“6 Now it is not as though the word of God has failed, because not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7 Neither is it the case that all of Abraham’s children are his descendants. On the contrary, your offspring will be traced through Isaac. 8 That is, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but the children of the promise are considered to be the offspring.”
As we have studied the opening verses of Romans 9, we have taken a deeper look at how Paul is in complete anguish over the fact that his own flesh and blood, the Israelites, have not believed in Jesus the Messiah. In verses 3-5, Paul methodically laid out a case against Israel, showing them that they have no excuse for their sin and unbelief. Naturally, this begs the question, “If God gave His chosen people all of these numerous opportunities to respond to the Messiah, and yet they rejected him, has God failed?” “Is God unable to save His people from their sin?” And not only that, Paul just finished explaining in chapter 8 that those who are saved in Christ have great assurance of salvation. If God cannot even save His own people, how can there be such great assurance in the gospel for us?
We know that it cannot be that God is unable to save His people. God will deliver on what He has promised will come about. Nothing is impossible for God. Balaam in the Old Testament got it right when he said this about God:
“God is not a man, that he might lie, or a son of man, that he might change his mind. Does he speak and not act, or promise and not fulfill?” — Numbers 23:19
Paul addresses these concerns in verses 6 and following. This set of verses has two profound implications:
1) Not all of Abraham’s children are children of the promise. Abraham had other children besides Isaac, mainly Ishmael, his firstborn, born of Tamar, Sarah’s servant. Of all Abraham’s descendants, only one son was chosen to become a nation set apart for God.
2) Not just Abraham’s children, that is his physical descendants, are children of the promise. Paul will argue that now the Gentile church has been grafted into the new covenant between God and His people. While the nation of Israel itself was set apart for God’s glory, it is not just the nation of Israel that can be saved through the gospel. Praise the Lord! It’s not just the physical children of Abraham that are brought into God’s kingdom, rather it’s the children of the promise who are Abraham’s offspring!
This is not the first time we have heard Paul communicate this. At many points throughout the book thus far we have seen Paul defend this doctrine:
“For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, and true circumcision is not something visible in the flesh. On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart — by the Spirit, not the letter. That person’s praise is not from people but from God.” — Romans 2:28-29
“For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace, to guarantee it to all the descendants — not only to the one who is of the law but also to the one who is of Abraham’s faith. He is the father of us all.” — Romans 4:13, 16
“For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons.” — Romans 8:14
Chapter 2 is where Paul first presents the idea that the promise of salvation through the life, death, and resurrection of the Messiah was not only to the ethnic Jews, but also to any who repent of their sin, confess, “Jesus is Lord”, and believe in His resurrection. Furthermore, to be God’s chosen people, to be God’s sons and daughters, does not concern your birthright, worldly inheritance, or family lineage. Rather, the true sons of God are those who embrace the gospel of faith in Jesus, obey God, and do His will!