Join us as we delve into Romans Chapter 9, exploring themes of God’s sovereignty and mercy. Paul expresses deep anguish for his own people, the Israelites, emphasizing their special place in God’s plan. Through a reflective Bible reading, discover how God’s election works not through human effort but through His divine promise.
Welcome to Add Bible, an audio daily devotion from the Ezra Project. Allen J. Huth shares a Bible passage with comments from over 35 years of his personal Bible reading journals and applies the Word of God to our daily lives.
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Today we begin the second half of Romans. Romans chapter 9 has 33 verses and we’ll listen to the reading from Faith Comes by Hearing.
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Romans 9 I am speaking the truth in Christ. I am not lying. My conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race according to the flesh is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring. But through Isaac shall your offspring be named. This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.
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For this is what the promise said, About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.
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And not only so, but also when Rebecca had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works, but because of him who calls, she was told, The older will serve the younger.
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As it is written, Jacob I loved.
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But Esau I hated. What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part?
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By no means, for he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.
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So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who has mercy.
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For the scripture says to Pharaoh, For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.
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So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. You will say to me then, Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will? But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, Why have you made me like this? Has the potter no right over the clay to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show His wrath and to make known His power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of His glory for vessels of mercy, which He has prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom He has called? Not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles, as indeed He says in Hosea,
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Those who were not my people, I will call my people. And her who was not beloved, I will call beloved. And in the very place where it was said to them, you are not my people, there they will be called sons of the living God. And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay. And as Isaiah predicted, If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah.
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What shall we say, then, that Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith, but that Israel, who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness, did not succeed in reaching that law? Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written,
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Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.
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I’m going to start in my 2013 journal on Romans chapter 9. I wrote, Paul is in anguish for the lost, particularly his own people. Israel is special to God, according to verses 4 through 5. I’m going to read those verses. They are Israelites. And to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all. So yes, truly, the Jews are special to God. I continued in my journal. He entrusted them with his word, and through them the birth of his Son. God has a purpose of election in verse 11. He chooses whom he wants to accomplish his purposes. He also has mercy and compassion on whom he chooses, according to verse 15, and hardens whom he chooses, according to verse 18. We have no standing to question God, verse 20. Let me stop the journal and read those verses too. But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, why have you made me like this? Has the potter no right over the clay to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? So I’ve heard some Christians say, when I get to heaven, I got a few questions for God. Well, good luck with that. I continued in my journal. He has provided a way for both Jew and Gentile to be saved by faith. According to verse 30 through 32. And way back in 1994, I wrote this about Romans 9. Being Jewish is not enough to save. Never was. Abraham had two sons. One was selected. Isaac had twins from same father and mother. But God still made a sovereign selection. Only some of Abraham’s seed was selected based upon God’s promises, not on their heritage. I continue to write, Paul points out here that if the Jews got what they deserved, they would be history. But God spared some while leading some Gentiles to righteousness by faith. So God is a God of selection. He was and He is. He chose Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to father the nation of Israel. And he chose Israel to give the law, the word of God, and the promises. And he chose their race to be the family of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Verse 15 reminds us, So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who has mercy. And verse 18 says, So then he has mercy on whom he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. I guess my practical application from this chapter is, God is sovereign, I am not. And my prayer is, Lord, I hope I am one in whom you have mercy, and I hope I am one that you have compassion. Let it be so. In your name I pray. Amen. I hope you’re enjoying AdBible. You downloaded or listened to these podcasts free. Yet you know nothing is free in this world. Our prayer at the Ezra Project is that those who benefit from AdBible will prayerfully consider supporting the recording, editing, and publishing of these daily podcasts by joining Club 365. Visit our website, EzraProject.net, to learn how you can join Club 365 for only $10 a month or $100 annually. Members of Club 365 receive gifts and special benefits from the Ezra Project. Check it out today at EzraProject.net. Thank you. Thanks for listening to AdBible Today. You know, sometimes we need a plumb line, a true north, a solid basis of truth to live life. We’re not going to find it in the media or in social media or Google or your friends, but it is available right at your fingertips. Pilate asked Jesus in John 18, 38, what is truth? The chapter before, Jesus had answered the question in his prayer to God for his disciples. In the 17th verse, Jesus pleads with the Father, Sanctify them in the truth. Thy word is truth. So what would it be like if everyone, everywhere, read the Bible every day? Wow, it might be heaven on earth. What would it be like if every Christian read the Bible every day? Would we be better ambassadors for Christ? What would it be like if everyone in your community read the Bible every day? Would we have greater impact in our communities? And what would it be like if you personally read the Bible every day? Could you use a closer walk with Jesus? Could you use a light unto your path and a lamp unto your feet to walk through this life? Could you use a spiritual power surge in your life? Matthew 22, 29, Jesus speaking to the Sadducees said, You are mistaken not understanding the Scriptures or the power of God. Yes, the Scriptures can give us power to live this life. So I’m going to give you three easy action steps to make the Bible worth your time each and every day. Number one, commit to daily Bible reading. Commit to seek God and His Word daily, every day. And if you miss a day, start again the next day. Change your belief about God’s Word to behavior in God’s Word. Use any of our Ezra Project resources to help you. Visit EzraProject.net to get an Ezra Project Bible reading journal or one of our day-by-day through the Bible books. Commit today and visit EzraProject.net for easy-to-use resources for your daily time in God’s Word.
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Be intentional. Decide what you want out of your Bible readings. I got to visit the headquarters of Back to the Bible once in Lincoln, Nebraska. And in one hallway down one side, they had scribbled all the reasons people say they don’t read the Bible. On the other side were all the reasons people do read the Bible. And I want to give you some of those to encourage you. On that wall, it said, God wants me to. Yes, God wants you to read the Bible. Do you want to meet with him daily? Because he’ll meet with you every day through his word. Number two, it changes me. Where could you be in one year with more Bible reading in your life? Number three, it improves my outlook on life. Yeah, turn out the bad news and saturate yourself with good news from the Word of God. Number four, it keeps me grounded. Yes, when the storms of life come, and they will, can you stand? Yes, you’ll stand better and more solid because you’re in the Word of God. Next, it keeps my heart soft. Yeah, Nehemiah 8, when people heard the Word, they wept and they worshiped. You will do the same as the Word softens your heart. Lastly, on the wall, it said, it keeps my daily focus on God. Yeah, that’s a great reason to read the Bible. You’ll gain the spiritual power to live life in our secular world. And then thirdly and lastly, feed your soul. Let God minister to your soul. Hebrews 4.12 says the Word of God pierces between your soul and your spirit, between joints and marrow, and is the discerner of the thoughts and intents of your heart. Nothing else goes that deep. I don’t know where the place is between my soul and my spirit, but I want to put the Word of God there each and every day of my life. I hope you do too. God bless you as you spend time in God’s Word. I know you’re going to like it and want to share it with others.
