“of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.” – Romans 9:5
What has your constant attention; finding a job, paying a bill, making an investment, advancing in employment or education? What weighs you down and preoccupies your thoughts; loneliness, finding a spouse, healing a marriage, raising a child? What causes you to fear; a serious illness? What makes you anxious; conflict, persecution? What is your biggest burden, that thing which breaks your heart and causes you to cry out to God? What should our biggest burden be and what provision has God provided to deal with it?
Paul had a deep burden for his unsaved countrymen. Their salvation weighed heavy on his heart. He was willing to give everything for them to know the Lord. How did Paul deal with this life dominating burden, and what can we learn from his example to help us deal with our burdens?
When David was contemplating life and its burdens he wrote:
Psalms 55:22 (NKJV) – 22 Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you.
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.
In the New Testament our Savior Jesus said:
Matthew 11:28-30 (NKJV) – 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
The Apostle Peter said:
1 Peter 5:6-7 (NKJV) – Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
In light of this, how did the Apostle Paul cast his burden on the Lord or bring his burden to Jesus? Paul brought his burden for his countrymen to the Lord and rested them in the strong sovereign arms of the Lord. His burden for the lost is the backdrop for a discussion about God’s sovereignty it is in an understanding of God’s sovereignty that we find a solution, strength for the heavy lifting our heavy burdens often demand.
What is the Sovereignty of God?
What is the sovereignty of God? One commentator defined the sovereignty of God as:
“Sovereignty means God is the supreme Ruler over all. While we are free moral agents, we are, nevertheless, subject to His sovereign will and purposes. Everything is subject to His judgment. He is ultimately in control, although He often works indirectly through others.” [1]
In the Old Testament the Sovereignty of God is well expressed in the words of Jonathan to his armor bearer when he is considering attacking a superior force of Philistines. Jonathan says:
1 Samuel 14:6 – “Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.”
The idea of the Sovereignty of God is that God is omnipotent and able to assert His will and carry out His divine plan in the world no matter the obstacle. Our study of Romans 9-11 is a consideration of how God’s sovereignty plays out practically in life.
Why is our understanding of God’s sovereignty important? It’s important because Sovereign God is our Source of His grace. “Grace” can be defined as “God’s-Riches/Resources-At-Christ’s-Expense. There is strength to be received from the God Who is Sovereign. He has strong resources that help us to overcome, or at least deal with, our biggest burdens.
In Romans 9 Paul is anticipating what people in the church in Rome might be thinking about the security of the believer. He is addressing questions such as: What about Israel? Is God finished with them? If so, what does that tell us about the security of the believer we just learned about in Romans 8? If Israel is cast aside by God, isn’t that a contradiction? Might God do the same to us? If nothing can separate us from the love of God, then what about the nation of Israel and her people who reject the gospel?
Romans 9 and Me.
Reviewing what precedes chapter nine in Romans leads us to an additional set of questions anticipated and addressed in Romans 9-11 and continuing into the practical half of the letter in Romans 12-16. We have seen we are all sinners (Romans 1-3). We have seen salvation from sin’s just penalty and forgiveness of our sins comes not by the work of keeping the Law (which Old Covenant Jews would adhere to) but by God’s grace through faith in Jesus our Savior (Romans 3:20-31; Romans 4-5). Once we are saved from our sins by grace through faith in Jesus, we are to live lives of victory over sin (Romans 6). This life of victory is not achieved in our own strength by keeping the Law; that is futile and only leads to frustration, futility, and feeling wretched (Romans 7). The life of victory is lived with the help of the Holy Spirit Who gives us spiritual life and strength to live as more than conquerors knowing God is for us and will provide everything needed for this life of victory (Romans 8). But what do we do next? What does life in the Spirit practically look like? What is our life purpose?
What do God’s dealings with Israel tell us about how people fit into God’s plans?
- God reserves the right to determine the parameters of salvation.
- God reserves the right to “elect” certain individuals and groups as instruments to carry out His plans.
- God has an elect purpose for followers of Jesus.
- God isn’t finished with Israel.
Romans has been reduced by some to a source for theological debate over God’s supposed election to salvation or damnation of individuals. However, if we are to properly interpret the Bible, we must always factor in its original historical context. In Romans 8 we pointed out the historical context of severe persecution was a reason for Paul to write about the security of the believer. Context is important for an accurate interpretation of Romans 9 as well.
