Titled - "Sovereignty"
Written by: Pastor Bob Lawrenz
Lately on the media’s world stage of politics, we are confronted with the idea of sovereign nations. The Ukraine, Israel, China, and even the United States. With it, we have also learned the modern term, “Foreign Influence.” The meaning behind sovereignty comes from the French word, “souveraineté,” as a government or an entity becomes the sole ruling authority over itself and all that it manages in its efforts to control their own future and destiny. “Souveraineté” means “over rule.” It can apply to a nation, or a King, as a Sovereign.
Rome was sovereign over its own Empire, as were Egypt and Greece over their respective Empires. And in the Bible, we are introduced to God’s sovereignty over all that He commands. Ultimately, Rome, Egypt and Greece fell because they thought they were sovereign over their Empires, but they each fell because of their own pride, and their rejection of His authority. God Himself is sovereign over all the Earth, all of it and the heavens too!
Over-all means exactly that; governance over everything. God expresses it in our reading this morning, in Exodus 33:12 and following as Moses seeks God to lead him and God’s people on their journey through the wilderness after leaving Egypt. Admitting his mistakes, Moses acknowledges he can’t do it without God.
God’s grace upon Egypt was due to a special plan that God had in mind for His Chosen People. And when His Chosen were saved from famine and slavery, God’s grace went with them, and Egypt began its downward spiral into being a 3rd World Nation, primarily because they rejected God’s authority over all His realm.
He speaks of it directly as He addresses Moses in verse 19: “…I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will shew mercy.” To over-simplify His words, He says “my sandbox, my will.” This He speaks of for all the Earth. We have read how God created the heavens and the Earth. We have read that He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. (He owns the hills too.)
From Psalm 24:1 -
“The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”
Bobservations' Column - Audio Version
Sunday Morning Message:
Romans 9:13-33 - "Sovereignty"
Summary/Additional Commentary & Definitions:
This week, we are continuing our study in Romans chapter 9. If you remember last week, we read about Paul's concern for the Jews, his kinsmen, and his anguish over Israel. These were God's chosen people who have not recognized their long-awaited Messiah, Jesus Christ. Paul declares that God's promises have not failed but that God's election is based on His sovereign choice, not works or birthright by giving examples of Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau.
This week, Paul reiterates God's divine prerogative in showing mercy or hardening hearts as He wills, as in the case of Pharaoh. We are challenged to grapple with the complex issue of God's sovereignty and human responsibility. Despite the seeming paradox, it reminds us that God's ways are just, and that salvation is accessible to all—Jew and Gentile—through faith. It is a chapter that encourages trust in God's sovereignty and a reliance on faith, not works or heritage.
Responding to potential objections, Paul affirms the justice of God's sovereignty, emphasizing that God, as the Creator, has the right over His creation. He cites the prophets Hosea and Isaiah to underscore the inclusion of Gentiles and the remnant of Israel in God's salvation plan.
Finally, Paul concludes by noting the irony that the Gentiles, who were not pursuing righteousness, attained it by faith, while Israel, who pursued the law of righteousness, did not succeed because they sought it not by faith, but by works.
Sunday Morning Audio Message:
This week, Paul reiterates God's divine prerogative in showing mercy or hardening hearts as He wills, as in the case of Pharaoh. We are challenged to grapple with the complex issue of God's sovereignty and human responsibility. Despite the seeming paradox, it reminds us that God's ways are just, and that salvation is accessible to all—Jew and Gentile—through faith. It is a chapter that encourages trust in God's sovereignty and a reliance on faith, not works or heritage.
Responding to potential objections, Paul affirms the justice of God's sovereignty, emphasizing that God, as the Creator, has the right over His creation. He cites the prophets Hosea and Isaiah to underscore the inclusion of Gentiles and the remnant of Israel in God's salvation plan.
Finally, Paul concludes by noting the irony that the Gentiles, who were not pursuing righteousness, attained it by faith, while Israel, who pursued the law of righteousness, did not succeed because they sought it not by faith, but by works.
Sunday Morning Audio Message:
Key Words and Definitions with Reference:
Is There Unrighteousness With God? (9:14) - Paul once again anticipating his readers' objection to Paul's theology. Paul has just described how God chose to whom His covenant promises to Israel would be given—and to whom they would not be given. In the case of Rebekah's twins, God made this decision before they were even born. God's judgment was in no way based on either Jacob's or Esau's actions or birth order or parents. It was entirely a matter of His omniscience and sovereignty.
In the previous verse, Paul quoted the Old Testament prophet Malachi, who recorded God's words saying that He "loved Jacob" and "hated Esau" even before they were born. This was not a reference to the emotion we describe using the English word "hate" today. "Love" in Scripture is usually a reference to how one acts, and "hate" here is meant as a contrast to it. Exaggerated parallels were common in speech of ancient times (Luke 14:26). God simply chose to give extreme blessings to Jacob, and—relatively speaking—none to Esau.
