Title: Prairie View Christian Church Norway, Iowa PastorTeacher Bill Wenstrom www'prairieviewchristian'org
1Prairie View Christian ChurchNorway,
IowaPastor-Teacher Bill Wenstromwww.prairievie
wchristian.org
2Tuesday March 10, 2009Romans Romans 910-The
Story Of Rebekah And Her Twins Illustrates The
Principle That True Israel Is Based Upon Gods
Sovereign Grace Rather Than RaceLesson 303
3Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 91.
4This evening we will continue with our study of
Romans chapter nine and by way of review we have
noted the following thus far
5In Romans 91, Paul implicitly appeals to Christ
and the Holy Spirit as witnesses as to the
veracity of his statements in Romans 92-3.
6Then in Romans 92, Paul expresses his great
sorrow and unceasing grief over the nation of
Israels rejection of Jesus Christ as their
Messiah.
7Paul in Romans 93 communicates to his readers
his great love for the nation of Israel by
expressing his desire to be separated from Christ
for their sake.
8Then, in Romans 94-5, he lists eight privileges
that were given to the nation of Israel by God
that helps the reader understand the depth of his
sorrow and grief.
9In Romans 96, Paul presents the premise that not
all Israel is Israel and that Gods Word has not
failed and for the rest of the chapter he
illustrates this premise.
10Paul in Romans 97 continues to develop further
the principle that not all those who are
Israelites racially or biologically are
considered by God as the true or spiritual Israel.
11In this passage, he supports this distinction
between racial or ethnic and spiritual Israel and
explains its basis in Romans 97-13.
12Pauls argument is divided into two sections (1)
Verses 7-9 Illustration with the selection of
Isaac (2) Verses 10-13 Illustration with
selection of Jacob over Esau.
13He proves his point in these verses through the
presentation of Old Testament passages.
14In this passage, he cites Genesis 2112 to prove
this point with his readers that being a
spiritual child of Abraham is not a birthright or
in other words it is not based upon ones racial
heritage but rather it is based upon faith in the
promises and in particular faith in the promised
Messiah.
15Ultimately, it is based upon Gods sovereign
grace rather than race.
16Then, in Romans 98, Paul teaches that the racial
descendants of Abraham are not considered by God
to be His children but rather He considers the
children of the promise as being such and that
the children of the promise are regarded by God
as being Abrahams spiritual descendants.
17Lastly, in Romans 99, Paul paraphrases Genesis
1810 and 14 to identify specifically the content
of the Lords promise to Abraham, which was that
the Lord would fulfill His promise to Abraham and
they would have a son named Isaac.
18This evening we will begin to study Romans
910-13, which further illustrates the principle
that true Israel was founded upon Gods sovereign
grace rather than race.
19This passage presents a second illustration that
supports this distinction between racial or
ethnic and spiritual Israel.
20We will begin this study by noting Romans 910,
in which Paul cites the account of Rebekah and
her twins that illustrates this principle.
21Therefore, in Romans 910, Paul teaches that the
story of Rebekah and her twins illustrates the
principle that true Israel is based upon Gods
sovereign grace rather than race and that even
though the majority of Jews had rejected Christ,
this did not constitute a failure on Gods part
since He had not broken any promises to the
patriarchs and their descendants.
22Therefore, in Romans 910, Paul teaches that the
story of Rebekah and her twins illustrates the
principle that true Israel is based upon Gods
sovereign grace rather than race.
23It also illustrates the principle that even
though the majority of Jews had rejected Christ,
this did not constitute a failure on Gods part
since He had not broken any promises to the
patriarchs and their descendants.
24Lets read Romans 91-13 and then concentrate on
verse 10 for the rest of the evening.
25Romans 91-13, I am telling the truth in Christ,
I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me
in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and
unceasing grief in my heart.
