D. Michael Turner

GOD’S SOVEREIGN CHOICE: An exposition of Romans 9:14-18

TRANSLATION

9:14     What shall we say then?

                        God is not unjust, is He?

                                    Absolutely not!

9:15                                         for to Moses he said,

                                                            I will have mercy on whom I have mercy

                                                            And I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

9:16                                                                 Therefore, it is not of him who wills

                                                                                    Nor of him who runs,

                                                                                    But of God who shows mercy.

9:17                                         for the Scripture says of Pharaoh,

                                                            For his very purpose I raised you up

                                                                        In order that I might demonstrate my power in you

                                                                        And in order that I might proclaim far and wide

                                                                                    My name in all the earth.

9:18                                                                                         Therefore, on whom He desires

                                                                                                            He has mercy

and on whom

He desires He hardens.

SYNTHETIC OVERVIEW

The Message

            In answer to the objection that election, which is the result of God’s purpose is unjust, Paul explains that election is not dependent on man’s conception of justice but on God’s sovereign and fee choice.

Exegetical Outline

Introduction: Paul continues his argument for divine election.

I.                    Paul asks the question, “Shall we conclude (that because God elects according to His purpose v. 11) that God is unjust? (14a)

II.                 Paul answers his own question, “Absolutely not!” (14b)

A.     The reason why (gar) God is not unjust is that election is the result of God’s sovereign will. (15,16)

1.      Paul quotes God’s word to Moses to show that God will show mercy and compassion on whomever
He so wills. (15)

a.       The result of God’s choice is not dependent on a man’s will. (15a)

b.      The result of God’s choice is not dependent on a man’s working for it. (15b)

c.       The result of God’s choice is grounded in His mercy. (15c)

2.      Paul quotes the Scripture to Pharaoh to show that God chose Pharaoh to execute His purpose.

a.       The reason God raised up Pharaoh was to demonstrate His power in him. (17a)

b.      The reason why God raised up Pharaoh was to proclaim His name in all the earth. (17b)

B.     Paul concludes that the reason why God is not unjust is that election is the result of His sovereign will. (18)

1.      On whom God desires to show mercy He shows mercy – Moses. (18a)

2.      On whom God desires to harden he hardens – Pharaoh. (18b)

Conclusion: God’s choice for individuals is not determined as a result of anything in man, but is made by God’s
sovereign free will as He sees fit to place in His divine plan.

EXEGETICAL EXPOSITION

Introduction

            The sovereign choice of God in divine election has always been an issue drawing heated controversy in
theological circles.  Even before the birth of Christ the Pharisee and Essenes received strong criticism from the more religiously liberal Sadducees for their strong beliefs in predestination. The issue did not subside with the advent of Christianity or the death of the apostles, for it has consistently been an issue at the forefront of theological discussions
at climatic periods of Christian history.  Even the less astute student of historical theology is familiar with the
theological tensions between Augustine and Pelagius and later between the followers of Calvin and Arminius.

             Of all biblical passages said to teach the sovereign choice of God in election, none is more central than
Romans 9. It is here that Paul lays out his theological argument that God sovereignly chooses whomsoever He wills to be the recipient of His mercy.  This teaching, though not popular in many Christian circles, must be concluded from Paul’s writing if one is to be honest with his argument.  From grammatical, syntactical and contextual evaluation, as
well as an investigation of the Old Testament passages he uses to support his argument, it must be concluded that
Paul teaches that God chooses whom He desires to be the recipient of His mercy.

Context of Romans 9:14-18

            Paul begins chapter nine by referring to the intense sorrow and anguish he has for national Israel.  It is they
who received the covenants, the law, the temple worship, the promises, the patriarchs and the linage to Christ.  But even though they received these (vs. 4) they have been temporarily cut off from the blessings of God as a result of
their consistent disobedience and unbelief. Though on the surface it may appear that God has not kept His promises
to Israel (vs. 6), Paul assures his reader that this is not the case (thesis of Chapters 9-11).  In verse six Paul forms a sub-thesis that he uses to develop his argument in chapter nine, that is that “not all who are descended from Israel
are Israel”.  In verses 7-13 he uses two illustrations to show that not all who are natural descendents of the patriarchs Abraham and Isaac are chosen to be the recipients of God’s promises. The remainder of the chapter continues to
defend God’s sovereign right to choose whom He desires to fulfill His program in whatever capacity He chooses.
Verses 14-18 will be dealt with more specifically as the paper progresses.

