Smoodock's Blog

It is the opinion of some scholars that Paul inserts a parenthesis between Romans 9 through Romans 11 and begins writing of other matters to support what he has already written. In chapter nine Paul shows that because God rejected Ishmael that the children of the flesh do not inherit the promises of God. The children of the promise inherit. Abraham wanted a son and devised a plan whereby he would have a son. He married Sarah’s slave, Hagar, and through her gave birth to Ishmael. Ishmael was Abraham’s child according to his will, according to the flesh.

Isaac, on the other hand was born unto Abraham when it was evident that Sarah’s body was far past bearing children. God promised Abraham a child born through Sarah. Paul, therefore, argues that it is not the children of the flesh (the Jews) who are the children of promise, but those who come through the promised Seed (Jesus) and that by faith.

Paul also shows that even through the promised son (Isaac), he who inherits is still by God’s choice and not through any desire or work on their part. Isaac fully intended to name Esau as his heir and Esau worked or served Isaac for that purpose, but, as Paul claimed, God shows that the inheritance does not come because one desires it (Ishmael) or because one works for it (Esau), but it comes from the mercy of God. That is, the promises are fully dependent upon God’s choice and not the will or the effort of the one who is the recipient of God’s grace.

Is this fair? Yes, it is, and it is not for us to put God on trial. He is our Judge, and it is not for us to criticize his way, as the manner of some is today. God expressed his mighty power to enforce his choice by delivering Israel from Pharaoh. Pharaoh was the leader of the most powerful nation at the time, and God says he raised him up for the purpose of expressing his almighty power through the Egyptian king. That is, he caused Pharaoh’s success. God made Pharaoh as powerful as he was, but the might of this world is of no consequence to God. He will do as he pleases, and that is the point of Paul’s claim in chapter nine of Romans. It makes no difference how powerful we are, or how much we desire or work for a matter, but it is God who shows mercy. It is God who delivers. It is God who makes the choice, and no one is able to set God’s desire at naught.

What about the Jews? In chapter ten Paul claimed the Jews zealous for God, and this is true. However, their zeal is to establish their own righteousness before God by their own service to him through the Law. Yet, how could righteous behavior ever be established through the law that declares one guilty. According to the prophets, God had stretched out his hands daily unto a disobedient people. One simply cannot establish righteous behavior by serving the Law which condemns one’s behavior. Though they sought God, they couldn’t find him. Though they served him, they couldn’t please him. Why? It is because they didn’t seek him or serve him through faith. Their relationship was not founded upon trust. How is a relationship established through faith? Paul claims it is done simply by responding to God’s call. It is not our reaching up to him through our religious traditions, but it is God reaching down to us, spanning the gap that no man could ever cross through his own desire (Ishmael), service (Esau) or power (Pharaoh).

What shall we say, then, that God has cast away his people, the Jews, in order to reach out to the Gentiles? No, but this is what many assume today. Paul asks in chapter eleven, how could a righteous God ever do such a thing? It simply is not logical. The prophets show that God has always preserved a righteous, believing, group of Jews, no matter what the prevailing disposition of the nation had been. Even up to our own day, we find believing Jews—those who have trusted that Jesus is the Messiah.

God says that he has blinded his people in order to have mercy upon the rest of the world. Therefore, their unbelief is his responsibility, and it is not for us to judge him or boast against those who don’t believe. In the end, God will be exalted in all his works, for the prophets speak of the Jews turning to God and all nations going up to Jerusalem to worship the King—that is, he who is responsible for it all—he who is in charge of or has authority over all the world. Could you trust him, if this were not true?

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