Monday August 1 - Romans 9:1-18

After such glowing assurances to those inseparable from the love of God in Christ Jesus, what about Paul’s birth community? He affirms that the Jews have adoption, glory, covenants, Torah, worship, patriarchs – and the honour of producing the Messiah.

However, Paul goes on to argue that some Israelites don’t ‘truly belong’ to Israel, and not all of Abraham’s biological offspring are his ‘true descendants’. If some are elect, chosen – some are not. God is free to choose and to not choose.

Paul reviews Torah stories of a chosen son and other children not chosen, of a favoured younger brother and rejected elder, and even the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart. Paul’s OK with such apparently arbitrary favouritism. Are you?

The rest of the article goes here.