Romans Chapter 9 Vs. 4

 

God's Sovereign Choice

Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Rom 9:4

pertaineth the adoption,... Jews were all adopted by God (Exo. 4:22; Deut. 14:1; 32:18; Jer. 31:9; Hos. 11:1).

and the glory,... This refers to the Divine Presence (Exo. 16:7, 16:10; 24:16-17; 40:34-35; Lev. 9:6, 9:23; Num. 14:10, 14:21; 16:19, 16:42; Deut. 5:24; 1Sam. 4:21-22; 1Ki. 8:11; etc.).

and the covenants,... The covenants with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and others.

of the law,... The law was only for Jews (Rom. 2:12-16; 3:2; 9:4; Deut. 5:3; 29:14).

service of God,... The rituals of the law (Lev. 1-12; etc.).

and the promises;... Of Canaan, Messiah, Kingdom, etc.

This just means that God had chosen the Hebrews (Israelites), to give the law to, and he had chosen them to be a peculiar people set aside to worship Him. God’s first choice for the salvation message to go to was these Israelites.

Three times in the New Testament the word “covenants” is used in the plural. All but one of God’s covenants with man are eternal and unilateral, that is God promised to accomplish something based on His own character and not on the response or actions of the promised beneficiary. The 6 biblical covenants include:

(1) The covenant with Noah;

(2) The covenant with Abraham;

(3) The covenant of law given through Moses at Sinai (The Mosaic Covenant);

(4) The priestly covenant;

(5) The covenant of an eternal kingdom through David’s greatest Son;

(6) The New Covenant.

All but the Mosaic Covenant are eternal and unilateral. (Unilateral means something which is done by only one party). It is neither, since Israel’s sin abrogated it and it has been replaced by the New Covenant.

Paul then listed seven spiritual privileges which belonged to the people of Israel as God’s chosen nation: the adoption as sons (cf. Exo. 4:22), the divine glory (cf. Exo. 16:10; 24:17; 40:34; 1Ki. 8:11), the covenants (Gen. 15:18; 2Sam. 7:12-16; Jer. 31:31-34), the receiving of the Law (Deut. 5:1-22), the temple worship (latreia, “sacred service,” which may also include service in the tabernacle), and the promises (esp. of the coming Messiah).