Now Paul puts the question in the mouth of his readers, "Is that injustice on God's part?" By no means! But this naturally leads one to ask how is it just, then? Paul will address that in the following verses.
For He Saith to Moses (9:15) - This is quoted from Exodus 33:19. Since there are none who merit salvation, there are none who are fit (or who can make themselves fit) to be in God's immediate presence. Therefore, it is entirely by God's mercy that any at all are saved, and He surely has the divine right by creation to show mercy on whomever He wills.
Scripture Saith Unto Pharaoh (9:17) - Quoting from Exodus 9:16. Again quoting the Old Testament to prove that God does sovereignly choose who will serve His purposes and how. Notice that Paul equates the words "spoken by God" with "Scripture." This pronouncement of God was written down by Moses (the Greek word for "Scripture" was graphe, meaning a "written document"), which gave the writing the authority of God Himself. Note Paul's summary in 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
Hardeneth (9:18) - It was said several times that God hardened Pharaoh's heart (Exodus 7:3,13; 9:12, 10:29; 11:10; 14:4). But also, it was noted that Pharaoh often hardened his own heart (Exodus 7:4, 14, 22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7, 34). In some mysterious way, our human decisions (for which we alone bear responsibility) also play into God's sovereign will. Not that God actively created unbelief or some other evil in Pharaoh's heart, but rather, that in His foreknowledge, God's sovereign will is accomplished.
Why? (9:19) - Really the objection is the fairness of God. Is it "fair" to hold someone responsible for a decision which some other person irresistibly forced them to make? What do we make of this, when it comes to God? We might debate whether God really forced Pharaoh to say no, or whether He just unbalanced Pharaoh's emotions. We might point out—validly—that Pharaoh hardened his own heart repeatedly (Exodus 7:13; 8:15) before God stepped in to make that hardening permanent. However, our limited reasoning does not matter, what matters is that God is God and He can do as He wishes. Human terms don't apply to Him. He is all knowing. His thoughts and His ways are not our ways, they are higher and perfect and holy and true (Isaiah 55:8–9), He is in the position of Creator; we are not.
Who Are You? (9:20) This is a good lesson for all of us when we feel that God has made a mistake, and we begin to ask Him why? Why did you allow this? The reality is that we don't have the right to ask Him, "why?" He answered Job's pleas by reminding him of the fact of creation "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?" (Job 38-40). The fact of divine election and human responsibility are not fully comprehended by our finite minds, but scripture and human experience demonstrate both to be true. We must rest in the truth of this, and act in the light of it.
Scripture Saith Unto Pharaoh (9:17) - Quoting from Exodus 9:16. Again quoting the Old Testament to prove that God does sovereignly choose who will serve His purposes and how. Notice that Paul equates the words "spoken by God" with "Scripture." This pronouncement of God was written down by Moses (the Greek word for "Scripture" was graphe, meaning a "written document"), which gave the writing the authority of God Himself. Note Paul's summary in 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
Hardeneth (9:18) - It was said several times that God hardened Pharaoh's heart (Exodus 7:3,13; 9:12, 10:29; 11:10; 14:4). But also, it was noted that Pharaoh often hardened his own heart (Exodus 7:4, 14, 22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7, 34). In some mysterious way, our human decisions (for which we alone bear responsibility) also play into God's sovereign will. Not that God actively created unbelief or some other evil in Pharaoh's heart, but rather, that in His foreknowledge, God's sovereign will is accomplished.
Why? (9:19) - Really the objection is the fairness of God. Is it "fair" to hold someone responsible for a decision which some other person irresistibly forced them to make? What do we make of this, when it comes to God? We might debate whether God really forced Pharaoh to say no, or whether He just unbalanced Pharaoh's emotions. We might point out—validly—that Pharaoh hardened his own heart repeatedly (Exodus 7:13; 8:15) before God stepped in to make that hardening permanent. However, our limited reasoning does not matter, what matters is that God is God and He can do as He wishes. Human terms don't apply to Him. He is all knowing. His thoughts and His ways are not our ways, they are higher and perfect and holy and true (Isaiah 55:8–9), He is in the position of Creator; we are not.
Who Are You? (9:20) This is a good lesson for all of us when we feel that God has made a mistake, and we begin to ask Him why? Why did you allow this? The reality is that we don't have the right to ask Him, "why?" He answered Job's pleas by reminding him of the fact of creation "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?" (Job 38-40). The fact of divine election and human responsibility are not fully comprehended by our finite minds, but scripture and human experience demonstrate both to be true. We must rest in the truth of this, and act in the light of it.
Vessels of Wrath (9:22) - Paul seems to mean by these "vessels" all those who will not receive God's mercy. These are those who will instead be separated from Him forever in hell. These vessels—these people—are objects of God's anger. This is one area where theology and doctrine begin to take different views of Paul's meaning. Is God patiently enduring these persons until the time comes for them to be destroyed? Or, is God patiently enduring to make time for some to repent and be revealed as the "vessels of mercy" described in the following verse? Bible teachers disagree based both on translation and doctrinal beliefs. In Ephesians 2, Paul refers to himself as having previously been a child of wrath: We "were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ" (Ephesians 2:3–5). Some take that, along with verses such as 2 Peter 3:9, as evidence for the idea that God's "patience" is aimed at mercifully giving some of these unsaved persons more time to repent. Either way, Paul seems to be making two larger points. First, God is the Maker, Creator, and he has the right to make people to serve His own purposes. Secondly, God endures with great patience even those who reject and hate him, those "vessels of wrath" who are destined for destruction. Remember, "...God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9.
