We come this evening in our study of this ninth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans to verses 17 and 18.

For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh,

even for this purpose have I raised thee up that I might show my power in thee,

and that my power might be declared throughout all the earth.

Therefore, hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardness.

Now you remember that in our analysis of this passage, beginning at verse 14 and going on to verse 24, we indicated

that the apostle divides up his matter in this kind of way. There were two main difficulties

or objection which could be brought with respect to the teaching

that he has given from verse 6 to verse 13.

And the first one was that it seems unjust and unrighteous in God to show his mercy to

some and not to others, and particularly in view of the fact that he teaches that he does

so even before they were born, quite irrespective of any action or any merit on their part.

That was the first objection.

The second was that it seems equally unjust and unrighteous and the part of God, in the words that we are

given with regard to Esau, namely, Esau have I hated. Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated.

People take objection to both aspects of that one great statement. So that the division of the matter is that he begins in verse 14 to deal with these

difficulties and objections.

And we saw last Friday night that in verses 15 and 16 he deals with the first.

I have called verse 14 to verse 18 the statement of the case.

And the statement of the case, we subdivided into the statement of two cases. It's a general

case, but he looks at the two sides of it, the aspect of mercy and this other aspect of hardening or of hating.

Now, in verses 15 and 16, the apostle took up the first aspect of the general case, or if

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