“Was it Fair for God to Choose Israel?”

Romans 9(1-18) Sept.20, 2009   Play AUDIO (mp3)  Play VIDEO (wmv)

●    JIHAD ON ISRAEL JUSTIFIED?

    ○    9/11, Afghanistan attacks tied to Western support for Israel
    ○    surprising bias not so clear-cut or one-sided as it first seems
    ○    Palestinian acknowledgment of Israel like Jews accepting Holocaust

●    ISRAEL’S PRIVILEGES

    ○    Apostle needs to show God’s word trustworthy (9:6)
    ○    Israel’s blessings - adoption, patriarchs, the law (4f; Num 7:89; 1Kings 8:11; Rom 11:1)
    ○    Israel especially entrusted to be medium of God’s revelation (Ps 147:19)

●    ISRAEL’S PROBLEM

    ○    pursuit of works-righteousness led Jews to reject Jesus as Messiah (31f; Mt 12:2,14; Jn 9:16,24, 1:16f)
    ○    mistake to try to earn our way to heaven by good deeds (Eph 2:8f)

●    GOD’S PURPOSE

    ○    3 factors bridge chapters 8-9: God’s sovereignty, election, glory (8:28ff, 17)
    ○    God selective in choosing descendants of Abraham / Isaac etc. (9:7, 11)
    ○    purpose in dealing with Pharaoh: display God’s power, name, glory (15,17, 22f)

●    OUR PREPARATION

    ○    Detoured from Wrath (28)
    ○    Drawn in Mercy and Love (15, 23ff, Titus 3:4f)
    ○    Deemed God’s Sons and Daughters (25f; 8:15f)
    ○    Destined for and Demonstrating God’s Glory (23; 1Cor 15:42ff; 1Peter 2:9)
    ○    goodness of glorious delightful pies automatically sparked verbal acknowledgment

●    PALESTINE - PEACE OR APARTHEID?

    ○    Jews need saving through Jesus, yet Bible hints of future reversal of ‘hardening’ (10:1; Is 43:21; Rom 11:25f)
    ○    Israel as nation in meantime to reflect God’s principles in their actions (Is 2:3)
    ○    former president says requirements for peace are widely acknowledged, need action