Romans 9.25-Paul Cites Hosea 2.23 To Support His Teaching In Romans 9.24 That Gentiles Were To Be Effectually Called By God
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday April 12, 2009
Romans: Romans 9:25-Paul Cites Hosea 2:23 To Support His Teaching In Romans 9:24 That Gentiles Were To Be Effectually Called By God
Lesson # 318
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 9:1.
This morning we will continue with our study of Romans chapter nine and in particular, we will continue with our study of the fourth paragraph that appears in this chapter.
In response to his teaching in Romans 9:14-18, Paul in Romans 9:19 poses the rhetorical questions, “Why does God still find fault with those who reject Him since who can ever resist His sovereign will?”
In Romans 9:20, Paul responds by implicitly rebuking the attitude of those who would pose these questions and would thus presume to judge the ways of their Creator.
No one sinner has a right to call into question, God’s decision to extend grace to whoever He chooses to and harden those whom He chooses to harden since no one has any merit with God.
In fact, those whom He hardens are those who first harden themselves by rejecting His Son as Savior and those whom He extends grace to are those who appropriate His grace through faith alone in Christ alone.
Then, in Romans 9:21, Paul employs the potter and the clay analogy to implicitly rebuke those sinners who would presume to judge the ways of their Creator.
In this analogy, the potter who is analogous to God has authority over the clay, which is analogous to Israel.
In verse 22, Paul teaches that because God does choose to demonstrate His wrath and to make known His power publicly and explicitly through the gospel, He endured with much patience unsaved Israel in his day who are destined for eternal condemnation.
Then, in verse 23, Paul teaches that God endured with much patience unregenerate Israel in his day in order to make known through the gospel His infinite glory to vessels destined to be the objects of grace, which He prepared in advance in eternity past for glory.
Lastly, in Romans 9:24, he Paul teaches that these objects of grace, which God elected in eternity past, were also effectually called by Him, not only from the Jews but also from Gentiles.
This morning we will study Romans 9:25 in which Paul cites Hosea 2:23 to support his teaching in Romans 9:24 that the Scriptures predicted that Gentiles were to be effectually called by God to be the objects of His grace for all of eternity.
Let’s read Romans 9:1-26 and then concentrate on verse 25 for the rest of the morning.
The first paragraph in the chapter appears in the first five verses.
Romans 9:1-5, “I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.”
The second paragraph appears in verses 6-13.
Romans 9:6-13, “But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; nor are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants, but: ‘THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED.’ That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. For this is the word of promise: ‘AT THIS TIME I WILL COME, AND SARAH SHALL HAVE A SON.’ And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, ‘THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER.’ Just as it is written, ‘JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED.’”
The third paragraph appears in verses 14-18.
Romans 9:14-18, “What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! For He says to Moses, ‘I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.’ So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH.’ So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.”
The fourth paragraph appears in verses 19-29.
Romans 9:19-29, “You will say to me then, ‘Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?’ On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, ‘Why did you make me like this,’ will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. As He says also in Hosea, ‘I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, ‘MY PEOPLE,’ AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, ‘BELOVED.’ AND IT SHALL BE THAT IN THE PLACE WHERE IT WAS SAID TO THEM, ‘YOU ARE NOT MY PEOPLE,’ THERE THEY SHALL BE CALLED SONS OF THE LIVING GOD.’ Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, ‘THOUGH THE NUMBER OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL BE LIKE THE SAND OF THE SEA, IT IS THE REMNANT THAT WILL BE SAVED; FOR THE LORD WILL EXECUTE HIS WORD ON THE EARTH, THOROUGHLY AND QUICKLY.’ And just as Isaiah foretold, ‘UNLESS THE LORD OF SABAOTH HAD LEFT TO US A POSTERITY, WE WOULD HAVE BECOME LIKE SODOM, AND WOULD HAVE RESEMBLED GOMORRAH.’”
Let’s concentrate on verse 25 for the rest of the morning.
Romans 9:25, “As He says also in Hosea, ‘I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, ‘MY PEOPLE,’ AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, ‘BELOVED.’”
Romans 9:25 is connected to Romans 9:22-24 while at the same time beginning a series of Old Testament quotations.
These quotations establish Paul’s point in Romans 9:22-24 that the objects of God’s grace for all of eternity who are effectually called by Him are composed of both Jews and Gentile believers.
This series of Old Testament quotations that support this point extend to the end of Romans 9:29, which completes the fourth paragraph in the chapter.
