#DailyDevotion The True Israel Is The One Whose God Is Jesus Christ
Romans 96It doesn’t mean God failed to do what He said. 7Not all who are descended from Israel are the real Israel, 8and not all who are descended from Abraham are for that reason his real children. No, “Isaac’s children will be called your descendants.” This means children born in a natural way are not God’s children. Only the children he had because God promised them are counted his descendants. 9God promised: “I will come back at the right time, and Sarah will have a son.” 10The same thing happened to Rebekah. She was going to bear children for our ancestor Isaac. 11They had not been born yet nor done anything good or bad. Even then — in order that God may carry out His purpose according to His choice, which doesn’t depend on anything we do but on Him Who calls us — 12she was told: “The older will serve the younger.” 13And so the Bible says: “I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau.”
Some pretty harsh words here from St. Paul. God did not fail to save all of Israel. No, for Israel is not just a matter of dna. Israel is a matter of faith. Certainly, throughout time many from every tribe of Israel trusted in the LORD their God. Yet also as St. Paul says, “Not all who are descended from Israel are the real Israel, and not all who are descended from Abraham are for that reason his real children.” I’m sure it must break Abraham’s heart that many of his descendents did not follow in the faith he was given by the LORD Jesus Christ. But as the LORD Jesus said, “God can call up children of Abraham from these stones.”
Paul reasons that Abraham’s true children are children according to the promise as “Isaac’s children will be called your descendants.” Children born in a natural way are not Abraham’s children nor as Paul equates them, God’s children. Jesus tells in John 3, “You must be born of the water and the Spirit. You must be born from above.” Only those who have the faith of Abraham are counted as his sons, as his children. It depends on God’s choice.
Paul demonstrates this with Esau and Jacob. The LORD Jesus had chosen Jacob, even though he was the younger of the two to carry on the covenant the LORD Jesus had made with Abraham. Before Jacob or Esau did anything good or bad, the LORD made his choice for Jacob. Now it appears Jacob and his mom didn’t fully trust in the LORD’s choice and tried to manipulate the blessing. Jacob would learn his lesson and learn to trust in the LORD’s promise.
Now in Christ Jesus the LORD God, the Father, has chosen you. He has given you the promise of the New Heavens and the New Earth in Jesus Christ. He has given you birth from above through the water the Spirit/Word. Having received the promise of forgiveness of sins, life and light you have been made Abraham’s descendents, God’s children. You have been grafted into Israel in Christ Jesus. You and all who put their faith and trust in the LORD Jesus Christ are all Israel whom the LORD our God has saved.
Heavenly Father, you promised Abraham descendents as numerous as the stars in the sky and fulfilled that according to the flesh when the Israelites left Egypt. You have also fulfilled this by given him spiritual descendents who have the same faith as him. Continually keep us in this faith as his children and your children in your eternal kingdom. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.