I have peace for what I’ve done, and peace for what I do.
Let me rephrase: I have peace in all I’ve done and all that was done to me, and peace for what I do, and what is done to me.
I think that needed to be clarified, because one thing I left off on mentioning yesterday was this: Even in what is happening to me from the outside in, or what is just happening around me generally, or just what is happening at all – I have peace. While it’s obvious that there are things that are happening outside of our awareness, oftentimes we fail to take note of how much IS happening outside of our awareness; and, spoiler alert, there’s a HUGE deal of stuff going on that we have no idea about.
And lest we get scared by that notion, well, that’s precisely why I mentioned that even in ALL of the past, and even in ALL of the present events, happenings, and goings-on(?), we. Have. Peace.
For all that’s beyond our understanding, we have peace beyond understanding.
And before I go any further – see, that last line, it’s easier read than applied, if I’m being honest. I mean, just last night I was anxious about the what-ifs and the overthinking surrounding some actions I chose to take. What’s worse is that amidst all the inappropriate fear, and the logical considerations, and the inability to decide or discern which is which is the underlying condemnation which absolutely must insist that I MUST take action, and to hell with the consequences.
How did it end up? Well, I prayed before, during, and after said actions, and I said to myself, no; It’s not ‘to hell with the consequences’, it’s ‘to God be the glory’ – One prevalent prayer through the entire ordeal, and actually something I’ve been mentioning a lot lately, whether I’m praying for myself or for others, is – ‘God, be glorified’.
Indeed, may He be glorified in my actions. May He be glorified in my inaction. May our Father be glorified in my immediate reactions and my allegedly calculated responses. May the Godhead of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit be glorified, even in my overthought hesitations and my reckless impulses.
May He be glorified in all I’m waiting to happen. May He be glorified, even in all I’m facing and procrastinating about. Oh, may the Everlasting Father of Lights be glorified, in this, this… crazy, chaotic existence… And may He be glorified, now and forever.
Seems as if the peace that goes beyond all understanding would have us genuinely speaking His praises and proclaiming His glory, no matter what happens from us, to us, by us and with us.
Let me quickly go through Romans 9. I have a feeling what we read today (again, for at least the third time this year) has ties to all I’ve been scribbling here so far.
1 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.Romans 9:1-5
One thing I know I mentioned in the recent past concerning these verses, was regarding the special position of the Jews and the nation of Israel – or, Paul’s ‘kinsmen’; To them was given the Old Covenant (the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises), and from them the Messiah was born: the Spark, the Trigger of the New Covenant.
I also have to append here that another thing that was indirectly revealed to them was what Paul mentioned in the first chapters of Romans – that is, the wrath and judgment of God, and our sheer hopelessness as humans, of whom ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
Furthermore, what’s tragic is that it only went THAT far for them – because see, before Christ, there was no righteousness revealed to them apart from the Law. They ONLY had the Law, and, what’s even MORE tragic (Look, I’m sorry. I’ve noticed I’ve been using Caps Lock a whole lot more recently, but I don’t know, maybe I’m just really feeling strong about all this I’m talking about) – what’s even MORE tragic is that when Christ, who was born as One of them, humbly called to them (Matthew 11:28-29)…
And we’ve come this far, that though the events of the marketplace and the rest of Acts have happened, their hearts were so hardened. I’m assuming that (1) they refused to believe in this ‘new’ righteousness, and/or (2) they insisted in believing in the righteousness they’ve been so used to ‘attaining’ and ‘maintaining’, for generations. Their hearts were so hardened that here, Paul writes that he was willing to be the one to be ‘accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers‘.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s move on.
6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.
Paul makes a necessary clarification here – He is obviously not saying that the word of God (or, God Himself) has failed…
Wait, before I move on, here I see another promise to Abraham – or, rather a clarification. See, when I go back to Romans 4, I keep saying that God gave two promises to Abraham – (1) that He will give him a legitimate blood heir as opposed to the heir-apparent distant relative at the time, and (2) He will make him the father of many nations.
Now, here in Romans 9, Paul points out that it ‘through Isaac’ that Abraham’s offspring ‘shall be named’. If we go back to Genesis 21, we read how this was mentioned after Hagar, mother of Ishmael ‘laughed (mockingly)’ while the newborn Isaac was being weaned.
But while we’re to believe that God said what He said in favor of Isaac, we ought to take note of what God told Abraham and Sarah, even before Isaac was born:
19 God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. 20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.”Genesis 17:19-21
Abraham was clearly not the only one involved in the covenant – God established it with Isaac as well, and if you read on, you’ll find out that Jacob, Isaac’s son, was also connected to the same covenant. It’s why we read more than once in the Scripture that God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (ex. Exodus 3:6).
One more thing I’d like to point out from Genesis: And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, 18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”Genesis 22:15-18
I just wanted to add that before Isaac was born, God was clear with His promise regarding his involvement in His covenant – and now, AFTER the incidents related to Abraham’s belief and obedience unto almost offering Isaac as a sacrifice, the angel of the Lord now affirms the same promise.
