Romans 9:6-18
Overview
In verses 6-18, Paul addressed several more of the great questions that the Jewish people had concerning why they had missed God’s blessings? Had God’s Word failed? Was there something unrighteous about what God had done? Paul answers these questions with skill and a deep understanding of God’s sovereign choices by using several Old Testament examples.
Had God’s Word failed? Vs. 6
How did Paul answer this question? He taught, “But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel” (Rom.9:6). Paul asserts the fact that God’s Word has not failed, neither has He been unfaithful to His promises. His Word will never fail! The natural question would then be, “But then what happened to His promises to the Jewish people?” Paul’s answer to this question is found in the entirety of the message of Romans 9, 10, and 11. Paul will explain throughout these three chapters that it was God’s people who had failed. They failed to understand God’s right to sovereignly choose those with whom He would have relationship with (Rom. 9:7-13). They failed because their zeal for God was not based in the knowledge of God, which ended up causing them to try and establish their own righteousness, and not submitting to His righteousness (Rom. 10:2-3). This failure then caused the Jewish people to not call upon His name, or come to God by faith (Rom. 10:10). In addition, they failed to understand God’s grace, which caused them to work all the more to establish their own righteousness (Rom. 11:5-6).
The most important point to take away from these passages is that questioning God’s Word is one of the oldest deceptions known to mankind. The first one to question God’s Word was Satan in the Garden of Eden, where it is recorded, “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Has God indeed said, “You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?’” And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, “You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’” Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die’” (Gen. 3:1-4). So, when God’s Word is questioned it is a direct assault upon the character and fairness of God.
The simple truth that is taught here is very simple; God’s Word is never at fault. God’s faithfulness will never be the problem. The lack of God’s love will never be the reason a person misses His blessings. Man’s sinful heart is always seeking some way to find fault with God and to blame Him for their own failings. So be careful, and warn others when you hear them make this charge against God. Explain to people these truths that you are about to learn in these chapters. When we start to experience adverse circumstances in our lives, we must always examine ourselves, our own hearts, and our own behavior before we ever think to question God’s love and faithfulness.
I am sure that some of you reading this right now have probably blamed God for something that has happened in your life, or in the lives of those that you love. You have questioned, What is going on, God? Why have you allowed this to happen? You are wondering, Is God’s Word really true? I thought God promised to take care of me? Your answer to these questions should never be to charge His faithfulness! If charging God is the first thing that comes into your mind, then you are going down the same path as the Jews did in their history. Notice what Joshua said, after the children of Israel came into the land of Promise, “Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass” (Joshua 21:45). What a testimony is that! Joshua saw the faithful hand of God do exactly what He promised, even though many of the Children of Israel still had failed to take their inheritance in the land. Or, listen to what Solomon declared at the dedication of the Temple, “Blessed be the Lord who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses” (1 Kings 8:56). This is the testimony of Joshua and Solomon: God fulfills His Word. These men trusted the Lord, and they saw Him fulfill His promises.
Why do the promises of God sometimes not come to pass?
This is an important question to answer. Listen to David describe the devastating results that took place in his life after he had committed adultery with Bathsheba. He writes in Psalm 31:10, “For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away.” Why was David’s strength failing? Why was he sighing? David understood and declared that it was, “because of my iniquity.” Whenever there is a promise unfulfilled in your life, it will not be because God’s Word has failed. It will always be the result of your unbelief, disobedience, or your self-effort. We must all look closely at our own failures when we see a promise left unfulfilled. In addition, we may have possibly misinterpreted something God had stated. Why do I say this?
