the Gentiles. Similar to the Jacob/Esau situation, the Jews were favored by God’s grace to be the light in the world and the vessel for the arrival of the Savior of the world. The Jews are blessed because of a promise made to Abraham, and based on that promise the Gentile are not. So here God is saying those who were not blessed (beloved) will be blessed! Those who were not His chosen people will be His. In fact, there is one step better - the Gentiles will be called Sons of God! That is a quantum leap, going from being outside to heirs of the Almighty God!
Look at Isaiah 65:1 - "I permitted Myself to be sought by those who did not ask for Me; I permitted Myself to be found by those who did not seek Me. I said, 'Here am I, here am I,' To a nation which did not call on My name.” Telling the Jews that He, God, is welcoming those who had not been called ‘His people’. You may ask, “Why is God doing this?” The answer is found in Isa. 65:2-5, where God lists nine (9) rebellious acts of His chosen people.
- They are rebellious;
- Following their own thoughts;
- Provoking Him to His face;
- Offering strange sacrifices;
- Burning incense;
- Sit among graves (worshipping the dead);
- Eat pork;
- Eat unclean meat;
- Say they are holier than God!
God’s answer is seen in Isa. 65:6-7. The behavior of His people has stoked a fire in Him that will not be quenched, and He will repay.
At the same time, see Isa. 65:8-25. He is going to produce a new heaven, a new earth, a new Jerusalem and His beloved - those who seek Him - will rejoice and be glad there. God will rejoice and be glad there.
V. 27-28 - “THOUGH THE NUMBER OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL BE LIKE THE SAND OF THE SEA..." - Quoted from Isa. 10:22-23. Because of their rebellion, the Jews will be decimated - only a remnant will remain with God. The promise is made to all Jews, yet only a few will benefit, will see His face. The result is similar for the Gentiles. Jesus died once for all (1 Pet. 3:18), but not all will benefit (See: Heb. 2:10; Matt. 22:14).
V. 29 -"UNLESS THE LORD OF SABBATH HAD LEFT TO US A POSTERITY ..." - Quoted from Isa. 1:9. If not for God’s mercy, we would have all been wiped out. For the story of Sodom and Gomorrah is found in Gen. 18:20-19:29. Utter destruction, despite Abraham’s intervention. The evil was so great that in two huge cities, ten (10) righteous people could not be found.
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