Romans 9
9
1I am in Christ, and what I say is true. I'm not lying! My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm 2how terribly sad I am, how I have never-ending pain in my heart, 3for my own people, my brothers and sisters. I would rather be cursed myself, separated from Christ, if that would help them. 4They are my fellow-Israelites, God's chosen people. God revealed to them his glory and made agreements#9:4. Literally, “covenants.” with them, giving them the law, true worship, and his promises. 5They are our forefathers—ancestors of Christ, humanly-speaking, the one who rules over everything, the eternally-blessed God. Amen.
6It's not that God's promise has failed. For not every Israelite is a true Israelite, 7and not all those who are descended from Abraham are his true children. For Scripture says, “Your descendants will be counted through Isaac,”#9:7. Quoting Genesis 21:12. 8so it's not Abraham's actual children who are counted as God's children, but only those children of God's promise who are considered his true descendants.
9This is what the promise was: “I will return next year and Sarah will have a son.”#9:9. Quoting Genesis 18:10-14. 10In addition Rebecca's twin sons had the same father, our forefather Isaac. 11But even before the children were born, and before they'd done anything right or wrong (so that God's purpose could continue, proving God's calling of people is not based on human performance), 12she was told, “The older brother will serve the younger one.”#9:12. Quoting Genesis 25:23. 13As Scripture says, “I chose Jacob, but rejected Esau.”#9:13. Quoting Malachi 1:2-3.
14So what should we conclude? That God was unjust? Certainly not! 15As he said to Moses, “I will be merciful to whoever I should show mercy, and I will have compassion on whoever I should show compassion.”#9:15. Quoting Exodus 33:19. 16So it does not depend on what we want, or our own efforts, but the merciful nature of God. 17Scripture records God saying to Pharaoh: “I put you here for a reason—so that through you I could demonstrate my power, and so that my name could be made known throughout the earth.”#9:17. Quoting Exodus 9:16. 18So God is merciful to those he wishes to be, and hardens the attitude of those he wants to.#9:18. In the Old Testament, this expression is used to describe obstinate rejection of God, such as the experience of the Pharaoh of the Exodus. In Exodus 9 Pharaoh is variously described as choosing a stubborn attitude, or that God gave him a stubborn attitude, or in the passive that he had a stubborn attitude. So this verse in Romans should not be taken to mean that God deliberately hardens people's attitudes and then punishes them for it. The stubborn attitude is a rejection of divine grace. 19Now you'll argue with me and ask, “So why does he still blame us then? Who can resist the will of God?”#9:19 Quoting Isaiah 29:16; Isaiah 45:9. 20That's no way to speak, for who are you—a mere mortal—to contradict God? Can something that is created say to its creator, “Why did you make me like this?” 21Doesn't a potter have the right to use the same batch of clay to make both a decorative bowl and an everyday pot?#9:21. Literally, “pots of value and dishonor.”
22It's as if God, wanting to demonstrate his opposition to sin#9:22. Literally, “show anger.” and to reveal his power, bears patiently with these “pots destined for destruction,” 23so that he might reveal the greatness of his glory through these “pots of mercy” which he has prepared in advance for glory. 24This is who we are—people he has called, not just from among the Jews, but from among the foreigners too...
25As God said in the book of Hosea, “Those who are not my people I will call my people, and those who are not loved I will call the ones I love,”#9:25. Quoting Hosea 2:23. 26and, “It will happen that at the place where they were told, ‘You're not my people,’ there they will be called the children of the living God.”#9:26. Quoting Hosea 1:10.
27Isaiah cries out regarding Israel: “Even if the children of Israel have become as numerous as the sands of the sea, only a small number#9:27. Literally, “remnant.” will be saved. 28For the Lord is going to quickly and completely finish his work of judgment on the earth.”#9:28. Quoting Isaiah 10:22-23. 29As Isaiah previously said, “If the Lord Almighty had not left us some descendants, we would have become just like Sodom and Gomorrah.”#9:29. Quoting Isaiah 1:9.
30What shall we conclude, then? That even though the foreigners were not even looking to do right, they did grasp what is right, and through their trust in God did what was morally right. 31But the people of Israel, who looked to the law to make them right with God, never succeeded. 32Why not? Because they relied on what they did rather than trusting in God. They tripped on the stumbling-block, 33just as Scripture predicted: “Look, I'm placing in Zion a stumbling-block, a rock that will offend people. But those who trust in him won't be disappointed.”#9:33. Combining Isaiah 28:16 and Isaiah 8:14.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
Romans 9
9
1I speak HaEmes in Moshiach, I do not speak sheker, my matzpun (conscience) bearing me eidus (witness) in the Ruach HaKodesh,
2That there is great agmat nefesh to me and unceasing anguish in my heart.
3For I could wish that my neshamah be put under cherem (ban of destruction), under Churban, and Onesh Gehinnom, cut off from Moshiach for the sake of my achim, my own kinsmen, my people and flesh and blood relatives,
4In as much as they are Bnei Yisroel: theirs is the Mishpat HaBanim Adoption, the Ma'amad HaBanim Standing as Sons, and the Kavod (glory) and the Shechinah (glorious presence of G-d) and the Beritot (covenants), the Matan Torah, the Avodas Kodesh (worship) and the Havtachot (promises);
5Theirs are the Avot (the Patriarchs), and from them came, in so far as his humanity is concerned, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, al hakol hu HaElohim mam'vorach l'Olam va'ed. Omein.
6But it is not as though the Dvar Hashem has failed. For not all those descended from Yisroel are truly redeemed Yisroel [of the eschatological Geulah Redemption].
7Nor is it as though all the banim of K'lal Yisroel are the ZERA of Avraham Avinu, but [as it is written], BEYITZCHAK YIKARE L'CHA ZERA (In Yitzchak shall your seed be called, named, summoned).#9:7 Gn 21:12
8That is, it is not the Bnei habasar (old humanity without hitkhadshut) who are the Bnei HaElohim (children of G-d) but the Bnei HaHavtachah (children of the promise) who are reckoned as ZERA (seed, children, including the right of the heir in relation to the father).
9For this word is one of havtachah (promise): KA'ET SHOV ASHUV UL'SARAH BEN (About this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son).#9:9 Gn 18:10,14
10Not only so, but also in the case of Rivkah (Isaacʼs wife) who conceived by the one act of sexual intercourse with Yitzchak Avinu.
11For when they were not yet born nor had they done any mitzvah or averah, in order that the etzah (wisdom) of the tochnit Hashem (purposeful and willed plan of G-d)#9:11 Ro 8:28 should stand in terms of bechirah (divine election, selection, choosing),
12Not from#9:12 zokheh-earning mitzvos but from the One who makes the kri'ah (divine summons),#9:12 Ro 8:30 it was said to her, RAV YA'AVOD TZA'IR (the elder will serve the younger),#9:12 Gn 25:23
13As it is written, VA'OHAV ES YA'AKOV V'ES ESAV SANEITI (Ya'akov have I loved, but Esau have I hated).#9:13 Mal 1:2-3
14What then shall we say? There is no avla (injustice) with G-d, is there? Chas v'shalom!
15For to Moshe Rabbeinu Hashem says, V'CHANNOTI ES ASHER ACHON V'RICHAMETTI ES ASHER ARACHEM (I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion).#9:15 Ex 33:19
16So then, it is not a matter of the one who wills or the one who runs. It is a matter of the YAD HASHEM HACHANINAH (the hand of the G-d of gracious, free mercy).
17For the Kitvei Hakodesh says to Pharaoh, BA'AVUR ZOT HE'EMADTICHA BA'AVUR HAROTECHA ES KOCHI ULEMA'AN SAPER SHMI BECHOL HA'ARETZ (For this purpose I raised you up, in order that I might demonstrate in you my power and in order that my Name might be proclaimed in all the earth).#9:17 Ex 9:16
18So then, to whom Hashem wills Hashem shows chaninah (mercy, free grace), but whom Hashem wills he hardens.#9:18 that is, makes unresponsive or more mired down in KESHI (stubbornness, hardness); Dt 9:27
19You will say to me, Then why does Hashem still find fault? For who has resisted His will?
20On the contrary, who are you, a human being, to answer back to G-d? VEYETZER AMAR LEYOTZRO (Can the pot say to the potter),#9:20 Isa 29:16 Why have you made me thus?
21Or does the potter not have the right over the clay#9:21 Jer 18:6 to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?
22But what if naniach (supposing) Hashem, willing to demonstrate His Charon Af Hashem (burning anger of G-d) and to make known His ko'ach (power),#9:22 1:16,18 put up with and endured with savlanut (patience) vessels which are objects of G-dʼs Charon Af (burning anger), objects made ready for Churban,#9:22 Ro 9:3
23And in order that He might make known the wealth of His kavod (glory) on vessels which are objects of Hashemʼs chaninah (mercy, free grace) which He prepared beforehand for kavod?#9:23 Ro 8:29-30
24By which I mean us, whom also He called, not only from the Yehudim but also from the non-Jews,
25As it says in Hoshea, V'AMARTI L'LO AMMI AMI ATAH (And I will call the “not my people” my people),#9:25 Hos 2:23 [2:25] and the “not loved” loved;
26And it shall be in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” there they shall be called Bnei EL CHAI#9:26 Hos 2:1 (sons of the living G-d).
27Yeshayah proclaims concerning Yisroel, Even if the number of the Bnei Yisroel are as the sand of the sea, only the She'erit (Remnant) will return (be saved),
28For Hashem will complete and cut short and will perform His Word on the earth.#9:28 Isa 10:22-23
29And as Yeshayah said beforehand, Except Adonoi Tz'vaot had left us SARID KIM'AT#9:29 Ro 9:7 (some survivors), we would have become like S'dom and we would have been the same as Amora.#9:29 Isa 1:9
30What then shall we say? That Goyim who do not pursue Tzidkot (righteousness) have attained Tzidkot which is Tzidkot through emunah,
31Whereas Yisroel pursuing a#9:31 supposed zokheh-earning Tzidkat Torah did not arrive at that Torah?
32Why so? Because it was not on the mekor (basis) of emunah but on the mekor (basis) of#9:32 zokheh-earning ma'asim#9:32 Ro 3:20,28; 4:2,6; 9:11-12 (works). They have stumbled over the EVEN NEGEF (Stone of Stumbling),
33As it is written, Hinei, I place in Tziyon a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense; and he who believes in Me shall not be put to shame.#9:32-33 Isa 8:14; 28:16
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