Romans 9:7

     7-9. Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children—"Not in the line of mere fleshly descent from Abraham does the election run; else Ishmael, Hagar's child, and even Keturah's children, would be included, which they were not."

      but—the true election are such of Abraham's seed as God unconditionally chooses, as exemplified in that promise.

      in Isaac shall thy seed be called— (Ge 21:12).

Romans 11:1

     1. I say then, Hath—"Did"

      God cast away his people? God forbid—Our Lord did indeed announce that "the kingdom of God should be taken from Israel" (Mt 21:41); and when asked by the Eleven, after His resurrection, if He would at that time "restore the kingdom to Israel," His reply is a virtual admission that Israel was in some sense already out of covenant (Ac 1:9). Yet here the apostle teaches that, in two respects, Israel was not "cast away"; First, Not totally; Second, Not finally. FIRST, Israel is not wholly cast away.

      for I also am an Israelite—See Php 3:5, and so a living witness to the contrary.

      of the seed of Abraham—of pure descent from the father of the faithful.

      of the tribe of Benjamin— (Php 3:5), that tribe which, on the revolt of the ten tribes, constituted, with Judah, the one faithful kingdom of God (1Ki 12:21), and after the captivity was, along with Judah, the kernel of the Jewish nation (Ezr 4:1; 10:9).

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