 Introduction At the close of Romans 8, Paul leaves us with one of the most triumphant declarations in all of Scripture: nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Our redemption is secure, God’s promises stand unshaken, and eternal life is assured for all who believe. But as we turn the page into Romans 9, the tone shifts dramatically from the heights of hope to the depths of sorrow. Paul’s heart breaks for his own people, the Israelites, who have not embraced the Messiah. His passion for the Gentile mission might have led some to think he had turned his back on Israel, but nothing could be further from the truth. With deep anguish, Paul makes it clear that his love for his people and his longing for their salvation remain as strong as ever. He also wants to reassure the Roman Christians that, though he now labors alongside them, he does not share in any disdain they may have harbored toward the Jewish people. Romans 9:1 - 5 Paul wants to affirm that God’s plan for Israel has not changed. The Lord truly did choose the Jewish people, equipping them to be his representatives in the world. At the same time, Paul insists that Jesus of Nazareth really was, and still is, the promised Messiah of Israel. Yet this conviction does not bring Paul comfort; it brings him anguish. His heart is burdened with deep sorrow for the souls of his Jewish brothers and sisters. He lives with constant emotional and spiritual tension: on one hand, he knows the joy of belonging to Christ and the gift of righteousness found in him; on the other hand, he cannot escape the grief of knowing that most of his fellow Jews reject Jesus as Messiah. His passion for their salvation runs so deep that he says he would be willing to be “accursed” if it meant his people would come to faith. The word “accursed” is translated from the Greek word anathema, a term denoting excommunication. In other words, Paul declares that he would be cut off or excommunicate himself if only it would open the way for his people to embrace Christ. Such words reveal the extraordinary depth of his love and devotion to his fellow Israelites. Paul’s grief, however, is not only that many of his people seem destined for judgment; it is also the glaring contradiction between their rejection of Christ and the many privileges God had entrusted to them. They were the people of God, the adopted children, the heirs of the covenants, the recipients of the Law, and the ones to whom God revealed his glory. Their history was filled with blessings: they could look back to Abraham, Isaac, and the patriarchs as their fathers; they could claim a lineage that even included Jesus himself, born as an Israelite; and above all, they served the one true and sovereign God who rules over all things. This long list of privileges serves a purpose. Paul rehearses Israel’s blessings to prepare for the pressing question at the heart of this section: if Israel has been given so much, how can they now be in such unbelief? And more pointedly, has God’s word failed? Romans 9:6–13 It was a common practice among Jewish teachers to retell Israel’s story, sometimes beginning with Abraham, other times even with Adam, as a way of tracing God’s hand in history and interpreting His present purposes. Paul does something similar here. He reminds his readers that, although many Israelites, those who had inherited the promises, were refusing to recognize their fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the Gentiles, who had long been considered outside of the covenant, were now embracing Him in faith. This reversal was shocking, yet Paul insists that it does not undermine the truthfulness of God’s word or the certainty of His promises. A Sovereign Pause At this point, I want to pause and highlight the sovereignty of God, a theme that has been both a source of comfort and controversy throughout church history. Many readers see in these verses a clear testimony to God’s sovereign rule over history and His gracious election of His people. But first, what do we mean when we speak of the sovereignty of God? To confess God’s sovereignty is to affirm His supremacy, His kingship, His absolute God-ness. It is to declare that God is the Most High, that He does all He pleases in heaven and on earth (Dan. 4:35). His sovereignty means no one can thwart His purposes or question His ways. As the psalmist declares, “Our God is in the heavens, and he does as he wishes.” (Ps. 115:3). He governs the nations (Ps. 22:28), raises kingdoms and brings them down, and directs the course of history according to His will. In short, to confess God’s sovereignty is to declare that He is “the King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Tim. 6:15). God’s sovereignty is not partial or limited; it is absolute, irresistible, and unlimited. It affirms His right to rule over the universe He created for His glory. Later in this chapter, Paul will use the image