Bible Question 14 of 30

R. STANLEY
“God has mercy on whom He wills,
and whom He wills He hardens ...
Why does He still find fault?”
(Romans 9:18,19)
Of all the questions I have in this book selected to meditate upon, I believe this
question is by far the hardest to deal with. To find the right answer to this question
will definitely strengthen and support our faith. At the same time, if this question is
viewed and understood in a wrong perspective, our faith can get shaken out of its
mooring. You will realise the importance of this question as you read on.
As you read and re-read Romans 9 in which this question is found, you will begin
to grasp the core truth and thrust of this chapter. That is, “God’s sovereignty vs. Man’s
responsibility.” These are like two sides to a coin; two wings of a bird; two parallel
iron linings of a rail track. If one side of a coin is not imprinted, it is invalid. If one
wing is broken, a bird cannot fly. A train cannot run on single track.
Truth be told, we really do not have a right to even take up this question for
meditation. This is evident from Paul, in the very next verse, raising the challenge:
“Who are you, O man, to reply against God?” To buttress this argument of man’s non-
eligibility to ask God questions, Paul gives two illustrative parallels: “The Creator and
the Creation” and “The Potter and the Clay.” That which is created cannot question
the Creator. The clay cannot challenge the potter. So, when we attempt to meditate
on this topic of God’s sovereignty, our mind should be largely occupied with a proper
fearful reverence, as a creature before its Creator, or as clay before the potter.
For many years running now, there are in theological circles, two different schools
of thought, namely, Calvinism and Arminianism. Calvinism overemphasizes the total
sovereignty of God. Arminianism overemphasizes the responsibility of man. In my
understanding, as I mentioned at the start of this chapter, these two philosophies are
like two sides of a coin. One complements the other. Philippians 2:12,13 confirms this
complementary nature of these views. Verse 13, “It is God who works in you both to
will and to do for His good pleasure.” This emphasizes the Calvinistic thought of God’s
total sovereignty; verse 12, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
This underscores the role and responsibility of man. Note how carefully Paul brings
both thoughts and harmonises them in one passage. If God’s sovereignty is like the
right hand, then man’s responsibility is like the left hand. I need both my hands
folded to worship my Lord, to pay my obeisance and respects. If both these thoughts
are not held in balance, there will be unnecessary slips and falls in spiritual and
practical life.
Paul explains this central teaching of Romans 9 by two examples: (a) Jacob and
Esau (vv10-14); (b) Moses and Pharaoh (vv15-18). Let us look at them in some detail —
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(a) Jacob & Esau
“Jacob, I have loved, but Esau I have hated” (Rom 9:13). Many queries arise in
our mind on reading this. Is God unjust? Is He partial? (v14). Though the Scripture
advises us, “One ought not ask such,” is it not an incomprehensible puzzle? The
author of Hebrews cautions us: “… looking carefully … lest there be any fornicator
or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright” (Heb 12:16).
To recollect this incident in the Old Testament: Esau was a roaming man of the wild,
Jacob was a sedentary tent-dweller. One day when Esau came in from the wild, Jacob
was cooking a stew (Gen 25:29-34). As Esau was very tired and weary, he asked his
younger brother to give him some of the stew. Jacob, true to his name crafty, made
a bargain with Esau: “You sell me in return for the stew, your birthright as firstborn.”
Esau fell into the trap Jacob set. What is important to note in this incident is the
closing comment Bible makes: “Esau thus despised his birthright” (v34).
In God’s sight Esau’s action was evil. It was in this genealogy that the Messiah
was to come. Implicit in the act of Esau selling away, for a morsel of food, his
birthright, God sees an uncaring rejection of the Messiah Himself. Nothing can
surprise God who knows by Omniscience past, present and future; He knows the
beginning and the end of everything and every person. Esau succumbed to easy
immediate gratification and lost the lasting blessing. The sin of all sins is to reject the
Messiah. One will lose Heaven and be cast into hell, not because he lied or stole or
such actions, but because he refused to accept Christ. Apostle John calls this “the sin
unto death” (1 Jn 5:16,17). “All unrighteousness is sin,” he says but there is “a sin
unto death too.” We cannot pray for the forgiveness of one who refuses and rejects
Jesus! (v16). In the same manner, if a believer walks away from Jesus Christ the true
God, the Faithful One and Source of eternal life and he goes after serving idols, that
is “sin unto death;” we cannot pray for his forgiveness, we can only pray for him to
repent (vv20,21).
Scripture says, “I loved Jacob,” but it does not mean the Lord shows lenience and
lets him go. When we read the life of Jacob we can understand how strict and
stringent God was with him in His dealings. How often was the one who cheated was
himself cheated! By how many! In how many matters! In the end, God made him lame
so that he could no longer trust in his own strength, and only then crowned him with
success! (Gen 32:24-32). Now tell me, Is God unjust or partial?
(b) Moses & Pharaoh
The other example Apostle Paul sets before us is Moses and Pharaoh. God told
Moses, “I will have mercy on those whomever I will have mercy; I will show
compassion to whomever I will have compassion” (Rom 9:15). And 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” (v17). To decide and deal,
is God’s own sovereign right and personal prerogative. God said these words to Moses,
“I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom
I will have compassion,” when Moses asked Him to show him His glory (Ex 33:19).
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The synonym word for “mercy” and “compassion” that Paul used in Exodus is “grace.”
However, God did not wink at Moses’ disobedience and unbelief. He was denied
permission to even step into the land of Canaan, although he had for forty long years
led the stiff-necked Israelites through many hazards and hiccups (Num 20:12; Dt
32:50-52). Note that the God who promised “grace, mercy, compassion” did not give
up His “justice and righteousness!”
God hardened Pharaoh’s heart in order to show forth His might (Ex 4:21). Many
mighty signs and wonders were wrought by God in Egypt (7:3). God so dealt with
Pharaoh and Egypt in order that he along with all Egyptians might know that the
God of Israel is Lord (14:4). God hardened the hearts of Egyptians too (v17). He makes
abundantly clear His purpose in doing so: “Then the Egyptians shall know that I am
the LORD” (v18). When oppositions increase more and more against the Gospel, we
must accept and understand, like the early Church did, that thereby God’s wonderful
power would be manifest. As antagonism grows our prayer should prolong and
intensify; when prayer increases there will be showers of Mercy; when Grace is thus
poured out, miracles will happen (Acts 4:18-30).
As much as the departure of Israelites from Egypt was delaying, it allowed for
Moses and Aaron to bring down great miraculous signs. If the Israelites had begun
their exodus on the first day when Moses and Aaron met Pharaoh, Egyptians would
not have witnessed the power of the Living God! If Jesus had hastened to see Lazarus
as soon as He heard of his sickness, only a “healing” miracle would have occurred.
Was it not because Jesus went four days later the grander miracle of Resurrection took
place? See how the Lord pinpoints this to His disciples: “I am glad for your sakes that
I was not there, that you may believe. Now, come let us go to him” (Jn 11:15).
It is God’s sovereign activity to soften whose heart He may or stiffen whose heart
He will. It is purely His decision on whom He might shower His mercy and over whom
He might show forth His power. The ultimate question is, “Who are you to argue
against God?” (Rom 9:20). God sorts out men in two categories: “Vessels of Mercy,
Vessels of Wrath” (vv22,23). It is His decisive action to choose, when and on whom
and how His “wrath” or “might” or “glory” or “gentleness” or “patience” may be
manifest. “So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who
shows mercy” (v16).
This discussion may then raise the question: “So, is there nothing at all we may
or can do?” If it is already decided by God what would happen, when, how and
through whom, what is my responsibility? Let me here try to give a brief explanation
of the conundrum of the “doctrine of foreordination” or predestination, as it is known,
in theological circles. God’s call is open and common and with equal opportunity to
all. In the Old Testament the call of God the Father is: “Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters; and you who have no money, Come, buy and eat ... Incline your
ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live” (Isa 55:1-3). In the beginning
of the New Testament, God the Son Jesus Christ gives this invitation: “Come to Me,
all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28-30). Right
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at the last page of New Testament, God the Spirit calls out: “The Spirit and the bride
say, Come!” (Rev 22:17). Thus, “everyone” is called. But only a few respond positive
to this call. God calls them “the chosen ones.” This is the meaning of the verse, “Many
are called but only a few are chosen.” It is worth pointing out how the Lord says this
text twice in successive chapters (Mt 20:16; 22:14). Would not the Omniscient God
who knows the end from the beginning, also know who among the called would
respond and accept His call? We term His actions “foreordination” and they arise from
His faculty of “foreknowledge” (Rom 8:29).
It is rather difficult to provide more explanation to the question raised in this
Chapter with the “limited knowledge” we presently have (1 Cor 13:9,10). One certainty
is this: “THERE IS NO PARTIALITY WITH GOD” (Acts 10:34,35). May I conclude this
discussion and this chapter with reverent fear by bringing together the two aspects,
God’s sovereignty and Man’s responsibility, into one by quoting an appropriate
theological saying: I CANNOT DO ANYTHING WITHOUT GOD; HE WILL NOT DO
ANYTHING WITHOUT ME!

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