Romans 9:6-8 reads as follows:
6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: 7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
With world events, I keep hearing about a certain group of people being “God’s People.” However, scripture tells us that not all of Abraham’s natural descendants are “Israel”. Matthew’s Commentary Henry uses this description:
They are not all really Israel that are so in name and profession. It does not follow that, because they are the seed of Abraham, therefore they must needs be the children of God, though they themselves fancied so, boasted much of, and built much upon, their relation to Abraham, Mt. 3:9; Jn. 8:38, 39. But it does not follow. Grace does not run in the blood; nor are saving benefits inseparably annexed to external church privileges, though it is common for people thus to stretch the meaning of God’s promise, to bolster themselves up in a vain hope.
Since Abraham had two sons, but one was clearly rejected (Gen 17:2, Gen 22:12), we know for certain that God didn’t intend all of Abraham’s offspring to inherit the promise. Matthew Henry again:
That the children of the flesh, as such, by virtue of their relation to Abraham according to the flesh, are not therefore the children of God, for then Ishmael had put in a good claim.
Jesus Christ, the descendant of David, the descendant of Abraham, is the fulfillment of God’s promise. The “olive tree” (God’s people) has natural branches (fleshly descendants of Abraham) and new branches (gentiles) grafted in.
My encouragement is that all Christians are God’s people, and the beneficiaries of promises to Abraham. We can and should pray for all people of the world, especially Abraham’s natural seed, to confess our Lord Jesus Christ. But we must not consider the natural seed “more” and Christians “less” because God’s promises are through Jesus.
