Romans 9:25-26

Passage

Even as it is said in Hosea, “I will call ‘the one who is not my people’ ‘my people,’  and the ‘one who is not beloved’ having been loved.  And it is in the place where it was being said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called sons of the living God.”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

In these verses we get a chance to see Paul work through Old Testament theology.  Here we have Paul quoting Hosea 2:23.  He begins with a promise.  God told the prophets to anticipate a time when people in the world who were originally excluded from God would be included.  In the days of the prophets, these verses were taken to mean those Hebrew people who were exiled into judgment would be reclaimed by God.  While that message was certainly true, we also know that God is up to more than simply reclaiming a handful of lost sheep.  God’s big plan is to allow salvation to come to the whole world – to those who would receive it.  When we hear these words to Hosea we can see how God was preparing the faithful to understand that there would come a time when the Gentiles would be welcome within God’s family.

Do you consider yourself a part of God’s family?  What feelings does that evoke within you?  How do you feel knowing that God reached out to claim you?

Second Thought:

Paul speaks not just about identity here but about relationship.  It is one thing to be told you belong.  It is another thing to be told that you are loved.  We as Gentiles are not just claimed by God but loved by Him.  We don’t just get a certificate of adoption, we get a piece of God’s heart.  We can know His compassion.  We can know His Spirit.

How does it feel to know you are loved by God?  What does being loved by God even mean?

Third Thought:

We get a brilliant opportunity to see the Holy Spirit work within Paul to interpret Hosea 2:23 in a new light.  Paul shows us truthfully what is meant by the expression: the ones who are called sons of the living God.  Yes, the Hebrew people were chosen by God to carry His message to the world.  But not all the Hebrew people embraced that calling.  Not all the Hebrew people submitted to God.  Here in this passage we can see that the designation “chosen ones” does not equate to “sons of the living God.”  The sons of the living God are the ones who have been loved.  They are the recipients of grace.  The sons of the living God are those who understand salvation is not through the Law or any works of human flesh but rather through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Are you a “son (or daughter) of the living God?”  How do you know?  What is the qualification that designates you as a son of the living God?

Passage for Tomorrow: Romans 9:27-29