Day 13 of 21
Israel's Story Part 1
Has God's Word Failed?
Scripture Readings
Today's Reading
Read Romans 9:1-18: Paul's anguish over Israel — "I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh." He then argues that God's word has not failed: not all descendants of Abraham are the true Israel.
Then read Exodus 33:19: "I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name 'The LORD.' And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy."
Reflection
Romans 9-11 is the section of the letter that many readers find most difficult — and most vital. Paul has just completed his magnificent presentation of the gospel: justification by faith, peace with God, union with Christ, life in the Spirit, nothing can separate us from God's love. But there is an enormous unresolved question: What about Israel?
If the gospel is the fulfillment of God's promises, and if most of Israel has rejected the gospel, has God's word failed? Has He abandoned His chosen people? Paul feels the weight of this question with devastating personal intensity.
N.T. Wright captures Paul's anguish:
"Paul's anguish over Israel in Romans 9 is not theological speculation. It is the cry of a man who would give up his own salvation if it could save his kinsmen. This is the heart of a true apostle."
"I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers." This is an echo of Moses in Exodus 32:32: "If you will, forgive their sin — but if not, please blot me out of your book." Paul loves his people with a love that borders on self-destruction.
His answer begins not with an explanation but with a distinction: "Not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel." Physical descent from Abraham does not guarantee inclusion in the covenant promise. God has always worked through selection — choosing Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau — not on the basis of works but on the basis of His sovereign call.
Paul then quotes Exodus 33:19: "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy." This is God's sovereign prerogative, and Paul will not soften it.
Calvin defends God's sovereignty:
"God's election is not arbitrary, nor is it unjust. It is the sovereign exercise of mercy by the god who alone has the right to show mercy as he chooses. The clay does not lecture the potter."
Going Deeper
Romans 9 is uncomfortable because it confronts us with the sovereignty of God at its most absolute. Paul does not resolve every tension. He does not answer every philosophical question about free will and predestination. What he does is insist that God's word has not failed, that God's purposes stand, and that mercy is always God's initiative. We will see over the next two days how this argument unfolds — and where it leads.
Key Quotes
“Paul's anguish over Israel in Romans 9 is not theological speculation. It is the cry of a man who would give up his own salvation if it could save his kinsmen. This is the heart of a true apostle.”
“God's election is not arbitrary, nor is it unjust. It is the sovereign exercise of mercy by the God who alone has the right to show mercy as he chooses. The clay does not lecture the potter.”
Prayer Focus
Praying for the Jewish people — with something of Paul's own anguish and love — and trusting God's sovereign purposes even when you cannot trace them
Meditation
Paul says he would wish himself 'accursed and cut off from Christ' for the sake of his kinsmen. What does this level of love for others look like? Do you feel anything like it for anyone?
Question for Discussion
How should the church today think about God's sovereignty and human freedom when it comes to who is saved — does Romans 9 settle the debate or deepen the mystery?