The Bible Archive

The question “what about the Jew” is frighteningly important in it’s
historic context. Paul immediately impresses upon the reader how
important his kinsmen according to the flesh are since it directly
impacts God’s good word.

Paul’s not referring to only blood relatives although he makes the
blood relation with his countrymen that important. These are the
Israelites who were formed as a nation by the very word of God. This
group finds its origins in Abram, who was called out from the Gentiles,
crossed over the river into Canaan and traveled up and down throughout
the land. God gave irrefutable promises to Abraham and eventually to
his sons…setting them apart children of promise.

The Glory
To them was given the glory…not a position of pride, but that radiant
glory that shone in the wilderness—by night a column of fire and by day
a column of smoke. In that day, says God to Solomon, when God Himself
walked with the children of Israel throughout the wilderness: the glory!

The Covenants
To them was given the pacts and covenants. Abraham was the recipient of
those promises regarding a seed numbering the stars, a land, and
blessing for the nations. These promises were similarly repeated to
Jacob in his waning years as he traveled to see his living son Joseph
in Egypt. God made a covenant with David when the young man sought to
build a house to God and God refused him pointing out how he would have
David’s son build an eternal house and sit on an eternal throne. God
made a covenant that he would one day take the stiff heart of these
stubborn people and make them anew where the then broken Law would be
kept pure and holy and out of love—the way it was meant to be kept.

The Law
To them was given the very Law of God. The Israelites shuddering before
the creaking Sinai as this little planet shook with the weight of her
Creator coming down upon that mountain. There, God spoke and made
blessings or curses in the Land hinge upon their keeping of the Law.
But it’s not as if the Law was a bad thing—not at all. For it was by
the Law that these Israelites were told how to approach God and how to
come to Him on His own terms. By obeying God and keeping His word, the
promises He gave would be a blessing indeed.

The Fathers
This people who were formed from the fathers: Abraham then Isaac
then Jacob (Israel) then the twelve (or thirteen if you’re counting the
adoption of Joseph’s sons). It was by God’s very word that this nation
was formed and continued to exist and by whom the Christ would
eventually come. Not of some unknown Gentile nation but, as promised,
through the people He formed and specified of His own sovereign will.
The Christ would come of the tribe of Judah, from whom the scepter
would not depart, as the promised Son of David according to the flesh
and therein be over all.

It is no wonder that Paul can say “What advantage has the Jew, then? Much in every way!”

So in context of all this, what makes a true Israelite? Is it simply
someone born in Israel? After all, this special people were called to
be more than simply nationals—they were called to be a “royal kingdom;
a nation of priests”. And here this nation is, open unbelievers in
God’s promised Messiah as a whole (note that I am not referring to some
individuals here or there, I am referring to the nation of Israel,
Paul’s countrymen). Are they Israelites?

We referenced this already: it is God’s word. God called Abram from
among the Gentiles to become a Hebrew. God promised Abraham a son by
whom Abraham’s seed would be propagated.

But…Abraham had two sons: one, older and conceived in a moment of
ingenuity and the other born of a barren woman. One a smart way out of
a conundrum that God found Himself in (perish the thought) and the
other as planned exactly by God. One based on the wisdom of Sarah the
other such an absurd impossibility that Sarah laughed. One named God
Hears (Ishmael) and the other named He Laughs (Isaac: I wonder who had
the last laugh).

For God’s word to stand it must remain His word without perversion.
So when we get to “Son of Abraham” we must look at whom God is
specifying as the son He promised Abraham. This is moreso interesting
that when God tells Abraham to sacrifice Isaac He tells him to
sacrifice his only son ({{Gen 22}}). God didn’t forget Ishmael, not by
a longshot. In fact, He tells Abraham that He will greatly bless
Ishmael and make a great nation of Him ({{Gen 17}}) but His word will
stand in Isaac and not Ishmael.

Ishmael, though greatly blessed, was a plan made in the flesh.
Isaac, coming straight from God’s promise, is by whom the descendents
of Abraham would come. For God’s word was “Sarah shall have a son” and
not “Sarah by means of her handmaiden will have a son”.

God is completely sovereign in deciding how His promises would come
to be, it’s His words after all. So if He says Sarah will have a Son he
means Sarah and not any other. The promise of a people would be
established on His word and His faithfulness.

Before we go any further note what the text is not saying. It is not
saying that God and Sarah chose the means of God’s promise. It is not
saying that the promise meant that their son Isaac would be saved—or
even a good person. It is not saying that Ishmael was damned to hell.
The point here is God’s word standing.

Now, if His word is this important that question of “what about the Jew” becomes even more pressing…

-r-
Romans Series

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