Introduction

The teaching of the plan of salvation and its benefits end at chapter 8. In chapters 9 to 11 Paul teaches about the rejection of the Jews and the calling of the Gentiles. In verses 1-5 Paul assures the Jews of his love and respect for them before he tells them that God would reject them for a period. Verses 6-24 teach God's sovereignty in the distribution of His favors. Verses 25-29 teach that the rejection of the Jews was foretold by the prophets. Verses 30-33 teach that the Jews were rejected because of their unbelief.

Chapter 10 shows why it was necessary to reject the Jews. Chapter 11 teaches that the rejection of the Jews was not total nor final.

v.1 Paul speaks these words realising that he was in union with Christ (“in Christ”) and led by the Spirit. He affirms both positively and negatively (“I say the truth…I lie not”) for added emphasis because he was going to say something that was extremely difficult for the Jews to accept.

v.2 Paul assures them that he loved them, and that he was not fabricating this doctrine of their rejection because he was bitter against them. We must learn from Paul how to tell the truth without unnecessarily offending the hearer.

v.3  "Accursed" (ie, anathema – which literally means "consecrated" or “set apart”) means “set apart for destruction” from God. Paul loved his own race so much that he would suffer for them. Love for our own race is a natural and godly emotion.

v.4 As Paul is speaking of natural or external Israel therefore he is speaking of an external adoption (which is different from the adoption of individual believers that is taught in chapter 8). The whole Old Testament economy was a type and shadow of the blessings of the New Testament, therefore this adoption of Israel as a nation is a type of the adoption of believers.

The Jews received the glory (ie, the glory of the “Pillar of Cloud and Fire), the covenants (ie, the many promises that God made with them), the service of God (ie, the privilege to serve God in His Temple), and the promises (especially of the coming Messiah).

v.5 The Jews were blessed because they had illustrious ancestors, like Abraham (ie, whose are the fathers) and through their race would come Jesus (ie,  of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came)

v.6 The Jews were under the impression that, since they were all Abraham’s descendants, all of them would be saved (according to God’s promise to Abraham). Therefore, Paul reminds them “that not all Israel are of Israel,” ie, that not everyone that is an Israelite by natural birth is a “child of promise.”

v.7 Paul illustrates this with a well known example. Though Abraham had two sons (Ishmael and Isaac), Ishmael and his children were not the spiritual seed of Abraham (GAL 3:7).

v.8 Ishmael was born according to an ordinary course of nature, but Isaac was a child of promise because he was born miraculously according to the promise of God (GAL 4:22-31). Isaac was also a child of promise because he was to receive the promises of God (ie, that through his seed the Messiah would come, and through the Messiah untold promises).

v.9 This verse summarises what is stated in GEN 18:10,14, and explains the phrase "child of promise,” ie,  that Isaac would be born as a consequence of God's promise.

v.10 Though the case of Ishmael and Isaac proved that being a child of Abraham was no guarantee of blessings, the doctrine of election may be disputed if the case of Isaac and Ishmael were used - because it could be argued that Isaac was chosen because he was the legitimate child, whilst Ishmael was rejected because he was an illegitimate child. However, the case of Esau and Jacob is indisputable proof of the doctrine of election.

v.11 This verse teaches us that man’s works are not the reason for being chosen by God.

v.12 Esau (the elder son) “served” Jacob in a religious sense because Jacob obtained the birthright, which Esau despised (GEN 25:33,34). (In the days of Esau, the one who had the birthright represented the family in religious matters, ie, he became the “head of religious affairs” in the family).

v.l3 Quote from MAL 1:2,3. “Hated” means to love less (see MAT 6:24, LUK 14:26, JOH 12:25), ie, to hate in a comparative sense.

v.14 The very thought of God being unrighteous is blasphemous!

v.l5 Paul supports his argument first with scripture - which is always the best way to support an argument. In this verse (from EXO 33:19) God formally declares His divine right to bless one instead of another. Even we have the right to choose which charity to support – and the other charities cannot condemn us as being unjust for not supporting them!

v.l6 God's favor is independent of man's work. In other words, God has the right to give His mercy to whomsoever He pleases.