The apostle mentions here the mystery of God's providence. And the chief mystery here lies in where, when, and why God considers it necessary to intervene in a situation or, conversely...
The apostle mentions here the mystery of God's providence. And the chief mystery here lies in where, when, and why God considers it necessary to intervene in a situation or, conversely, to leave everything to the natural course of events. We recall here the story of the Exodus when, on the one hand, God hardened Pharaoh's heart (Ex. 7:3, 9:12, 10:1, 10:20), and on the other, Pharaoh himself hardened his heart (Ex. 8:15, 8:32). The question, of course, is not cruelty, but hardness, stubbornness, unwillingness to yield. It turns out that it is still not God who hardens Pharaoh's heart; Pharaoh does this himself. Could God have intervened and changed the situation?
In principle, He certainly could have: everything is in His power. But why, then, did He not do this? And can a person be blamed when God Himself leaves him to the mercy of fate? Paul does not answer this question directly. He only mentions the potter and the vessel made by him. God knows everything about man just as the potter knows about the clay with which he works, and man is wholly and completely in His power just as clay is in the power of the potter. Only the vessel can hardly understand why the potter intended it for this or that use.
And with respect to God's plans, including those concerning himself, man knows no more than a vessel knows about the potter's plans. A person simply cannot know more about them for objective reasons, because of that difference between God and man which remains even when God throws a bridge over the abyss separating man from Him. That is why no one among people is able to understand why in some cases God intervenes in a situation and actively changes it, while in others He as it were remains aside and leaves everything to the natural course of events.
Only one thing is obvious to the apostle: his own people, faced with the Messiah who had appeared in the world, proved no less stubborn than Pharaoh before the God of Israel. Why does God not intervene and change anything right now? Unknown: this is the mystery of God and the Jewish people, the mystery of their relationships, known to God alone. Paul only hopes that the situation will not remain this way forever and that someday the day of conversion of his people will come, when they will accept the Messiah.
9 In this chapter St. Paul, after strongly declaring his love and esteem for them, sets himself to answer the grand objection of his countrymen; namely, that the rejection of the Jews and reception of the gentiles was contrary to the word of God. That he had not here the least thought of personal election or reprobation is manifest,
9:19 Why doth he still find fault - The particle still is strongly expressive of the objector's sour, morose murmuring. For who hath resisted his will - The word his likewise expresses his surliness and aversion to God, whom he does not even deign to name.
9:20 Nay, but who art thou, O man - Little, impotent, ignorant man. That repliest against God - That accusest God of injustice, for himself fixing the terms on which he will show mercy? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus - Why hast thou made me capable of honour and immortality, only by believing?
9:21 Hath not the potter power over the clay - And much more hath not God power over his creatures, to appoint one vessel, namely, the believer, to honour, and another, the unbeliever, to dishonour?
If we survey the right which God has over us, in a more generalway, with regard to his intelligent creatures, God may be considered in two different views, as Creator, Proprietor, and Lord of all; or, as their moral Governor, and Judge.
God, as sovereign Lord and Proprietor of all, dispenses his giftsor favours to his creatures with perfect wisdom, but by no rules or methods of proceeding that we are acquainted with. The time when we shall exist, the country where we shall live, our parents, our constitution of body and turn of mind; these, and numberless other circumstances, are doubtless ordered with perfect wisdom, but by rules that lie quite out of our sight.But God's methods of dealing with us, as our Governor and Judge, are dearly revealed and perfectly known; namely, that he will finally reward every man according to his works: "He that believeth shalt be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned."
Therefore, though "He hath mercy on whom he willeth, andwhom he willeth he hardeneth," that is, suffers to be hardened in consequence of their obstinate wickedness; yet his is not the will of an arbitrary, capricious, or tyrannical being. He wills nothing but what is infinitely wise and good; and therefore his will is a most proper rule of judgment. He will show mercy, as he hath assured us, to none but true believers, nor harden any but such as obstinately refuse his mercy. Jer 18:6-7
9:22 What if God, being willing - Referring to Rom 9:18-19. That is, although it was now his will, because of their obstinate unbelief, To show his wrath - Which necessarily presupposes sin. And to make his power known - This is repeated from the seventeenth verse. Yet endured - As he did Pharaoh. With much longsuffering - Which should have led them to repentance.The vessels of wrath - Those who had moved his wrath by still rejecting his mercy. Fitted for destruction - By their own wilful and final impenitence. Is there any injustice in this ?
9:23 That he might make known - What if by showing such longsuffering even to "the vessels of wrath," he did the more abundantly show the greatness of his glorious goodness, wisdom, and power, on the vessels of mercy; on those whom he had himself, by his grace, prepared for glory. Is this any injustice?
9:24 Even us - Here the apostle comes to the other proposition, of grace free for all, whether Jew or gentile.Of the Jews - This he treats of, Rom 9:25.Of the gentiles - Treated of in the same verse.
9:25 Beloved - As a spouse. Who once was not beloved - Consequently, not unconditionally elected. This relates directly to the final restoration of the Jews. Hos 2:23
9:26 There shall they be called the sons of God - So that they need not leave their own country and come to Judea. Hos 1:10
9:27 But Isaiah testifies, that (as many gentiles will be accepted, so) many Jews will be rejected; that out of all the thousands of Israel, a remnant only shall be saved. This was spoken originally of the few that were saved from the ravage of Sennacherib's army. Isa 10:22-23
9:28 For he is finishing or cutting short his account - In rigorous justice, will leave but a small remnant. There will be so general a destruction, that but a small number will escape.
9:29 As Isaiah had said before - Namely, Isa 1:9, concerning those who were besieged in Jerusalemby Rezin and Pekah.Unless the Lord had left us a seed - Which denotes,
- The present paucity:
- The future abundance.
We had been as Sodom - So that it is no unexampled thing for the main body of the Jewish nation to revolt from God, and perish in their sin.9:30 What shall we say then - What is to be concluded from all that has been said but this, That the gentiles, who followed not after righteousness - Who a while ago had no knowledge of, no care or thought about, it. Have attained to righteousness - Or justification. Even the righteousness which is by faith. This is the first conclusion we may draw from the preceding observations. The second is, that Israel - The Jews Although following after the law of righteousness - That law which, duly used, would have led them to faith, and thereby to righteousness. Have not attained to the law of righteousness - To that righteousness or justification which is one great end ofthe law
9:32 And wherefore have they not? Is it because God eternally decreed they should not? There is nothing like this to be met with but agreeable to his argument the apostle gives us this good reason for it, Because they sought it not by faith - Whereby alone it could be attained.But as it were - In effect, if not professsedly, by works. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone - Christ crucified.
9:33 As it is written - Foretold by their own prophet.Behold, I lay in Sion - I exhibit in my church, what, though it is in truth the only sure foundation of happiness, yet will be in fact a stumblingstone and rock of offence - An occasion of ruin to many, through their obstinate unbelief. Isa 8:14; Isa 28:16