Romans 9:1-5 - What About the Jews?

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Paul had been painting a glorious picture of God's faithfulness to His children, the believers. But what about the Jews? Had God's promises failed?

Romans 9:1-5 (KJV)
¹ I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
² That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
³ For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
⁴ 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;
⁵ Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

In verses 1-3 Paul emotionally turned his attention to his Jewish kinsmen. He truthfully expressed that he had great heaviness and continual sorrow in his heart. While many Gentiles were coming to a saving knowledge of Yeshua, many of Paul's fellow Jews were rejecting their Messiah. He even wished that he could be under God's curse if it meant that he could help his brethren.

After all, to the Jews belonged the adoption (Exodus 4:22), the glory (God's actual presence), the covenants (including the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31-37), the giving of the Torah, the service of God (in the Temple), and the promises (redemption and reconciliation) (verse 4). The patriarchs were theirs and Yeshua, the Messiah was also a physical descendant (verse 5). Paul ended by blessing God for all that He had given His people. Yet, had all the promises, given to the Jews in the Old Testament, been rescinded? Stay tuned for Paul's answer!

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