Romans 9:25, “As He says also in Hosea, ‘I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, ‘MY PEOPLE,’ AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, ‘BELOVED.’”
“As” is the relative adverb of manner hos (w($) (hoce), which functions as a comparative particle introducing a comparison between Paul’s statement in Romans 9:24 that God effectually calls not only Jews to be the objects of grace for all of eternity but also Gentiles with the quotation from Hosea 2:23.
Paul is using Old Testament Scripture to support his teaching that Gentiles are included in the plan of salvation.
We will translate the word “as.”
Romans 9:25, “As He says also in Hosea, ‘I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, ‘MY PEOPLE,’ AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, ‘BELOVED.’”
“He says” is the third person singular present active indicative form of the verb lego (levgw), which refers to the “content” of what the Holy Spirit communicated through the prophet Hosea in Hosea 2:23.
The third person singular form refers to the Holy Spirit who spoke through Hosea in Hosea 2:23 since 2 Peter 1:20-21 teaches that the Holy Spirit inspired the Old Testament prophets to write what they did.
This is a “perfective” present, which is used to emphasize the results of a past action.
Therefore, the “perfective present” of the verb lego emphasizes that even though Hosea 2:23 was written in the past, it still speaks today and is binding on the hearers.
The active voice indicates that the Holy Spirit as the subject produced the action of the verb in communicating through Hosea that which is recorded in Hosea 2:23.
The indicative mood is “declarative” presenting this assertion as an unqualified statement of fact.
We will translate lego, “He says.”
Romans 9:25, “As He says also in Hosea, ‘I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, ‘MY PEOPLE,’ AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, ‘BELOVED.’”
“Also” is the “intensifying” use of the conjunction kai (kaiV), which introduces a quotation from Hosea 2:23 that is not new in relation to Paul’s previous statement in Romans 9:24 that Gentiles would be effectually called by God but rather is connected to it and in fact explains further this statement and completes this idea.
In Romans 9:22, Paul teaches that because God does choose to demonstrate His wrath and to make known His power publicly and explicitly through the gospel, He endured with much patience unsaved Israel in his day who are destined for eternal condemnation.
Then, in verse 23, he teaches that God endured with much patience unregenerate Israel in his day in order to make known through the gospel His infinite glory to vessels destined to be the objects of grace, which He prepared in advance in eternity past for glory.
Next, in Romans 9:24, Paul teaches that these objects of grace, which God elected in eternity past, were also effectually called by Him, not only from the Jews but also from Gentiles.
The conjunction kai introduces a quotation from Hosea 2:23 that supports Paul’s statement that God would effectually call Gentiles and not just Jews.
Kai indicates that this quotation not only is connected to the statement in verse 24 but also further explains it and in fact serves to confirm that this statement is true since it is in accordance with Old Testament Scripture.
The word is not “adjunctive” meaning “also” indicating that the quotation from Hosea 2:23 is presenting an “additional” thought regarding the inclusion of Gentiles in the plan of salvation since the quotation serves to confirm that this is true and is in fact advancing and confirming that this is true.
Therefore, we will translate the word “In fact.”
Corrected translation of Romans 9:25: “In fact, as He says…”
Romans 9:25, “As He says also in Hosea, ‘I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, ‘MY PEOPLE,’ AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, ‘BELOVED.’”
“In Hosea” is composed of the preposition en (e)n), “in” and the articular dative masculine singular form of the name Osee ('Wshev) (ho-say-eh), “Hosea.”
Hosea’s name in the Hebrew is “May Yahweh save.”
He was the first of the twelve Minor Prophets in Israel.
He was the son of Beeri (Hosea 1:1).
Hosea was a contemporary of Amos, Isaiah and Micah, all of whom served during the reign of Jeroboam II (782-753) (2 Kings 14:23-17:41).
The latter two ministered to the Southern Kingdom (Judah) while Amos and Hosea ministered to the Northern Kingdom (sometimes called Ephraim, after the largest tribe).
This period was characterized by material prosperity and spiritual bankruptcy.
Judgment from God seemed remote but in 732 B.C. Damascus fell to the Assyrians and by 722 Samaria, the capital of Israel, fell and the people were deported.
The theme of the book of Hosea is God’s loyal and unconditional love towards Israel in spite of Israel’s unfaithfulness to Him.
Hosea dated his message to the reign of Jeroboam II of Israel and to those of Uzziah , Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah of Judah (Hosea 1:1).
This would place the years of his prophetic ministry from around 755 to 715 B.C. indicating that he lived to see the destruction of Samaria, the capital of Israel in 722 B.C.