Because Jesus asserted the surety of His Word when He stated, “It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail” (Luke 16:17). A tittle was a tiny difference in how a Hebrew letter was written. Without the tittle the letter would be completely different, and would change what that word meant. In other words, Jesus was saying that it is easier for the heavens to be removed than for one letter in one word to fail that He has spoken. Jesus was declaring that His Word is faithful, and could never be changed and would never fail. Think about that the next time you question God’s Word. He will always be faithful to His Word. The Word failing to come to pass in your life will never a problem with God; it will always be a problem with you. He will always fulfill His Word and His plan in this world, but will you be a part of His plan? God will fulfill His sovereign will, with me or without me. If He doesn’t see a willing heart in you to obey Him, He will find someone who has a willing heart! But you will miss His blessings just as the Jews did! This is the reason the Gentiles are now receiving the blessings of the Kingdom, and this is the only reason (Matt. 21:33-43; Acts 13:46). Beloved, don’t miss what God wants to do in your life! Don’t charge God with unfaithfulness and absolve yourself of responsibility. Look at your own unfaithfulness, then repent and believe Him to work in you as He pleases. Be assured, God’s Word is always true, and you will find it to be true if you will only believe!
Upon what basis then does God have relationship with those He sovereignly chooses?
Let me explain to you the ways that Paul has explained here of exactly how God sovereignly chooses to have relationship with people. The Jewish people did not understand these truths. Consequently, they pursued God in the wrong way through their own self-effort, resulting in their missing the promises that God had given them. What are the ways that God has determined to have relationship with people? Paul first begins with two negative propositions.
Relationship with God is not based on your family lineage. Vs. 6-9
Paul first explained that becoming a child of God is not based on natural descent or family lineage. But this is exactly why the religious leaders of Christ’s day believed. They thought that because they were in the family lineage of Abraham that they automatically had access to God and all His blessings. This is why Paul explained, “For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, ‘In Isaac your seed shall be called.’ That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. For this is the word of promise: ‘At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son’” (Rom. 9:6-9). Consequently, Paul stated that not all who were born in Abraham’s family line were the spiritual children of Abraham by faith. To be a child of Abraham meant that you had to have the same faith as Abraham. Just because the Jews came from the family lineage of Abraham, did not automatically make them children of God and children of promise. Why? Because many had no faith in God’s promise as Abraham did. This is why God chose Isaac and not Ishmael to bring forth His promises to the nation Israel.
Jesus explained this same truth to the Pharisees. They thought that they had an automatic relationship with God, just because they were descendants of Abraham. Jesus corrected them when they made this point with Him. He taught them saying, “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My Word has no place in you…They answered and said to Him, ‘Abraham is our father.’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you were Abraham’s children, then you would do the works of Abraham’” (John 8:37; 39). Note the different terms that Jesus used. The Pharisees were descendants of Abraham, but they were not men of faith, which meant that they were not children of Abraham. Jesus told them that if they were children of Abraham, they would not be trying to kill Him. True children of Abraham would have believed in Him, and followed Him.
A similar problem takes place today in the church. Many who have attended church all their lives and have grown up in a Christian family, automatically think they also are Christians. But this is not the case, unless they have a personal faith in Jesus as their Savior, they are not children of God. This is why John wrote, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12). The question then is, have you personally received Jesus by faith? Only then can you have the right to become a child of God. You cannot get into heaven just because your spouse, or because of your parents or your siblings are Christians. Just because you grew up in church means absolutely nothing! You must personally come to Jesus by faith, and then follow Him. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” He said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matt. 16:24). Have you personally done these two things, believing in Him, and are now following Him?
Paul taught this same truth to the Galatian church when they were trying to go back to following the law. He told them that the law had nothing to do with faith (Gal. 2:16; Gal. 3:12). Why? Because you can go through the external actions of keeping the commandments and not have any faith at all. Paul said again, “Just as Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Therefore, know that only those who are of faith are the sons of Abraham.” (Gal. 3:6-7). The important word to notice in this passage is the word “only.” Only those who come to God by faith are the children of Abraham! God requires personal faith in order to have a personal relationship with Him.
Why is faith so important to God?
Why is faith the only way you can have a relationship with God? This is such an important question to answer. When you place your trust in God, you are giving Him your heart. This is why God requires personal faith if you want a personal relationship with Him. You cannot become a child of God by any other means! He wants you to make a personal commitment of your heart to Him by faith. Notice what Paul declared in Romans 10:10. He made this point so clear when he wrote, “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salivation.” Only with the heart can a man truly believe. This is why God requires a personal faith in Him, because when you trust Him, you are surrendering your heart. Your heart is what God is after, not your good works or your boast in your family pedigree. No, He is after your heart! So, does He have your heart today? Have you put your personal faith in Him?