            Paul does not leave the discussion concerning Israel stationary with election. In chapter 10 he repeats his concern over the nation and then shows why the nation is responsible for God’s present dealings with them. In
chapter 11 Paul encourages believers by telling them that no all the nation has been rejected, but that a remnant, chosen by His grace (vs. 5) will continue into the promise. In 11:25-32 he tells them that the time will come when all Israel will be saved. Thus Paul completes his answer to the possible assumption that God has failed in His word.

            It is within this context that Romans 9:14-18 must be understood. The teaching of divine election is here contextually restricted to the nation of Israel. His purpose in writing it was to show that God is true to His Word and
will fulfill His promises and covenants to Israel.  This is indeed encouraging to the believers who must have questioned Paul’s exposition of their security in Romans 8:31-39, “If God had gone back on His word to Israel, why should we
think He will not do the same with us: may have been their thoughts. Paul’s answer was “God did not abandon Israel,
or did He go back on His word to her, thus you can be assured He will do neither to you.”

GOD IS UNFAIR

            Paul’s opening question, “What shall we say?” introduces an incorrect inference which he feels might be drawn from his previous discussion.[1] Paul’s emphasis in verses 6-13 was on God’s choice of individuals to be recipients of
His divine promises.  These were not given merely on the basis of physical linage or by first born rights,[2] but were
the result of God’s will in fulfillment with His purpose (Vs. 8, 11). The immediate response Paul expected to here was that “this makes God unfair”.  To the natural response Paul man it seems unfair of God to show His undivided preference for one individual without at least giving the other a chance. “Isn’t it unfair to hate[3] Esau even before
Esau demonstrated a cause for such hatred?”  Paul does not argue with this logic, he merely states that it is false (14).  He does not attempt to prove that God is just, instead he illustrates that God’s sovereignty alone gives Him the right

to show such preference. Paul had already demonstrated the justice of God in the previous chapters. It did not seem necessary at this point to repeat his arguments. Earlier he showed that the condition of man is such that he has no righteousness by which to plead a case before God. The plight of man is totally at the disposal of God who remains just regardless of His actions towards man. Viewed within this light the issue is not God’s Justice but His sovereignty.

God’s Mercy to Moses (vs. 15-16)

            God chooses whom He wishes to show His mercy (vs. 15). Rather than argue from human logic for God’s divine justice, Paul refers to two contrastive illustrations which are used to demonstrate that God’s sovereign choice is grounded in his person and Word, and is not dependent on man’s understanding of justice. The first illustration is positive and involves His display of mercy to Moses (vs. 15, 16) and the second is negative and involves God’s use of Pharaoh (vs. 17). In verse 15 Paul quotes Exodus 33:19,[4] “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,[5] and I will have compassion[6] on whom I will have compassion.”[7] Paul’s use of this passage brings out the thrust of God’s decision of choice being purely on the bases (the result of) God’s own will. Hodges states,

“The form of expression ‘I will do what I will’ or ‘I do what I do’ is here, as in Exodus 16: 23; 2 Samuel 15:20, designed to convey the idea that it rests entirely with the agent to act or not at his pleasure. The ground of decision is in himself. In the connection of this verse with the former, therefore, it is obvious that Paul quotes

this declaration to prove that God claims the sovereignty which he had attributed to him.”[8]

That this is Paul’s emphasis[9]  is evidence in his explanation (ara oun) in verse 16, “therefore, it [10] is not of him who wills, no of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy”. God is not obligated to respond to the compassions or efforts of men. He can not be manipulated as were the pagan god’s by the willful desires of men nor by the false external righteousness of legalistic Jews. God knows the heart of men and thus can not be persuaded by external sources to execute His mercy. Mercy is grounded in His own being and is demonstrated towards men as a result of His own desires as they are consistent with His purposes.

