Romans 9:27-29

Passage

And Isaiah cries out on behalf of Israel, “If the number of the sons of Israel should be as the sand of the sea, the remnant will be saved.  For while bringing the message to a successful conclusion and while cutting the time short, the Lord will act upon the earth.”  Even just as Isaiah already said, “Unless the Lord of hosts caused a remnant of descendants to remain to us, we would have become as Sodom and we would be resembling Gomorrah.”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

This first quote from Paul is a quote from Isaiah 10:22-23.  In this quote, Paul reminds us that Isaiah knew a truth about human beings.  Even among those human beings who are born into a great blessing many will forsake the one who blesses them.  Although God fulfills His promise to Abraham and makes his descendants as numerous as the sand in the sea, there will only be a remnant who truly remains with God.  The word remnant means “a relatively small part compared to the whole.”  This is the truth about human beings.  Even while being blessed we are quick to lose sight of the one who blesses us.  Many are prone to wander away and follow their own hearts.

Where do you wander?  Do you know who blesses you?  How closely are you abiding to God?

Second Thought:

As we continue in the quote from Isaiah, we also see that the Lord will act regardless of the size of the remnant.  God’s plan was to bring salvation to all the world – those who will receive it, at least.  Even though many who should be saved fall away, God will act and find a way to bring others in.  God will bring His plan to a successful conclusion.  Surely not all will be saved.  But all who call upon the name of the Lord and truly submit to a relationship with Him shall be saved.  God’s will cannot be stopped by humanity’s general disobedience through our wandering hearts.

How great is it that God is there to act within this world?  Why is it important to realize that the size of the remnant does not keep God from acting within this world?

Third Thought:

In the second quote, from Isaiah 1:9, Paul reminds us who it is that brings about faith and remnants.  We do not create our own societies.  We do not create great progeny.  It is God that brings forth descendants.  It is God who prepares peoples’ hearts before we ever bring them truth.  It is God who raises up faithful people, not us!  Here’s where Paul is headed with this thought.  If it is God who raises up faith within people, why should anyone focus on genealogy?  If it is God who raises up His spiritual descendants, then what does my biological ancestry have to do with anything?  We should be more concerned with our spiritual ancestry and learning faith from those who can teach it to us!

Why do we as human cultures around the globe put so much emphasis on our own human ancestry?  Why is it important to us to remember out of which cultures we came?  Do we as human beings put anywhere near the emphasis on our spiritual ancestry as we do on our physical ancestry?

Passage for Tomorrow: Romans 9:30-33