Romans 9:6-13

Main idea: The Lord makes decisions about people and people make decisions about the Lord (part 2).

God made a decision about a specific group of people. Some of that group absorbed a religious background, but rejected Jesus Christ.

God makes decisions according to his purposes and not based on human worthiness.

Romans 9:6–13 ESV

But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

Verses 6-7 have a significant shift in the language.

As Christians, we believe that Israel is God’s chosen people. What Israel are we talking about? This first map gives a few viewpoints from the Old Testament. Are we talking about the original 12 tribes and the original allotment of the Promise Land? Are we talking about the 10 tribes that made up the nation of Israel in the Old Testament after King Solomon? Are we talking about the tribe of Judah? Are we talking about Jerusalem? Are we talking about an ethnic group of people? The second map gives a “then vs now” viewpoint. What we think about Israel has implications to what we believe about Romans 9-11 and how we read/understand our Bible.

One commentator said, “Many Israelis appreciate evangelical Christians who strongly support the state of Israel, but Jewish gratitude is based largely on its power to help them achieve their economic and political ends.”

In October 2023, US News and World Report wrote “In 2021, US obligations to Israel amounted to $3.31 billion…reflecting 16% of Israel’s total defense budget.”

What Israel are we talking about?

Romans 9:6–8 ESV

But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.

We can quickly assume these verses are between Ishmael (the oldest) and Isaac (the youngest). Did you know that Abraham had 8 sons?

Genesis 25:1–6 ESV

Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. Abraham gave all he had to Isaac. But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country.

God made a decision that was not based on human worthiness. The standard order of the inheritance would have been the oldest got half and rest of the siblings divided the other half. The name that every generation should have been talking about was Ishmael. He was the firstborn and rightful heir to all of it. He could have said that he was entitled to certain things and probably taken Isaac to court and won. Isaac’s inheritance should have been 7.14%, except God made a promise and God always keeps his promise.

The promise didn’t come without supernatural intervention.

Romans 9:9 ESV

For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.”

Abraham and Sarah were old. In 2024, they would be living in a nursing home and would tell you exactly how they were feeling today. They lived their entire lives without the ability to have children. Child-bearing age had come and gone a few times. God’s promise was that Sarah would give birth to a son next year. The supernatural invention of our Lord delivered that promise.

Sarah didn’t want to wait around for God, so she solved the problem herself. She gave her servant to Abraham for a wife that could bear a child and then deeply regretted it. Sarah’s actions didn’t change God’s promise, it only complicated matters.

The promise was more powerful than the parents.

Romans 9:10–13 ESV

And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

Isaac was the promised child. Surely, there would be no family drama. Except there was. Even though they had great parents, it seems that Jacob and Esau were living two different paths. The verses tell us that God made a decision about Jacob and about Esau before they had done good or bad. There was no track record to decide human worthiness. God’s decision was based on the outcome of his purpose.

Verse 13 says that God loved Jacob and hated Esau. If we will think about love outside of human confines, then we must think about hate in the same manner. This was not an emotional hatred, because resentment would steal from God’s holiness. Nor was this an emotional hatred, because we read in Genesis 33 that God blessed him with possessions. Charles Hodge described hated as “to love less, to regard and treat with less favor.” It was a decision that Esau was not who God’s sovereign purpose would be delivered.

God makes the same decisions about you and me. We are called children of God not because God got out the scales and measured our good against our bad, but in his mercy he saved us.

Titus 3:5 NASB95

He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

What Israel are we talking about?

I think Israel is about a geographical area, but less than we think it is. Joel 3:20 says, “But Judah shall be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem to all generations.” As the boundaries of Israel have shifted over the centuries, Jerusalem has always been included. Look to where the Bible reveals promises to the Jewish nation.

How does this apply to you and me?

The promise of salvation is given through the supernatural intervention of the Lord comes with a relentless love that we cannot escape as believers.