Paul appeals back to his original theme: in the gospel, all are saved, Jew and Gentile, through Christ by faith. In chapters 1-4, Paul declares all to be justified by faith, and then in chapters 5-8, Paul reveals how God's justification in Christ will keep all alive by faith, victorious and free from condemnation. 

In chapter 9, Paul begins to take a look at God's promise to Israel. He is going to answer the question, did God keep His promise to Israel when not all of Israel, in fact only a remnant of Israel, came to saving faith in Christ?

God's Righteousness Is Revealed in the Way He Treated Both Jew and Gentile (9:1-11:36)

The Blessing of Being an Israelite (1-5)

Paul begins this section of his letter by looking at the nation of Israel. First, Paul expresses sorrow and anguish that not all Israelites had come to faith in Christ, especially the religious establishment. Paul even would wish himself accursed if that would have any value in bringing all of Israel to Christ (1-3). He then gives a long list as to what made being Jewish special: 

• They were adopted into God's family.

• They saw and experienced God’s glory (presence).

• They were brought into covenant with God.

• They were given the Law.

• They were shown how to worship.

• They were given God's promises.

• They belonged to the legendary patriarchs.

• Most of all, Christ came from their race (4-5).  

Paul first answers the question for the Romans, who is the genuine Israel? Who are the children of promise? 

God's Choice of Isaac (6-9)

He is going to answer the question using the promise given to Abraham, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named” (Genesis 12:21) (6-7). For Paul, the metaphor is clear: it had never been about natural Israel or those born in the bloodline of Abraham; it had always been about promise. The children of promise had always been “counted” as offspring (8). Paul then explains how God makes choices based on mercy and not race. God promised Sarah a son at a specific time; it was His doing, not hers (9).   

God's Choice of Jacob (10-16)

Next, God told Rebekah that He was choosing the younger to serve the older, so for all time Israel and the world would know it is impossible to earn God's love and His rewards (10-12).

Paul then quotes Malachi 1:2-3. This infamous quote has often been misunderstood, assuming God loves some individual people while hating others. Paul’s point, rather, is that by choice, God does love every soul. The prophet Malachi was dealing with nations chosen by God, or more specifically, a nation chosen by God: Israel. The nation of Edom chose to live in rebellion to God and as an adversary to Israel. As a nation, as a rebel system, God hated not the citizens of Edom but the national system of Edom. Paul makes it clear that, through Isaac's seed, Jacob was chosen and loved as a nation and Edom was not. Edomites were certainly welcomed, in fact wanted, in the promise-family, but the rebel system remained exterior to God's love. Paul was not saying God loved one soul over another, but He chose Jacob to form a nation, and He did love that national system which He designed, while hating other national systems hostile to God's ways. Israel was to show and welcome the nations of the world under her special theocratic government where God ruled (13).  

The point Paul is making to the Romans is simple: he could have chosen Esau instead of Jacob, but He did not. He had mercy on whomever He had mercy on— “the younger,” the one who does not deserve the mercy. Our standing with God can never depend upon our will or effort; only God has mercy. God, in mercy, chose Jacob; God, in mercy, would have at any time received any Edomite into his family by default, for God is just. He will not allow any to be joined to Him just based on their own effort (14-16).

God's Choice to Harden Pharaoh (17-18)

Paul then uses another example: Pharaoh, whose heart God hardened. It’s important to note that Paul explains to the Romans, in keeping with his point, that God hardened Pharaoh's heart so He could show and demonstrate the power of His mercy and have His mercy proclaimed throughout the world (17-18).  

In using Pharaoh as an example, Paul is appealing back to Exodus 4-14 where fourteen times it mentions that God's act of showing mercy to the Israelites began to create an insensitivity in Pharaoh's heart. God's determination to show mercy to Israel did not let up; He continued on with their deliverance, knowing if He did, Pharaoh would grow more and more hardened of heart toward God and the Israelites, along with His government. 

Paul is seeking to make known that hardening Pharaoh's heart did not mean God wickedly reached into Pharaoh’s heart and made it hard, but God was going on with His plan for Israel in their liberation, even though it would harden Pharaoh. 

God's Choice to Harden Israel (19-29)

This is a confounding moment as Paul is working to a point involving Israel. 

• No one can resist God's will; it is either received or rejected and if it is rejected, those who reject His mercy will also become insensitive in their heart (19).  

• No one can get upset with God for the choices He makes, like when He chose Israel over Egypt (20-21).  

• Just because God endures and allows wicked systems to abuse for a season because He is patient and merciful doesn't mean God is not well within His right to judge when He decides to judge (22).

• God is well within His right to judge because when He decides it is time, He can overthrow those oppressive systems of power in order to show mercy on those He has prepared to receive mercy; one cannot “deserve” this mercy as it all originates with Him (23).

• God's mercy has now extended to the Gentiles, those from all nations like Edom and Egypt. In essence, Paul is putting the Romans on notice that God will pour out His wrath on oppressive systems, which He hates, to show mercy on those He loves. He is well within the realm of justice to do so, for He is patient and merciful (24).  

Paul appeals to the prophet Hosea, who predicted the mercy God would show to those who had been formerly told they were not God's people (25-26).    

Paul, in this point of his logic, which would have been anguishing for him to contemplate, concludes with Isaiah (Isaiah 10:22). He realizes only a small remnant of Israel is saved (27). Even the oppressive system Israel had become nationally would come itself under God's wrath, so He could show mercy to those, particularly the Gentiles, who needed saving from it (28). He quotes Isaiah again (Isaiah 1:9) who likens the judgment of Israel to Sodom and Gomorrah, noting that no Israelite would have been saved through the destruction coming on the nation of Israel had it not been for the Offspring, Jesus. Paul is stating that the remnant God did and is saving in Israel through Christ was the fulfillment of His promise to Israel (29).  

Paul sees it clearly: if Jesus had not come at the right moment when Rome was used by God to judge Israel by destroying its Temple and culture, none would have been saved through the destruction. This is sobering for Paul to think about. God, being so merciful, sent Jesus at the right moment in time to save Israel. Yes, as a nation with their leaders, they were hardened against Christ, and their Temple and nation ended up destroyed, but a remnant was saved. Paul even wished himself cursed rather than to have to witness what was going to happen to the race of people he so loved, but Paul took solace in God's patience, mercy, and justice. 

What Makes Hearts Hard (30-33)

For Paul, faith was the issue. Gentiles never sought God's righteousness but were enjoying it because they allowed their hearts to become tender through faith (30). The Jews pursued the Law but never became righteous because their hearts were not softened by faith (31-32). Israel's problem was that they stumbled over a Messiah who offended them, a Messiah who would not brandish a sword nor build a dynasty, so they became hardened against a Jesus kind of Messiah. Their offense kept them from God's righteousness (33).