Romans 9:7 – Isaac, God’s Choice
nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “in Isaac your seed shall be called.”
Truth to Learn
God chose Isaac as the promised seed of Abraham.
Behind the Words
The word “children” is translated from the Greek word teknon, which is the noun form of the verb tiktō, meaning “to give birth to offspring.” Hence, teknon refers to a child. This word does not imply gender as does the word huios (son).
“Seed” is from sperma, meaning “something sown, that is a seed.” Metaphorically, it refers to the offspring that is produced by the seed.
The word “called” is kaleō, which properly means “to call aloud to someone,” but it is also used in the sense of naming someone or something.
Meaning Explained
Paul now continues his explanation of why ancestry is no guarantee of righteousness. He just said that not all the people of Israel are spiritual descendants of their father Israel. He started with Israel because he is the one from whom the nation got its name. Now he will cover the other two of the three main patriarchs.
Since the calling and the promises for the nation started with the calling of Abraham, Paul now addresses this part of their lineage. Just because they are descendants of their father Abraham doesn’t mean that they are considered children of the promise. Remember that the first child of Abraham was Ishmael not Isaac. By the laws of primogeniture (oldest son inheriting the prime blessing and a double portion or all of the estate of the father), Ishmael should be the one through whom the lineage of Abram is recognized. However, God chose Isaac, the son of promise, to be the blessed one. Note also that Ishmael is the father of the Arabs. The Arabs to this day dislike the Jews partially because of this transferring of the blessing from Ishmael to Isaac.
Isaac is the son that God promised to Abraham and for whom Abraham had to wait 25 years. When Isaac was born, Ishmael was a teenager, and the jealousy of Ishmael and his mother Hagar (the personal maid servant of Abraham’s wife Sarah) caused them to be cast out from the clan. As Abraham wrestled with sending his first son away, God told him;
Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called. (Genesis 21:12)
It was not Abraham’s choice to place Isaac above Ishmael, it was God’s choice. Isaac was the promised son, not Ishmael. Isaac was God’s chosen one and Ishmael was not! As a result, the seed of Isaac (through Jacob) became God’s chosen people. It may not seem fair to us that God chose Isaac above Ishmael, but He did! God chose Isaac; Isaac did not choose God.
Application
We all have a hard time accepting the fact that God chooses some to be saved and not others. That’s why Paul is going through this thorough discourse on God’s choosing.
In God’s service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2010 Will Krause. All rights reserved.
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