“Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.” (Romans 9:4–5, KJV 1900)
All of us owe a lot to those who preceded us. They have made us what we are. Take my parents for example. They were not perfect, but they provided the best they could for me growing up. My dad taught me many things about life. My mother nurtured and cared for me. Both sacrificed emotionally and materially for me. The point is that they played a major part in my life. The past movements and actions of those who came before play a significant role in making us who we are today.
Paul, having explained his deep burden for the Jews goes on to explain their unique contribution to the church. God chose them and worked through them to make the church what it is today. Consider the history of this nation. God chose a man named Abram, his name later changed to Abraham. He was not a Jew, but one to whom God gave a covenant promise that through his seed, all the nations of the earth would be blessed (Gen 18:18; 22:18; 26:4). Through him came Isaac and through Isaac, Jacob. Through Jacob came the nation of Israel and through the nation, the Messiah Jesus.
Paul indicates that through Israel came the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the Law, the service of worship, the promises, and the fulfillment of the covenant in the seed of Abraham, Jesus Christ (Gal 3:16). Yes, Israel had a history of ups and downs, yet through it all God faithfully worked through this nation to bring the Messiah to the world and through Him the blessing of salvation to all the nations.
Paul was grateful to be part of this heritage and we should be too. For we are all sons of Abraham and heirs through faith in Jesus Christ (Gal 3:7, 29). Pray for the Jews that they too may be enlightened with the truth that Jesus is the promised Messiah. Pray for the work of evangelization not just of the gentile world, but also the Jew. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16, KJV 1900)
Renewing the Heart 