There is a really big hypothetical in Paul's letter to the church at Rome. In the 9th chapter Paul expresses sorrow that Jews are going to hell. He bolsters his spirits, however, by reminding himself and his readers that "they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel." (Rom 9:6). You see, "Israel" to Paul is defined not by blood but by "the promise" (Rom 9:8). He goes on to give the example of Rebekah, mother of twins, Jacob and Esau. Paul states that God chose Jacob, not Esau, on the basis of His own purposes, not on the basis of the choices or actions (or birth order or ...) of the two (Rom 9:10-13). God chose, then, who would be "Israel" and who would not, and it is on the basis of God's promise (Rom 9:7,9,12), not by birth or choices or actions on which our selection is based.
This, of course, raises two standard objections which Paul addresses next. First, "That's not fair!" (Rom 9:14). Paul assures them that God does what He wants. "It does not depend on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy." (Rom 9:16). He uses Pharaoh as an example of raising someone up for the purpose of demonstrating His own power (Rom 9:17). God does whatever He wills. "He has mercy on whomever He wills and He hardens whomever He wills." (Rom 9:18). Next, then, is the "If God does whatever He wants, how can He hold us responsible?" (Rom 9:19) objection. To be honest, Paul doesn't really answer that question. It's like the kid who challenges a parent's authority with, "What makes you think you can tell me what to do?" and the parent "replies" as if this is an answer to the question, "Go to your room." Paul says, "Who are you, O man, to answer back to God?" (Rom 9:20). Paul explains that God does what He wants. He makes "one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use" (Rom 9:21). Now, this is an odd claim, but I'll just leave that hanging. The point is the next passage, the hypothetical.
What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. (Rom 9:22-24)That's the hypothetical ... "What if?"
It's important, first, to note the conditions. What do we know surrounding the hypothetical? Well, we know God does what He wants. We know He chooses according to His purpose (Rom 9:11). We know He saves whom He wills (Rom 9:18). We know He retains the ultimate right over the clay (Rom 9:21). We know He makes different "vessels" (Rom 9:21). These are not hypothetical. I would also like to point out that some of this "hypothetical" itself is not hypothetical. Paul references two "vessels"--"vessels of wrath prepared for destruction" and "vessels of mercy". He just explained that God makes these vessels. Not hypothetically. There is another non-hypothetical in this hypothetical that might be missed. Let me rephrase the sentence in order to get it across. "Although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, what if God ..." That parenthetical statement beginning with "although" is not hypothetical. It is a statement of fact. God is willing to demonstrate His wrath and make His power known.
Now, we miss that too often. We think "God is a nice guy desperate to be nice to us and we just force Him to be harsh sometimes." Not what it says here. Not the biblical image. God wills to demonstrate His wrath and make His power known. Further, there are two types of vessels available--vessels of wrath and vessels of mercy. For God to demonstrate His wrath and make His power known on vessels of wrath prepared for destruction is not wrong. It's not surprising. It's not odd. It is right. It is just. It is as it should be. This is not hypothetical.
Paul's hypothetical, then, is something else. "You're objecting to God doing what He wills. What if God wills to show mercy?" That's Paul's hypothetical. You see, we ask all the time, "Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?" "Why aren't more people saved?" It's our own hypothetical. "What if God allowed bad things to happen to good people?" Paul's hypothetical is the reverse. "We're all vessels of wrath prepared for destruction. God is good and right and perfectly justified in exercising what we already know to be His will in demonstrating on us His wrath and power. What if He doesn't?" Not "Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?" but "Why does God show mercy ... to anyone?"
In our self-centered thinking we're asking the wrong questions. Why does God allow evil in the world? Why does He not end sin? Why doesn't He make my life more comfortable? Why aren't more people saved? It's because we miss that God's known, just, righteous, good will is to demonstrate His wrath and make His power known. The fact that any are saved is the astounding thing. The answers, however, are given. He wishes also to make known "the riches of His glory". He has mercy on whomever He wills, and He hardens whomever He wills. He makes vessels for honorable use and for dishonorable use (Prov 16:4). He works in order that His purposes might continue. Stunned by His wrath? Maybe we ought to be more surprised by His grace and mercy. But in either case, we need to recognize that He makes the vessels.
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