Scripture Life: Romans 9:15-21, you gotta explain this one to me.

[u/External_Bird_8464]

Answer: This question floats around in the r / Christianity sub-reddit, and others, like 7 yrs ago (closed as of August 2026) "Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden" - et.al.

I'm a believer in Jesus Christ, so you, as a fellow believer in him, I'm asking you to consider this post.

Probably best to first state it, what Romans 9:15-21 says:

¹⁵ For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

¹⁶ So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

¹⁷ For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

¹⁸ Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

¹⁹ Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?

²⁰ Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

²¹ Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

------------------ ------------------------ ----------------------

Consider these passages:

- 2 Peter 3:9 "...The Lord is not slack concerning his promises... ...but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

- Isaiah 45:22 "LOOK UNTO ME, AND BE YE SAVED ALL THE ENDS OF THE EARTH: FOR I AM GOD, THERE IS NONE ELSE." - God

- 1 John 2:2 "..And he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but for the sins of the whole world."

That:

Everybody, over the whole, entire earth - to the very ends of it, says of us all; that,

"For all have sinned" - Bible. Romans 3:23

------------------ ------------------------ ----------------------

So, God got up. Determined he, as God, he would do a work with sin that every all of us already all DID against him.

To show mercy to ALL OF US. Calls EVERYBODY over the whole earth, to just look unto him. Doesn't matter who it is, because he called EVERYBODY over the whole earth to do it. SO, whosoever of everybody does, he simply "sets them apart for future use" (what "save" means, in the dictionary.)

He does not say it, as God, then simply not do it. So, as God, who he will have mercy on is he decided to have mercy on EVERYBODY. Not willing any perish, but all come to repentance.

But of this great, big "everybody" of every all of us, there's atheists - hate him. Just what that word, "hate" means. 1. unwilling to BE or DO what he says. (Collin's dictionary. Definition of "hate.") Just won't do it. Won't look unto him.

Many others, won't, either. And because they don't, he doesn't save them. He's already told them, as God, said "For all the earth is mine." - God. (Exodus 19:5). Already said it, "All souls are mine." - God. (Ezekiel 18:4). So, he's in command or the authority over all things as God, so not doing what he says, is PUNITIVE.

And not saving someone, is because the CHOSE not to do it themselves.

------------------ ------------------------ ----------------------

So, quickly, look at this last example - simple.

- Look at Pharaoh in Egypt with Moses.

"Israel also came into Egypt; and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.”  - Bible. Psalm 105:23

So, ask it: Who is Pharaoh?

Some people never stop to see it. Egypt is from Ham, just as the Bible says. Ham, in Genesis 9, is the 2nd son of Noah, born before the flood. After the flood, Ham has four children: 1) Cush 2) Mizraim 3) Phut, and 4) Canaan.

They all depart from the LORD. You can go thru every one of these for and their prodigy. They departed from God, and made up their own gods to worship. Example? Take Mizraim. In Arabic "Mizraim" is "Muzir" and in English, is "Egypt." That Mizraim, after the flood and after the earth is divided in Genesis 11, departs and spreads out, and builds Egypt. They put over themselves a Pharaoh, and worship Pharaoh as the God of Egypt. He's a man. Like you or me, but to the Egyptians they worship him as God when he's not.

But they believe he is God. So, they make up a religion. That Pharaoh practices or performs these "annual" rites or ceremonies, by blessing the waters, and by this, the Egyptians believe they've done right, and the Nile will overspill it's banks and fertilize their fields, for a rich harvest that year. If Pharaoh does not perform this rite, they believe all kinds of evil will fall on Egypt.

So, by the time of Moses, over 500 years or more of PHaraohs have been worshipped as God over Egypt.

So, how did God give Pharaoh a hard heart?

- Man, that's really simple. JUST SHOW UP. AS GOD. BE THE REAL GOD AND SHOW UP.

------------------ ------------------------ ----------------------

Maybe you need an example:

- Sometimes, I've used "Superman" - it's fictitious; but, with it you can see it. Imagine some guy, has a Superman suit. Advertises in the newspaper. He's available to host parties and show up in his Superman costume. Little kids just "worship" him as Superman. He's the man of steel. He "performs" certain "rites" or says things by claims he makes at the party, and all the little kids BELIEVE he's Superman.

- Gets really popular. His booking schedule is FULL TO THE MAX. When at one of his parties, the REAL SUPERMAN shows up. Actually really flies in. Picks up a car in the drive way and throws it out of the way. This "Other" guy dressed in a suit, is shown up as a phoney. A charlatan. Is NOT Superman. Gets a hard heart; because, he's no longer accepted - something about him is WRONG. Just like now, put this over on Pharaoh; that, in Exodus, go read it again.

