"I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: Who are Israelites; 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; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 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. For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son. And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; (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;) It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated."
In today's lesson Paul begins to explain how the descendents of Abraham, (the Jews) were chosen by God to be the vessel by which He would send a savior to all the worlds people. However, with the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, the power of the Jewish "chosen" status was ended and was handed over to the Church.
Paul said, "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. Therefore, the Jews were not, in effect, the "children of God", but rather, they were only to be the "seed" by which the ultimate Church would come. It was God's intent, from the beginning, that the "chosen" status of the Jews would become secondary to the ultimate "chosen" status of His Church once it was established and ordained by Jesus Christ.
Just as Cain lost the importance of his "firstborn" status to Abel and Esau lost his birthright to his younger brother Jacob etc, the Jews (the first) took second seat to the Church (the last). This is the meaning of; "first shall be last; and the last shall be first."
This ninth chapter of Romans demonstrates that what we see as fairness and justice does not always align with what God sees as fairness and justice. It will be made clear in these lessons that God predestined certain people to simply fill roles in order that His ultimate goal would be accomplished. That goal being to provide a savior for all the people of the world.~
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