Romans 9:15 In The Tanakh
And He said, “ I Myself will cause all My goodness to pass before you, and will proclaim the name of YHWH before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” Exodus 33:19
To Whom – Who does YHWH love? That is the critical question. Actually, the question is a bit more specific. Does YHWH love me? Before you answer, “Of course. God loves everyone,” consider the startling revelation YHWH delivers to Moses. YHWH says, “I will show mercy and have compassion on whomever I choose.” There are two ways to read this verse. Which way you choose makes all the difference. Does YHWH say that He is selective with His favor (He chooses only those He wishes to choose) or does He say that His favor extends to everyone regardless of our segregations and delineations? In other words, is He teaching Moses a lesson about the universal nature of His compassion, or is He instructing Moses about the exclusive nature of His compassion?
Typically, we read this verse as if it expresses YHWH’s universal compassion. But Moses has every reason to believe otherwise. The tribes of Jacob have just been freed from the Egyptians. God severely punished the oppressors. Now Israel is on the march to Canaan where God will exterminate the people occupying His land. Does God’s mercy extend to everyone? Isn’t YHWH the exclusive God of Israel? That’s what Moses must have thought when he talked with God on the mountain. But YHWH needs Moses to learn an important lesson – and it is not a lesson about His love. It is a lesson about His sovereignty. YHWH tells Moses that He alone is sovereign. No man, no tribe, no people dictate to Him what choices He will make. He does what He wishes to do. The fact that what He wishes to do is always motivated by His unfailing compassion, even when it involves wrath, is not an impediment on sovereignty. Nor is it a source of human manipulation. We might not be able to explain why YHWH shows compassion and grace toward someone, especially if that other person is detestable in our eyes, but we are not in charge here. The lesson Moses needs to learn is the same one we need to learn. YHWH decides and no man can tell Him otherwise.
Peter had to learn this lesson on the rooftop. If YHWH chooses Cornelius, who is Peter to object? Paul reminds us about this lesson in his discussion of his Jewish brothers. What God does is not up to us. Job learned the lesson in shame. Abraham learned it in disobedience. Yeshua learned it in suffering and submission. The Hebrew words et-asher (to whom, on whom) are linguistic representatives of YHWH’s unlimited sovereignty. They are not about human beings.
Who does God love? Whomever He wishes to love. Does that include you and me? Yes, it does, but only because He wishes to love you and me. It is His choice and it is a choice He gladly makes. My choice is to respond to His choice, but His choice comes first.
Topical Index: whom, et-asher, choice, sovereignty, Exodus 33:19
G-d is holy. Isn’t this wonderful? G-d is compassionate. Doesn’t this cause your heart to rejoice? YHWH is merciful. His mercies (covenant love) endure forever.
It takes two to tango. In every relationship there is Someone who initiates and someone who responds.G-d is the initiator and we are the responders. We did not seek Him- He sought us. He sought us and bought us with His redeeming love. Amazing love,-how can this be? that Thou, my G-d would die for me. -What is my response to G-d’s Redeeming Love? What is my response to the crucifixion of the Christ? What is my response to every single word that proceeds out of the mouth of G-d? What is my response when I view a sunset? What is my response when I breath in and out? What is my response when I feel the cool breeze against my skin? What is my response when I sit down to an amazingly abundant table with my wife and children? What is my response when I hold my own newborn baby in my arms?
Yes,- G-d initiates and we respond. G-d speaks and we respond. What is our “right-response” to the words of YHWH? We have a choice on how we will respond. Will we receive His words as priceless or shall we reject them as worthless?
Every day and every moment of every day each of us are given opportunities to respond to the love of G-d that never ceases to flow. We practice His presence and we are learning to “walk by faith” and not by sight. We are learning His ways are NOT our ways and His thoughts are NOT our thoughts. We are learning the value and weight of His words and learning to treasure His words and to allow His words to penetrate the fibers of our very selves. We are learning to welcome His words and to gladly obey His instructions for living. We are learning His way is the highway. We see the value of holiness and the horrors of sin. Righteous living and right-relatedness becomes our desired way of life. Transformation occurs as we recognize and realize inward change is resulting in outward character. G-d is doing this. He started it and G-d always finishes what He starts.
All of us (and each of us) are unfinished products. We are His workmanship. YHWH is doing this. He is the Master Craftsman. We are the clay pots in the Potter’s skillful hands. It is G-d that worketh in us, both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
Our job? Our place? To co-operate with His program. To show up and to allow Him to drive. He, as we learn-some sooner, some later,- is not our “co-pilot,”- He is the Pilot. G-d is driving this big yellow bus.
The Sovereignty of G-d and the Freewill of Man. The answer is “Yes.” “Both.” -Not either/or- “both.”
Ours is the choosing. G-d is good. All the time. *And to everyone.* It rains on the just and the unjust. “Whosoever will” may come. Are you one of the “whosoevers”? -“Draw near unto G-d and He will draw near unto you” Excellent choice sir. You have chosen the very Source of Life and the glorious Giver of every good and perfect gift.
– The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3.9)
-G-d is waiting for us to repent. This “repentance” is totally our choice. Love always involves a choice. YHWH chooses to love us,- Yes, and amen!- But, we must also (in response to His love)- “choose” to love Him. Love that is “forced” is not love at all. Love is patient. Love is kind. (Remember?)
Repentance is a beautiful word. Some run from this, I run toward it. I pray for the gift of repentance. Every day and every moment of every day- may I ever repent. The Father ran toward the repentant son. (As far as I know- the only time ever, G-d was in a hurry!)
Should my tears forever flow,
Should my zeal no langour know,
-All for sin could not atone
-Thou must save, and Thou alone.
In my hand no price I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling.
Jesus paid it all
-All to Him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain-
He washed it white as snow.
Exodus 33:3 “Go to the land where milk and honey flow. I shall not go with you myself — you are a headstrong people, and I might exterminate you on the way.”
Reading Exodus 33:3, a couple of things come to mind; it starts out with the beautiful “land where milk and honey flow,” and ends with the threat of “extermination.”
Yahweh repeats the threat of “extermination” in Exodus 33:5.
If we think of circumcision as a kind of symbolic castration, a la Freud, it would seem that at times Yahweh would prefer a “castrated” male to a headstrong male.
YHVH most definitely chooses – divides – separates – and establishes his covenant with whomever He wishes and with those who will shema (hear and obey) Him. Some examples of set apart ones are:
Abel was but Cain was not.
Abraham was called from his Father’s house and he obeyed.
Isaac was chosen but Ishmael was not.
Esau and Jacob, twins for Heaven sake, but even before birth, Jacob was chosen.
We’ve often read these stories and never internalized the depth of wisdom God placed before our eyes. We may have questioned and complained about His choices, but looking at some of the descendants of these people today; we can only say in awe — did God make the right decision? I think we all know the answer.
To be set apart is to be in covenant, and to be in covenant is to hear and obey, shema!