 Good morning everyone. Thank you for joining class and welcome to class. We'll begin with a word of prayer so can one of you please lead us in prayer and the person who's going to lead us in prayer can also pray for Charles father who's admitted in hospital. He's having ulcers and low blood sugar and dementia so pray for discernment for the doctors even as they treat him and above all pray for supernatural healing to flow through his body for God's peace upon him and Charles and his family and relatives as well. So can some of you please lead us in prayer please? Sure Asha thank you so much. George and we pray for divine miracles and healing taking place in his body God. I pray for God as we said as we lay our hands Lord they shall be recovered by faith Lord we lay our hands on Charles God Stephen God but he is killed in Jesus name but you are believing for a miracle of good Lord I pray that you will be dead 2,000 years ago and your blood can heal any kind of disease that's there any kind of new virus or any kind of thing or and I trust you right now for healing and miracles and I pray a peace over his family Lord I pray that nothing shall strike by them night or day or evening Jesus but everything will be all we pray some sign to God over their family protection, healing, restoration everything Jesus name is declared by the man Amen. Amen thank you so much Asha okay please continue to all of you can pray for Charles dad he's lived in hospital with low blood sugar and ulcers and dementia so just pray for healing okay we learn we're looking at the book of Romans Paul's episode to the church at Rome we've come to Romans chapter 9 and you know today's chapter verses 9 10 11 is going to be very interesting because it focuses on a different theme we'll have a lot of questions so just a little request all of you to listen carefully understand and just maybe wait till the end of the class where I can give you time after I've explained everything then you can if you still have any questions you can please feel free to ask okay so let's begin with the Romans chapter 9 is talking about God's choosing now you know Paul the possible having brought us to this point of just that we are justified with God and our identification who we are in Christ and how we overcome and live the victorious life in the midst of suffering he's spoken to us about all of these things now it's very interesting that in chapters 9 to 11 he focuses on a totally different theme we know that at the church at Rome they were Jews and Gentiles so his focus in chapters 9 to 11 is what is God doing with the Jews okay these are the very these are very unique chapters Paul does not discuss about this at length like he explains here or discusses here anywhere else in his episodes of course in one or two episodes he just talks about it in one or two verses but here you know as he explains or you know he discusses this in details in chapters 9 to 11 about what is God doing with the Jews but in the other episodes one or two episodes which he just makes a passing statement and just one or two verses but here he's just concentrating three chapters at a major portion of his letter to the church at Rome about what God is doing with the Jews so what God is doing with the Jews with the Jewish people and it's very interesting how Paul presents this truth to us you know the question you know that is in the heart and mind of Jews or the Gentiles has God abandoned the Jews because of the church who are now his people you know who he predestined to be conformed to the image of his son so the church basically now is God's people his chosen people who he has predestined to be the image of his son because now since he's chosen the church has he abandoned the people that he chose as his nation to be the modern nation among all the nations of the world the people that he chose among all the other peoples of the world so has he abandoned them for the church and then the other question that you know Paul is trying to answer this also or look at is what should be the church's attitude towards the Jewish people now some of the people you know they left Judaism and they embraced Jesus Christ they're still wondering you know I'm following Jesus who is a Jew and a descendant of Abraham like I or we all are descendants of Abraham we also believe in Jesus as a messiah and we are part of the church we are called we are justified but what about the other Jews who have not believed what does God doing with the rest of the Jews who have not believed who have not accepted Jesus were not part of the church who have not been justified and the whole idea of predestination that we spoke about a little in chapter 8 comes up again in in these chapters and in these chapters 9 to 11 are pretty strong chapters in addressing predestination because you know God chooses the Jewish people ahead of time he's called Abraham he's given him a promise and given him the promises of blessings and you know God did all of this even before the church came into existence but now since the earth had churches come into existence and they are the chosen people of God they received the blessings the promises the covenants that are made is theirs also now so what about the Jews okay what how does the church relate to the Jews what happens to the plan of God and how is God going to you know fulfill his plan because here is you know we see the Old Testament is the the the Easter lights of the Jews of the chosen people and when we come to the New Testament we see the church is given the keys of authority God's chosen people who he has chosen to be confirmed with the image of his son then what happens to you know all the promises that he's spoken about the chosen nation the chosen people group the the Jews where do they stand now where did they come in this picture what is God trying to what is God's plan what is he trying to fulfill how and how is he going to go about doing this so in chapters 9 to 11 Paul is addressing about the Jews and