The Lord Jesus Christ quoted from him twice (Matthew 9:13; 12:7) and Paul does as well (Romans 9:25-26).
In Romans 9:25, the name Osee, “Hosea” contains the figure of metonymy where the person of Hosea is put for the book he wrote that it contained in the Old Testament canon.
The preposition en is a marker of “location” and the name Osee, “Hosea” functions as “dative locative of place” indicating that the quotation that appears in Romans 9:25 is “located in the book of Hosea.”
Therefore, we will translate the prepositional phrase en to Osee, “in the book of Hosea.”
Corrected translation of Romans 9:25: “In fact, as He says in the book of Hosea…”
Romans 9:25, “As He says also in Hosea, ‘I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, ‘MY PEOPLE,’ AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, ‘BELOVED.’”
In Romans 9:25, Paul is quoting freely from Hosea 2:23 (MT and LXX 2:25) and reverses the order of the two clauses he cites from it and uses different wording from both the Septuagint and Massoretic Text.
Hosea 2:23, “I will sow her for Myself in the land. I will also have compassion on her who had not obtained compassion, and I will say to those who were not My people, ‘You are My people!’ And they will say, ‘You are my God!’” (NASB)
Hosea 2:23, “I will plant her for myself in the land; I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.’ I will say to those called ‘Not my people,’ ‘You are my people’ and they will say, ‘You are my God.’” (NIV)
Romans 9:25, “I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’ and her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.”
The New International Version’s translation of Hosea 2:23 is more accurate than the New American Standard Updated Version.
The latter uses “compassion” whereas the former uses “love” which is closer the meaning of agapao, “beloved” in Romans 9:25.
There are some differences between Paul’s quotation from Hosea 2:23 that appear in Romans 9:25 and the Septuagint translation of Hosea 2:23.
First of all, the Septuagint has the verb ero, “I will say” but Paul employs the verb kaleo, “I will call” in Romans 9:25.
The reason for this difference is that in context he teaches in Romans 9:24 that not only are Jews effectually called by God but also Gentiles and in Romans 9:25, he supports this by quoting Hosea 2:23.
Another difference between Paul’s quotation from Hosea 2:23 that appears in Romans 9:25 and the Septuagint translation of Hosea 2:23 is his use of the verb agapao, “to divinely love” rather than eleeo, “to extent grace to someone.”
In the Septuagint, the verb eleeo is translating the Hebrew verb racham (sh^r*), which appears in Exodus 33:19 that Paul quotes in Romans 9:15 where it meant “to be merciful.”
The verb eleeo appears in Romans 9:15 twice, 16 and 18 where it means, “to be gracious to, to extend grace to someone” since it translates the Hebrew verb chanan (/n^j*), which appears in Exodus 33:19 and means “to graciously give.”
Exodus 33:19 is quoted by Paul in Romans 9:15.
The Hebrew verb racham means, “to love, to be merciful” and is used to describe personal affection for someone and is usually used with God as the subject in the Hebrew canon.
Therefore, Paul uses the verb agapao to translate racham that appears in Hosea 2:23, thus indicating that he viewed this verb to be a more accurate translation for the Hebrew verb in this passage than eleeo, which Septuagint translators chose.
Romans 9:25, “As He says also in Hosea, ‘I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, ‘MY PEOPLE,’ AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, ‘BELOVED.’”
“I WILL CALL” is the first person singular future active indicative form of the verb kaleo (kalevw) (kal-eh-o).
As the case in Romans 8:30, 9:7, 11, 24 and now here in Romans 9:25, the verb kaleo refers to the “effectual call” of God.
Romans 8:30, “In fact, these very ones whom He predestined, He also effectually called and these very ones whom He effectually called, He also justified. In fact, these very ones whom He justified, He also glorified.”
Romans 9:7, “Nor because they are, as an eternal spiritual truth, Abraham’s biological descendants are they, as an eternal spiritual truth, spiritual children. On the contrary, ‘by means of the line of Isaac for your benefit, spiritual descendants will be effectually called.’”
Romans 9:11, “For you see, when they had not yet been born nor practiced anything good or evil in order that God the Father’s predetermined plan, which is in accordance with election would remain immutable. Never based upon meritorious actions as constituting its source, but rather based upon the one who effectually calls is the one who constitutes its source.”
