Study 16 From The Book of Romans Is: Romans
9:1-13
In chapters 9-11 Paul deals with the great
problem of the rejection of their Messiah by the bulk of the Jewish nation, and
God’s consequent rejection of them. Two questions arise: (a) ‘Has God broken
His promises? And (b) if not, how are they to be fulfilled?’ Paul answers the
first question in chapters 9 and 10, and the second in chapter 11.
1. Chapter 8 is full of triumphant
joy. How, then, can Paul speak of having great sorrow and unceasing pain in his
heart? See especially 9:3. What made him sorrowful? How much of this Christian Joy and how much
of this Christian sorrow do we ourselves know?
2. Verses 9-13. The question with
which Paul is here dealing is: ‘If God reject those Jews who reject Jesus as
Messiah, has not His word come to nought? For were not the promises (verse 4)
made to the Jews? How does Paul answer
this question? And what two principles of God’s election does he find in the
Old Testament stories of the births of (a) Isaac and (b) Jacob and Esau?
