1. Lesson 13 The VINDICATION of the Righteousness of God: Israel’s Past (Romans 9:1-29)
ITC Zapf Chancery 80

3. VINDICATION
1.  The defense of any thing, or a justification against denial or censure, or against objections or accusations;
2. The act of supporting by proof or legal process; the proving of any thing to be just.

4. THE STRUCTURE OF ROMANS
(A) Israel’s Past: The Election of God (9:1-29)
Three Divisions:
(B) Israel’s Present: The Rejection of God (9:30 to 10:21)
(Here referring to the people, not the land)
(C) Israel’s Future: The Restoration by God (11:1-36)

5. THE STRUCTURE OF ROMANS
(A) Israel’s Past: The Election of God (9:1-29)
1) Paul’s Sorrow (9:1-5)
Two Divisions:
2) God’s Sovereignty (9:6-29)

6. Romans 9:1-4a
1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
4 Who are Israelites …

7. Romans 9:1-4a
1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
4 Who are Israelites …
Paul uses a triple oath to show the sincerity and depth of his concern for his kinsmen.

8. Romans 9:1-4a
1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
4 Who are Israelites …
The Israelites are the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Israel (“God Prevails”) is the name given to Jacob by God’s angel:

9. Romans 9:1-4a
1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
4 Who are Israelites …
Genesis 32:28
And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

10. Romans 9:1-4a
1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
4 Who are Israelites …
Paul now lists eight high and holy privileges granted the Israelites:

11. Romans 9:4b-5
4 …to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

12. Romans 9:4b-5
4 …to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
Psalm 33:12
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.

13. Romans 9:4b-5
4 …to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
Exodus 24:17
17 And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.

14. Romans 9:4b-5
4 …to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
The Abrahamic covenant An everlasting nation
The Palestinian covenant An everlasting land
The Davidic covenant An everlasting king
The New Covenant An everlasting redemption

15. Romans 9:4b-5
4 …to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
Psalm 147:19-20
19 He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel.
20 He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD.

16. Romans 9:4b-5
4 …to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
Ezra 6:18
18 And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the book of Moses.

17. Romans 9:4b-5
4 …to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
Galatians 3:16a
16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made…

18. Romans 9:4b-5
4 …to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
Hebrews 1:1
1 God… at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

19. Romans 9:4b-5
4 …to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
Acts 13:23
23 [Speaking of King David] Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:

20. Romans 9:4b-5
4 …to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
But with these great privileges came responsibility – and consequence for disobedience.
Moses spoke of all three in his farewell speech to the Israelites before releasing them to follow Joshua into the Promised Land:

21. Deuteronomy 4:25-28
25 When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger:
26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.
27 And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you.
28 And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.

22. Deuteronomy 4:32-35
32 For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it?
33 Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?
34 Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?
35 Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him.

23. Deuteronomy 4:39-40
39 Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.
40 Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, for ever.

24. But the children of Israel were not faithful, and all but a remnant were removed from the land.
Does this mean God’s covenant promises were just empty words, without effect?
No, says Paul. God’s plan for Israel was not in vain.
But to understand God’s ways, one must first grant God all the rights of his sovereignty.

25. Romans 9:6
6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:

26. Romans 9:6
6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
Hath taken none effect: to fall to the ground, to be without effect
1 Samuel 3:19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.

27. Romans 9:6
6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
The meaning of this will become clearer as we continue.
To begin, Paul looks at the role of divine selection in the genesis of the tribes of Israel:

28. Romans 9:7-9
7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.

29. Romans 9:7-9
7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.
Abraham fathered two sons:
Ishmael by Hagar, Sarah’s maid,
and Isaac, by Sarah herself.

30. Romans 9:7-9
7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.
Abraham fathered two sons:
Ishmael by Hagar, Sarah’s maid,
and Isaac, by Sarah herself.
A choice was made between these two boys that forever distinguished the children of the flesh from the children of the promise…
…the children of the promise being the children of GOD.

31. Romans 9:7-9
7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.
The son promised by God was the one who became Abraham’s seed.

32. Romans 9:7-9
7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.
The son promised by God was the one who became Abraham’s seed.
Genesis 18:13a, 14b
13 And the LORD said unto Abraham …
14 …At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

33. Romans 9:7-9
7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.
The fact that Isaac and not Ishmael was chosen by God to be Abraham’s heir is recorded in Genesis 21:

34. Genesis 21:10-12
10 Wherefore she [Sarah] said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son [Hagar and Ishmael]: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.
11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.
12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman;
in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice;
for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
Romans 9:7-9
7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.

35. Romans 9:7-9
7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.
Paul now moves forward to the story of Isaac and his two sons:

36. Romans 9:10-13
10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

37. Romans 9:10-13
10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
Reading this passage without the parenthetical insertion makes the meaning easier to follow.

38. Romans 9:10-13
10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

39. Romans 9:10-13
10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
The parenthesis emphasizes the fact that God’s selection was made before Rebecca’s children were even born.
This story is told in Genesis 25:

40. Genesis 25:21-23
21 And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
22 And the children struggled together within her;
and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.
23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels;
and the one people shall be stronger than the other people;
and the elder shall serve the younger.

41. Romans 9:10-13
10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
God’s choices are made before birth to prove that no individual has any influence on his calling.
(One could argue that God knows the future as well as he knows the past, but that argument misses the point entirely.)
God’s appointments are according to election, not merit.

42. ELECTION
The act of choosing; choice; the act of selecting one or more from others. Hence appropriately,
The act of choosing a person to fill an office by any manifestation of preference, as by ballot, uplifted hands or viva voce; as the election of a king, of a president, or a mayor.
In theology, divine choice; predetermination of God, by which persons are distinguished as objects of mercy, become subjects of grace, are sanctified and prepared for heaven.

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

44. Romans 9:10-13
10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
No one enters God’s good graces by birthright. Isaac was not Abraham’s eldest son. Jacob was not Isaac’s eldest son. Joseph was not the eldest of Jacob’s sons. David was not the eldest of Jesse’s sons. Solomon was not the eldest of David’s sons.
It was by reason of election, not merit, that God preferred Jacob over Esau.

45. Romans 9:10-13
10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
Malachi 1:2-3
2 I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us?
Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob,
3 And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.

46. Romans 9:10-13
10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
Why did God favor Jacob over Esau? No one really knows. But God is sovereign and can do as he likes.

47. Romans 9:10-13
10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
There are two sides to the election coin, and to bless one is to curse the other, also without consideration of merit.
Is this fair?
Paul answers this question in the remaining verses of Chapter 9.