Romans 9:22

for the scripture says to Pharaoh, for this very purpose, I have raised you up that I might show my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.

Okay, so he points to Pharaoh at the Exodus, and who was God primarily showing his wrath and his power to through Pharaoh? Well, it wasn't just to Pharaoh. It wasn't even just to the Egyptians. I mean, really, it was primarily to the Israelites. It was to his own people, right, so that God's name would be proclaimed in all the earth so that they could tell of God's glorious power and his salvation and his judgment. on the Egyptians so that as they appropriately respond when they get to the other side of the Red Sea in Exodus 15, they sing,

I will sing to the Lord for he has triumphed gloriously. The horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.

They're celebrating God's great wrath and power having been unleashed on the Egyptians in bringing their salvation. To think of an illustration, it's kind of like every fairy tale. You know, the author always writes the villain into the book so that we get to see the hero defeat the villain, right? And we celebrate what the hero has done. Well, why does God create Pharaoh? Well, he tells him,

for this very purpose, I've raised you up that I might show my power in you.

I've created you to be the villain that I will destroy so that my name will be declared so that we will see God's glory and we can worship and praise him. I think the point Paul's making here in Romans 9 verses 22 through 24 is that to some degree that's true of all unbelievers. Part of why God has created a world in which there are people who resist him is because, and part of why God is patiently enduring with them, is so that in the end he will display his power and his wrath for us to see. So at the end of time, when judgment comes, we will get to observe the awesome power of God in bringing judgment. and celebrate his justice, celebrate his wrath. And I think this may challenge some of us to ask the question, do you view God's wrath as something glorious? Or does all this talk about God's wrath kind of make you cringe? If it does, here's just a few things to think about. First, we need to always remember that God's wrath is a expression of his holy character. God is not like us. He doesn't vacillate from being sort of harsh and cruel one moment and then tender and kind the next. No, God never changes. He always acts perfectly consistent with his own being. All that he does flows from his divine nature. And that means that his wrath is just as just and holy and good and even beautiful as his love is. There's something very distorted in our view of God if we think that he has an ugly side. God is pure. He is perfect. His judgment is something to be celebrated because it's the judgment of God. It's something in which we can see God's glory Even if at the same time we, like God, take no pleasure in the death of the wicked themselves. It's not about taking joy in the death of the wicked, it's about celebrating the justice of God. Second, if we cringe at God's wrath, it's probably because we're underestimating sin. I think we cringe when we hear about God's wrath. It's a reflection that we're not really seeing it the way God does. Maybe we think, oh, you know, these poor people, they've just made a mistake. It came from a good heart. Sin is just not that big of a deal. You know, we're not seeing it for what it really is. And so if we're struggling with that, one thing we can pray for is that God would help us to see sin for what it truly is in relation to him. And then a third thing to think about on this point, we should consider how patient God is even towards those he judges. I mean, even as Paul talks about vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, he talks about God patiently enduring with them, still giving every opportunity to repent, still giving time. All day long, God says he holds out his hands to a stiff-necked people, even the very people who have persecuted Christians. Murdered Christians, tortured them, done evil to so many other people here in this world. God patiently endures. So that as we see evil, we like the martyrs in heaven, like so many others, our desire for justice might grow. And so that in the end, when God does bring judgment, we might see the riches of his glory. Even in his judgment being outpoured. So that's the second way. We see this. Now, third, I want to say, is there one final reason why God's patience towards the reprobate enables us to know his glory? And it's because it helps us to appreciate mercy. It helps us to appreciate mercy. And you see, I think there's a sense in which mercy tends to stop feeling like mercy when everybody gets it. we are so quick to feel sort of entitled to the thing that everybody receives, we begin to take for granted the thing that everybody receives. As just a dim illustration, I was thinking of, you know, most of us drove our car here. We drive around every day. We theoretically acknowledge the fact that it's possible to get in a car accident and die, but usually when you show up at church, you're not just, you know, blessing God because you have been spared from death. You know, we just take it for granted. We're used to that. We just, all of us tend to get here alive. But then when I, there's been a few times I've talked to somebody who was in a car accident. or saw a car accident right in front of them, and the person next to them died, or the person in front of them died, and all of a sudden, their whole perspective is different. There's this sense of, that could have been me. And what made the difference? I mean, this awareness that I was right there, and because this person died, even though we know that could happen all the time, when we see it, we're aware of this, I was spared. I didn't receive what they got. And I want to suggest to you that the same is true for us when it comes to our salvation. I think if every single person is saved, I don't know that we would appreciate it the way we do when we see that there are others who are not. Look down at the ensuing verses in 25 and 26. Paul says,

as indeed he says in Hosea, Those who were not my people, I will call my people. And her who is not beloved, I will call beloved. And in the very place where it was said to them, you are not my people, there they will be called sons of the living God.

And the point there is that God's election is surprising. He chooses people that in the very place where they've heard, you're not my people. And yet God says, no, you are my people. I am choosing you. And and yet he passes over others. And I think when we look around and we see the reality that that there are many who are not saved. We ask ourselves, why me? I mean, what would cause me to differ? Why would God choose to save me? And the only answer there is. Is his sheer mercy. It's by his unconditional electing love and grace alone. And that's it. And Paul is saying,

what if God? Desiring to show his wrath and make known his power has endured with this much patience, vessels of wrath prepared for destruction. In order that he might make known the riches of his glory. for vessels of mercy, even us, whom he's called, not just from the Jews, but from the Gentiles.

And so as we meditate on this passage and we think about the patience of God and the whole plan of salvation and how God has chosen some and he has not chosen others, we should leave here today so thankful, just amazed that God would show us such mercy, freshly aware of the fact that we are saved by sheer mercy. That we have not contributed anything to our salvation and yet God has set his love on us. And he is working all these things together to show us the riches of his glory. The fullness of his love, the glory of his person. And we see it in our salvation, we see it in his judgment, we see it in his whole plan of salvation. And it should inspire us simply to worship him. and to be thankful and to praise him for who he is. Let's pray. Our fathers, we contemplate this truth tonight. We, on one hand, confess there's still so much we don't understand. God, even as the Apostle Paul approaches this with a question, These are deep waters beyond our ability to fully grasp. And yet, Lord, we pray that with the help of your spirit, as we think about these things, the fruit of it would be that we would grow in our awareness of your mercy, our awareness of your glory, our desire to see your glory more fully. Lord, we pray that this would humble us. We pray that we would respond to this in the way you intend for us to respond, with greater love for you. and greater faithfulness to you and that we would praise you for your rich patience and mercy and love and for your wrath. We ask all this in Jesus name. Amen.