Hey, everyone, this is Pastor James Huenink over at first Lutheran Church, we're starting a new series on our podcast feed called Getting ready for Sunday. It's a look at the upcoming readings for Sunday morning so you can be familiar with them. When you come to church. I examined the Old Testament, epistle reading and Gospel reading for each week with a few notes and a simple explanation. The Epistle reading for Sunday, August 6 is from Romans chapter nine verses one through 13. Here's the reading. I am speaking the truth in Christ, I am not lying. My conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh, they are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs and from their race, according to the flesh is the Christ, who is God overall, blessed forever. Amen. But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel. And not all are children of Abraham, because they are his offspring. But, quote, through Isaac shall your offspring be named, and quote, this means that is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children that promise are counted as offspring. For this is what the promise said, quote, about this time next year, I will return and Sarah shall have a son, and quote, and not only so, but also when Rebecca had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born, and had done nothing, either good or bad, in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works, but because of him who calls, she was told, quote, the older will serve the younger, end quote, As it is written, quote, Jacob I loved, BUT ESAU I hate it, and quote, The word of the Lord. Thanks, Peter, God. What a different chapter. This is compared to Romans chapter eight. It ends with such joy and such power and amazing promise that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. And all the sudden we come from this this great high to Well, it's kind of a low. Paul is morning. What does he say? He says, I am speaking the truth in Christ, I am not lying. My conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. I think St. Paul is thinking about his brothers of, of Israel, his people, the people who are rejecting the gospel. By this time, St. Paul has traveled around doing his missionary journeys, and he's looked around and he's seen all of these synagogues where he's gone, and he preaches there first, and then he goes to the Gentiles. And everywhere he goes, it seems like the Jews are rejecting Jesus. They're kicking him out. And not only that, but the church is becoming more and more Gentile and less and less Jewish. This is disrupting him this is hurting his heart. He says, For I could wish that I myself were accursed, and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. St. Paul even wishes that he could trade places. He could look at Israel and say, You're rejecting Jesus, God will cut me off so that you can be saved. So many parents think about that with their kids. I think they see their kids go off into unfaithfulness and I bet they'd gladly make the trade. God send me to hell send my kids to heaven. St. Paul writes, they are Israelites, and to them belong, the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law, the worship and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs and from their race, according to the flesh is the Christ, who is God overall, blessed forever. St. Paul recalls all the glories of ancient Israel through the Old Testament, the promises the law, the patriarchs, and everything else, and finally leading up to Jesus who comes from their descendants. Verse six, but it is not as though as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel. And not all are children of Abraham because they are an offspring. But through Isaac, shall your offspring be named. St. Paul was raising a question as the word of God failed the promise to ancient Israel. And he says, No, it's not by genetics. To the children become offspring of Abraham. But by the promise, Abraham had several children, only Isaac had the promise. He continues. This means that is not the children the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise that are counted as offspring. For this is what the promise said, about this time next year I shall return and Sarah shall have a son. And not only so but also Rebecca had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born, and had done nothing either good or bad, in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works, but because of him who calls, she was told, the older will serve the younger, as it is written, Jacob I loved, BUT ESAU I hated St. Paul's looking back through these words at the Old Testament story and saying, Isaac was one of many, and yet he was the only one who received the promise, the cert covenant of circumcision, and all the promises that given to Abraham. Similarly, Jacob was also given the promise, but Esau was not an ISA would serve his younger brother Jacob, showing that God chooses not based on genetics or on normal inheritance or on belonging to a particular people. God chooses by his choice. And so we say that the pattern of choosing the Gentiles and Israel turning away is similar to what God has done in the Old Testament. He has always done choosing based on his choice, and never based on the things that we would expect
Transcribed by https://otter.ai