Not all Israel is Israel

But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; nor are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants, but: "Through Isaac your Descendants will be named." That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. -Romans 9:6-8

Chapters 9-11 of Romans are possibly the most difficult to deal with in the letter. I will not pretend to dispel all of the issues in this simple blog (even if I could). But there are some observations in light of our previous discussions that lend themselves to comment.

Paul has just finished a discussion on the new heavens and the new earth. In Jewish terms, Paul is talking about the new age or the "age to come." From the Jewish point of view this discussion is problematic because if Jesus the Messiah has come and Israel has not been included then what does this mean for the Old covenant? Paul must pause his discussion at the end of chapter 8 and pick it up again in chapter 12. He pauses to answer these (anticipated) concerns of the Jewish audience of the Gospel.

It is important to say here that in the eyes of the Jewish audience the Messiah would usher in the new age. This would mean a bringing of justice to the earth, a response to the nations, and a judgement on those found lacking. Basically, the stuff Paul talked about in chapter 8. The problem is that these promises were made to the Jews (Israel). So Paul lays out two points about the "age to come."

The first is that the Jews saw the "age to come" as the coming of Messiah. Basically, time is split in half. There is the present age, then the Messiah comes, and then the new age begins. Paul presents another point on the time line, that of the cross. For Paul, this is the mystery of God. It was not revealed for the sake of the nations. The period between the cross and the new age is where we are now (and where Paul and his audience were then). This means the promise has been fulfilled partially but not completely. There will be a second coming of the Messiah.

The second point answers the concern of the Jewish audience's inclusion in this age. They would have felt duped by the "change of plans." This is where Paul addresses "Israel." Paul's point is that there was always a remnant (a few that were faithful, ie. Daniel, Joshua, Caleb, Josiah, Mordecai, Jeremiah, see esp. 1 Kings 19:9-18) within Israel. This did not have to do with blood relation but with faith in the covenant with God. Paul gives hope that the remnant has remained faithful by pointing to himself as an example, "I too am an Israelite." (Rom. 11:1)

God's word has not failed!

Israel was always a nation built on promise.

Israel was never a matter of geography, and God's intentions were always to go "to the ends of the earth." (Isaiah 45:22; 48:20; 52:10; Acts 1:8)

In short, the age to come has yet to come!