Election spoken of IN SCRIPTURE...pt2

I think where the disconnect comes in regards to predestination and calling is the other side's misusage of the word 'world'. When they see that word, they automatically think everybody whoever lived and that is not so. They use that when they talk about John 3:16.

Look at this verse..."We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth;[Colossians 1:3-6] Now, that which I bolded can not mean everybody whoever lived because a multitude of ppl have died w/o hearing the gospel of the Christ.

Then look at this verse..."He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him."[John 1:10] "He was in the world.."in His human body He was in the world, yet not everyone who has ever lived has saw Him in His physical body. "And the world was made through Him..." Now this is true as He made all we see, including mankind. "And the world did not know Him..." This can not include everybody whoever lived as only those non-believing do not know Him.

So, the word 'world' does not mean everybody whoever lived in most cases.

 

"just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,"[Ephesians 1:4, 5] Here it states we were chosen by God from before the foundation/creation of the world. And those He chose/elected from before the foundation of the world, He predestined to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ.

And then in Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus "also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory."[Ephesians 1:11-14]

Now, look at verse 13 "In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise." So, it is those who have been elected/chosen from before the foundation of the world who will believe in the message that is concerning the cross work of the Christ, the gospel.

 

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified."[Romans 8:28-30]

Notice in verse 28 it says "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God...' Now, who are those who love God? 1 John 4:7 states those who love are born of God and knows God. Knowing God is not just some acknowledgement of Him, but knowing Him in an intimate relationship. So, it is those who have been born of God who love God and He works all things together for their good.

The sticking point to some comes from "He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son..." You can not divorce this from the "Golden Chain of Redemption". Those who were chosen by God from before the creation of the world will ALSO be conformed to the image of the Christ. So election is not only to be conformed to the image of the Christ, but entails the chain which includes electing, predestinating, calling, sanctifying, and glorifying.

 

There are a myriad of problems with your understanding here.

1. Elijah has escaped, first to Judah and then to Mt. Horeb (Mt. Sinai). His life is not in danger at the point God makes His statement. He is distraught--thinking himself to be the last faithful Israelite (as opposed to Judahite). He's looking to "retire" and leave Israel to their sinfulness. It is quite the pity-party, but it is not a fear of death--which he specifically asks for.

2. God does not simply telling Elijah "this is what's going to happen;" rather God is saying "this you shall do." God is the agent of the change and His instruction to Elijah is active; it is my no means passive as you suggest. By the way, the anointing Hazael as King of Damascus demonstrates something about God's rule of all nations, not just Israel. And, God's "recommissioning" of Elijah here demonstrates to Elijah that God is not done with Israel, as Elijah had suspected.

3. Elijah is not lamenting Israelites (those in Israel as opposed to Judah) being put to death for their faith. The texts dealing with Elijah's life and ministry make it quite clear that it is not only Ahab and Jezebel who are persecuting faithful Israelites, killing them. No, quite the contrary, there were very few, if any, faithful Israelites. Notice what Elijah says: "For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” (1 Kings 19:10 ESV). It is not the king and queen who have engaged in this persecution, it is "the people of Israel." A new king (Jehu) isn't going to fix that. In fact, Jehu is anointed to destroy the house of Ahab, which he does. He also kills all the prophets of Baal. However, he continues to worship the golden calves of Jeroboam. No King of Israel (as opposed to Judah) does what is "good" in the sight of the Lord. Israel is still hostile to those who worship Yahweh.

4. "Bowing the knee" and "Kissing" Baal are metaphors for worship. It is clear that God isn't preserving them from death, but from idolatry.

5. The phrase translated "I will leave" is the Hebrew וְהִשְׁאַרְתִּי is a hifil stem which, in this instance, shows causation--the subject performs the action. So, God is doing something--He's causing these 7,000 to come to Him and remain faithful to Him. That's just what the Hebrew there means.

6. Paul, in Romans 11, in quoting 1 Kings 19, understands the passage as I've outlined it above. He states, rightly, that Elijah's complaint is against Israel, not her kings and queens. And he rightly translates the Hebrew as causative, relaying God's words to Elijah as "I have kept for myself..." What were they kept from? Idolatry, not death.

The Archangel

 

No I still think you're interpretation is just something you're reading into the text. Elijah had already lamented in the chapter he was the only one left serving God and all others were put to death. God showed him he was wrong about that very thing. God did not allow (for reasons of God's sovereignty) persecution to break out on a massive scale and those who were faithful (not having bowed their knew to Baal) were preserved. Nothing to do with picking them for salvation(as in eternal life salvation) and I checked multiple commentaries after reading your post(not that that proves anything) and ones I've glanced at agree with my assessment. It has to do with preserved from a potential persecution. Such doesn't mean God isn't encouraging those who have been faithful to stay so therefore even if I agreed with your Hebrew word defining still doesn't insist a meaning God picked only this number to be saved because of irresistible grace.