What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
The question asks whether God is unfair and answers it with an emphatic denial that there is any unrighteousness in Him. It belongs to Paul's discussion of divine sovereignty and election explaining who inherits God's promise and how it is obtained through grace in Christ. God is not arbitrary when He chooses whom to use for His purposes, for as Creator He acts like a potter over vessels according to His wisdom and whether people are fit to continue, with the preference for Jacob over Esau resting on character because Jacob prized the birthright while Esau despised it. That choice gave honor of serving as the family and channel of blessing to the world and did not bar others from salvation, for God offers mercy to all and endures even the rebellious with long patience, only giving them over after repeated resistance, and salvation depends not on human willing but on His mercy which may be accepted or refused. So His setting aside of unbelieving Israel was just after He had done everything that could be done for them, for the promises were conditional on obedience and true Israel is formed not by natural descent but by faith in Christ.
Question and Context
What shall we say then is a challenge asking whether unrighteousness exists with God, and the answer is an emphatic denial that He ever acts unjustly. In its larger setting the question belongs to Romans 4-11 on human sin and need and God's grace in salvation through Jesus Christ. More specifically it belongs to Paul's discussion of divine sovereignty and election explaining who inherits God's promise and how that promise is obtained.
Its immediate context in Romans 9:10-30 centers on the righteousness of God, contrasting Gentiles receiving righteousness by faith with Israel failing to attain it by seeking righteousness through works. Christ is the stumbling stone to those not submitting to God's righteousness, and He is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Though Israel according to the flesh followed after the law of righteousness but did not attain it because they sought it not by faith but by works, while the Gentiles who sought righteousness by faith gained precedence over them, there is no unrighteousness with God in His dealing with them.
The preference for Jacob over Esau rested on character, for Jacob prized God's birthright and blessing while Esau despised them. God's hatred is without vindictiveness or evil intent, hating sin, with hate meaning loving less rather than holding malice or ill will. Jacob and Esau represent characters as well as individuals. The choice of Jacob's line to carry God's truth to the world and the setting aside of Esau for that role did not bar Esau from salvation, for Esau could still seek God in the appointed way. Esau could have yielded to God and received a righteous character as Jacob did, and God's foreknowledge of character does not mean He withholds help but does all His power can do to help.
Sovereign Mercy and Choice
There is no unrighteousness with God when He chooses whom He will use for His purposes, for as Creator He has the right to choose instruments of mercy and judgment according to His will and wisdom. Like a potter over his vessels He has authority to preserve or destroy, yet His decisions about continued existence are not arbitrary but accord strictly with whether persons are fit or unfit to continue existing. In choosing Isaac rather than Ishmael and Jacob rather than Esau He bestowed the honor of serving as the family and church through whom He would bless the world. That choice concerned this special role and privilege of service, not an arbitrary judgment of personal worth, and it did no wrong to those not chosen for it.
God offers grace and gives opportunities to serve His purposes, enduring with patience and much long-suffering even the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction. He still stretches out His hands all day long that they might be saved and does not cast them off for stumbling. Only after they repeatedly resist and reject His offers and prove themselves hopelessly rebellious are they given over to their own ways or appointed to a different role.
His choice is not arbitrary but rests on and expresses His mercy, which fills the earth and endures forever. Salvation does not depend on human willing or effort but on God's mercy as His undeserved gift, which persons may accept or refuse, and His judgment is impartial according to each person's work. His sovereignty is gracious and merciful in purpose and does not mean He predestines anyone to sin, condemnation, or destruction. Israel received covenant privileges and Pharaoh was raised to power so God could reveal His power and name through them, but Pharaoh, who was already wicked, was used to display that power after his refusal to follow God's way removed him from it; God can bring praise from human wrath, yet human rebellion is not His purpose.
Israel, Faith, and Promise
There is no unfairness in God in setting aside the Jews as a nation and withdrawing their blessings and trust, though they had once been His greatly favored people entrusted with His covenants, law, worship, promises and the human ancestry of Christ, and though through them He had provided salvation for the world. The question of injustice arises precisely because of that high favor and entrustment, and the answer is an emphatic denial that God acted unjustly in rejecting them.
