In the last study and the last line in that study we saw that GOD shows mercy to who He alone chooses to do so. For that is just how many religious men and women have interpreted this line, but I believe that the Mirror is most accurate. That said we shall look at the rest of the story of redemption and justification in the righteousness that is of GOD, there after. The other thing is that there are a load of Scripture quotes in these passages. For it reads as flows in both the KJV and ESV and then in the Mirror as this:
Romans 9:18 "Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth."(KJV)
Rom 9:18 "So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills."(ESV) Rom 9:18 "The same act of mercy that he willingly bestows on everyone, may bless the one and harden the heart of the other." (The Mirror)
Romans 9:19-26 "Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? (Job 23:13-14; Daniel 4:35) 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? (Job 33:13; Isaiah 29:16, 45:9-11) Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? (Jeremiah 18:3-6) 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 (Proverbs 16:4): 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? (Genesis 49:10, Psalm 22:27) As he saith also in Osee (in Hosea 2:23), "'I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.'" (in Hosea 1:10) "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 (Hosea 1:9-10; Isaiah 43:6).'" (KJV)
Romans 9:19-26 "You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?"(Job 23:13-14; Daniel 4:35) 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?"(Job 33:13; Isaiah 29:16, 45:9-11) 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? (Jeremiah 18:3-6) 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 (Proverbs 16:4), 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? (Genesis 49:10, Psalm 22:27) As indeed he says in Hosea (in Hosea 2:23), "Those who were not my people I will call 'my people,' and her who was not beloved I will call 'beloved.'" (in Hosea 1:10) "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 (Hosea 1:9-10; Isaiah 43:6).'" (ESV)
Romans 9:19-26 "This just doesn't sound reasonable at all! What gives GOD the right then to still blame anyone? Who can resist his will? [Job 23:13-14; Daniel 4:35] Who can dispute with GOD? [Job 33:13; Isaiah 29:16, 45:9-11] The mold dictates the shape.[Jeremiah 18:3-6] (There is only one true mold of humanity's design: the image and likeness of GOD!) The Potter sets the pace; same Potter, same clay; one vessel understands its value and another not; one realizes that it is priceless, the other seems worthless to itself. [Proverbs 16:4; Jeremiah 18:3-6] Their sense of worthlessness has labelled them for destruction, yet GOD's power and passion prevails in patient endurance. (GOD is not schizophrenic, having to balance out a seemingly unstable character by creating a nice guy and a bad guy: one for blessing and one for wrath! He cannot be both the Author of Light and darkness; there is in him no shadow of compromise or change, no inconsistency or distortion whatsoever! [James 1:17-18]. Humanity deceive themselves when their knowledge of their true identity becomes blurred by the flesh. "They go away and immediately forget what manner of person they are [Luke 9:55, James 1:24]."
Paul's noble birth carried no further significance when he discovered his spiritual identity revealed in Christ. The recorded history of Israel [humanity] prepares the prophetic stage of GOD's dealing with global humanity. Faith and not the flesh would be the medium of GOD's dealing with man. Flesh reduces man to the senses and the soul realm, while faith's substance reveals humanity's true spirit identity. Truth ignites faith! His patience's is shown in Pharaoh: "So get your livestock under roof, everything exposed in the open fields, people and animals, will die when the hail comes down." All of Pharaoh's servants who had respect for GOD's word got their workers and animals under cover as fast as they could, but those who didn't take GOD's word seriously left their workers and animals out in the field [Exodus 9:19-21]. "For good news came to us just as to them; but the message which they heard did not benefit them, because it did not meet with faith in the hearers." [Hebrews 4:2]) He has set the stage to exhibit the wealth of his mercy upon the vessels of value. he desires to confirm in them his original intent.(His glory[H6286; G1391, from G1380], doxa, opinion, intent.) being Jewish or Gentile no longer defines us; GOD's faith defines us. (He "called"[G2564, from G2753] us; kaleo, to identify us by name, to surname us.) Hosea voiced the heart of GOD when he said, "I will call a people without identity, my people, and her who was unloved, my Darling [Hosea 2:23]." (Even Esau whom you said that I hated. [look at verse 13] It was common among the Hebrews to use the terms "love" and "hatred" in this comparative sense, where the former implied strong positive attachment, and the latter, not positive hatred, but merely a less love, or the withholding of the expressions of affection [compare Genesis 29:30-31; Luke 14:26].) He prophesied that the very same people who were told that they are not God's people, will be told that they are indeed the children of the living GOD. [Hosea 1:10]" (The Mirror)
My hope is that you were able to follow all the referenced passages. The LORD willing we shall continue in our next visit, beginning with verse 27.
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