what is God going to do with them so it's very interesting so we will just look at it I know you'll have a lot of questions so you know just listen to carefully and then by the end of the class you can raise up all your questions if you still have any doubts okay so verse one Paul says I tell I tell the truth in Christ I'm not lying my conscious also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit verse two he says that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart it was three he says what I could wish that I myself would have cursed from Christ for my brethren my countrymen according to the flesh was four and five who are Israelites to whom pertain the adoption the glory the covenants the giving of the law sorry the service of God and the promises of whom are the fathers and from whom according to the flesh Christ came who is overall and eternally blessed God amen so in verse one Paul is saying I tell the truth in Christ so that means he's saying I want to share something that is in my heart you know he's just basically unburdening his heart he's saying his heart is filled with sorrow and continual grief why is his heart filled with sorrow and continual grief what is he unburdening his or sharing from his heart what is there in his heart his heart that was burdened as for his people he longs for his people the Jews the chosen people of God you know he longs for them to come to Christ and he says for I could if for I could wish that I myself would have cursed from Christ for my brethren my countrymen according to the flesh now you know very strong words that he's using he's literally saying you know I don't mind going to hell as long as my Jewish brothers you know can come to Jesus and that is the burden that he's carrying in his heart so very strong what he's saying it's okay if I go to hell it's okay if I'm a curse go to hell if as long as you know my Jewish brothers come to know Jesus Christ they come to the faith they believe in Jesus Christ so this is a burden he's carrying for the Jews and this verse you know saying that he says you know he's carrying this grief and continual sorrow shows how much desire and longing he has for his people you know the Jews to come to know Christ and you know is that you know the same sorrow and grief that we carry in our hearts for our own people group for our own families family members who are lost or you know the nation that we come from or the country that we come from the place that we come from you know is our hearts so burdened grieved you know sorrowful that people are lost and the time of Jesus's second coming is so soon is at hand and you know they'll be lost for eternity and I think it's important that you know we are burdened about people who are lost just like you know Paul was so filled with sorrow and grief and similar to Moses you know as we read in Exodus chapter 32 verses 31 and 32 he was he said you know he was willing to have his name blotted out of the of God's book so that Israel could be forgiven I mean that's the heart that Moses carried for his people you know remember at one point of time he didn't even want to go you know and go to Egypt and do what God was calling him to do what the burning bullshit so many excuses but here when he got into that shoes of that of being a leader you know he he does not want to quit there are times when God says you know take Moses you take the people and go my presence is not going with you and we know how Moses vice got back into the picture and you know he talks to God and tells reminds him of the promises that he made and and God comes back and he says okay I'll come along with you you know uh so we see that Moses does not quit he does not give up is such a heart for this people group that he's leading even though these people group this group of people have been so annoying grumbling murmuring complaining but we see that you know Moses stands in the gap and intercedes so here as well you know Paul says in verse one he says my conscience bears witness with the holy spirit so here we see that you know his conscience and the the con and the holy spirit bear witness okay so his conscience bears witness and the holy spirit also bears witness so what is our conscience our conscience is basically the voice of our own spirit it's our inner voice our conscious conscience has been pre-programmed by God to know what is right and is wrong and we also know that it's not only our conscience but the holy spirit also bears witness in our spirit man okay so there are two that is bearing witness one is our conscience and the holy spirit the holy spirit also bears you know witness in our spirit man you know by giving us a red signal or the green signal the red signal is when you know there's anxiety there's worry there's restlessness there's tightening in our spirit binding in our spirit man then we know the holy spirit is telling us through these emotions that it's not the right time to venture out not the right time to do not the right person to interact with this is not something that you should be going ahead with but if he sends peace it's a way that the holy spirit tells us okay go ahead you know you can do it you know he gives us a piece so that is the inner witness of the holy spirit and it's wonderful you know when our conscience you know bears witness and the holy spirit also bears witness when both of these are in agreement you know when my spirit is in complete agreement with the holy spirit testifying jointly about something you know it's wonderful and it it makes the conviction much more stronger you know it brings about stronger conviction complete assurance there's a good togetherness about the matter and you know and we feel that you know the confidence to go ahead and do what god wants us to do because we have the inner witness of the holy spirit and also our conscience is bearing witness and our conscience can come to that place where it's in it's in tune with the with the holy spirit with our spirit man is