Glory (9:23) - This refers to the greatness of God's character, seen especially in the grace, mercy, compassion, and forgiveness He grants sinners in Christ.
Glory (9:23) - This refers to the greatness of God's character, seen especially in the grace, mercy, compassion, and forgiveness He grants sinners in Christ.
Vessels of Mercy (9:23) - Those who have been saved because of God's merciful work through Jesus Christ.
As He said...Said unto them (9:25-26) - Paul quotes Hosea 1:9, 10; 2:23. Hosea spoke of the ultimate restoration of Israel to God, but Paul's emphasis is that restoration necessarily implies her present alienation from God. In other words, Israel's unbelief is consistent with the OT revelation.
Esais also cried... (9:27-28) See Isaiah 10:22, 23. Isaiah prophesied that the southern kingdom of Judah would be conquered and scattered - temporarily rejected by God - because of her unbelief. A preview if you will, of Israel's rejection of the Messiah and her subsequent destruction and scattering.
LORD of Sabaoth (9:29) - This OT title for God is translated "Lord of Hosts" and refers to His all-encompassing sovereignty.
Esais also cried... (9:27-28) See Isaiah 10:22, 23. Isaiah prophesied that the southern kingdom of Judah would be conquered and scattered - temporarily rejected by God - because of her unbelief. A preview if you will, of Israel's rejection of the Messiah and her subsequent destruction and scattering.
LORD of Sabaoth (9:29) - This OT title for God is translated "Lord of Hosts" and refers to His all-encompassing sovereignty.
Righteousness of Faith (9:30) - Righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith. Paul's entire argument that God will show His mercy to some Jews and not others has been based on what he has written earlier in Romans. God will show His mercy exclusively and only to those who come to Him by faith in Christ. Up to this point in chapter 9, however, Paul has not anchored this argument to Jesus Himself. He begins to do so now.
The Law of Righteousness (9:31) - Righteousness earned by keeping the law. Paul is using a question-and-answer approach to sum up what he has written in this chapter. In fact, he's tying together concepts used throughout the book of Romans. He imagines an incredulous Jewish person asking the question posed in the previous verse and in this one. That person might have asked, "are you saying, Paul, that even though the Gentiles never pursued the righteousness of God by attempting to follow the law of Moses, that those who have faith in Christ have been given God's righteousness, anyway? Are you also saying, Paul, that Israel, who has pursued God's righteousness by attempting to live under the law for generations, has not succeeded in keeping the law and has not been declared righteous by God?" Paul's answer to both questions is a simple "yes." He has taught throughout this book that being declared righteous before God comes only through faith in Christ. That status cannot be reached by following the law.
Why? (9:32) - The Jewish people did not seek to be made righteous by faith. They wanted God to declare them righteous based on their works, on their ability to keep the law. As Paul has shown throughout Romans, nobody can keep the law (Romans 3:10; 3:23), so nobody can demonstrate their righteousness to God in that way.
In seeking to be justified by their own works, by their own behavior, Paul writes that most Israelites have "stumbled over the stumbling stone." Paul will make clear in the following verse that this stumbling stone is Jesus Christ.
Behold, I Lay in Sion a Stumblingstone and Rock of Offence (9:33) - See Isaiah 8:14; 28:16. Long before Jesus' coming, the Old Testament prophets had predicted that Israel would reject her Messiah, illustrating again that her unbelief is perfectly consistent with the scriptures. That "stone" which caused Israel to stumble, the "rock" which offended their self-righteousness, was actually not and it, but a HIM. He is none other than their Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. Israel's rejection of Him resulted in God setting Israel aside and turning to the Gentiles. This truth is also expounded by Christ in Matthew 21:42 and Peter in 1 Peter 2:8.
In seeking to be justified by their own works, by their own behavior, Paul writes that most Israelites have "stumbled over the stumbling stone." Paul will make clear in the following verse that this stumbling stone is Jesus Christ.
Behold, I Lay in Sion a Stumblingstone and Rock of Offence (9:33) - See Isaiah 8:14; 28:16. Long before Jesus' coming, the Old Testament prophets had predicted that Israel would reject her Messiah, illustrating again that her unbelief is perfectly consistent with the scriptures. That "stone" which caused Israel to stumble, the "rock" which offended their self-righteousness, was actually not and it, but a HIM. He is none other than their Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. Israel's rejection of Him resulted in God setting Israel aside and turning to the Gentiles. This truth is also expounded by Christ in Matthew 21:42 and Peter in 1 Peter 2:8.
