“What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! For He says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion” (v. 15). When God says, “I will,” we should not argue with Him. We are not God and we do not have His sovereignty. We may reason with Him, asking, “Why do you love Jacob and hate Esau?” God may reply, “Don’t argue with Me. I will to do it. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. Everything depends on My will.”
What is the difference between mercy and compassion? It is difficult to distinguish. Although compassion is very close to mercy, I would say that compassion is deeper, finer, and richer than mercy. Putting compassion together with mercy in this verse strengthens the fact that God is merciful.
“So then, it is not of the one who wills, nor of the one who runs, but of God, the One Who shows mercy” (v. 16). Mercy goes farther than grace. If when I am in a good condition and my standing matches yours you give me a gift, that is grace. However, when I am in a poor condition and my standing is far removed from yours and you give me something, that is mercy. If I come to you as your dear friend and you give me a Bible as a gift, that is grace. However, if I am a poor unclean beggar, unable to do anything for myself and you give me ten dollars, that is not grace, it is mercy. Thus, mercy reaches farther than grace. Grace only extends to a situation that corresponds to it, but mercy goes much farther, reaching into a situation that is poor and unworthy of grace. According to our natural condition, we were far removed from God, totally unworthy of His grace. We were only eligible to receive His mercy. Thus, 9:15 does not say, “I will have grace on whom I will have grace.” No, it says, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy.” You may think that there was nothing good about Jacob, that he was altogether a subtle, crafty person, and that Esau was much better than he. You are right. That is how God has shown His mercy. Jacob was pitiful, but God had mercy on him. God’s mercy does not depend upon man’s good condition; rather it is shown in man’s pitiful condition. It reaches beyond His grace.
It is God’s mercy that has reached all of us. None of us was in a condition that corresponded to His grace. We were so poor and so pitiful that there was the need for God’s mercy to bridge the gap between us and God. It was God’s mercy that brought us into His grace. How we need to realize this and worship God for His mercy! Even now, after being saved and having participated in the riches of His life, we still, in some ways, are in a condition that needs God’s mercy to bridge the gap. This is the reason that Hebrews 4:16 says that firstly we need to obtain mercy and then we can find grace for timely help. Oh, how much we need His mercy! We must treasure God’s mercy as much as we appreciate His grace. It is always God’s mercy that qualifies us to participate in His grace.
So then “it is not of the one who wills, nor of the one who runs, but of God, the One Who shows mercy.” Our concept is that the one who wills will get what he wills to get and that the one who runs will gain what he runs after. If this were the case, then God’s selection would be according to our effort and labor. But it is not so. It is altogether of God who shows mercy. We do not need to will or to run, for God has mercy on us. If we do know God’s mercy, we will not put our trust in our effort; neither will we be disappointed by our failure. The hope for our wretched condition is God’s mercy.
“For the scripture says to Pharaoh, For this very thing I have raised you up, that I might show forth My power in you, and that My name should be proclaimed in all the earth” (v. 17). In Pharaoh God showed forth His power, not His mercy, that His name might be proclaimed in all the earth. This shows that even God’s enemies are useful to Him in fulfilling His purpose. “So then,” verse 18 says, “He has mercy on whom He wills, and He hardens whom He wills.” What should we say with regard to this? We should say nothing, but worship God’s way. Everything depends upon what He wills to do. He is God!