when our conscience are pure set when our lives are pure our motives are pure when our lives are set aside for god is when our conscience is also pure and that's when it can also bear witness along with the holy spirit both are in total agreement it's going to be just so powerful it just brings about strong conviction complete assurance and togetherness and so here we see in this case you know Paul's conscience and the best witness and the inner witness of the holy spirit also is bearing witness in this case it's about his heart for the Jewish people so we can just feel his burden that even as he talks about his grief and sorrow for his own people yes we know that Paul was appointed to preach the gospel to the Gentiles and he's doing that he's been faithful to his call and we know that he has been faithful but you know still he has a heart and a burden for his own people the Jews so Paul is basically setting up things for what he's going to say Paul is actually basically meaning here to say that you know yes I'm an apostle you know by choice willingly I chose to become a born servant yes I'm a preacher to the Gentiles I'm called by God to preach the Gentiles but I'm also a Jew okay so he's saying I'm an apostle to the church of Jesus Christ and but I'm also a Jew you know I have a great heart for my own people so he's basically positioning himself because he's going to be talking the next three chapters about the Jews and the church and he wants to make his position on his stand very very clear he's trying to you know tell yes I'm a apostle I'm a by choice I've chosen myself to be a born servant of Christ Jesus I also know that I have a calling to the Gentiles but hey I stand in this position here I'm a Jew I'm a born Jew and hence I have a burden for my own people so he's trying to make his position clear so that what he's going to be mentioning or talking about or writing about in the next three chapters will know people have a great clarity about his stand and his position and in verse four he says you know who are the Israelites the Israelites the Jewish people theirs is the adoption that means God chose the Jews the Israelites among all the nations of the world among all the peoples of the world to be his chosen people to be his chosen nation and it was to them that he revealed his glory they saw his glory you know the glory of the 10 plagues in Egypt the parting of the Red Sea the water from the rocks the manna the quail the way he fought the battles for them the way he gave them the promised land so you know they experienced his glory they were the ones who were the recipients of receiving the law they were the ones who received the covenants though it's given to Abraham the mosaic covenant theirs was the promises you know God was going to fulfill the promises through the station of Israel and theirs was the priesthood as well the service of God was talking about the priesthood so you know all of these things you know God gave to the people of Israel but Paul later on you know not the chapter nine later on he goes on to say that these blessings were now passed on to the Gentiles but yes they've passed on to the Gentiles but he's starting off from where God started where did God start he started with the Jewish people and he gave them all of this okay and was finally says you know the Jewish people also came from the fathers their fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob and you know they also consider David as as well as one of their four fathers and it says in the line of all of them you know the line of Jewish race Jesus in the natural came from this race came from this nation he was born as a Jew so the the Jews or the Israelites were so privileged okay because they had all of these things you know the promises the covenants the glory the adoption has been children of God to be chosen theirs where their fathers Abraham Isaac Jacob and David as well and through this lineage Jesus Christ the Savior of the world was also born came from this race from this nation and then he says you know Christ Christ came who is overall the eternally blessed God so he calls Jesus Christ not how he calls Jesus Christ there he calls him as the eternally blessed God so when people ask us can they show me in the Bible where does it show that you know Jesus Christ is God so here we can easily show because it says who came according to the flesh Christ came according to the flesh in the Jewish race has born the Jewish race but he is eternally blessed God so this is one of the places that we can point to them to show that he is eternally God and he's eternally blessed God because it's mentioned here who Jesus Christ is okay now going on to verses 6 to verse 13 can somebody read that please verses 6 to 13 slowly and clearly for us somebody verses 6 to 13 but it is not as though the word of God has failed and not all who are descended from Israel belongs to Israel and not all are children of everyone because they are his offspring but two Isaac's children are offspring of me this means that it is not the children of the flesh or the children of God but the children of the promise that come to us as offspring for this is what the promise said about this time next year I will return and Sarah should have a son and not only so but also when Rebecca had conceived a children by one month our forefather Isaac though they were not yet born and have been done nothing either good or bad in order that God's purpose of election may continue not because of works but because of him who calls she was told the older will serve the younger as it is written verse 13 as is written Jacob I have loved but he so I have hated okay thank you very much Asha okay in you know these are a little controversial verses to you know understand and to discern but I'll just explain it and then if you have any doubts maybe we can I can explain even the the verses you know from verse 14 to 18 and then we can take up any questions because they are all interlinked okay