Useful Bible Studies > Romans Commentary > chapter 9

God's love for the nation that lost his love

Romans 9:25

Paul has been teaching us lessons from Israel’s history. First, from the lives of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, he taught us how God chose that nation to be his special people (9:6-13). Then, from the life of Moses, he showed how God saved them. God rescued his people when they were slaves in Egypt (9:14-24)

Now Paul discusses a time, centuries later, when few of Israel’s people were loyal to God. In fact, several of their kings hated the true God so much that they tried to destroy his religion. By their evil behaviour, those kings brought about the ruin of their country - but they could not destroy God’s plans for his people.

From that period of history, Paul selects two passages from Hosea, and two from Isaiah, that show God’s plan for Israel.

This first passage comes from Hosea 2:23. That chapter uses the wrong behaviour of Hosea’s wife as a word-picture for Israel’s wrong behaviour. She had not been loyal to Hosea, her husband, even as Israel’s people had not been loyal to God (Hosea 2:2-5). So, God would punish Israel (Hosea 2:9-13). However, his intention was not to destroy Israel, but to bring Israel back into a right relationship with him.

So, God declared that he would again, in the future, show his love to Israel (Hosea 2:14-20). This nation, that had lost his love, would know his love again. Israel’s people had chosen not to live as the people of God. However, in the future, Israel’s people would return to God (Hosea 3:5). Then, they would be truly the people of God (Hosea 2:23), God’s special people.

Next part: God brings his people back to himself (Romans 9:26)

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