Romans 9:6-13

Bible Study: Romans 9:6-13

6 It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 8 In other words, it is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring. 9 For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”

10 Not only that, but Rebekah’s children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. 11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: 12 not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”13 Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

After starting out this chapter by expressing his angst over the Jews who have rejected Christ, he now moves on to begin answering the problems that would have been clear to Jews and Gentiles alike.  I might add that even today, many Jews have the same problem.  That is, many people wonder, if Christ was the messiah, then why did the Jewish people reject him?  And if he was the messiah, then God must not have kept his promise to the Israelites.  And finally, if God did not keep his promise to the Israelites, then how can we trust Him to keep his promise to Christians?  And so, Paul begins to answer these questions by first dealing with the issue of whether or not God kept his promise to the Israelites.

What Paul argues is that “not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.”  What does he mean by this?  Consider for a moment another statement that I could make about Christianity today.  Not all who are descended from Christianity are Christians.  Now, this is easy for us to accept because we live in an age where most people think very differently and realize that so many people reject the cultural norms of their upbringing.  But, put yourself in the first century.  Can you fathom how bold of a statement this was?  Paul was effectively saying, “Most of you are not really Jewish.”  No wonder they sought to kill him.  Of course, Paul is absolutely correct.  Being born into Judaism makes someone no more a true Israelite than being born into a Christian home today makes someone a Christian.  Sure, they may pick up the customs and may even go to church.  However, it is only those who are true believers that are true Israelites or true Christians.

Now the next section is important because it demonstrates how God has kept his promise to the Israelites. Paul says in verses 7 and 8, “7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 8 In other words, it is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.”  The promise that God made has not failed.  Instead, it continues through the remnant of Jewish believers, the “children of the promise.”

Now at this point, we have to be clear what we are talking about because it is the only way to understand the remainder of the chapter.  In the process of preparing to write this study, I listened to three different sermons on Romans 9, about six hours in total.  The most clear and consistent interpretation was by Dr. James White.  He actually has it available on his site in MP3 format.  I would recommend this sermon to understand more because I believe he makes a solid case for why Paul is referring to individuals throughout the passages we have studied.  Some, including the two other sermons I listened to, argue that Paul is referring to nations when he speaks of Israel, as well as Jacob and Esau in verses 10-13.  I don’t believe that is an accurate understanding of the passage.  Also, I read a sermon by Charles H. Spurgeon, linked to here.  The most accurate exegesis based on the verses quoted by Paul is that he is in fact referring to persons and not nations.  The relevance of this is important.  If it is not nations, but the individuals, then God actually chose Jacob with no regard to any actions on their part, good or otherwise.  God sovereignly chose.

And so Paul continues:

“9 For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”

10 Not only that, but Rebekah’s children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. 11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: 12 not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”13 Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

Though we may desire to escape it, what has become clear to me in studying Romans 9 is that the doctrine of election has a firm hold of the gospel, the entire Bible.  We can’t run from it.  We have to then decide what to do with it.  As has been pointed out in a number of sermons, every one that I listened to, the most unfathomable aspect of this passage is the statement, “Jacob I loved.”  Of course, that is not what people immediately draw to. Instead, they focus on the “but Esau I hated.”  While this may be our natural inclination, you must really meditate on this whole idea to understand the depths of it.  I can’t yet even say that I fully grasp it — never will, in fact.  Nonetheless, we must press on into its’ light.  Consider for a moment what this means.  If election be the truth, then we as humans cannot lay claim to anything of our doing for salvation.  As Spurgeon says in the sermon I linked to above, “Friends, if you want to be humbled, study election, for it will make you humble under the influence of God’s Spirit. He who is proud of his election is not elect; and he who is humbled under a sense of it may believe that he is. He has every reason to believe that he is, for it is one of the most blessed effects of election that it helps us to humble ourselves before God.” The reason for this humbling is because it comes as a sobering shock to our ego to know that we have been elected only by God’s sovereign decision, not by anything we can lay claim to.

Since we find ourselves now dealing with the doctrine of election, let us consider the meaning of the term and then we will deal with it more fully in the next study.

The Greek word for election is Ekloge (ek-log-ay’).  It is defined as:

1. the act of picking out, choosing
   1. of the act of God’s free will by which before the foundation of the world he decreed his blessings to certain persons
   2. the decree made from choice by which he determined to bless certain persons through Christ by grace alone
2. a thing or person chosen
   1. of persons: God’s elect

Other New Testament Verses Using this Word:

Conclusion:

We will continue to study the rest of Romans 9 at a later date.  In doing so, I can’t say that we will truly understand the full ramifications of the doctrine of election.  What we should know is that election is not something we can simply sweep aside and pretend it does not exist.  We must acknowledge that at some level, God has predestined certain people to salvation.  The realization is that no one can fully grasp this idea of election.  We may come to understand the basic tenants, but to say we fathom this aspect of God at a full level would be to claim to be God.  Still, we should not hide from a concept so clearly defined in our sacred scriptures.  We must press on and commit to the scriptures and not make them bend to our own traditions, or our own preferences.

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