Which Israel?

I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit—I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen. Romans 9:1-5

Paul now shares his burden. He is now Church, with all the privileges and promises and assurances that entails; but his people, the nation Israel, are lost. To see them saved, Paul says he’d trade positions with them, if he could. It seems a crying shame that those to whom were given the original plan of sonship, divine glory, the covenants of heritage, the law, the temple worship which depicted the Christ in His atonement, and all the promises for peace and security…are those who have so roundly rejected their human Messiah (God Himself), who of necessity was descended through them. There is a deep irony in the rejection of the Jews. Nothing, however, is without purpose in God’s plan.

It is worth noting that the Jews, Jesus’ own people, were the first to whom He presented the gospel and the first to reject His gospel in favor of their legalistic religion. Likewise, after the conversion of the Pharisee Saul, himself a fervent persecutor of the Christians, the Jews relentlessly persecuted him. They were the source of Jesus’ and Paul’s deepest hurts, throughout both their ministries, even up to each one's execution. Jesus Himself chose Saul for this heart-breaking mission to turn from the Jews, who rejected Him, and take the gospel to the Gentiles. The lesson we learn from this is that salvation is not based on nationality, nor a system of religion. Salvation is based on faith. God had established the pattern of truth throughout the history of Israel. Being descended from Abraham did not make them (spiritual) Israel. Only faith in Abraham’s God could do that.

It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 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.” In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring. For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”
Not only that, but Rebekah’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac. Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” Romans 9:6-13

God’s Word never fails. We are never off course with Bible Doctrine. Physical birth does not make one true Israel. There is a nation of Israel: Abraham’s natural descendants, and there is spiritual Israel: those who by faith have believed in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It is to spiritual Israel that all the covenant promises were made, and to whom those promises will be fulfilled. Through all those generations, very few of the Jews perceived the pattern.

Operative phrase, verse 11: “that God’s purpose in election might stand: not by (human) works but by Him Who calls.”

“God’s purpose” His perfect plan of grace.
“election” those called and adopted into God’s family.
“might stand” be established as the spiritual pattern.
“not by works” can’t be earned, can’t be deserved.
“Him Who calls.” The planner and perfecter of our redemption.

As we’ve seen in Romans 8:29-30, God’s foreknowledge of each human determines His expectation of that human. In our humanity, we have volition. Free will. God always knew how we would choose and how we would respond to Him in our lives. Like it or not, God has His perfect standards. Yes, God is love, but there are evils and rebellious attitudes God hates (Proverbs 16:16-19). If there were no standards and expectations He would not be God.

You wish to question God? You have a problem with His plan? You dare to judge His Sovereign Authority? By what measure? Human emotion?

What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses,

“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. Romans 9:14-18

Evil Pharaoh served his purpose in the grand scheme of things, but not without God’s sovereign appointment. Romans 8:28: that’s ALL THINGS. The key to understanding the plan of God is figuring out Who’s in charge here.