26For I could wish that I myself were accursed,
separated from Christ for the sake of my
brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh,
27who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption
as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the
giving of the Law and the temple service and the
promises,
28whose are the fathers, and from whom is the
Christ according to the flesh, who is over all,
God blessed forever. Amen.
29But it is not as though the word of God has
failed. For they are not all Israel who are
descended from Israel
30nor are they all children because they are
Abraham's descendants, but THROUGH ISAAC YOUR
DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED.
31That is, it is not the children of the flesh who
are children of God, but the children of the
promise are regarded as descendants.
32For this is the word of promise AT THIS TIME I
WILL COME, AND SARAH SHALL HAVE A SON.
33And not only this, but there was Rebekah also,
when she had conceived twins by one man, our
father Isaac
34for though the twins were not yet born and had
not done anything good or bad, so that God's
purpose according to His choice would stand,
35not because of works but because of Him who
calls, it was said to her, THE OLDER WILL SERVE
THE YOUNGER. Just as it is written, JACOB I
LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED.
36Now, lets concentrate on verse 10.
37Romans 910, And not only this, but there was
Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one
man, our father Isaac.
38This statement advances upon Pauls statements in
Romans 97-9 regarding the selection of Isaac
over Ishmael and intensifies these statements.
39It is not only presenting additional
information regarding the selection of the nation
based upon Gods sovereign grace rather than race
but it also is advancing and intensifying
this spiritual principle.
40Next, we have four words in the Greek text that
form a correlative clause.
41Not onlybut also is composed of the emphatic
objective negative particle ou (ou)), not and
the accusative neuter singular adverb monon
(movnon), only.
42But also is composed of the adversative use of
the conjunction alla (ajllaV), but and the
adjunctive use of the conjunction kai (kaiV),
also.
43 These four words emphatically state that not
only (ou monon) did God select Isaac over
Ishmael based upon His sovereign grace but also
(alla kai), this was the case with Rebekahs twin
sons, Jacob and Esau.
44The adverb monon is employed with emphatic
negative objective particle ou in order to state
in emphatic terms that Gods selection of Isaac
over Ishmael based upon His sovereign grace is
not limited to Sarahs son, Isaac.
45The emphatic negative adverb ou (ou)) (oo)
emphatically negates the idea that Sarahs son,
Isaac is the only other example in Scripture.
46 The expression alla kai, butalso is used
ascensively meaning they introduce an
additional individual who illustrates the
principle that true Israel was founded upon Gods
sovereign grace rather than race.
47Therefore, these two words indicate that in
addition to God sovereignly choosing Sarahs son
Isaac over Ishmael, He also sovereignly chose
Rebekahs son Jacob over his twin brother Esau as
well.
48With these words, Paul is saying that not only do
the Scriptures present an example of the election
of a son of Abraham, Isaac through Sarah and a
rejection of his son, Ishmael, by Hagar but also
the Scriptures present the election and rejection
of the children of the same woman, Rebekah and
her twins, Jacob and Esau.
49He is saying that not only is there a distinction
among the biological descendants of Abraham with
those who are both his biological and spiritual
descendants but also this distinction is further
illustrated with Rebekahs two sons, Jacob and
Esau.
50So here in verse 10, after emphasizing Sarahs
role in giving birth to the heir of the covenant
promises in verse 9, Paul seeks to advance his
argument further by presenting the matriarch of
the next generation, Rebekah.
51Like Sarah, Rebekah was barren and like Sarahs
infertility, Rebekahs was overcome by the Lords
intervention.
52Rebekahs son like Sarahs was called by God to
become heir of the covenant promises.
53Furthermore, both Jacob and Isaac had a rival.
54Esau was a rival to the former while Ishmael was
a rival to the latter.
55However, Isaacs rival was only a half-brother
whereas Jacobs was his own twin.
56Pauls emphasis in verse 10, which advances his
argument from verses 7-9 is that since through
one act of conception that produced twins Jacob
and Esau, there was absolutely no biological
distinction between the twins.