That rejection was just, and God stands fully exonerated from every charge of unfairness, because He had done everything that could be done for them. His long patience and repeated offers of grace and mercy were met with persistent disobedience, rejection of His messengers, and idolatry, so that rejection came as the inevitable demand of justice. The final proof is that when Christ came and lived among them and revealed His character and offered His life as a ransom for their sins, they did not receive Him but demanded His blood and put Him to death on the cross. When justice finally required punishment further intercession would not avert it, as when Israel was sent into seventy years of Babylonian captivity, and the principle has a broader application beyond Israel.
The promises of the kingdom to the descendants of Jacob were conditional on obeying God's voice and keeping His covenant, and they were forfeited under the old covenant. God therefore justly took the kingdom of God from them and gave it to a nation bringing forth its fruits, to the poor of this world rich in faith who love Him. The forfeited promises can only be regained by obtaining an interest in Jesus, now the Prince and soon to be crowned King. God shows no special favor or regard to people because they are literal descendants of Jacob, and the gospel promise is fulfilled without restoring an ethnic distinction, with people becoming part of God's people through faith in Christ.
Natural descent from Israel does not by itself make true Israel in the gospel sense, for not all who belong to Israel by birth are counted as Israel. Unbelieving descendants of Abraham and Jacob are not counted as Abraham's children or heirs of the promises and cannot claim the name of Israel, while Gentiles who believe are Abraham's seed and belong to Israel's commonwealth as fellow citizens in Christ. The promise is fulfilled in the believing remnant, who share the same privileges as Gentile believers. Hosea's prophecy does not promise a restoration of Israel according to the flesh, but concerns this gathering of the true seed from all nations through the gospel. Israel according to the flesh is accursed from Christ because they followed after the law of righteousness but sought it not by faith but by works and did not attain to righteousness, and so fell behind the Gentiles who sought righteousness by faith and gained the precedence over them, yet God did not cast off His people because they stumbled at the Stone He placed for a foundation.
The question asks whether God is unfair and answers it with an emphatic denial that there is any unrighteousness in Him. It belongs to Paul's discussion of divine sovereignty and election explaining who inherits God's promise and how it is obtained through grace in Christ. God is not arbitrary when He chooses whom to use for His purposes, for as Creator He acts like a potter over vessels according to His wisdom and whether people are fit to continue, with the preference for Jacob over Esau resting on character because Jacob prized the birthright while Esau despised it. That choice gave honor of serving as the family and channel of blessing to the world and did not bar others from salvation, for God offers mercy to all and endures even the rebellious with long patience, only giving them over after repeated resistance, and salvation depends not on human willing but on His mercy which may be accepted or refused. So His setting aside of unbelieving Israel was just after He had done everything that could be done for them, for the promises were conditional on obedience and true Israel is formed not by natural descent but by faith in Christ.
Question and Context
What shall we say then is a challenge asking whether unrighteousness exists with God, and the answer is an emphatic denial that He ever acts unjustly. In its larger setting the question belongs to Romans 4-11 on human sin and need and God's grace in salvation through Jesus Christ. More specifically it belongs to Paul's discussion of divine sovereignty and election explaining who inherits God's promise and how that promise is obtained.
Its immediate context in Romans 9:10-30 centers on the righteousness of God, contrasting Gentiles receiving righteousness by faith with Israel failing to attain it by seeking righteousness through works. Christ is the stumbling stone to those not submitting to God's righteousness, and He is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Though Israel according to the flesh followed after the law of righteousness but did not attain it because they sought it not by faith but by works, while the Gentiles who sought righteousness by faith gained precedence over them, there is no unrighteousness with God in His dealing with them.
The preference for Jacob over Esau rested on character, for Jacob prized God's birthright and blessing while Esau despised them. God's hatred is without vindictiveness or evil intent, hating sin, with hate meaning loving less rather than holding malice or ill will. Jacob and Esau represent characters as well as individuals. The choice of Jacob's line to carry God's truth to the world and the setting aside of Esau for that role did not bar Esau from salvation, for Esau could still seek God in the appointed way. Esau could have yielded to God and received a righteous character as Jacob did, and God's foreknowledge of character does not mean He withholds help but does all His power can do to help.