Romans 9:22-24, “In fact, if-and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that because God the Father, as an eternal spiritual truth does choose to demonstrate His righteous indignation and in addition to make known publicly and explicitly His power, endured with much patience vessels destined for righteous indignation which are prepared for destruction. And we agree that He has done so in order to make known publicly and explicitly His infinite glory upon vessels destined to be the objects of grace, which He prepared in advance for glory whom He also effectually called, namely us, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles.”
In these passages and here in Romans 9:25, the verb refers to an act of summoning which effectively evokes from those addressed the response which it invites.
Thus, God would summon sinners through the communication of the gospel, which would effectively evoke from them the response of faith in His Son Jesus Christ and which response He invites.
It is related to the adjective kletos (klhtov$) (klay-tos), which means, “chosen one” and appears in Romans 8:28 with the same idea.
Romans 8:28, “In fact, we know without a doubt that for the benefit of those who are characterized as divinely loving God the Father, He (the Spirit), as an eternal spiritual truth, always works each and every circumstance together for the good, for the benefit of those who are, as an eternal spiritual truth, the chosen ones, in accordance with His predetermined plan.”
Like the adjective kletos, the verb kaleo does not refer to the “call of God,” which is related to “common grace” meaning grace given to all sinners by God in the form of being exposed to the gospel.
In other words, it does not refer to the “invitation” to receive the gift of salvation by trusting in Jesus Christ as Savior.
Rather, it refers to those sinners who have responded to the divine invitation or call of God when they were presented the gospel and have exercised faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Thus, it is an “effectual call” as many commentators describe it.
In Romans 9:24, the verb kaleo refers to the “effectual call” of God since to be a vessel, i.e. regenerate person that is destined to be the object of God’s grace for all eternity demands that one exercise faith in Jesus Christ as Savior.
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It indicates that these vessels that are destined to be the objects of God’s grace for all of eternity were summoned by God through the communication of the gospel, which would effectively evoke from them the response of faith in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ on the Cross, which He invites.
Now, in Romans 9:25, the verb retains this same meaning and is used in relation to the Gentile believers in Jesus Christ.
The first person singular form of the verb is a reference to the Father whose will for the Gentiles is being spoken by the Holy Spirit through the prophet Hosea.
The future tense of the verb is a “predictive future” indicating that the effectual call of the Gentiles by God would take place in the future after Hosea penned Hosea 2:23 and emphasizes that this will take place in the future after Hosea.
The active voice denotes that God the H as the subject would perform the action of effectually calling Gentiles throughout human history.
The indicative mood is “declarative” presenting this assertion as an unqualified statement of historical fact and Bible doctrine.
We will translate kaleo, “I will effectually call.”
Corrected translation of Romans 9:25: “In fact, as He says in the book of Hosea, ‘I will effectually call…’”
Romans 9:25, “As He says also in Hosea, ‘I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, ‘MY PEOPLE,’ AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, ‘BELOVED.’”
“THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE” is composed of the emphatic negative adverb ou (ou)) (oo), “NOT” and the articular accusative masculine singular form of the noun laos (laov$) (lah-os), “THOSE WHO WERE MY PEOPLE” and the genitive first person singular form of the personal pronoun ego (e)gwv), “MY.”
The definite article before the noun is used with the personal pronoun ego, “my” to denote possession.
The personal pronoun ego refers to God and functions as a “genitive of possession” and “possessive” pronoun indicating that this power “belongs to” God.
Romans 9:25, “As He says also in Hosea, ‘I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, ‘MY PEOPLE,’ AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, ‘BELOVED.’”
“MY PEOPLE” is composed of the accusative masculine singular form of the noun laos (laov$) (lah-os), “PEOPLE” and the genitive first person singular form of the personal pronoun ego (e)gwv), “MY.”
Romans 9:25, “As He says also in Hosea, ‘I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, ‘MY PEOPLE,’ AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, ‘BELOVED.’”
“AND” is the “adjunctive” use of the conjunction kai (kaiV), which introduces another statement that an “additional” thing God chose to do that caused Him to endure with much patience objects of His wrath. We will translate kai, “and in addition.”
Romans 9:25, “As He says also in Hosea, ‘I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, ‘MY PEOPLE,’ AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, ‘BELOVED.’”
“HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, ‘BELOVED’” is composed of the emphatic negative adverb ou (ou)) (oo), “NOT” and the articular accusative feminine singular perfect passive participle form of the verb agapao (a)gapavw), “HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED” and the genitive first person singular form of the personal pronoun ego (e)gwv), “MY” and the articular accusative feminine singular perfect passive participle form of the verb agapao (a)gapavw), “BELOVED.”