Romans 9:19-26
19 “You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?” 20 On the contrary, who are you, you foolish person, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? 21 Or does the potter not have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one object for honorable use, and another for common use? 22 What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with great patience objects of wrath prepared for destruction? 23 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon objects of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, 24 namely us, whom He also called, not only from among Jews, but also from among Gentiles, 25 as He also says in Hosea:
“I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’
And her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.’”
26 “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.”
Potter/clay: Many look to this verse as evidence that God chooses some people to go to Hell. But Paul’s focus is corporate in nature. It is the right of the potter, who is God, to choose whom He wants for salvation. And He wants to choose the Gentiles (Romans 9:30). This is His right as the potter.
Objects of wrath: Paul has in mind the Gentiles who were objects of wrath in the Old Testament. Instead of exerting wrath, God is treating them with patience by offering them the Gospel.
I will call those who were not my people: This is the theme of Romans 9. God has chosen to call the Gentiles, who were not His people in the Old Testament, His people. This is His prerogative in election.