so he was six you know Paul is saying but it's not that the word of God has taken no effect for they are not all Israel who are of Israel so says God chose the nation of Israel yes he spoke wonderful things to them he gave them wonderful promises but what God has spoken about them you know is it wasted or ineffective no it's not wasted it's not ineffective it still holds so in verse 7 he says nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham but in Isaac your seed shall be called so he explains that not everyone who is a Jew in the natural was what God was referring to when he says that you know they are they would be the sons of promise or they will they will be children who will inherit the promise so what Paul is basically saying here is not that everyone who was a Jew in the natural was born as a Jew or Jewish parents to the Jewish race what what God was referring to as in Isaac your seed shall be called or you know they will they be called as children because they're the seed of Abraham but he goes on to say that you know God wasn't talking about natural people but the children of promise so they are the ones who are the real descendants that God was speaking of so who are these children of promise the children of promise here are he's talking about believers both Jews and Gentiles so what basically Paul is saying here is that you know when when God said that you know the children nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham but in Isaac your seed shall be called he says not all children means not all those who are born of the Jewish race in the natural what was what was what God was referring to as the children of promise but he was basically referring to those who would be children of promise who put their faith in Jesus Christ so it's not just Jews by natural birth but it's also here talking about children of promise as referring to believers both Jews and Gentiles and so he says in Isaac your seed shall be called so God wasn't talking of natural people but children of promise who are the ones who are the real descendants that God was speaking of and who are these real descendants that God is speaking of are those who put their faith in Jesus Christ and he says at this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son so we see that God gave a promise to Abraham and Sarah that they will have a son and you know Paul is just presenting a thought here and he says not only this but you know think about this as well you know he says he's talking about Isaac and he's talking about Rebecca here and he's talking about their children and even before Esau and Jacob were born you know God is actually predetermining things for them he's speaking about them he's speaking of them he says the old shall serve the younger Jacob I have loved but Esau I have hated okay he says older the older shall serve the younger Jacob I have loved but Esau I have it hated so even before the children were born and could have any say you know God says the older shall serve the younger and he says that Jacob I have loved but Esau I have hated now this is what he refers to in verse 11 now verse 11 is actually the big words he says for the children not yet being born not having done any good or evil that the purpose of God according to the election might stand not by not a works but of him who calls so God's predetermined purpose in this case he's already selected Jacob and here we see his selection is not based on works because he says not on works but of him who calls but it was according to the call of God so God selected you know Jacob over Esau according to his purpose and his calling and he you know was the one who chose the person now when we look back at what God says here you know the older shall serve the younger Jacob I have loved but Esau I have hated you know this was it looks like you know that God has already selected you know God has already planned ahead of time and since God already selects or God already plans ahead of time then we don't have anything to say okay you know we just go with God what God wants to do because he's already decided in his head he's already planned in his head but we know that this is not true from the rest of scripture okay so how do we interpret this you know this verse in the light of what he says in the rest of other scripture now we know in the rest of other scripture you know we always need to interpret scripture in the light of other scripture so in other scripture we also see the rest of scripture that you know God has given man the free will to choose okay we see that right in the garden of Eden okay when God created Adam and Eve but he gave them an own mind he gave them a will to choose he told them what to choose and what not to choose but he gave them a free will so even as we read these chapters in verses chapters 9 to chapter 11 of Romans we need to see it in the light of you know of you know of the rest of scripture God has revealed to us in the rest of scripture the rest of scripture we see that you know God has given man the free will to choose and if you don't see these chapters in the light of you know what God has revealed that he has given man the free will to choose we will most likely come away with this idea that God has already decided everything you know we are just like puppets God just uses us to fulfill his purpose and each one is already predetermined to do something the choices that they make you know we should not come away with the start we shouldn't read all of this with blinders on but we need to read this in the light of other scriptures the light of other scriptures we see that man has the free moral will to choose for example Adam and Eve now we know that God created Adam and Eve he told them what the tree not to eat not to eat from and the rest of the trees that they can eat from but God when Adam and Eve chose to eat from the tree that God asked them not to do to eat from you know God did not predetermine Adam and Eve's choice we need to get that