Study Notes Romans 9:6-13

The Holy Bible, New King James Version
Romans 9:6 - Romans 9:13 (NKJV)
6But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel,
7nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.”
8That 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.
9For this is the word of promise: “At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son.”
10And 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),
12it was said to her, “The older shall serve the younger.”
13As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”

It was perfectly natural for Israel of Paul’s day to resent the Gospel. As it was being preached to the gentiles it was seen to nullify the promises of God which had been made to the fathers. But in the opening verse Paul declares that not all Israel is Israel.

Once, a master wood carver carved some kernels of wheat from a piece of wood that was the same color as real wheat kernels. His work was so expertly done that the carved pieces could not be identified from the real thing. The only way to tell them apart was to put both the real and the carved kernels into a bowl of water. The real wheat would eventually sprout and show life while the carved pieces remained dead pieces of wood. It’s the same with people who profess to be children of God but have not the life of God within. And even though sometimes it’s hard to distinguish between them the differences are there nonetheless. So, we see Paul preaching the Gospel that was turning the tables. Paul seemed to be saying that Israel was “dead wood” while the gentiles were living kernels. Paul's reasoning was that salvation didn’t come merely by physical descent - Abraham’s seed - but through God purpose. And, of course, the difference was put there by God.

Our focus today is in understanding the great theological dilemma facing Paul’s contemporaries. The original Christians were Jews. As early preachers began to obey the great commission they were preaching to Jews. Since the promises were made to Jews and since Jesus was a Jew it would seem to modern day readers that Israel would embrace Christ. But this wasn’t happening. As a matter of fact the largest number of emerging Christian churches was gentile. So, the promises were to Israel, but Jesus had been rejected and crucified and Jews were unresponsive to the Gospel message. Paul had to deal with Israel’s presumption that because they were Abrahams seed that was all that mattered. If Israel was relying on the fact that Ishmael was rejected and cast out, Paul brought them face to face with the fact that one of the sons of Isaac (Esau) was also rejected while Jacob was God’s choice. It was God’s choice in the matter and not the fleshly line of Isaac.

HCSB Mal. 1:2,3
2 “I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you ask: “How have You loved us?” “Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?” ⌊This is⌋ the LORD’s declaration. “Even so, I loved Jacob, 3 but I hated Esau. I turned his mountains into a wasteland, and ⌊gave⌋ his inheritance to the desert jackals.”

The Basis for Predestination

These verses are the classic passages in the New Testament on election and predestination. The emphasis in Romans 9 is on God’s purpose. Romans 9:11–12 tells us that the decision was made so that God’s purpose might stand, though it occurred before Jacob and Esau were born, before they had done anything good or evil. This statement totally opposes any “foreknowledge” view of predestination, the notion that God based his choice on his foresight of human decisions. The choice is all due to God’s good pleasure:
(NKJV) Eph. 1:5
"having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,"

Not only had Jacob and Esau not done anything good or evil in space and time when God made his choice, but by implication they had not “done good or evil” even in the mind of God. In other words, from God’s perspective no personal good or evil activity is taken into account. His choice was made without regard to the goodness or wickedness of the two boys.

Is this unfair? Obviously not. In the background of God’s choice, all human beings are so corrupt, even in their nature, that none ever does anything truly good (Rom. 3:12). If God made his choice by looking into the future, he would choose no one because no one is worthy to be chosen. “As it is written, ‘There is no one righteous, not even one’ ” (Rom. 3:10).
The foreknowledge view fails because it bases God’s election on good works. Semi-Pelagians argue that God elects those to be saved based on foreseen faith, but what is faith if it is not the greatest of human actions? The supreme good work is to place one’s trust in Jesus Christ. As Jesus himself said, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent” (John 6:29). In the semi-Pelagian or Arminian view, the final decision for our salvation ultimately rests upon a human choice, not upon a divine act.