Paul takes all of this and emphasizes that his fellow Israelites are not the only ones who were named the descendants, or offspring of Abraham; From my point of view, it seems the promise, the covenant was given more precedence and emphasis than blood and flesh.
Those who have come to believe, as Abraham believed, though they were not physical blood-relatives – They, too have become ‘children of the promise‘. And, sadly, from Paul’s perspective it seems as if it was the Gentiles who came to believing quicker, while had to go so far as to express that he was willing to be accursed for the sake of his ‘kinsmen according to the flesh’.
(Just so you know I’m writing all of this without taking a peek at what I wrote down regarding all this earlier this year. I’m excited to finish all this and to compare what I had to say then, versus now… Sorry, I know I said I’ll ‘quickly’ go through Romans 9, but it seems there’s more for me to extract from this now – or, maybe, from here on out, I actually DO go faster)
9 For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” 10 And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— 12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”Romans 9:6-13
So the previous chapter ends with Paul rejoicing in how nothing can ever separate him from the love of God through Christ Jesus. He then begins Romans 9 by expressing how, in the face of this wonderful salvation through Christ, he was willing to go as far as getting accursed, if only for the salvation of his fellow Jews, the recipients of the Old Covenant, and from whom the New Covenant was established.
He elaborates on how, even if the Jews refused to believe, the word of God and His promises were still being fulfilled, though not through Abraham’s children by flesh, but by his children through the promise; That is, those who have come to believe in Christ, who is not only the end of the Law, but the fulfillment of the promise, the covenant established with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
I’m being led to understand that the God who told Rebekah, even before her children were born; ‘The older will serve the younger’, later on pointing out the seemingly ‘harsh’ ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated’ – this is the same God; THE God who, in His infinite wisdom, knew what I assume Paul observed: That there were more who have been made ‘children’ according to the promise, than those who claimed kinship with Abraham via being his offspring.
What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.Romans 9:14-18
Two points here.
First, before we go ahead and come against what God said regarding Esau, we ought to remember our place, as creation before Creator, and recipients – not producers – of Salvation through Christ. God can love who He wants to love, and He can certainly hate who He chooses to hate. He can certainly have mercy and compassion on whom He chooses to have mercy and compassion on.
We also read that He has mercy on whomever, but also hardens whomever He wills – BUT, before we mouth off how all this sounds like injustice, let’s take note of what He told Pharaoh – ‘I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.’
The second point: God hardens whom He wills with a purpose and reason, and therefore, God hated Esau with a purpose and reason as well.
19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? 25 As indeed he says in Hosea,
“Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’
and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’”
26 “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’
there they will be called sons of the living God.’”
27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, 28 for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” 29 And as Isaiah predicted,
“If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring,
we would have been like Sodom
and become like Gomorrah.”
Romans 9:19-29
I decided to take that entire chunk of the chapter, because it just further emphasizes Paul’s point: We may find ourselves at the point of questioning our God or answering back to our Creator, but we ought to remember – (1) That God is STILL Creator, and we are Creation, and as such CAN choose to have mercy and compassion on one over the other, and CAN make one vessel for honorable use and dishonorable use, and (2) He does WHAT He does, to show His power, for His name to be proclaimed, and also, Paul has us consider, to ‘make known the riches of his glory‘.
The past shows: Jacob He loved, and Esau He hated. Pharaoh He hardened.
We read Hosea and Isaiah prophesy: Those who were not HIs people, He will call His people. Only a remnant of the sons of Israel will be saved.
All for His glory, all to demonstrate His power.
30 What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 as it is written,
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”Romans 9:30-33
God lay in Zion (that is, in Israel, as far as I understand), a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense… and I believe it was so – Christ was seen this way – for those who pursued a Law that would lead to righteousness. The Gentiles were the ones who believed in Christ, and though they weren’t looking for righteousness, they attained it.
The same Rock of offense was the Chief Cornerstone – it was for stumbling, or to be believed.
All for His glory, all to demonstrate His power.
What does this mean to me, now that I write about it for the nth time? It just reminds me that, even in things that I do not understand, and things that I have trouble getting into, or trouble getting over – the Truth in every circumstance is I am righteous, and in right standing with the Lord of Lords, the Glorious and Powerful, Almighty God.
I may not be clear as to why He specifically hated Esau, or hardened Pharaoh, just as I may not be clear as to other things happening in my own life, but I have peace, knowing (1) It’s all for His glory and power, and (2) I can trust in Him, because of Christ who saved me.
Does ANY Of this make sense?? For now, what I’m extracting from all of this is, simply:
‘God can do what He wants, but you can trust Him. How do I know this? Because of Jesus Christ.’
Not sure if this is going to be repeated as I go through Romans 10 again, but I suppose it’s a good start. Let me rest for now.
Until the next post, God bless us all. Amen.
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