right okay God did not predetermine Adam and Eve's choice he did not predetermine that you know they would go and choose this they would go and sin and this obey him okay so this was not a predetermined choice of God but it was Adam's choice it was Adam who made the choice he had two options in front of him but you know he was the one who made the choice said God know that he's going to make the choice yes God knew beforehand that he's going to make the choice and he also had another plan to come into motion but it was not God who predetermined Adam's choice so let's take another example like Moses you know Moses when he struck the rock twice God not asking to strike the rock like he asked him previously asked him to speak to the rock and he struck the rock twice you know we know that he sinned against God he disobeyed God he dishonored God in in the eyes of the Israelites and what was the result the consequences of that they could not enter the promised land just like Adam and Eve they forfeited their privilege of you know living in the garden of sorry to live in the garden of Eden and also to have dominion over the earth so did God you know predetermine Adam's or Moses's choice no it was Moses who was angry got angry and who struck the rock twice it was not God who predetermined the choice for him so we need to understand these chapters chapters 9 to chapters 11 in the light of what I just said that you know God has given us a free moral will to choose he's given man a free moral will to choose so Paul is saying here you know yes there is a purpose of God for Jacob and Esau but in God's predetermined purpose he already said that the older will serve the younger okay so by stating this he's not predetermining that choices he's only stating ahead of time what that choices are going to be because he knows what Esau is going to choose that he's going to sell his birthright just for a bowl of you know soup or broth you know just because he was so hungry that he even doesn't care for his spiritual birthright he does not have any you know he does not have any honor or respect and consider his birthright as a worthless thing that he's willing to sell it for a bowl of soup but we see that you know even though Jacob was a crafty man so to say he was not right he was not perfect but he was somebody who pursued God's heart pursued the plan of God he wanted his spiritual inheritance and so here by stating by God saying that you know the older shall serve the younger it's not that God is making the choice for them or he's predetermined you know what they're going to do but he's already or he's predetermined that choices but he already knows beforehand you know what choices they're going to make what choice Esau is going to make what choice Jacob is going to make and what he's doing here is he's basically you know just stating that choice and you know he's only stating ahead of time what their choices were going to be but God is equally opened to both of them okay and because of these choices that he stated ahead of time he knows you know who is going to choose him who is not going to choose him and hence he says that he would love one and hate the other now when it says now he he will hate the other we also need to remember and you know when we need to interpret this the light of scripture we know that when John says God is love when God is love he cannot have hate if he has hate in him he has sin in him and he cannot be God he's not perfect okay so hate it means just that he did not you know he did not like the choice or he did not go with the choice that Esau had made but why did God say Jacob I have love but Esau I have hated if we read about this this incident in Hebrews chapter 12 verses 15 to 17 he says lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau who for one muscle of food sold his birthright for you know that afterward when he wanted to inherit the blessing he was rejected for he found no place for repentance though he sorted diligently with tears so look at the harsh words or the strong words the writer of Hebrews refers to Esau he refers to him as a fornicator and profane man now you know what was Esau's mistake right he he comes from hunting he's famished he's extremely hungry hungry so hungry that you know he just just wants so food something to eat immediately and you know that Jacob uses the opportunity and tells him to give his birthright to him and you know we see that you know he just wanting to give up his birthright for you know just for a bowl of soup okay so here is a man who's living for immediate gratification of his flesh has no word for his for spiritual calling spiritual standing spiritual inheritance whereas we see Jacob was not a perfect man he cheated his brother he cheated his father he ran away and his basically the word Jacob even means cheater but in spite of all his imperfections he had a heart towards God okay Esau was willing to sell or give away everything that God had on his life you know it was God's calling as the older what God called him for his life the inheritance the promises that was going to be passed on from generation to generation he was going to inherit it but he had no significance for that he had no worth for that he had he did not look at it as something that's valuable and he gave up everything just for a bowl of soup or just for a meal so Jacob was not perfect but he sorted God you know he wanted the spiritual inheritance the birthright we also see later in we read in Genesis chapter 32 that he engaged with God he was not willing to let go of God you know until God blessed him and we see that you know ultimately he receives his blessing and his name is changed to from Jacob to Israel so he we see his spiritual pursuit for God and that is what touched the heart of God in spite of his character flaws and he engaged with God and he got what he wanted so here God knowing ahead of time what that choice is that these two young people are going to make hence God says you know he