Romans 9:4,5 KJV “…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 forever. Amen.”
Romans 9:4-5 NASB “…Who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, (5) whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
Romans 9 begins a section in which Paul sets out to prove the righteousness of God relative to His dealings with the nation of Israel. Someone has well said that Paul goes from ecstasy at the end of chapter 8 to agony at the beginning of chapter 9. His burden and love for his people, according to the flesh, is real and palpable. He sounds like Moses in being willing to die for the nation if it were possible.
In the first few verses of chapter 9, he goes to great lengths to show his love and appreciation for his people and his heritage. He lists seven blessings that the nation enjoyed and that they received by divine election as a nation. For us, primarily Gentiles, there are three great contributions that Israel has made to us.
The Canon
First, there is the Canon of Scripture. Aside from Dr. Luke in the New Testament, the Scriptures have come down to us through the pen of Jewish writers. There is no measurable price that can be placed on the Word of God.
Despite the negative impression we have of the Scribes from the New Testament account of their activity, we are deeply indebted to the painstaking care they took in copying the Old Testament and ensuring the purity of the copies. (Think only of Ezra the scribe). These are the basis for our Old Testament with its revelation of God and its prophecies of a coming Messiah.
Can you imagine a world without a Bible? Can you imagine our lives and our eternity without a Bible? We owe a tremendous debt to the nation through whom God chose to communicate and to employ to preserve His truth.
The Commandments
The entire Western world, for centuries, has based its laws on the Judeo-Christian legacy. The commandments that issued from Sinai have been the basis for that ethos. Sadly, the ship of state has been loosed from the moorings of the commandments and may soon make shipwreck. But our heritage can be traced back to the commandments. They were never intended to give life and salvation, but they were and still are a revelation of the character of God.
I doubt that Moses realized the importance of the commandments he received that day from the hand of Jehovah. Though many of the principles and practices contained in the Law were on the consciences of men in Genesis, when the Law was codified, it was able to form the basis for moral living to control the sinful tendency of our hearts.
The Christ
The greatest blessing that came from the nation is the final one that Paul mentions in verse 5: “And of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, Who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.” Here then, is the ultimate glory that can be ascribed to the nation. Through Israel, the great Redeemer, Who is none less than “God over all,” has come. This is one of four doxologies punctuating the Roman letter (see 1:25; 11:33-36; 16:25-27).
Here, as well, is one of the clearest statements of the deity of our Lord Jesus. He is God over all, yet He came to the depths of shame and suffering to accomplish redemption for us. Here then, is the greatest blessing and, in turn, the greatest debt we owe to the nation.
Consider
Look at the four doxologies in Romans and see if you can find a basic underlying theme.