Faith is the basis upon which God chose Isaac instead of Ishmael, because God foreknew that Isaac would believe, and that Ishmael would not. Do you realize that Ishmael is the father of all of the Arab nations today? Ishmael is the father of all those that believe in the false god, Allah. Isaac is the father of the Jewish people who believe in the one true God, Yahweh. However, the Jewish people have not uniformly believed in God, but many have believed, and many have even accepted Jesus as their Messiah. The Jewish disciples in the first century proclaimed their faith in Jesus as their Messiah, just as we Gentiles have believed that Jesus is the Messiah who was predicted to come. Millions upon millions of believers have resulted in God making that sovereign decision so long ago between Isaac and Ishmael.
God’s choosing is always based in foreknowledge
Now many question God’s choosing between these two men, but I’m sure that you can understand how God makes these decisions. He has something we do not have. He possesses foreknowledge (1 Peter 1:2). God can see the future decisions of every person from the beginning of time. God has had this foreknowledge concerning you, and this is why He sought you and saved you. When some of those who followed Jesus departed from Him, He told His disciples, “But there are some of you who do not believe.” Then the Apostle John added, “For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him” (John 6:64). Paul also taught, “We are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:13). Paul explains in this passage the basis upon which God chooses people for salvation. God knew you and everything about you before you were ever born, just as He knew Isaac and Ishmael and all that they would do. He knew one man would believe and obey Him, and the other would not. This is why He chose the Jews to bring forth our Messiah. God is declaring, “I’m going to choose to use this people who came through Isaac, because he was a child of faith. The Jews are not a perfect people. They won’t all perfectly believe, but they will surely believe a whole lot more than the sons of Ishmael. Never forget, God has not only chosen Isaac, but He has also chosen you. But, also notice the basis upon which He makes this choice. It is not only His choosing alone, but your choosing Him as well. Paul also confirmed this truth in 2 Thessalonians 2:13, that salvation is through sanctification of the Holy Spirit, which is His setting you apart, and by your belief in the truth. God chose you because He knew you would respond to the sanctifying work of His Spirit, and that you would yield your heart to believe in Him. Now, wouldn’t it be foolish for God to choose someone to be His child that He knew beforehand was going to reject Him? No one would ever do that! It would be like watching a football game, and then later that day betting on the loser. If you would not choose the loser of a football game, why would God ever choose someone who would reject Him? He has foreknowledge, and His choosing is always correct.
God’s choosing is not based on human merit. Vs. 10-14
The second thing that Paul explained in verses 10-14 is that no one can become a child of God based on human merit. Why? Because God chooses before anyone has done any good or evil. Paul taught the Ephesian church that, “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4). Before the foundation of the world is long before we were born, or could have done any good or evil. In our text Paul wrote, “And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, [The word election means choosing] and not of works but of Him who calls), it was said to her [Rebecca], ‘The older shall serve the younger.’ [Referring to her two children, Jacob and Esau.] As it is written, ‘Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.’ What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not!”
When you read this particular text, the natural question comes into your mind, This doesn’t seem fair. How can God choose to bless one child and not the other before they were ever born? And especially how can God declare, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated?” How can God do that? I don’t understand this, Lord.” This was also my question the first time I read it. We immediately think there is unrighteousness if God chooses like that. This is why Paul asks this question in verse 14, “Is there unrighteousness with God?” Paul’s answer is, “Certainly not.” These words literally mean, perish the thought, or put this thought out of your mind. I’ll explain to you why it was a very righteous thing as you read further.
Seeing the big picture!