God’s Use of Pharaoh (vs. 17)

            Not only does God choose whom He desires to show His mercy, He also chooses some persons outside of His mercy to fulfill His divine purpose. [11] In verse 17 [12] Paul quotes Exodus 9:16[13] to demonstrate that God is in sovereign control

of key historical figures who are outside of His divine mercy in order to fulfill His divine purpose.[14] God raised up[15] Pharaoh for two reasons: First, to demonstrate His power in Pharaoh. In Exodus this power is demonstrated in two ways. To Israel it is salvific[16] in that it was meant to show them His power to pull them out of the enslavement of the Egyptians.[17]  For both the Jews and the Egyptians it was to demonstrate His power of sovereignty over the Egyptian gods and over

Pharaoh who himself was viewed as a god (see appendix). Second, God’s purpose in raising up Pharaoh was to “proclaim far and wide my name in all the earth”.  In one sense this maybe connected with the first purpose. That is, to testify to the world the superiority of the God of Israel over all other gods. This is supported by the fact that a great number of people left Egypt with the Jews who were not Jews (Exodus 12:38) and by Jethro’s (a Median and the father in law of Moses) proclamation, “Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly” (Exodus 18:11).  In addition to this, God may have desired to have His name proclaimed throughout the world in order to cast fear

 into the people of the land where the Israelites would eventually find their rest. This fear would aid the Jews in obtaining victory over the land (exp. Josh. 2:8-11 and 9:24, 25).

Paul’s Conclusion (vs. 18)

            After giving the two illustrations between Moses and Pharaoh, Paul summarizes that God’s right to choose is determined by His own sovereign will.  The first clause in verse 18 is a repetition of his conclusion in verse 16 concerning

God’s freedom to exercise His mercy on whomever He pleases.  The second clause is a summary and explanation of verse 17.[18] Not only does God have the divine option to show mercy on whom He desires, He also has the same sovereign freedom

to harden the heart of whomever He desires.[19]   In the case of Pharaoh this hardening was unconditional.[20]  God

hardened Pharaoh’s heart in order to accomplish His divine purpose of demonstrating His mercy to Israel.  This does not

mean that God acted contrary to the nature of Pharaoh.  Rather, that it was Pharaoh’s very nature to show abstinence towards God’s plan is demonstrated in his own willful act of hardening his own heart on several occasions.  Pharaoh was himself unaware of God having an influence over his will because that influence was in harmony with who Pharaoh was. But,

to say that God’s act of hardening Pharaoh’s heart was a punishment for hardening his own heart[21] stands contrary to the chronological sequence of the Exodus narrative and weakens the force of God’s superiority over Pharaoh and the spiritual conflict between the two (see appendix).

Author’s Conclusion

            God has the right to exercise mercy to whomever He chooses and to harden whomever He chooses because He is sovereign. This does not make God unjust. God is the author of justice and is not dependent on either man’s interpretation of justice, man’s desire to receive God’s mercy, nor man’s works to receive God’s mercy.  Man’s condition of unrighteousness (Romans 5:12-21) excludes man from a say in the matter altogether.

            To properly understand this passage it should not be read in isolation from the rest of Romans. Paul places the

doctrine of divine election and the doctrine of human responsibility side-by-side and the two should always be viewed as

such. Though God hardened the heart of Pharaoh, he was still responsible for his actions because the hardening was not done

outside of the context of Pharaoh’s nature. Pharaoh himself would have denied that God had any influence over his will or actions and thus condemns himself as viewing himself as the author of his actions.

            A distinction needs to be drawn between Pharaoh and Israel. Pharaoh’s hardening was unconditional, in that he was

not hardened because of any previous act on his part, but he was hardened in order that God might show His mercy to Israel.  In the case of Israel (Romans 11:7) the hardening was conditional.  God hardened Israel because of their consistent disobedience and unbelief (Romans 9:30-11:10).  Even here however, it should be remembered that His hardening was not passive but active, for “God have them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear” (Romans 11:8).  Human responsibility is not eliminated by God’s sovereign choice (Romans 9:19). Rather, the very nature of God’s sovereignty increases man’s accountability to God in that man fails to see or acknowledge that sovereignty (Romans 9:20).

Application

            The position of chapters 9-11 in Romans has specific applicational value for the Christian. Chapter 8 ended Paul’s discourse on the enormous spiritual benefits and security the believer has in Christ. Before entering into an exposition of the imperative responsibilities the believer has in response to his position Paul makes sure that the believers are not left with a sense insecurity due to a misunderstanding of God’s dealings with the nation of Israel. After all, did God not give national Israel similar promises, and did He not go back on His word to them?

            Paul’s purpose was to show first, that God had not gone back on His promises to Israel, and second, that it was their irresponsibility with what God had given them that have caused the temporary withdrawal of His mercy. This is meant to show his Christian readers that their position in Christ was as secure as he had stated in chapter 8 and also to provoke them

to recognize that God does hold them responsible for how they respond to what He has given them. This is the content of chapters 12-15.

