God’s Gracious Election of Israel

Now it is not as though the word of God has failed,(A) because not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.(B) Neither is it the case that all of Abraham’s children are his descendants.[a](C) On the contrary, your offspring will be traced[b] through Isaac.[c](D) That is, it is not the children by physical descent[d] who are God’s children,(E) but the children of the promise(F) are considered to be the offspring. For this is the statement of the promise: At this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.[e](G) 10 And not only that,(H) but Rebekah conceived children(I) through one man, our father Isaac. 11 For though her sons had not been born yet or done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to election might stand(J) 12 not from works but from the one who calls—she was told, The older will serve the younger.[f](K) 13 As it is written: I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau.[g](L)

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Footnotes

  1. 9:7 Lit seed
  2. 9:7 Lit called
  3. 9:7 Gn 21:12
  4. 9:8 Lit children of the flesh
  5. 9:9 Gn 18:10,14
  6. 9:12 Gn 25:23
  7. 9:13 Mal 1:2–3

It is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all those descended from Israel are Israelites,(A) and not all of Abraham’s children are his descendants, but “it is through Isaac that descendants shall be named for you.”(B) This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants. For the word of the promise is this: “About this time I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.”(C) 10 Nor is that all; something similar happened to Rebecca when she had conceived children by one husband, our ancestor Isaac:(D) 11 even before they had been born or had done anything good or bad (so that God’s purpose of election might continue, 12 not by works but by his call) she was told, “The elder shall serve the younger.”(E) 13 As it is written,

“I have loved Jacob,
    but I have hated Esau.”(F)

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