This is kind of a big passage and in some ways it isn't exactly relevant to us. What I mean by that is Paul here is writing to an actually group of living people, during his time period of course, and so as he talks about the gospel and how it has been made not just for the Jews but also for the Gentiles, there is a personal feel to these chapters. Nonetheless, scripture is God-breathed, unchanging and I think there is always something we can learn, even if it is a letter to a particular church or group of people. This passage, in my opinion, tells us a few things, first, that selection is a very real thing and second, that Gentiles now have the opportunity to find forgiveness and true life in Christ.
Selection:
I think something that a lot of Christians don't like and a lot of people don't like about Christianity is selection. Christians would like to sweep it under the rug while unbelievers use it as ammunition. The idea that God chooses some people and not others, meaning that some people have pretty much no hope to get to heaven because they have been selected not to is a hard thing to understand. But it is a truth and Paul doesn't hide it in chapter 9 of Romans. He cites two stories in the Old Testament; two of many, in fact in many ways, the entire Old Testament preaches selection. "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated" is the first example, then Pharaoh in Exodus who's heart was hardened. So if it is evident that selection is real, then why and how could a loving God do that? Well, I don't have a great answer, and quite frankly, as humans (the created) I think there are some questions that we won't ever have the answer too. But I can give you this encouragement. Paul in verses 19-21 says: "One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?" But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, "why did you make me like this?" Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?" Also, Job 38-41 is another passage. In this passage God literally challenges Job by asking him questions such as "where were you when I laid the earth's foundation" and "Have you ever given orders to the morning?" The thing is, God is God, I think that we can trust that even if we don't understand his ways, he knows what he is doing. To challenge him on selection would be ludicrous. None of us were there at the beginning, none of us know every crevice in the bottom of the ocean or every star and galaxy in the sky. But God does.
Gentiles are now chosen!
Chapters 10 and 11 are essentially a discourse on how gentiles are now able to find forgiveness in Christ. I'll give a short outline/summary of the section. First, God chose Israel, they were his people. But Israel rebelled and followed other Gods. Because of this, God, who loves the nations, expanded his love to anyone who would accept Christ and put faith in him. (Not to say he didn't do this before, but in the Old Testament there are very few cases of non-Israelites who come to God) Essentially, a new "Israel" has been created, one that is not physical, but all those who have spiritually given their life and their hopes to God. Paul uses the picture of grafting to illustrate how gentiles have been grafted into the tree of life or the tree that is God's people.
This then means that the gospel is not just for Israel, it is for anyone! We don't know who God has selected to follow him so we need to share the gospel with anyone and everyone we can! If your not a Christian and you're reading this very speculatively, thinking the idea of selection is unfair, I will say this: no one is stopping you from going to church this week or next. No one is stopping you from giving your life to Christ. You have a choice, you can chose to follow Jesus.
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