The mystery of predestination Romans 9

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6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7 Neither are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants.[e] On the contrary, your offspring will be traced[f]through Isaac. Romans 9:6-7, NIV

     It would at first appear that there is a great shift in chapter 9 of Romans.  In the last few chapters, the focus would be on the way in which a person is justified before God.  Now, in the next three chapters, Paul focuses on the Jewish people.  He talks about a hard subject which is predestination and election.  He talks about how he is full of sorrow because of the lost state of the Jewish nation.  He doesn’t hate these people.  Rather, he says he would rather be accursed than to see these people lost.  He has a great heart for them.

    But, justification is still the point of these verses.  IN verses 1-13, Paul talks about how even though many are descendants of Abraham, not all are descendants of the promise.  The promise he is talking about is through Jacob and then through Isaac.   He says these people are ones through whom received 8 blessings of God including the covenant, the temple service, the law and the prophets.  God had a special relationship with Israel.  They saw the pillar of fire of God’s presence at night and the cloud by day.  They heard his voice on Mt.Sinai and heard his thunder.  Yet, this does not and will not justify them.  Anymore than church attendance, giving, what Bible I read or what I do will justify me.

    While there is some elements of this chapter that are a mystery to me.  How to reconcile the free will of man and the sovereignty of God is something that is a bit of a mystery.  There are many mysteries in the Bible.  That is because God is infinite and we are finite.  Try explaining the Trinity to people.  There is no graphic or explanation that is perfect.  That is because God is unique.  Or try explaining the problem of evil and how Satan is a created being.  Let me know when you have a perfect answer, I would love to hear it.  There is an element in which God is a mystery and infinitely greater than our understanding.


    One of the struggles of this chapter, is that it makes God in some ways sound cold.  That God would pick some people and not others.  That is the struggle of election.   The Bible affirms both free will (at least in a limited way) and God's Sovereignty, so we should accept both.  We should also keep in mind though that God doesn’t have to pick anyone.  We’ve already seen that there is no one in earth that is acceptable to God earlier in Romans.  The fact that he picks anyone is a gift of mercy and grace.   It isn’t our responsibly to question God, but rather to be grateful for accepting us and demonstrating that gratitude by living for him each day. 

Other resources

Sermon on Romans 9 by Ray Stedman  http://www.raystedman.org/romans1/0020.html

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%209

Desiring God ministries sermons on Romans 9 http://www.desiringgod.org/sermons/by-scripture/romans/9

http://executableoutlines.com/ro/ro_09.htm

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