God's plan for the two houses of Israel - P1
Calvinism, a word that is linked to a myriad of doctrines, and has very real implications of how one perceives the character of God. The Calvinistic teachings are having a resurgence in colleges, seminaries, and churches, and sweeping many away into false doctrines. It must be noted that the answer to Calvinism is not Arminianism, but an understanding of God's dealing with Israel in history and prophecy.
This overview exposes the abuses that Calvinism makes in claiming for itself passages that were written concerning Israel. This article is not intended to delve into the Calvinism debate as there is little need once we see that Israel is the audience, not the "Gentile" church. Hence, our only aim is to help the reader discover the original audience - Israel. With the correct audience in view, the Calvinistic arguments are superfluous.
Judah & Israel: The vessels of honor & dishonor
As with any false teaching there are several "proof-texts" to substantiate one's view. Two of Calvinism's main texts happen to be one chapter apart, contextually unrelated to 'Gentiles.' Let us see:
Romans 9:21-23, "Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,"
Calvinists, and their opponents alike, teach that these Scriptures speak of the saved and lost, Christians and non-Christians. It is further purported that God made some people to go to heaven and doomed the rest to hell (of which the proponent of Calvinism is always going to heaven). This conclusion is come to by ASSUMING that the reader MUST be the vessel of honor seeing as he is 'saved'. This kind of assumption has led to hundreds of years of "Christian" debate.
Before assuming the 'saved' is being spoken to, we must first observe the context. In so doing, we will see that the differing vessels refer to the two houses of Israel; Israel and Judah,1 not saved vs. lost. This author is aware that the average believer who is reading this may not understand the significance of the distinction between the southern house (Judah & Benamin) and the northern house (10 tribes) of Israel. However, understanding this distinction is critical to properly understanding these verses.
In short, God divorced the house of Israel, and cast her into the nations (Gentiles), mainly through the Assyrian invasions (around 740-722 BCE). God didn't divorce Judah, although she was still punished mainly through the Babylonian invasions (between 597-582 BCE). When God divorced the house of Israel, He did so because of her unfaithfulness to Him. He then scatterend her into the nations, but promised to restore her WITH Judea (southern house) so that the two houses may be one once again. This is background for the Hosea quote that Paul is referencing here in Romans:
Romans 9:24-25, "Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? As he saith also in Hosea, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved."
Hosea 1:10, from which this is quoted, is unquestionably speaking about the judgment coming on Israel (Ephraim). God is promising to scatter the house of Israel (10-Israel) into the nations (Gentiles), but also promises to restore the two houses (Hosea 1:11; 2:23). Hosea is NOT speaking about 'lost' Gentiles (non-ethnic-Israelites), but ethnic-Israelite-Gentiles. This is a mouthful to say, but properly conveys the audience. When reading Hosea it is clear that the house of Israel was to become part of the nations/Gentiles, and no longer be 'His people' (i.e. divorced). However, God has not forgotten His foreknown/former people and will restore them fully at the Second Advent.
God has "called" the house of Israel and not the "Jews only". These vessels (9:21-23) do NOT refer to God predestinating or pre-determining, before the foundation of the world, who will go to heaven or hell. These vessels have to do with the difference between Judah and Ephraim (10-Israel). These vessels of honor are the Judeans and the vessels of dishonor are the Ephraimites/Israelites.
Paul is explaining to these believing Jews that God had divorced Ephraim (Jeremiah 3:8); but now He is "calling" the scattered Ephraimites just as He has been "calling" Jews. As Paul discloses in chapter 11, it is because of Israel's rejection of His Son that He is now redeeming ethnic-Israelite-Gentiles by faith. God's plan is that by redeeming the despised Ephraimites who had been dispersed among the Gentiles, it will provoke "his people" (Jews) to jealousy.