A big issue of Paul’s day was that much of Israel and Jews didn’t accept Jesus as their promised Messiah. What was going on with Israel in God’s plans was something Paul will address in Romans 9-11. Because of this, of the New Testament letters, we see in Romans the greatest number of references to the Old Testament.
Romans 9-11 focuses on Israel. But we need to ask, “Why Israel?” Why did God establish a covenant with this group of people? Answering these questions will give us a basis for understanding what Paul says in Romans 9.
The Seed (singular) – Right after Adam and Eve’s fall into sin, God gives the first mention of the gospel (I.e., the Protoevangelium).
Genesis 3:15 (NKJV) – 15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”
Here we are introduced to God’s plan of salvation. The serpent is cursed by God (Genesis 3:14). There will be “enmity” or war between the serpent and the woman, and between the serpent’s “seed” or offspring and the “Seed” of the woman. That women do not have seeds but eggs is a clue of some future unique offspring. This is an early allusion that “Seed” is the Messiah or Savior Jesus who came by a Virgin Birth (Luke 1-2).
Abraham’s “seed” (plural) – This “Seed” of the woman would descend from Adam through a particular lineage. This lineage would be established and chosen by God by covenant with Abraham.
Genesis 12:3 (NKJV) – 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
“All the families (Hebrew מִשְׁפָּחָה mišp̱âḥâ: family, tribe, people, nation) of the earth” would be blessed through the “seed” of Abraham (cf. also Genesis 12:7; 21:12; 22:18; 26:4-5; 28:13-15).
The greatest part of this blessing is that Israel is the “seed” through whom “the Seed” would come (Acts 3:22-25; 13:16-23). God’s choice or election of the patriarchs was not based on their works because they were flawed (e.g., Abram went to Egypt and later had a son with Hagar. Jacob was a heel-catching conniver.) They were selected by God based on faith. We should note in this plan of God that faith is not a work, faith is not defined as a work by God (cf. Galatians 4:13-17).
Israel’s purpose was to be a “kingdom of priests” serving as intermediaries between God and lost humanity:
Exodus 19:6 (NKJV) – And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
Their purpose was not to bless the world by keeping the Law. The Law was given to distinguish them as uncommonly God’s possession and to protect them. That they were not able to keep the Law was God’s provision to show them their works of righteousness were insufficient for righteousness and salvation and that they needed a Savior (Galatians 3:15-18, and 24). Showing the world of sinful humanity that righteousness is by faith not works was a purpose they served.
Their election, for the purpose of blessing the world with Messiah Jesus “The Seed” was purely by God’s prerogative and sovereign choice. God elected them for the sovereign purpose of blessing the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ purely on the basis of God’s decision.
Our individual purpose as Christians. God elects each of us to serve His redemptive purposes where and how He sees fit. The Holy Spirit gifts us to serve the body of Christ as He sees fit (1 Corinthians 12). It isn’t our choice to serve Him where we want to serve Him. We serve our Lord at His command. Jesus said:
Luke 17:10 (NKJV) – So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.'”
Despite some theological persuasions that would use Romans 9 as a basis for God’s individual double predestination of some to heaven and some to hell, the more accurate interpretation here is that God elects people and groups to serve a role in His redemptive purposes. Human free will decision as to whether they accept God’s call or gospel message, determines their eternal destiny based on the salvation parameters of God.
God Sovereignly Chooses to Use Certain People
Romans 9:1-4 – “I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit,2 that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart.3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh,
An allusion to Moses? Paul has a deep burden for his countrymen the Israelites. Perhaps Paul is making a subtle parallel between himself and Moses in Exodus 32 where Moses interceded on behalf of the people before God. In Exodus 32, while Moses is atop Mount Sinai receiving the Ten commandments, the people below the mountain are getting Aaron to make a golden calf. This is tremendously offensive to God who speaks of eliminating them and starting over with Moses. Moses intercedes for the people, offering himself like Paul as a substitute for the people. God accepts his request to spare the people. Paul will later refer to Exodus 34 as well as to Pharoah, so Exodus seems to be a backdrop for what Paul is saying. It is possible Paul is setting up what he will later refer to in this chapter.
“According to the flesh.” Paul is speaking about biological brethren who traced their lineage back to Abraham. He’s very burdened and concerned because they are not accepting jesus as their Messiah.
Paul appeals to Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and his conscience as witnesses to his sincere “sorrow and continual grief in my heart,” over the rejection of Jesus by his countrymen Israel. So sincere are his feelings for Israel that he says, “For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren,” We need to stop and consider the depth and incredibility of this statement.