First, you must see the big picture of what Paul is teaching. He first explained the choosing of Isaac over Ishmael who came from two separate wives of Abraham. Then Paul illustrated God’s sovereign choosing by using one woman, Rebecca, and then choosing one of her two twins, Jacob, instead of Esau. God chose between these two twins that one would be in the family lineage of the Messiah and the other would not. Now the question comes again, “Why would God make such a choice? On what basis does He make His decisions? Was His decision righteous or unrighteous?” The answer to these questions is simply that God again is choosing based on His foreknowledge.
God’s foreknowledge is something that the Scripture speaks about many times. In 1 Peter 1:2, Peter wrote to the church concerning their salvation and he said that believers were, “Elect [or chosen] according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience.” Therefore, in the New Testament we are taught that a person is chosen by God to salvation according to His foreknowledge, and through the sanctifying work of the Spirit drawing them to Himself. Remember back in Romans 8:29, “For whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.” Whenever the Bible talks about predestination, God’s choosing, or His electing anyone, it is always based on His foreknowledge. If you do not consider the topic of foreknowledge when you think about God’s decision making, then you will become unbalanced in your belief system. You are missing the point that God foreknew those whom He predestined, and then by His Spirit He drew and persuaded them to believe in Himself. That is exactly what He did with you, so that you would ultimately be obedient to Him.
Jacob, I have loved, but Esau I have hated
What did God mean when He said, “Jacob I have loved, Esau I have hated?” This is another one of those passages that gives problems to many Bible students. Therefore, you must understand this principal. To understand this statement, you must first go back and reread Rom. 9:12. God told Rebecca before the birth of her sons that, “The older shall serve the younger.” God was declaring His foreknowledge of these two children, and how they would end up. Jacob was the father of the Jewish nation, and Esau was the father of the Edomites. God was declaring that the younger child, Jacob, was to take on the position of the firstborn child and experience the blessing of God’s promises to Abraham. In addition, the older child, Esau, would ultimately serve his younger brother Jacob. Then the next statement is, “As it is written ‘Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.’” This statement was made hundreds of years later, and declared by the prophet Malachi, who was one of the minor prophets of the Old Testament. In Malachi chapter one, the prophet starts off his prophecies concerning the Edomites, where God was condemning them, because they had helped the Babylonians in their destruction of Jacob’s descendants, and the city of Jerusalem. God declared at this point the reason why He loved Jacob and hated Esau. The behavior by the Edomites was again proof that God in His foreknowledge could see these two men, and how their descendants would all behave long before they were born.
In addition, the words love and hate, must also be understood from a Hebrew perspective, versus a Western perspective. The word “hated” literally means to love less. Let me show you this concept from several examples in Scripture. The best example is in the New Testament, when Jesus said in Luke 14:26, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” What did Jesus mean when He said you must hate your mother and your father, your wife and your children? It simply meant that you must love them less than you love Jesus, or you cannot be His disciple. In other words, you must put Christ first above all your relationships. Jesus said the same thing, only in a little different way in Matthew 10:37. In this passage He said, He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” Clearly then, if you compare these two passages this terminology concerning hating your father and mother, simply means to love them less than you do the Lord. God hating Esau also meant that He loved Esau less than He did Jacob, because of Esau’s hatred of his brother. In addition, God gave Jacob the first-born position because he had faith, and Esau did not. God knew exactly what these two brothers were going to choose in life. Esau is called in Scripture, a profane man, or a godless man (Heb. 12:16). Scripture warns us all not to be like Esau. Why does Scripture declare him to be a profane man? When Jacob obtained the blessing and Esau realized that he was not going to get this extra financial blessing as the firstborn, what did Esau do? He immediately went out and started marrying Canaanite women, because he knew that this would displease his father Isaac, and he knew this was in direct opposition to the commandment of God (Gen. 24:1-4; Gen. 26:34; Gen. 28:9). God knew exactly where these two men would end up in life, and so He chose to use Jacob because of his faith (Heb. 11:21). However, this doesn’t mean that Jacob was a perfect man. On the contrary, Jacob had many flaws in his character just as we do, but he was a man who believed God’s promises, and he sought the Lord. God worked through this man, and He sought to mature and change him every step of his life.
Was Esau bared from God’s promises because he was not chosen?
When God chose to bless Jacob rather than Esau, did this mean that Esau was rejected from ever receiving God’s blessing? In the same manner, if God chose Isaac, did that mean that Ishmael was rejected? Not at all. It is very clear from Scripture that God will save anyone at any time, if they turn to Him by faith. In Revelation 7:9, when John sees the great multitude in heaven, he declared that they were from, “All nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.” This means that there will be Ishmaelites and Edomites there before the Throne of God. But, this choosing by God between these individuals was God’s right to choose beforehand which family line He would use to bring forth His promised Messiah into the world.
However, God also revealed His general grace and love to Ishmael and his descendants as He does to all mankind. You remember that Ishmael was the child born to Hagar, the results of Abraham attempting to help God fulfill His promise to give Abraham and Sara a child. But, note that God demonstrated His love even to Ishmael who rejected God, just as Jesus demonstrated His love to those who rejected Him (Rom. 5:8). Consequently this is why Jesus commanded us to, “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matt. 5:44-45). How did God bless even Ishmael who rejected Him? In Genesis 17:20, notice, Ishmael is not excluded in any way from God’s general grace. God declared to Abraham, “As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.” God was obviously hoping that by giving this blessing to Ishmael, he would turn to Him in faith, yet God knew he would not.
Furthermore, in Amos 9:11-12, God declared that when He restores the nation Israel again, and comes to set up His Kingdom here on the earth, that there will be people from the Edomites, the descendants of Esau, that will be His servants and be called by His Name. God declared, “On that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down, and repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old; that they may possess the remnant of Edom, and all the Gentiles who were called by My name, says the Lord who does this thing.” God is going to redeem people that are Gentiles from Edom. You can see that God doesn’t reject these people from ever receiving His blessing. He simply chose to reveal and bring forth His Messiah through one particular family line, because of His foreknowledge, and their faith in Him.
Another proof of God’s love and fairness is found in the story of Ruth. Who was Ruth? She was a Moabitess that came to believe in the God of Israel. She ultimately married a man named Boaz, who was in the family lineage of Christ. So, it’s very clear from the story of Ruth, that God has not excluded anyone from coming to know and believe in Him. Remember these examples when someone tells you that God excludes and rejects people arbitrarily. He does not! Jesus said, “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor” (John 12:26). Note the word anyone, which literally means that God will not exclude anyone from the opportunity to follow Him, and be honored by Him!
Is there unrighteousness with God? Vs. 14
Absolutely not! Because He is a God of mercy. God showing mercy to millions upon millions of people from every nation, tribe and tongue, proves the righteousness of God. For God to show mercy to anyone proves His righteousness, because He is not obligated to show mercy to anyone. However, He chooses to show mercy, because He declares that He, “delights in mercy” (Micah 7:18).
Relationship with God is based on mercy! Vs. 15-18
To answer this charge that God is unrighteous, Paul now focuses on God’s mercy. With any man or woman, mercy is another basis upon which God establishes relationship with that person. Note in verses 15-16, that Paul now quotes what God declared concerning Himself and His reasoning for His salvation being given to anyone. “For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion. So, then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.” Therefore, God’s sovereign choosing will always be based on His mercy toward men. As I have already stated that God delights in mercy, and in showing mercy to anyone who will receive it (Micah 7:18). However, He has the right to show mercy, or not show mercy to anyone He chooses. Why would He make a choice to show mercy, or not to show mercy? Again, His choices are always based on His foreknowledge of the behavior of all mankind. But, from man’s perspective, when anyone cries out for mercy, God will give it. So often you see this fact revealed in the ministry of Jesus. When people called out to Him for mercy for themselves or for their loved ones, Jesus always responded. Remember the blind man who sat at the side of the road outside Jericho? Scripture declares, “And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant. So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. And he cried out, saying, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ He said, ‘Lord, that I may receive my sight.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.’ And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God” (Luke 18:35-43). Note that when Jesus heard the cry for mercy from this man, what did Jesus do? He stood still! He stopped everything He was doing to respond to this man’s cry for mercy. I hope that you are like this blind man who cries out for the mercy of God every day? Whatever your need, cry out to Him, and He will stand still to respond!
