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God’s Choice
Romans 9:27—32
We have been studying Paul’s defense of Gods actions concerning Israel. As God’s program for Israel is cycling down, because of their rejection of Jesus as their Messiah, the program of the Mystery, revealed through Paul by the Holy Sprit, is cycling up. Many believers in Israel (under the Kingdom program) are now wondering about the future of the Kingdom program promised in the Old Testament at hand in the Gospels and offered in early Acts. How could God stop working through Israel and turn to the Gentiles to accomplish His will? Paul has given a number of examples of how God has worked with individuals and nations, both Israelites and non-Israelites, throughout history. We have seen how God promised to work through the line of Jacob to form Israel, how He could reject Esau for a special place of service, how He could wipe out Israel and work with a new nation brought forth from Moses, how He could work His purpose and will through a heathen ruler Pharaoh and how He could work through king Cyrus to free Israel from her Babylonian captivity. We even saw how God can choose to use or not to use Israel as He pleases. All the examples in this chapter illustrate that God is sovereign and He can work or stop working through anyone He pleases to accomplish His will.
We now look at one last example of God choosing to work with a specific group and rejecting to work with the majority.
A Remnant (verses 27—29)
Just as God originally chose all of Israel to carry out His purpose there will come a time when He divides the nation and chooses to work through only a remnant. He originally chose Israel to reveal Himself through, but in the future He will work with just a remnant. Isaiah makes this clear by saying there will only be a remnant that will be saved in Israel. This is referring to the end of the Tribulation when God has refined them as fire and unbelieving Israel will be done away with.
Zechariah 13:8—9 8“It will come about in all the land,” Declares the LORD, “That two parts in it will be cut off and perish; But the third will be left in it. 9“And I will bring the third part through the fire, Refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested They will call on My name,? And I will answer them;? I will say, ‘They are My people,’ And they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.'”
Verse 28, in context, is referring to the Tribulation period when God will quickly and completely judge and execute justice upon the earth. Compare that with this dispensation when God has great patience with the world not wishing any to be lost.
Romans 2:4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
1 Timothy 2:4 [God our Savior] who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
1 Timothy 1:16 Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.
In contrast to God’s swift judgment on the world, we live in an evil age where God has given man a long leash and allowed him to wander far from Him. He is patient with man not wanting any to perish.
Verse 29 shows that without God having chosen a remnant for service Israel would have been like Sodom and Gomorrah—wiped off the face of the earth.
Salvation by faith (verses 30—32)
We can see that salvation is by faith and not by works of the Law. Israel tried to come to God by works but failed. The Gentiles eagerly came to God by faith and attained righteousness. These last verses contrast election for service in the previous verses with salvation by faith. Anyone can come to God in faith and be imputed with God’s righteousness. It is not limited to God choosing some for eternal life.