Paul earlier spoke of the revelation of God’s wrath; now he is willing to enter into that wrathful separation from God if it would mean the salvation of his countrymen. It is incredible to think that Paul who has been inspired to write this great doctrinal treatise and who knows better than anyone else the significance of these words, that he would risk all for the sake of Israel’s salvation. That is a stark contrast to Israel who has received the benefit and blessing of “adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises,” and yet still reject God and seek to keep others (i.e. Gentiles) separated from God out of prejudice. You would be hard pressed to find a greater contrast than the one between Paul and his countrymen who rejected Jesus.
4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; 5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.
“Israelites” – Paul’s use of “Israelites” is referring to a prophetic people rather than merely a geographical or national people. These are the people God has used these people prophetically in his redemptive plans.
God has mightily used them to bless the world. The Israelites are the ones “to whom pertain”:
- the adoption, – This is the possibility of being God’s children and He being our Father (e.g., Exodus 4:22; Deuteronomy 14:1; Jeremiah 31:9, and 20; Hosea 11.1).
- the glory, – This is the shekinah glory of God that appeared over the Tabernacle and Temple (e.g., Numbers 7:89; 1 Samuel 4:21-22; 1 Kings 8:11; Psalm 63:2; 78:61; 90:16; Isaiah 60:19.
- the covenants, – This would include the Abrahamic (Genesis 12 and 15), Mosaic (Exodus 247-8; 34:27; Deuteronomy 29; 31, and Davidic (2 Samuel 7), and New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:33-34).
- the giving of the law, – On Mount Sinai the LORD gave His people through Moses the Ten Commandments and other laws to live by (Romans 3:2f.; Exodus 19; Nehemiah 9:13-15; Psalm 147:19).
- the service of God, – This would include the priesthood, Tabernacle and Temple service, Passover, and overall service of God by being a light to the Gentile nations (Exodus 12:15; Hebrews 9:3-5).
- and the promises; – The promise of Messiah (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; 53), and salvation (Acts 2:38-39; Ephesians 2:12; Hebrews 6:13-17).
- 5 of whom are the fathers – The Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, along with other Old Testament notables (Deuteronomy 10:15; Romans 11:28).
- and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.” – The greatest blessing from God’s people is Jesus, our Savior (Romans 1:3; Genesis 12:3; Isaiah 7:14; 11:1; Matthew 1:1-17).
We have been tremendously blessed through these people.
Paul is like Jesus in his desire for Israel to be saved:
Luke 19:41-42 (NKJV) – 41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.
Paul’s expressed heartfelt burden for his countrymen would be sinful if Israel’s acceptance by God was based on God’s predetermined selection. If Israel’s position was based on God’s predetermined decision, separate from their consent, then Paul is at odds with God. Scot Mitchell points out the difficulty in his book Rediscovering Romans 9[2] stating:
Indeed, this powerful desire and heaviness in Paul is contrary to Calvinistic determinism. If God determines the nation to reject the gospel, why is Paul appearing more loving in his concern for them than God?
There is a problem with Israel, but an even bigger one if we see these verses deterministically.
The People God Uses
Paul is an example of the people God uses in His sovereign predestined plans. Paul had a burden for the lost. His burden was so great that he was willing to consider giving up his own salvation for the sake of the lost. Of course, this is exactly what Jesus did, He gave His life to save the lost.
The people God sovereignly chooses to use have a burden for the lost just like the Father. As the Scripture states:
Jeremiah 3:12 – “Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say: ‘Return, backsliding Israel,’ says the Lord; ‘I will not cause My anger to fall on you. For I am merciful,’ says the Lord; ‘I will not remain angry forever.” (See Isaiah 55:6-7)
Ezekiel 33:11 – “Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’”
1 Timothy 2:3-4 – “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
We can also look at the parable of the Prodigal Son (which depicts a Father waiting with great anticipation to welcome home the wayward son – Luke 15:20-32) to see the heartfelt desire of the Father for people to be saved.
The people God sovereignly chooses to use have a burden for the lost just like Jesus. Jesus said:
Matthew 9:12-13 – “When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.13 “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Matthew 18:11 – “For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.”
Matthew 20:28 – “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
2 Peter 3:9 – “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
The people God sovereignly chooses to use have a burden for the lost just like the Holy Spirit as the scriptures state:
John 16:8 – “And when He [i.e. the Holy Spirit] has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:”
Revelation 22:17 – “And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.”