What was God doing with Pharaoh? Vs. 17-18
Paul continues on in verses 17-18 to say some of the most difficult things to understand about God’s choosing when He refers to Pharaoh. God said to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.’ Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.’” When people read this particular passage, they think to themselves, “Wait a minute, that doesn’t sound fair to me. It looks like Pharaoh didn’t even have a chance. He doesn’t even have a choice in the matter. God just hardened his heart and that was it.” But that is not what these passages teach. Why do I say that?
You must first go back and read this quotation in its context. Paul takes this quote from Exodus 9:13-17, where it declares, “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh, and say to him, thus says the LORD God of the Hebrews: ‘Let My people go, that they may serve Me, for at this time I will send all My plagues to your very heart, and on your servants and on your people, that you may know that there is none like Me in all the earth. Now if I had stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, then you would have been cut off from the earth. But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth. As yet you exalt yourself against My people in that you will not let them go.’” Notice first that God told Pharaoh that if He wanted to, He could have just sent a pestilence and destroyed the entire nation, but He did not do this. Why? Because of His mercy toward the Egyptians. This is also why He sent successive corrective judgments upon the Egyptians in the hope that Pharoah would humble himself and allow the Jews to leave. He was trying to show Pharaoh and all the Egyptians that He was the true God, and that they should turn from their false gods. The Lord showed both His power and His mercy in these judgments that He sent. But it did no good, because Pharaoh resisted God, and rejected His mercy.
Why did God harden Pharoah’s heart?
To understand why God hardened Pharoah’s heart, you must study the process of how the Lord dealt with Pharaoh. If you read Exodus 5-14, you will see how God reached out to Pharaoh, and you will realize that Pharoah didn’t have to harden his heart. He could have experienced mercy, but He chose to resist God, and harden his own heart! In reality, it was God’s response to Pharaoh’s hardness that caused the Lord to harden Pharaoh’s heart. Let’s look at the process chronologically in the life of Pharaoh.
First, God reached out to Pharaoh and warned him of what would happen if he chose not to allow the Children of Israel to leave Egypt (Ex. 5:1). How did Pharaoh respond? He hardened his heart and said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go” (Ex. 5:2). Pharaoh then hardened his heart again by commanding his taskmasters to make it harder for the Jews by not giving them straw to make his mud bricks (Ex. 5:6-7). When you see God later sending the ten plagues upon Egypt, you will see that with each succeeding plague there is a hardening of Pharaoh’s heart with his response. Notice what is said in Exodus 7:13-15 where Moses records, “And Pharaoh’s heart grew hard and he did not heed them, [referring to Moses and Aaron] as the Lord had said.” This statement by God reveals His knowledge of Pharaoh’s heart. “So the Lord said to Moses, ‘Pharaoh’s heart is hard; he refuses to let the people go.’” Notice that God does not say, Pharaoh’s heart is hard because I hardened it. No! Scripture declares that Pharaoh’s heart was hard because he refused to let God’s people go. This is very clear. Again, read Exodus 7:22 where it declared, “Then the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments; and Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had said.” God again revealed His foreknowledge of what Pharaoh that his heart grew hard. Then after the second plague came, and God gave relief to the Egyptians, it declared in Exodus 8:15, “But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart.” So, Pharaoh hardened his heart again toward the Lord when he saw relief from the chastisement. After the third plague in Exodus 8:19 Scripture records, “Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, ‘This is the finger of God.’ But Pharaoh’s heart grew hard.” Notice again that God’s Word acknowledges that Pharaoh hardened his own heart more. Only after all the decisions by Pharaoh to harden his own heart does Scripture record in Exodus 9:12, “But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had spoken to Moses.” Only after Pharaoh repeatedly hardens his heart, does God ratify Pharaoh’s decision, and declared in effect, I will now strengthen your decision and help you do what you have decided to do. The word hardened literally means to strengthen. So, Pharaoh strengthened his heart in his rebellion against God, so then the Lord strengthen him do what he wanted. Pharaoh said, “I am not going to respond to God’s will. I do not respect You. I will not humble myself before You. I will not obey You.” So, in effect God says, “Okay, if that’s what you want to do, then I will give you up to do your own will.”
