Romans 9:4 – New Old Truths
who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises;
Truth to Learn
We can learn a lot about our faith from the Old Testament.
Behind the Words
The word translated “adoption” is huiothesia, which is composed of huios, meaning “a son” and a form of tithēmi, meaning “to place.” Thus we see that it is a reference to the placing of a person as a child, or “adoption.”
“Covenants” is translated from diathēkēs, which refers to “the disposition which a person makes of his property in the prospect of death.” The English word “dispensation” expresses the idea fairly closely. It is a reference here to the dispensations or covenants that God made with the patriarchs and the Jews.
Meaning Explained
Paul now continues on from the previous verse. He said that he almost wished that he was accursed for the sake of his kinsmen, the Jews. He is making a comparison between the things he has been teaching about the church (chosen by God, adopted by God, given promises by God, etc.) and the Jewish people. In doing so he will demonstrate to his Jewish brethren that God’s dealings with the church are very much the same as His past dealings with the Jews (until the time they rejected the Messiah). In the current verse Paul begins to detail some of the special privileges that the Jews had. Let’s look at each of them.
“Who are Israelites” – They are the descendents of Jacob (renamed Israel by God when Jacob wrestled with God at Penuel – See Genesis 32:28.) Jacob means “trickster” and Israel means “a prince of God.”
“To whom pertain the adoption” – This is probably a reference to Deuteronomy 7:6 where God chose them (the Israelites) as a special people to Him above all people that are on the face of the earth. Is it fair that God chose the descendants of Jacob (Israel) and excluded all others? This is an example of God’s election (choosing) just like His election of Christians.
“The glory” – probably a reference to the glory of God which led the Israelites through the wilderness.
“The covenants” – The various compacts or promises which had been made from time to time with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and with the nation of Israel.
“The giving of the Law” – On Mount Sinai – see Exodus 20.
“The service of God” – A reference to the temple service which was a point of pride for Israel, indicating that only they worshiped at the true temple of the true God.
“And the promises” – Most notably the promise of the coming Messiah from the seed of David.
In showing to his brethren in the flesh that theirs was a special relationship with God, Paul will soon show them that this relationship does not guarantee righteousness. That only comes from believing the promise of the Messiah and accepting the Messiah when he comes, which they didn’t do.
Application
There is much for the church to learn from studying God’s dealings with the Old Testament saints. We serve the same God, and He deals with us much the same as He did with them. For us, as well as them, it is a relationship built on faith.
In God’s service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2010 Will Krause. All rights reserved.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
If this message or this link was forwarded to you by a friend and you wish to receive future verses directly to your inbox, send an e-mail to: