There is a lot of talk about God’s electing us or choosing us to do something. Many have different ideas on what that election means. What does the Bible say about our election?

Read Romans 8:28-29. What does God call us to? What does He choose us for?

In God’s Time

This passage specifically states that God predestined humans to be conformed to the image of His Son. It is not saying that God predestines us either to be saved or to be condemned, and that we have no choice in the matter. In other words, the election is for the purpose of our transformation. We are to be changed to reflect the Son of God. This transformation is then promised in the following verse (Rom. 8:30), in which Paul, the author, states that those whom God calls He also justifies (makes us righteous) and glorifies (sanctifies). Thus we are not left to transform ourselves, but rather, God promises to accomplish this transformation by His power.

Read Romans 9:1-33. What kind of election or call of God is described in this chapter?

In Romans chapter 9 Paul discusses God’s election to a specific task. The Israelites were chosen to bring the good news about God to the world. The phrase “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated” (Rom. 9:13, NKJV) is commonly misunderstood to mean that God loved only one of the brothers. However, in the context of this passage, Paul is saying that Jacob was chosen but Esau was not. What was Jacob chosen for? To be the father of the Israelite nation. Thus, there are two types of election/choosing that God does. First, God chooses every single one of us for salvation and wants us to be transformed into the image of Jesus. Second, God chooses different people for specific tasks.

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The word “determined” found in Daniel 9:24, “Seventy weeks are determined”, literally means, “Seventy weeks are cut off”. Although the word translated as “determined” is not used anywhere else in the Bible, it is found in Jewish literature, and it means “cutting off” from something longer. Since Daniel 8 presents the 2,300-years prophecy, whose starting point is not given in Daniel chapter 8, it logically follows that when the next chapter (Daniel chapter 9) talks about 490 years as “determined” or “cut off”, they can be “cut off” only from the 2,300 prophetic years mentioned in the previous chapter. After all, what else could this period be “cut off” from but another, and longer, time prophecy?

Read Daniel 8:1-27. What was the one part of the vision given that was not explained (see especially Dan. 8:14, Daniel 8:26-27)?

There are many reasons why the 70-week prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27 and the 2,300 evenings and mornings prophecy of Daniel 8:14 belong together: 1. both are time prophecies; 2. the specific terminology of “vision” and “understanding” links them (see Dan. 8:26-27 and Daniel 9:23); 3. both interpretations of the prophecies were given by Gabriel (see Dan. 8:16 and Daniel 9:21); 4. the only part of the vision not explained in Daniel chapter 8 was the vision about the 2,300 evenings and mornings (sometimes translated as “days”) in Daniel 8:14; 5. Daniel chapter 8 contains the vision and then a partial interpretation of it, while Daniel chapter 9 has an interpretation only, in this case the interpretation of the only part of Daniel chapter 8 not interpreted — which was the 2,300-day prophecy of Daniel 8:14, the one part of the vision that Daniel had not understood (see Dan. 8:27).

The information given to us in Ezra fills in the missing pieces of the prophecy’s predictions in the book of Daniel, namely, when to begin historically to count the prophetic time regarding crucial aspects of Christ’s ministry and work on our behalf.

Image © Pacific Press

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You can view an in-depth discussion of “God’s Call” in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris. Click on the image to view:

You may download an MP4 video file, and audio file or a PDF lesson outline from the HopeSS site.

With thanks to Hope Channel – Television that will change your life.

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Do you hear
“Hark! The Voice of Jesus Calling”, Hymn 359 in our lesson study title for this week? Or,
Hymn 287, “Softly and Tenderly”? I heard
Hymn 361, “Hark! Tis the Shepherd’s Voice I Hear”.
Ezra and Nehemiah certainly heard God’s voice calling them.

These prophets were to lead the people, rebuild the sanctuary and walls, teach the people, and guide them:
Hymn 482, “Father, Lead Me Day by Day”,
Hymn 531, “We’ll Build on the Rock”,
Hymn 193, “Savior, Teach Me” and
Hymn 538, “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah”.

The prophets spoke to the three kings, who listened: Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes. We hear this in
Hymn 413, “God Has Spoken by His Prophets”.

It is our responsibility (Thursday) to choose to follow God’s calling :
Hymn 623, “I Will Follow Thee”.

2 Timothy 2:15 KJV – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

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