57Therefore, Gods selection of Jacob over Esau was
not based upon race but rather Gods sovereign
grace since they shared the same biological
parents and were conceived at the same point in
time, thus neither of them received the covenant
promises based upon race or being biological
descendants of Rebekah and Isaac.
58 Romans 910, And not only this, but there was
Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one
man, our father Isaac.
59Rebekah is the nominative feminine singular
form of the proper name Rhebekka (?Rebevkka)
(herb-bek-ah), whose father was Bethuel and whose
brother was Laban and whose husband was Isaac and
whose children were Esau and Jacob.
60Like Sarah, the book of Genesis presents the
account of Rebekah.
61The name Rebekah (hqbr!) (Hebrew rivqah
pronounced riv-kaw) whose name is related to the
Akkadian rabaku, to be soft or springy, thus
her name means, soft, supple.
62Rebekah was a sister to Laban and a second
cousin to Isaac whose father of course is
Abraham.
63Romans 910, And not only this, but there was
Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one
man, our father Isaac.
64When she had conceived is composed of the
nominative feminine singular present active
participle form of the verb echo (exw) (ekh-o),
when she had and the accusative feminine
singular form of the noun koite (koivth)
(koy-tay), conceived.
65Originally, the noun koite meant, bed (cf. Luke
117) and later came to refer especially to the
marriage bed (e.g. Hebrews 134) and hence
referred to sexual intercourse (Leviticus
1521-26 Romans 1313) and could also refer to
the semen itself (Leviticus 1516-17, 32 1820
224 Numbers 520).
66The idiom is very close to the English having
sex with one man.
67The idea of this expression ex henos koiten
echousa, when she had conceived by one man is
not simply that Jacob and Esau had the same
father since that was true of Isaac and Ishmael
but rather they were conceived in the very same
act of sexual intercourse.
68It means that Rebekah conceived both sons through
the seminal emission of one man, Isaac.
69The verb echo is used in a transitive sense and
means, to have denoting the possession of
persons to whom one has a close intimate
relationship.
70It is used of Rebekah having a sexual union with
Isaac.
71The noun koite is used in a figurative sense
meaning pregnant, conception.
72By one man is composed of the preposition ek
(e)k), by and the genitive masculine singular
form of the cardinal number heis (ei!) (hice),
one man.
73The cardinal number heis means, one man and is
a reference to Isaac as indicated by the
expression Isaak tou patros hemon, our father
Isaac.
74The preposition ek is used with the genitive form
of cardinal number heis as a marker of means
constituting a source.
75The cardinal number heis as a genitive of means
indicates that one man, Isaac was the means
constituting the source by which Rebekah had
gotten pregnant with twins.
76 Paul uses ek not only because he wants to
emphasize the means by which Rebekah had gotten
pregnant but that this means constitutes the
source of her pregnancy.
77Romans 910, And not only this, but there was
Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one
man, our father Isaac.
78Our father is composed of the articular
genitive masculine singular form of the noun
pater (pathVr), father and the genitive first
person plural form of the personal pronoun hemeis
(h(mei), our.
79 The noun pater denotes Isaac as being one of
the racial or biological fathers or
progenitors of the Jews, the other being of
course Abraham and Jacob, aka Israel.
80The personal pronoun hemeis indicates that Paul
is identifying with the Jews.
81Isaac is the genitive masculine singular form
of the proper name Isaak (Isaavk) (ee-sah-ak),
which refers of course to Abraham and Sarahs son.
82The implication of this statement in Romans 910
is that there was nothing to discriminate or
distinguish Jacob from Esau.
83They had the same father and mother and were
conceived from the very same act of sexual
intercourse.
84Therefore, Gods selection of Jacob over Esau was
not based upon race but rather Gods sovereign
grace since they shared the same biological
parents and were conceived at the same point in
time, thus neither of them received the covenant
promises based upon race or being biological
descendants of Rebekah and Isaac.
85(No Transcript)