The Nugget:
Rom 9:18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
My Comment:
Romans 9:18 illustrates the seventh attribute of God on my list of 40 or more divine attributes of God, the attribute of sovereignty.
Another book by Arthur W. Pink which I have, The Attributes of God, has a brief chapter on the sovereignty of God. Pink begins by saying “The sovereignty of God may be defined as the exercise of His supremacy–see the preceding chapter.” In that preceding chapter Pink states “The absolute and universal supremacy of God is plainly and positively affirmed in many scriptures.” Pink cites 1 Chronicles 29:11, 12; 2 Chronicles 20:6.
Continuing the quotation from Pink’s first paragraph on the sovereignty of God, he writes: “Being infinitely elevated above the highest creature, He is the Most High, Lord of heaven and earth. Subject to none, influenced by none, absolutely independent; God does as He pleases, only as He pleases, always as He pleases. None can thwart Him, none can hinder Him. So His own word expressly declares.” Pink cites Isaiah 46:10; Daniel 4:35; Ephesians 1:11. At the end of the short chapter on divine sovereignty as an attribute of God, Pink cites Romans 9:18.
I must alert every reader that one must read Pink with great caution and exercise careful discernment, with Bible in hand, digging deeper into the Bible verses Pink cites by studying those verses by looking up their cross references. Much of what Mr. Pink writes is most scriptural and sound, but some of what he writes is very mistaken.
Romans 9 is a most difficult chapter for many interpreters to understand. They nearly all go wrong at essential points, reading past what it is that Paul under divine inspiration has written there. Those, like Mr. Pink, who subscribe to Calvinism, are especially prone to get things wrong.
In the first place, many interpreters fail to notice that Romans chapter 9, 10, and 11 form a distinct unit in Paul’s letter to the Romans. Romans has three major sections. The first section, Romans chapters 1-8, are doctrinal. Romans chapters 9-11 are prophetic. Romans chapters 12-16 are practical application to Christian living. This structure very likely is the model of instruction Paul used to build well-grounded disciples. In reaching others with the Gospel, to follow Paul’s pattern, thoroughly ground new converts and old converts who have not grown much in their spiritual life in solid Bible doctrine. Ground them in a full and accurate understanding of Bible prophecy. Teach them the practical application of Scripture to guide daily living.
Romans chapters 9-11 pertain to the subject of Israel. Paul answers the troubling question, if Jesus is the Messiah to Israel, how is it that Israel rejected their Messiah? Paul shows from Old Testament scripture, quoted abundantly in this passage, that God’s plan for Israel is not permanently derailed because of Israel’s rejection of the Messiah. It is most important to remember that God has not cast off His people Israel (Romans 11:1). The church has not replaced Israel in the promises of God. God has made irrevocable covenants with His people Israel which shall be fulfilled to them, not someone else (Romans 11:29).
From the very beginning, the Abrahamic Covenant promised that through the seed of Abraham the whole world would be blessed. God knew from the beginning just how He would reach the countless numbers of people in other nations. Now we can see in our own experience just how God has carried that out in fulfillment of the promises God made to Abraham (Genesis 12:2, 3).
Thus Romans 9:18 and its immediate context demonstrates the sovereignty of God as He fulfills His written Word in the Bible.
For those who desire to DIG DEEPER into this subject:
(1) Consult the cross references given in Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible on page 1288 for Romans 9:18.
(2) Consult the cross references given in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on page 1309 or in Logos 5 or 6 Bible software for Romans 9:18.
(3) Consult the cross references given in the original Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on page 111 of the NT or on line at www.blueletterbible.org for Romans 9:18.
(3) Most people today do not have access to those three print resources, so I have posted cross references for this passage as I have developed them even more completely for your study as given below:
Romans 9:18. hath. ver. Ro 9:15, 16. *Ro 5:20, 21. Ep 1:6. mercy. +*Ex 33:19. on whom. ver. Ro 9:21. Ge 19:16. Dt 7:7. Ps 86:2. 1 Cor 12:11. and whom he will. This is a judicial act against rebellion, not a decree of damnation. God hardens no one for His glory. God’s efforts are to redeem, not damn; and the proof of that is the cross. But did God harden Pharaoh? Yes! God’s act of hardening was judicial. But let it be noted that the Almighty God did so only after repeated acts of Pharaoh’s active refusal to obey! Numerous times Pharaoh hardened his own heart; so in consequence of self-hardening, he was visited with Divine judgment (cf. Ex 7:14; 8:15, 32; 9:34-35) [LNT, fn z]. T#234 (sovereignty, freedom, and independence of God). Ro 3:5. +Ex 20:5 (T#246). +Dt 32:35 (T#248). +1 S 15:3 (T#244). 1 Ch +6:15 (T#247). Jb 9:12. *Jb 23:13. *Jb 33:13. +Jb 38:33 (T#240). +*Ps 115:3. *Ps 135:6. Is 43:13. *Is 55:10, 11. *+Da 4:17 (T#245), Da 4:35. Ho 2:4. +Mt 4:10 (T#241). Mt 11:25, 26. *Mt 20:12-16. Jn 5:21. 12:39n. +2 Cor 11:19 (T#243). +*Ep 1:11. *Phil 2:13. +2 Tim 2:25 (T#242). he hardeneth. **FS108A4, +Ge 31:7. +*Ro 1:24, 25, 26, 27, 28. +*Ro 2:4, 5. 11:7, 8. See on +*Ex 4:21. 7:3, 13, +*Ex 7:14. %*Ex 8:15, 32. +*Ex 9:7, 12, %Ex 9:34. 10:20, 27. 11:10. %Ex 13:15. 14:4, 8, 17. +*Dt 2:30. Jsh 11:20. %*1 S 6:6. **2 Ch 32:31. %*Ne 9:16. Ps 69:27. %*Ps 95:8, 9, 10, 11. Is 6:9, 10. 63:17. %*Je 7:26. *Ezk 18:31, 32. +**Am 3:6. Mt 13:12, 14, 15. *Jn 5:40. +*Jn 12:40. +Ac 19:9. 28:26, 27, 28. **2 Cor 4:3, 4. %+*1 Th 5:9. **2 Th 2:10, 11, 12. %**1 Tim 2:3, 4. +He 3:8, +*He 3:13, 15. **James 1:13, 14. 1 P 2:7, 8. *2 P 2:12.