says that older shall serve the younger and Jacob I have loved but he saw I have hated I just you know and love means I love the choice that he made but I hate the choice that you know or detest the choice that or saddened by the choice that Esau has made so God says this based on full knowledge and not on predetermining that individual choices so you need to you know remember this this is not something that he predetermined their choices to be or he did not predetermined that they are going to you choose this and you choose that but it was his full knowledge that he knew ahead of time that you know what Jacob is going to choose and what we saw is going to choose so if we say that God predetermined their choices then Esau could have turned around and told God God you predetermined my choice you are to be blamed okay and we see no Paul later on talking about this on this whole aspect he talks about the analogy of a porter and clay you know the porter in this instance you know porter in the natural if you look the porter makes the clay the clay has no say in what kind of shape or object the porter is going to make but in our instance we are it's different you know we have the porter who is called we are the clay but we as a clay God has not made us mere puppets or as dumb beings but he's given us a mind he's given us a will to choose and we have a say and God respects our other choices that we make okay remember in chapter one we read that you know even though God has revealed himself in creation that you know the creation reveals the invisible attributes of God his divine power and his Godhead but still you know people even though having a knowledge of this they still chose to give in to you know lustful evil desires and worshiping gods that are no gods and what does it say Paul says you know God Paul says in chapter one God gave them up to their deprived mind that means God gave them up to the choices that they make this is your choice go ahead you choose and you know so he's not somebody who treats us like puppets but he you know we read there in Romans chapter one he gave them up to their own choices so here also he gave up he sought to make his own choice he gave Jacob to make his own choice so he continues on in verses 14 to 18 where he says what shall we say then is that unrighteousness with God certainly not for he says to Moses I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion verse 16 he says so then it's not of him who wills not of him who runs but of God who shows mercy verse 17 for the scripture says to to the 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 verse 18 says therefore he has mercy on whom he wills and whom he wills he hardens so Paul is continuing with this discussion and he's bringing about a few more examples here about pharaoh and about what he tells Moses but in verse 14 he says you know he asks a question again he brings you know he follows the same style what he's doing in the book of Romans asking these rhetorical questions where he answers has the question and gives the answer himself so Paul is saying asking a question that you and I would be inclined to ask after reading the previous verses where it says is God being unjust and he chooses somebody you know he loves some he hates others and you know he says no certainly not that's not who God is but here he says you know I will have but you know God speaks to Moses and so Paul is saying you know God says I will have mercy on whom ever I will have mercy and I will I have compassion on whom ever I will have compassion now you know when we read this we need to understand that you know his mercy God's mercy and compassion are extended on everyone like it says in Psalm so we need to interpret this scripture you know Romans chapter 9 verse 15 you know not thinking that you know God has mercy on some he does not have mercy on the others he shows compassion on some he doesn't show compassion on others when we're saying this we're believing this we're saying God is partial and it says in God's word that you know God says I am not partial I'm not a partial God I show no partiality you know for Paul himself says for God there is no June or Greek male or female all are one before him so when we read this we need to read it and also interpret it in the light of the rest of scripture he says here that you know in in Psalms chapter 1.5 verses 9 to 10 it says the Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his work so no mark the words there the Lord is good to all okay and his tender mercies are over all his works the Lord is gracious and slow to anger okay and so we know that God's mercy and compassion is extended to everyone and so we need to understand God's mercy and compassion not as being selective and partial God is not selective and partial in his expression of being merciful and compassion compassionate but his mercy and compassion are extended to everyone but okay his mercy and compassion begins to work in the lives of those who choose to receive it now God's mercy and compassion is for everyone just like you know his eternal life is for everyone he died on the cross for everyone but you know those who believe in him also love the world you know he loved the world that he gave his only son for everyone in the world but says those who but whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life so the same principle works here God is gracious and compassionate and loving and merciful to everyone but his mercy and compassion begins to work in the lives of those who receive it and here in this context when what Paul is talking about is specifically in the life of Jacob now what happened in Jacob's life was God's grace and compassion but it was not selective or partial care and compassion it was because he opened his life to you know receive God's compassion and his mercy so we need to interpret this you know this verse that you know God says I will show mercy on whom I want to show mercy show compassion on whom I want to show