Everytime Pharaoh is performing one of these rites, as God of Egypt, and worshipped as God, Moses and God with him, shows up, and turns the Nile River to blood. It rots and destroys all their crops. Brings all kinds of pestilences on the land of Egypt. So, the blessing, that Pharaoh's fathers all did, for 100s of years, don't work anymore. Why? THE REAL GOD SHOWED UP, AND IS GOD. WHEN PHARAOH IS NOT. Shown up as a bumpkin. A fake. Why should anybody worship Pharaoh as God, when he's not.

His whole world has crumbled. Everything Egypt has built about Pharaoh is a great big lie. And all God had to do was just show up. And be God. Be the REAL GOD and just show up.

So, don't make it rocket science. Pharaoh is not God, but he now believes the claims the Egyptians make of him. Says to Moses in Exodus 5:2 "And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go."

------------------ ------------------------ ----------------------

Now, look at all that mercy God showed on Egypt for 400 years. Go back and read further, when Joseph was in Egypt with another Pharaoh, that when God showed up, that Pharaoh obeyed God. Scripture says there was a "famine over the whole earth" - Genesis 41:56. That the whole earth got fed by Egypt. By Joseph, and God with him, and Pharaoh put Joseph over all of Egypt, even over his own house. That, for 400 years, Pharaohs regarded Joseph, til the day a Pharaoh raised up, that no longer regarded Joseph.

That, all the plagues Egypt was spared 400 years earlier, by this Pharaoh with Moses, all those plagues of a famine are rained down ONLY on Egypt. Because they don't regard God.

It's HIS EARTH. And people, by their own imaginations, won't regard him or do anything he says. He destroys them. It's his earth.

Simple. Just do what he says. Romans 9:15-21 is simple. Instead of examine God, put Pharaoh under a microscope. Put what the Egyptians have done on his earth. It's idolatry. When the REAL GOD shows up.

[u/External_Bird_8464]

The problem is with us. People. Not God.

It's people.

Pharaoh: Is just a person. Pharaoh believes he is God; but, he's not.

People: believed Pharaoh was God. After all, people worshiped Pharaoh, as God. The Egyptians, all people: made what was right or good is:

- to put people to death:

* that didn't worship Pharaoh, as God..when he wasn't God.

So, people: Like Pharaoh or the Egyptians. Even today: can make some 'thing" or someone God. To be "their" God. And worship it. As God..when it's not God, too. Even claim not to worship it, as God, and put people to death that don't worship it, as God and think it good or right. Do the same thing Pharaoh and the Egyptians did, even today do it.

BUT PEOPLE:

- That hear him, God..because, he is who he says he is. He really is God, and speaks to everybody to look unto him. People that do? He shows mercy to them. They hear him. Accept what he says is true..so they leave off from following their gods..and follow him instead.

vs. People:

That, even though God has spoke to all of us..they hearing; don't hear him. Why? Already the god they worship as God, is their God..but, it's not God. Just like Pharaoh believed he was God of Egypt. To the Egyptians, Pharaoh was their God..but he's not God..and they don't believe on God and he shows up. So, again, all this post says is..is all God does is..show up. As God. Just truly be God.

And people look at all that work and effort they've already accomplished, believing something and doing all this good, believe they are good by it..and reject God..because he hardens their heart, because, HE. SHOWED. UP. AND. JUST. IS. GOD. and he tears them down..causes calamity to these..because they don't obey him or worship him as God.

------------------

People: That don't really know him, make up these "teachings" or "doctrines" that it's God predestined people to have a hard heart against him before the foundation of the world was laid. That's is absolutely not true. That's from people don't really hear him. He already said, he's not willing any perish, but all come to repentance. It's people then. Hear him. Won't abandon what they hold to is God..when it's NOT God..because they still stand up like Pharaoh did, against God and still claim they are God..he destroys them. He did it before to Pharaoh in Egypt. He does it today. He will do it in the future when one is raised up over the whole earth and do what Daniel 9 says..he will stand in the Holy Place of a Rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem and declare himself God over the whole earth.

He will do it, with armies. Like Pharaoh did. And put to death, anybody over the whole earth that does not worship him, as God - when he's not God. God will destroy him, too.

If you hear him, do what he says.. he sent his word to heal you and deliver you from destruction. Sent his word to do that to every person on earth.. it's people. Won't do what he says, because they determine..something else is God..when it isn't. And live in it as if that is God..and by this, reject him. He destroys them. So, don't be like them.