God's Sovereign Choice

God’s promises have not failed, because true Israel is not defined by ethnicity but by God’s sovereign, merciful choice.

Paul is responding to the tension that many Jews were rejecting the Gospel. He explains that:

Not all descendants of Abraham are part of the true people of God (vv. 6–13). God has always made distinctions—choosing Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau—not based on merit, but on His calling and purpose.

God is not unjust in choosing whom to show mercy (vv. 14–18). His mercy is His to give, and it’s never owed.

God has the right, like a potter, to shape lives for His purposes (vv. 19–29). His decisions are always righteous, and both His wrath and mercy serve His greater plan.

Ultimately, Paul is showing that God is both sovereign and merciful. His choices are purposeful, not random, and they include calling people from all nations—not just ethnic Israel—to be His own.