of the potter and the clay to illustrate this truth: God has the right to shape the clay as He wills, forming from the same lump one vessel for honor and another for dishonor. His sovereignty means He is under no external law or authority; He is a law unto Himself, acting always according to His own perfect nature and will, accountable to none. Sovereignty, then, is not merely one attribute among others; it characterizes the whole being of God. He is sovereign in His wisdom, in His justice, in His mercy, and in His power. His authority is exercised how, when, and where He chooses. Grasping this truth is essential if we are to rightly understand and appreciate the difficult, yet glorious, realities Paul unfolds in the verses that follow. Paul demonstrates God’s sovereignty in these verses by recalling two sets of brothers: Isaac and Ishmael, and Jacob and Esau. All four were descendants of Abraham, Israelites by birth, yet not all were recipients of the covenant. Paul reminds us that God chose Isaac over Ishmael and Jacob over Esau—not because of their moral character or their future deeds, but solely because of His sovereign purpose. From the very beginning, God’s promises to Abraham and Sarah, and later to Isaac and Rebekah, were grounded in His sovereign choice. The promise was not given to all of Abraham’s seed indiscriminately, but specifically to Sarah’s children, not Hagar’s. One might argue this makes sense since Sarah, not Hagar, was Abraham’s wife. Yet Paul pushes the illustration further by turning to Rebekah’s children, Jacob and Esau. Here, the distinction cannot be explained by different mothers or external circumstances. They shared the same father and mother, yet God declared before they were born that the covenant blessings would flow through Jacob and not Esau (Rom. 9:11). This choice was not made in view of their character, for Jacob was hardly more righteous than Esau. In fact, one might argue that Esau appeared more honorable, while Jacob was a deceiver. Yet God chose Jacob. Why? Simply because He is God, and this was His sovereign will. This raises the inevitable question: Does God choose arbitrarily? Does He flip a coin, deciding randomly whom to bless and whom to reject? The Scriptures give us no simple, logical answer. As Tim Keller observes, “Every alternative creates even more problems and difficulties. The first is this: without ‘election,’ you compromise the central teaching of the Bible that we are saved by grace alone, not by our works. If the difference between the unbeliever and the believer is ultimately in us (a greater humility, a greater openness, etc), then we are the real authors of our salvation.”[1] Thus, if you expect a definitive explanation of why God chooses some and not others, you will leave disappointed. The answer Scripture gives us is simply: God chooses whom He chooses because He is sovereign. Beyond that, we cannot go. God’s election of Jacob over Esau was not based on merit or foreknowledge of works but on His sovereign plan. And while that answer may unsettle us, Paul points us forward to consider another dimension of God’s character, His mercy. Before turning to mercy, however, Paul grounds us in the revelation of God’s attributes. In Exodus 34:5–7 (NRSV), the Lord reveals Himself to Moses: “The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name, ‘The Lord.’ The Lord passed before him, and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin, yet by no means clearing the guilty, but visiting the iniquity of the parents upon the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” Here we see that God is:
Romans 9:14–24 Paul anticipates the objection: “Is God unjust?” His emphatic answer: “By no means!” (v.14). Quoting God’s words to Moses, he reminds us: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion” (Exod. 33:19). At first glance, this might sound harsh, but when considered alongside God’s revealed character, we see that His sovereign mercy flows from His goodness, not from arbitrary whim. No one can claim God’s mercy as a right. As Paul has already declared: “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). The true wonder, then, is not that God withholds mercy from some but that He shows mercy to any. Every act of kindness, grace, compassion, and forgiveness demonstrates that God is trustworthy, just, and abounding in steadfast love. Paul illustrates this with Pharaoh. The Exodus narrative alternates between Pharaoh hardening his heart and God hardening it. Both are true. Pharaoh resisted God willfully; God confirmed him in that rebellion. As Paul has already explained in chapter 1, God “gave them over” to the desires of their sinful hearts. In Pharaoh’s case, God’s hardening was an act of judgment—allowing Pharaoh to walk the path he had already chosen. Thus, when Scripture says God hardens hearts, it does not mean He implants rebellion where none exists. Instead, He hands sinners over to their own willful resistance. In this paradox, both divine sovereignty and human responsibility remain true. Paul concludes this section with the metaphor of the potter and the clay. The potter has total authority over the clay, shaping one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use. His point is not to dismiss human responsibility but to emphasize God’s sovereign rights as Creator. Paul echoes God’s rebuke to Job: “Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words? Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?...” (Job 38:1 - 7). God’s sovereignty is not for us to challenge. His wisdom is infinite, His purposes beyond our comprehension. Our role is not to accuse Him of unfairness but to trust His character as revealed in Scripture. As Douglas Moo summarizes: “On this general approach, then, the verse is asserting God’s right to use nations, or individuals, for different purposes in his unfolding plan of salvation. Some, such as Ishmael, Esau, Pharaoh, and the hardened Jews, have a negative or ‘dishonorable’ role to play in the purposes of God in history. Others—such as Isaac, Jacob, and believing Jews and Gentiles—have a positive role.”[2] Conclusion & Application Paul’s wrestling with Israel’s unbelief is not just a theological puzzle—it’s a deeply personal struggle. He loves his people and longs for them to know Christ, and yet he clings to the truth that God’s promises never fail. That same tension often shows up in our own lives. We may carry a burden for loved ones who do not believe, or we may wrestle with questions about God’s plan when life feels confusing. In those moments, Romans 9 reminds us that God’s hand is steady, His purposes are sure, and His promises never waver. This gives us two clear applications. First, we are invited to trust God’s sovereignty with open hands. Even when His ways are hidden from us, we can rest in the assurance that His plan is good and His Word is true. He has not failed, and He will not fail. Second, like Paul, we are called to let our love for others fuel our prayers and our witness. Paul’s anguish for his fellow Jews reminds us that theology should never make us cold—it should ignite compassion. If we truly believe that Christ is the only hope of salvation, then our response must be both trust in God’s sovereign work and an active love for those who still need to hear the gospel. At the end of the day, the question “Has God’s word failed?” is answered with a resounding no. His Word stands, His promises endure, and His plan continues to unfold. Our role is not to control the outcome, but to remain faithful, trusting His heart, sharing His truth, and resting in His unfailing love. Responding to the Word: Romans in Real Life Go to www.jeffreyholton.net for digital copies of the questions. 1. Who weighs heaviest on your heart when it comes to salvation? Paul carried deep anguish for his fellow Israelites who had not received Christ. His burden shows us what it means to love people enough to pray for them with tears.
Israel had incredible spiritual privileges, God’s Word, His promises, His presence—yet many still rejected Him. Blessings only bear fruit if we receive them with faith.
Paul assures us that God’s Word never fails, even when circumstances look dark or people walk away. His purposes are always advancing.
Paul shows that salvation depends not on human effort but on God’s gracious choice. This frees us from striving and points us back to Christ alone.
God declares, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy.” His mercy is never earned, only given. This truth humbles our pride and gives us hope.
Pharaoh resisted God again and again until his heart became fully hardened. His story reminds us not to delay obedience when God speaks.
Paul reminds us that God is the Potter, and we are the clay. He shapes our lives with wisdom and love, even when we don’t understand His purposes.
[1] Timothy Keller, Romans 8–16 For You (The Good Book Company, 2014), p. 51. [2] Douglas J. Moo, The Epistle to the Romans (NICNT; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996), p. 604.
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Jeff has been in full-time ministry for thirty years. He currently serves as Executive Director at Anchor House Ministry at SeaPort Manatee in Palmetto, FL and he is a part-time Campus Pastor at West Bradenton Southside in Bradenton, Florida.
Jeff Has authored recently published (Nov. 2025) his commentary on Revelation titled Revelation for My Friends, A Lent Devotional (A Spiritual Journey to Lent), an Advent Devotional (The Advent of Jesus), and a devotional on the book of James (James: Where Faith and Life Meet). All four are available on Amazon. He is married to Carrie and they have four children, Micaiah, Gabe, Simon, and Berea. Preview or purchase Jeff's Books
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