compassion in the light of other scripture that God is compassionate gracious to all but it is those who you know open up or receive his compassion and his mercy it's in depth those people like that his compassion and his mercy really works so in verse 16 of chapter 9 he says so then it's not of him who wills nor of him who runs but of God who shows mercy so here the focus is not on the person who's making the choice or saying yes to God you know and opening their lives to receiving his mercy in this instance Jacob you know yes Jacob made the right choice he ran with what pleased God but we can't say Jacob was the hero you know it was still because God extended his mercy and grace or his compassion towards him why did God extend this mercy and compassion towards him is because he opened up his life he came to that place where he was willing to receive God's mercy compassion and his blessing okay remember when he wrestles with the angel God and he says I will not let you go till you bless me so he was basically you know wanting his spiritual inheritance spiritual birthright he wanted that he was opening himself up to God's mercy compassion and his blessing okay whereas we see that you know Esau was close to that okay he was not he was not open to the things of God and when he was open it was very late he had already lost his blessing his inheritance his birthright so is God being unfair no it's because of the choices that each one of them made and he did not predetermine their choice but he foreknew the choices that they're going to make so just so before we close we look at verse 17 where it says but scripture says a pharaoh for this very purpose God says you know telling 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 okay and then verse 9 18 therefore he has mercy on whom he wills and whom he wills he harbors so God raised pharaoh you know through whom God chose to fulfill his purpose and show his path did God you know did God harden his heart or did God you know did the pharaoh harden his heart okay but scripture as we read says pharaoh hardened his heart and it also says that God hardened pharaoh's heart okay so the whole question is did God harden his heart you know to disobey God or to go against him or not to be willing to yield or to let the people go um how did pharaoh harden his heart so what does scripture say scripture says that pharaoh hardened his heart and God also hardened pharaoh's heart so if God hardened pharaoh's heart then you know pharaoh is not to be blamed so how do we understand this again we understand it in the light of the rest of scripture like I just said we in Romans 1 you know we read that God gave them up to their deprived deprived minds you know we know that God did not make their minds as deprived minds he did not you know he did not predetermine that they will choose other gods but we see that you know people made their own choice and we also see that God did not prevent them from going that way he let them you know he let them go into their depraved mind to do what their depraved mind wants to do and it led to every kind of evil behavior and action so here we must understand it in this scripture passage of verses 17 and 18 in the rest of other scripture as well you know so here we see that you know yes pharaoh chose to harden his heart so as pharaoh chose to harden his own heart God let him you know go his way he said okay want to choose to harden your heart you don't want to obey you don't want to give in that's fine so God allowed him to go his own way to harden his heart and you know he chose pharaoh chose to harden his heart to the god that moses was talking about the miracles moses was doing in the name of God pharaoh said I don't care you know I'm stronger and bigger than your God so since pharaoh chose to harden his his own heart God let him do it and that is what you know scripture means when it says that God you know harden pharaoh's heart that means that doesn't mean God hardened his heart it means that God just let him be hard hearted he just let him make his own choice he let him just pursue his hard heartedness you know to think he's bigger and stronger than God that he does not care it does not mean that God hardened his heart because pharaoh who chose to harden his heart was just God who allowed him to make his own choices so as pharaoh chose you know to harden his heart it only God it only gave an opportunity for God to display his greatness and his power so even if pharaoh would not have hardened his heart with respect of that God could have just still shown his greatness and power you know but here you know that was pharaoh's choice he chose it was not God's choice for him but we see that you know God used this opportunity to display his greatness and his power and therefore he says I have mercy on whom he wills and whom he will see hardens which means that's not God saying that I will have mercy on some and I will harden some people's heart no it's he's basically saying I know who's going to choose uh you know my mercy and I'm going I know who's going to harden their hearts and I'm just going to let them choose to make their own choices but those who you know open their hearts and their lives to my mercy and compassion I will show my mercy and compassion those who choose to harden their hearts you know they will experience their own the repercussions of their own choices and they will live out the repercussions of their own choices okay we stop here anyone has any questions sorry I took a little extra time anyone has any questions we're able to understand okay okay anyone else any questions any doubts okay if there's no questions any doubts and it is clear for all of you praise God that you understood it and yeah we'll meet on Friday we'll continue with the rest of the verses in chapter nine sorry for taking three minutes of that extra time after I just stop recording I just want to speak to a couple of you about the assignment assessment so just give me a minute please