Paul's Great Sorrow for the Nation of Israel
Thinking about Romans 9:1-5.
I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen. (Romans 9:1-5)
As Paul begins to deal with the question of whether or not God had been faithful to the promises He made to Israel, he first reveals how he felt about his fellow Jewish countrymen.
Paul’s genuine sorrow for his fellow Israelites.
Paul emphasized his feelings for his fellow Israelites by making three strong affirmations.
“I tell the truth in Christ.”
“I am not lying.”
“My conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit.”
Apparently, some of Paul’s fellow Jewish countrymen claimed he was a “renegade Jew” who hated his Jewish heritage. Paul denied those accusations. He loved his fellow countrymen deeply, and it pained him to see most of them reject Jesus the Messiah.
He lives with the pain of watching his people, in bulk, wander outside of their Messiah when they could so easily be enjoying what God had promised them. - McGuiggan, Romans, 275
Paul even expressed the desire that - if it were possible - he could wish himself cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of his fellow Israelites according to the flesh.
There is in him the heart of a Moses who felt so strongly about the Israelites that he wished to be cut off (Exodus 32:30-32). There is in him the heart of the Christ who radically longed for the salvation of his people to the point of laying down his life for them. - McGuiggan, Romans, 275
Even though some of his fellow Jewish countrymen had opposed him at every step of his work in Christ, Paul harbored no bitterness or hatred toward them. He earnestly desired their salvation in Christ and was genuinely grieved by their rejection of the Messiah.
The blessings and benefits of Israel.
It was especially heartbreaking to Paul to observe the Jews’ rejection of Jesus Christ when God had extended so many blessings and benefits to them.
The adoption.
God chose Israel as His own people (Exodus 4:22-23; Amos 3:2; Deuteronomy 7:6; 14:1-2; Jeremiah 31:9). God had cared for them like a father cares for his own children.
The glory.
Israel received special status among the nations because God chose them from all the nations on earth. Also, they had witnessed God’s own glory among themselves - such as during the exodus from Egypt (Exodus 15:6, 11), while they wandered in the wilderness (Exodus 16:10; 40:34), and when Solomon’s temple was finished (1 Kings 8:11).
The covenants.
God had made many covenants throughout Israel’s history with Abraham, Moses, David, Josiah, Nehemiah, and others.
The giving of the law.
What a moment it was in Israel’s history when God descended upon Mt. Sinai to give them the law (Exodus 19)! God giving Israel the law was one of the greatest blessings they received (Romans 3:2).
The service of God.
The priests and Levites served God in the Tabernacle and the temple. They worshipped God according to the Law of Moses and offered countless sacrifices to Him.
The promises.
God had made promises to great men in Israel’s history - like Isaac (Genesis 26:3-5) and Jacob (Genesis 28:13-15). God had also made promises to bless the nation and to send the Messiah through them.
They were given the fathers.
The Jews were the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Paul placed a particular emphasis on Abraham in Romans 4.
Christ came through Israel.
The Messiah Himself was a physical descendant of Abraham and David (Romans 1:3). Paul emphasized that Jesus is over all the nations (Psalm 2; Isaiah 11; Zechariah 9:9). He also reminds his readers once again that Jesus is more than just a mere man - He is God (Romans 1:4).
At the beginning of answering the accusation that God had been unfaithful in His promises to Israel, Paul emphasized how much he cared about his fellow countrymen and what he believed and taught regarding Israel.
Paul presupposes them to be (in bulk) a lost people as we can see by his longing for them to be saved. But how can they have all these honors and promises bestowed on them and yet be lost? Is God faithless? Has the word of God come to nought? - McGuiggan, Romans, 277
This is what Paul, writing by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, will build upon.