We need to have a burden for the lost like the Father, like Jesus, and like the Holy Spirit, if we are to be used by Him. As Paul was inspired to write to Pastor Timothy:
1 Timothy 1:12-17 – “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry,13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.14 And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.16 However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (See also 2 Corinthians 5:14-15; John 3:16; 1 John 4:9-14)
Do you have such a burden? Have you adopted the same purpose as the Savior Jesus, “to seek and to save that which was lost”? Paul had such a burden, and we should too!
The People God Doesn’t Use
Who doesn’t God use? God gives tremendous opportunity to all people to be a part of His sovereign redemptive plan; God gives tremendous tools to equip us for the task; BUT GOD WILL NOT USE THOSE UNWILLING TO BE USED. Such was the case with many of the Israelites.
Israel was given the position of sonship (”Adoption”) before God (Exodus 4:22-23; Deuteronomy 14:1-2; Hosea 11:1; Malachi 1:6), God manifested His glory on Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:16-17) and in the Tabernacle and Temple (Exodus 40:34-38; 1 Kings 8), they were given the covenants and promise (Genesis 17:7; 35:9-12; 2 Samuel 7:12-16), they were given the law, the word of God, and they were given the privilege of serving God (Hebrews9:1-6), and from their line the Messiah descended (Galatians 3:16). All of these advantages and opportunities God gave to Israel by sovereign election, but they were unwilling to be used by God. Instead they turned to idols and pagan gods, they lived for the things of this world rather than for the things of God and so they missed a great opportunity to be used by God in His sovereign plan (2 Chronicles 36).
Christ Over All
Romans 9:5 – “of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.”
From Israel the “fathers,” or holy men of the past, came and more importantly, Jesus the Christ was descended from Israel. Why, with all of this revelation, did Israel and does Israel reject Jesus as the Christ? That is something we will find an answer to further on in this section.
More importantly, this verse has one of the strongest statements on the deity of Jesus in the Bible. Very clearly, Jesus is referred to as, “over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.” If Jesus is “over all,” it means there is none over Him. If Jesus is “the eternally blessed God,” it means He has no beginning or end; it means Jesus is God!
Jesus is sovereign. That Jesus “IS OVER ALL” is a clear statement of the sovereignty of Jesus. Jesus is not a second-class citizen, but co-equal with the Father and Holy Spirit in the Triune Godhead. To be “over all” is an expression of sovereign authority.
Jesus our Sovereign Resource. As Sovereign, Jesus is in a position to call into whatever burdensome situation we experience, all the resources of the universe at His disposal. There is literally no mountain too high, no valley too low, no wall too thick, no enemy too numerous or strong, for Him to overcome and use for His glory. Whatever our problems or burdens are, we can call on Jesus and He has a solution to the problem or answer to the question. Now, that doesn’t mean He will answer “Yes” to our every request or remove every difficulty. What it does mean is that He will respond in a way that has an eternally significant outcome and will bring glory to His name.
Confidence in our relationship with our Sovereign Savior. Looking outside of our letter to the Romans for a moment. Jesus told His disciples that He didn’t just look at them as servants, but also as “friends,” friends who He called to go and bear frui
John 15:13–17 (NKJV) – 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another.
So while we remain the servants of Jesus, we are His friends. In friendship with Jesus we serve.
The Apostle John saw the implications of this for life. He was inspired to write
1 John 5:14–15 (NKJV) – 14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
As friends of our Sovereign Savior Jesus, we can be confident, “that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” Jesus our Sovereign Savior not only hears us but, “And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” That’s an incredible statement. When we face a burden or obstacle in life, we can pray like Jesus, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; . . ..” But also like Jesus, we pray, “nevertheless not My will, but Yours be done.” When we pray like that, we may have to go to the cross like Jesus. We will have to likely die to self a little bit more. But the end product will be redemptive and have eternal benefits like it did with our Sovereign Savior Jesus. The next time you encounter a problem, your biggest burden, bring it to your Sovereign Savior Jesus and be confident that what He chooses to do will be eternally significant. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
[1]King James Version study Bible. 1997, c1988 (electronic ed.) (Eph 1:9). Thomas Nelson: Nashville
[2] Scott Mitchel Rediscovering Romans 9: How Calvinism Distorts the Nature and Character of God, (Copyright 2021 Scott Mitchell) Kindle Version.