ISB ~ Romans 9 v7 - 13

Paul shows that a pattern of divine selection and L exclusion was already at work before the founding of Israel as a nation.

• From Gen 21:12 and 18:10 he shows that God made a distinction between the biological sons of Abraham, choosing Isaac over Ishmael to be the channel of his covenant blessings (9:7, 9). Then from Gen 25:23 and Mal 1:2-3 he shows that God made a distinction between the biological sons of Isaac, choosing Jacob over Esau to be a channel of covenant blessings (Rom 9:12-13). The point is that natural and biological descent from the patriarchs is not a guarantee of divine blessing, because everything depends on the grace of God’s call (9:11; Lk 3:8; Jn 8:33-39).