Patience Unbounded

Paul continues to draw on Old Testament texts to develop three ideas as his argument unfolds. First he explores the notion of God as potter and his people as clay–not as a general observation about humanity, but in relation to God’s call to his people and his purposes in the world. It is clear from Isaiah 29 and Jeremiah 18 that this metaphor is not about a fickle God who changes his mind, but a fickle people who will not cooperate with God in his purposes of making his grace known. God’s remolding of his people arises from his steadfast faithfulness to his people and his creation.

Paul then adapts a saying from Hosea. If those who have stepped outside God’s purposes can once again be included in his people, why not also those who had never (until now) been part of God’s purposes in the first place? If the grace of God can restore sinners in Israel, can it not also restore those outside? In talking of those “prepared for destruction” (22), Paul is not suggesting that God fixes the future and eliminates free will–rather, that even if some of Israel refuse to cooperate and so bring judgment on themselves, God’s patient dealings with them becomes a demonstration of grace to others who will receive it.

Third, Paul picks up on Isaiah’s notion of “remnant.” God’s promise to Abraham was that his descendants would be like the sand of the seashore, and this has indeed come to pass, but not all this “Israel” is truly Israel (6)–only a remnant remains true to him. In fact, as Elijah found (1 Kings 19:18), this is a sign of God’s faithfulness. Though “all have sinned” and “turned away” (Rom. 3:9-12,23), God continues to make his grace known and will save some.

When have you been aware of God’s faithfulness to you through times when you have wavered? Are there ways you could represent this faithfulness to others?