Children of Promise

Reading from B'rit Chadashah:
Romans 9:1-13

Today's reading from the B'rit Chadashah is, at its core, about choice: G-d's choice. Paul begins this passage by expressing his passionate sorrow and longing for his people to recognize Y'shua as the promised Mashiach. His burden for his people is so deep that he states he would actually wish himself damned if it would mean the salvation of the Jewish people. In verses 4-5, Paul elaborates on the blessings given to G-d's chosen people:

4 who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the
covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises,
5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is
over all, God blessed forever. Amen.*

G-d chose Israel, the descendants of Abraham, as His special possession. But centuries later, Israel rejected Y'shua as Messiah. So are we to believe then, that G-d's plan failed? Based on verse 6, Paul's answer would be "no", as he explains that "they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel." What does this mean, exactly? In the remainder of the passage, Paul lays out an argument for G-d's sovereign choice. Abraham had many sons, but it was only Isaac through whom G-d chose to fulfill His covenant promise. Some might argue that this is because only Isaac was the son of Sarah. However, Paul goes on to point out that both Jacob and Esau were sons of the same parents, yet G-d chose Jacob over Esau while still in the womb, before either child had a chance to "earn" any merit or disfavor (Rom. 9:11).

So is Paul saying that all is predestined and there is no hope for Jew or Gentile? Absolutely not! In fact, the good news is that there is hope for everyone, Jew and Gentile alike, because of G-d's sovereign choice. G-d chose the descendants of Abraham and to them He gave the Law. But that was not the end of His promise. Because the Law could not be kept perfectly by His human creation, G-d made a way through Mashiach that all might be reconciled to Him. Does this mean that one people has replaced another in G-d's eyes? No, because if we remember back to Genesis 12:2-3, the L-rd promises not only to make Abram a great nation, but also that "in [him] all the families of the earth will be blessed." So instead of allowing this to polarize us, we can instead rejoice in G-d's sovereignty and His great love for His children.

My prayer today is that I would have the kind of burden for others that Paul did, that would cause me to weep over those who are far from G-d.

Next: Parshah Vayeitzei


*New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Ro 9:4–5). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.