Verse 7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. This Jewish rejection of Christ and God’s rejection of them does not militate against His purpose and plan of the salvation of the elect. All of the Jewish nation — all of Abraham’s natural posterity — all of Abraham’s lineal descendants — were never included, “For they are not all Israel (spiritually speaking), who are of Israel (naturally): Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall they seed be called.” The Jews erroneously imagined (as do the modern Dispensationalists) that the promises made to Abraham concerning his seed respected all of his descendants. But natural descent from Abraham is no guarantee of spiritual kinship with him. The Jews boast was “we be Abraham’s seed” (John 8:33), but Christ’s reply to them was, “If ye were Abraham’s children ye would do the works of Abraham” (John 8:39 compare with Rom. 4:12). “In Isaac shall thy seed be called.” The God of the Bible is saying, Isaac shall be the seed of which I have spoken to you in My promise to you (Heb. 11:18). The apostle goes on in this chapter to enforce this conclusion by the analogy of Abraham’s two sons, Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael was as much the child of Abraham as was Isaac, though born of the Egyptian bondwoman Hagar, but the verdict of Inspiration is: “Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.” Paul is pursuing an allegory, as he did when writing to the Galatians in Gal. 4:22-31. He is treating Ishmael as the representative of all Israel after the flesh, though in fact no Jew was descended from Hagar’s son. Isaac is put forth as the representative of Israel after the spirit, though these include an impressively large majority of Gentiles who in fact were ever descended from Isaac. It is indisputable that this is the apostle’s meaning, for he explains himself in the following verse as we shall see. FROM BB SHEPPARD.
Posted on: Mon, 16 Sep 2013 03:44:24 +0000
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