In every person’s life who hardens and rejects God’s voice, there is a point at which God will in effect say, “I will not force you to do what I want. If you want to go your own way, I will not try and influence you anymore.” This is why God said to the people who lived before the flood, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever” (Gen. 6:3). The Hebrew word strive in this verse means to contend or plead with someone giving them strong arguments. This is exactly how God treats every human being on this earth. He will plead and try and persuade a person, but He will never force someone against their will to believe or to obey Him. This means that no one who is rebellious and resists the Holy Spirit will ever be in heaven. Yet there are hyper Calvinist’s today that say, “If you are chosen by God, and are walking in rebellion against Him, He will still bring you to heaven.” I don’t see this concept taught anywhere in the Scripture. God will not force anyone to do His will. He waits for you to willingly respond to Him. Jesus spelled this principle out to all who heard Him when He said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” (Matt. 23:37). May you choose to willingly come to Him!
God’s sovereign right over all people
Last, in Exodus 10:3, God states, “So Moses and Aaron came into Pharaoh and said to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, that they may serve Me.’” Note what God asserts in this statement to Pharoah. God simply declared His sovereign right over the people of Israel, and Pharaoh’s responsibility was to let them go. Do you see the righteousness of God’s actions, and the righteousness of His choice to judge Pharaoh? God has the sovereign right to show mercy on one, and judge another. However, it all depends on the heart attitude that people have in response to His sovereign commands. Do you remember the change of attitude in King Manasseh when God brought judgment upon him? He was taken captive by the Assyrians, but he humbled himself and cried out to the Lord, and God restored him to his kingdom (2 Chron. 33:10-13). This example reveals that it did not have to end the way it did for Pharaoh. Do you realize that the same sun that hardens the clay, can also melt the wax that is right next to the clay? Are you going to hardened like clay, or will your heart be melted like wax? Which will it be? It’s basically your choice. God will show mercy to you if you just ask for it. Scripture warns us all, “You do not have because you do not ask” (James 4:2). Pharaoh chose not to ask, but he rather decided to rebel. God has the right to demonstrate mercy to the Jews who trusted in Him, and He has the right to harden those who reject Him. This is the truth taught in these verses. I encourage you to humble yourself, because God has great mercy and compassion that He wants to give to you! Don’t let your stubborn pride keep you back from the blessing that God wants to bring upon you!
How can a person receive mercy?
What does the Bible teach about how a person receives mercy? What would allow or hinder a person from receiving mercy? How does God make that determination? The answer to these questions is clearly explained to us in the Old and New Testaments. In Psalm 103:11, God states, “For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him.” Here God explained that He chooses to dispense His mercy on those who fear Him. The word fear used in this passage means to show reverence or respect toward God. If you fear Him, then He will choose to show compassion on you, and will give you, His mercy. When a person shows respect toward God, then He will dispense His mercy toward that individual. Anyone who cries out to Him, anytime and from anywhere, that person will receive His mercy.
In the New Testament, Jesus explained this same truth in Luke 18:10-14. Jesus taught, “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself. ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather that the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Why did one man leave justified, having received mercy, and the other did not? It is the difference between humility and pride. The tax collector cried out in humility for mercy, and God granted it to him because of His compassion. The Pharisee stood there in arrogant pride telling God how good he was, and how many things he had done. One was humble, and the other was prideful and self-righteous. One man was lifted up and justified by God’s mercy, and the other was humbled and rejected. How do you come to the Lord? Do you hear yourself asking for mercy, or are you confessing your good works and all that you have done for God? Examine your own heart before Him, and He will reveal even this to you!