This chapter has been used by Calvinists to support the arguments -> that the Lord determines who will be saved and who will not be saved -> that the Lord is a respecter of persons -> that what will be will be.
Such reading ignores the emotionalism that motivates his inconsistent conclusions with the Truth that he expresses elsewhere.
(Calvinism is actually blasphemy cloaked in piety.)
In Paul`s defense it is difficult to think about those family members and friends who reject Christ Jesus and choose the LakeOfFire. How can they reject HolySpiritGrace? How can they choose death over life?
The second greatest gift that the Lord gave man is FreeWill. He wants us to choose Him. It is in our choice of Him that we identify with Him.
Lucifer was with the Lord but did not choose the Lord and so the Lord created the LakeOfFire to destroy him.
Humans are born into the world apart from the Lord and must choose Him. That is what ensures our eternal stability in His presence - we choose Him.
So, Paul struggling with his identity as a Jew cannot grasp the fact that the ChosenPeople are those who choose the LordJesusChrist Gal 3:7,8.
Because he cannot grasp the foolishness of how anyone can reject Grace, he assumes that the Lord must be making the call and holding back Grace from some while extending it to others despite the truth expressed in Joh 3:16 Tit 2:11 and 2Pe 3:9.
In the next chapter, we hear Paul step out of his emotionalism and back into the pure Gospel Truth Rom 10:9,10.
80 generations have come and gone since Christ and are queued up for the LakeOfFire. They will receive no special dispensation because the CHOSE to reject Messiah.
Paul later comes to his spiritual ^senses^ when he states the Truth from the HolySpirit:
^There is neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor female but we are ONE in Christ.^ Gal 3:28
As to acceptance, Paul is juxtaposing the LAW with GRACE. -> The LAW was given just to Jews - not to Gentiles. -> GRACE was given to all mankind Joh 3:16.
So, God is telling Moses that for the time being, I am just working with the Jews.
Why? He had a single SEED of Abraham Gen 22:18 that needed to be nurtured to the harvest.
That harvest is Christ Jesus.
Paul clarifies the end of special treatment for the Jews with the end of the LAW in ^In that he says, A NewCovenant, he has made the first old. Now that which decays and waxes old is ready to vanish away.^ Heb 8:13
Paul could not easily accept the demise of Judaism (being an expert in it) along with the rejection of the people who it was developed under.
However, Jesus made it clear that the Jews were rejected for rejecting Him in
^Therefore say I unto you, The KingdomOfHeaven shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.^ Mat 21:43
Judaism is nothing.
Jewishness is nothing.
Only Christ in us the hope of glory Col 1:27.
And Christ Jesus comes to every man that calls on His name:
^For whoever shall call upon the name of the LordJesusChrist shall be saved.^ Rom 10:13
SpiritBaptism is necessary to understand the Word by the Holy SpiritOfTruth who reveals the true nature of our God.
^Be filled with the HolySpirit^ Eph 5:18.