What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God."
In today's lesson Paul makes it clear that God did indeed predestine some individuals, and even some entire peoples, to inherit His wrath because of things He (God) caused them to do so that He could institute His plan of redemption, (His operation).
Paul gave the example of how God kept hardening the heart of Pharaoh so that His plan for the redemption of the Israel could be fulfilled.
Judas Iscariot was another example of how one soul was predestined to be forfeited so that God's plan could be enacted.
This lesson explains how, and why, the Jews were used as pawns to help enable God's overall plan of salvation.
In essence, and in much simpler terms, the whole universe belongs to God to do with as He sees fit. Whether or not we accept that, or agree with it, is left up to us. That option is called "free will".
We should also remember that all the ancient Jews who lived believing that God would provide them a redeemer were saved by that faith just as we today are saved by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.~
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