Romans 9:1-13 - God’s Purpose of Election

Romans 9:1-13

Israel's Rejection of Christ

1 I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; 5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.

Israel's Rejection and God's Purpose (Gen. 25:19–23)

6 But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, 7 nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, "In Isaac your seed shall be called." 8 That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. 9 For this is the word of promise: "At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son."

10 And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac 11 (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), 12 it was said to her, "The older shall serve the younger." 13 As it is written, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."

God’s purpose of election stands on His work and not ours, of His call and not our efforts to find Him.  Paul himself was greatly grieved for his own people set aside and chosen as a nation, not as individuals, who rejected Christ after having been entrusted with the call to adoption by covenant given by God’s choice (Genesis 17:2, Exodus 34:10, Hebrews 10:16) which pointed to an everlasting covenant (Isaiah 55:3) in the future when the Messiah from the root of David would bring it to offer freely (Isaiah 55:1, 3) to their descendants by the faith of Abraham and not earned by their national status.  The shekinah glory of the LORD was shown them in the Ark of the covenant and seen in the face of Moses as it faded away (Exodus 34:35, 2 Corinthians 3:7, 13) along with covenants given to Noah, Moses, and David along the way.  He gave this chosen nation a place to reach the world as promised to Abraham through the vehicles of the law to guide them into truth and towards the unattainable goal of righteousness to serve Him and look forward to His promises.  These all led to the promised coming of the Messiah Jesus Christ who is the eternally blessed God in the flesh (John 1:1, 14)!  God’s word so given in scripture has an effect on those with ears to hear and eyes to see whether individuals of Israel of of the nations they were chosen to reach with these words and the good news to come in Christ; He was not given and did not come solely for Israel, yet ironically they rejected Him and the nations accepted the Lord by faith given to them by God!  Yes, the true seed or descendants of Abraham are children of faith and not genealogy.  Abraham believed God for Isaac who founded Israel and that faith was accounted as righteousness to him, not the nation itself which arose as a channel of redemption to the world.  The children of Isaac themselves were shown to be chosen by the election of God and not birthright to drive this truth home to them and we who now read these accounts as well.  God’s choice is not based on our works of doing enough good or evil but solely by His predetermined purpose and calling of unmerited grace.  This is the gospel showing God’s purpose of election and not our supposed free will apart from God’s which Eve and Adam had exercised to the demise of the entire human race.  That free will choice apart from faith in God’s command brought the sin of rebellion (which all sin is) into the world and subsequently bound our wills to it as corrupt and incapable of choosing God anymore, having been forfeited in Eden’s Garden.  We now see faith in God’s word and work only if we have been called and chosen to be able to understand and receive His Word, Jesus Christ (John 1:1, 12) to experience His eternal covenant of grace and have the Law written on our hearts to serve God according to His promises of grace in our calling and election.  Give all the glory to God and do not try to claim it as your own.  That is the message here which shows us God’s Purpose of Election over our ineffectual free will to choose Him ourselves.