Sovereign Mercy and Choice
There is no unrighteousness with God when He chooses whom He will use for His purposes, for as Creator He has the right to choose instruments of mercy and judgment according to His will and wisdom. Like a potter over his vessels He has authority to preserve or destroy, yet His decisions about continued existence are not arbitrary but accord strictly with whether persons are fit or unfit to continue existing. In choosing Isaac rather than Ishmael and Jacob rather than Esau He bestowed the honor of serving as the family and church through whom He would bless the world. That choice concerned this special role and privilege of service, not an arbitrary judgment of personal worth, and it did no wrong to those not chosen for it.
God offers grace and gives opportunities to serve His purposes, enduring with patience and much long-suffering even the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction. He still stretches out His hands all day long that they might be saved and does not cast them off for stumbling. Only after they repeatedly resist and reject His offers and prove themselves hopelessly rebellious are they given over to their own ways or appointed to a different role.
His choice is not arbitrary but rests on and expresses His mercy, which fills the earth and endures forever. Salvation does not depend on human willing or effort but on God's mercy as His undeserved gift, which persons may accept or refuse, and His judgment is impartial according to each person's work. His sovereignty is gracious and merciful in purpose and does not mean He predestines anyone to sin, condemnation, or destruction. Israel received covenant privileges and Pharaoh was raised to power so God could reveal His power and name through them, but Pharaoh, who was already wicked, was used to display that power after his refusal to follow God's way removed him from it; God can bring praise from human wrath, yet human rebellion is not His purpose.
Israel, Faith, and Promise
There is no unfairness in God in setting aside the Jews as a nation and withdrawing their blessings and trust, though they had once been His greatly favored people entrusted with His covenants, law, worship, promises and the human ancestry of Christ, and though through them He had provided salvation for the world. The question of injustice arises precisely because of that high favor and entrustment, and the answer is an emphatic denial that God acted unjustly in rejecting them.
That rejection was just, and God stands fully exonerated from every charge of unfairness, because He had done everything that could be done for them. His long patience and repeated offers of grace and mercy were met with persistent disobedience, rejection of His messengers, and idolatry, so that rejection came as the inevitable demand of justice. The final proof is that when Christ came and lived among them and revealed His character and offered His life as a ransom for their sins, they did not receive Him but demanded His blood and put Him to death on the cross. When justice finally required punishment further intercession would not avert it, as when Israel was sent into seventy years of Babylonian captivity, and the principle has a broader application beyond Israel.
The promises of the kingdom to the descendants of Jacob were conditional on obeying God's voice and keeping His covenant, and they were forfeited under the old covenant. God therefore justly took the kingdom of God from them and gave it to a nation bringing forth its fruits, to the poor of this world rich in faith who love Him. The forfeited promises can only be regained by obtaining an interest in Jesus, now the Prince and soon to be crowned King. God shows no special favor or regard to people because they are literal descendants of Jacob, and the gospel promise is fulfilled without restoring an ethnic distinction, with people becoming part of God's people through faith in Christ.
Natural descent from Israel does not by itself make true Israel in the gospel sense, for not all who belong to Israel by birth are counted as Israel. Unbelieving descendants of Abraham and Jacob are not counted as Abraham's children or heirs of the promises and cannot claim the name of Israel, while Gentiles who believe are Abraham's seed and belong to Israel's commonwealth as fellow citizens in Christ. The promise is fulfilled in the believing remnant, who share the same privileges as Gentile believers. Hosea's prophecy does not promise a restoration of Israel according to the flesh, but concerns this gathering of the true seed from all nations through the gospel. Israel according to the flesh is accursed from Christ because they followed after the law of righteousness but sought it not by faith but by works and did not attain to righteousness, and so fell behind the Gentiles who sought righteousness by faith and gained the precedence over them, yet God did not cast off His people because they stumbled at the Stone He placed for a foundation.