            Paul’s message to his readers is just as relevant today as it was when Paul wrote it. The sovereign God bases His decisions in the perfections of His own person. These choices are made to exhibit His glory to those He has chosen to show

His mercy. As believers we should grasp hold of the enormous benefits He has provided for us in Christ and in doing so be stimulated to respond in appreciation with works of righteousness.

Appendix

            Is there more at stake in the Exodus narrative of the plagues and the hardening of the heart of Pharaoh than the salvation of Israel from bondage?  God could have easily delivered Israel from Egypt with a single plague had that been His desire (Exodus 9:15). But He says “I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show my power and that my

name might be proclaimed in all the earth” (Exodus 9:16). One way God would demonstrate His power and have His name proclaimed was by showing His great superiority over each of the gods of Egypt and eventually over Pharaoh, also a god.

The issue at hand is more than the power of salvation, but includes the superiority and sovereignty of YHWH over the gods

of Egypt.

            Egypt was a nation of many gods. Undoubtedly, some of these gods began to have an influence over many of the Israelites, just as the gods of Canaan would influence their descendents. God’s purpose in each of the plagues was to show

the Israelites His superiority over these gods by executing His judgment upon them. The following list has been compiled

from the New Bible Dictionary and from Unger’s Bible Handbook.

1^st Plague – was executed against the river Nile which represented the god Hapi. Hapi was the god of prosperity or giver of life. Instead of giving life, the water turned to blood, symbolizing death.

2^nd Plague – Frogs were worship in the form of the goddess Hekt who had the body of a woman and the head of a frog. She was known as the goddess of fruitfulness. Frogs became an offense to the nation.

3^rd Plague – Uncertain if and what the knats represented.

4^th Plague – According to Unger, flies were a judgment against Isis, the wife of Osiris. She was the foremost goddess of Egypt and represented by a cow.

5^th Plague – The death of livestock was a judgment against Ptah (Apis) the god of the Memphis who was represented by a

bull.

6^th Plague – The boils (uncertain)

7^th Plague – The hail The Egyptians saw a deity behind all natural phenomena. Hail was rare in Egypt and showed that

YHWH was “the Lord over heaven as well as earth” (Exodus 9:29).

8^th Plague – The Locusts (uncertain)

9^th Plague – Darkness was a judgment against the sun god Re.

10^th Plague – The death of the firstborn was a judgment on the future Pharaoh who was regarded as a god.

            Even more important than His display of power over the gods was His demonstration of power over the Pharaoh. In Egypt, the Pharaoh was considered a most significant god. The following facts were taken from the thesis by G. Kimball

Beale, The Exodus Motif of YHWH as a Polemic, pp.9-12.

1.                  In the 15^th century B.C. Pharaohs were viewed as “the god of heaven and earth (Exodus 9:29)

2.                  “From the time of earliest Egyptian dynasties and throughout Egyptian history the Pharaoh was viewed as the

primary god of the world.”

3.                  He was associated with the three most important gods of Egypt: Re, Horus and Osiris with himself as the most important.

4.                  Thutmose III was considered as the incarnation of Re and was called “son of Re”.

5.                  Pharaoh was the high priest who mediated between man and the gods.

6.                  He was called “savior of Egypt” because he was seen as the only one in Egyptian society able to defeat foreign

enemies.

7.                  He was known as “war god” which was the main characteristic of Horus and Re.

8.                  He received the epithet predicted of Osiris, “King of the gods, Power of heave, Lord of Living…Universal god.”

9.                  He was viewed as the divine source and maintainer of truth, justice, wisdom, intellectual power and life.

10.              After his death he became the god of the netherworld as Osiris.

11.              “War likeness” was his central attribute. This and others made him a person esteemed, deserving worship even in his earthly life.

What is seen in the Exodus narrative is a confrontation between the sovereign Lord of Israel and the lord of Egypt. God’s ability to harden Pharaoh’s heart must have been an encouraging sign to Moses who had once lived in the courts of Pharaoh. This hardening was to Moses an intense display of the superiority of YHWH over Pharaoh and was YHWH’s way of giving Moses confidence in the midst of this great confrontation. YHWH’s power was so great that He could even manipulate the will of Pharaoh to conform to His plans. To strip the unconditional element of the divine hardening of Pharaoh by YHWH from the Exodus narrative is to rob God of His divine right to be sovereign over all.