Romans 9A

Israel? Does God Keep His Promises?

Scripture: Romans 9:1-13

Exposure to Exposition & Exploring the Scriptures: (15-20 mins)

• Bible Drills (Memorization of OT & NT Book order)

• Guide the children to Romans 9:1-13 in the Bible. (Help them as needed, NT vs OT)

• Say: We are going to continue through Paul's letter to the church of Rome.

• We will learn that the gospel is God’s power to save everyone who believes, and we should never be ashamed of Jesus.

• Read aloud. (Ask kids to start their pointer finger on V1 and follow along)

Opening Question

Have you ever been chosen for something special—like a team, a job, or a surprise—and how did it make you feel?→ God chooses His children because He wants you and loves you, not because of performance.

Notes:
A verse concerning Israel is put in the middle of Paul explaining that God is faithful over our salvation. Once His, always His.

Romans 8:35-36 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

• By the end of Romans 8, a big question comes up: Did God reject Israel?

• Paul taught that salvation comes through faith in Jesus—not by family or where you were born. But many Jewish people had not believed in Jesus, and that made people wonder if God had stopped keeping His promises.

• If God made promises to Israel, would He really break them?

• And if He could reject Israel… could He reject us too?

Paul knows this is an important question, especially for the Jewish believers in the church. So in the next three chapters, he stops to answer it.

In Romans 9, 10, and 11, Paul explains:

• Israel’s past with God (chapter 9),

• Israel’s present rejection of Jesus (chapter 10),

• And Israel’s future, when God will keep every promise He made (chapter 11).

These chapters teach us one big truth: God is always faithful, and He never breaks His promises— to Israel or to us.

Romans 9:1-13 NLT
With Christ as my witness, I speak with utter truthfulness. My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm it. 2 My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief 3 for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed—cut off from Christ!—if that would save them. 4 They are the people of Israel, chosen to be God’s adopted children. God revealed his glory to them. He made covenants with them and gave them his law. He gave them the privilege of worshiping him and receiving his wonderful promises. 5 Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are their ancestors, and Christ himself was an Israelite as far as his human nature is concerned. And he is God, the one who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.
6 Well then, has God failed to fulfill his promise to Israel? No, for not all who are born into the nation of Israel are truly members of God’s people! 7 Being descendants of Abraham doesn’t make them truly Abraham’s children. For the Scriptures say, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted,” though Abraham had other children, too. 8 This means that Abraham’s physical descendants are not necessarily children of God. Only the children of the promise are considered to be Abraham’s children. 9 For God had promised, “I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
10 This son was our ancestor Isaac. When he married Rebekah, she gave birth to twins. 11 But before they were born, before they had done anything good or bad, she received a message from God. (This message shows that God chooses people according to his own purposes; 12 he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.) She was told, “Your older son will serve your younger son.” 13 In the words of the Scriptures, “I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau.”

Notes:
Paul says he is telling the truth and that he feels deep sadness for Israel. He loves them so much that he wishes they could be saved.

• V1-3 Paul Loves Israel

  • Paul Shares His Heart (vv.1–3)

  • Paul begins by stating that he is telling the truth and not lying.

    • He wants everyone to know he truly loves Israel.

    • He is an Israelite

    • Paul feels very sad because many Israelites have not believed in Jesus.

    • He even says he would give up his own salvation if it meant Israel could be saved.

    • This shows how deeply Paul cares about his people.

  • Paul Is Talking About a Nation (Context)

    • In earlier chapters, Paul talked about individual believers.

    • Now he shifts to talk about Israel as a nation.

    • Israel is made up of people, and each person still needs faith to be saved.

    • But Paul is asking a bigger question: What does God’s plan look like for Israel as a whole?

  • Kid Point: Paul loves Israel very much & wants them to understand God and His promises!

Notes:
Paul now reminds us who Israel is—the people God chose long ago, who received His promises, and from whom Jesus was born. 

Romans 9:4-5 They are the people of Israel, chosen to be God’s adopted children. God revealed his glory to them. He made covenants with them and gave them his law. He gave them the privilege of worshiping him and receiving his wonderful promises. 5 Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are their ancestors, and Christ himself was an Israelite as far as his human nature is concerned. And he is God, the one who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.

• V4-5 Who Exactly Is Israel?

  • Paul reminds us who Israel is:

    • They are the Israelites, descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

    • God adopted them as His special people.

    • God showed them His glory.

    • He gave them the covenants, the Law, the temple, and the promises.

    • Most importantly, Jesus came from Israel.

  • Why This Matters:

    • Paul is not talking about the church or Gentiles here.

    • He is talking about physical Israel, the people God formed long ago.

    • God made many promises to Israel, including sending them a Messiah.

    • But Israel did not accept Jesus when He came.

    • This leads to the big question Paul will answer next:

    • If God made promises to Israel, and they rejected Jesus, did God fail—or is He still faithful?

  • Kid Point: God loves Israel, keeps His promises, and always has a plan—even when we don’t understand it yet.

Examples:

• The Messiah would come from God’s chosen people (Genesis 12:3).

• He would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).

• He would suffer for our sins and bring peace with God (Isaiah 53:5).

• He would be a King who lasts forever (2 Samuel 7:12-13).

All these promises were like arrows pointing forward to someone God would send.

In the New Testament, God shows us that Jesus is the Messiah He promised.

• Jesus lived exactly the way God said the Messiah would live.

• Jesus died on the cross to pay for sin.

• Jesus rose from the dead, proving He is God’s Savior.

The name “Christ” in Greek means the same thing as “Messiah” in Hebrew.

Notes:
Paul explains that God’s promises have not failed. Not everyone born into Israel was part of God’s promise. God chose Isaac—not every child of Abraham—to receive the promises.

Romans 9:6-9 Well then, has God failed to fulfill his promise to Israel? No, for not all who are born into the nation of Israel are truly members of God’s people! 7 Being descendants of Abraham doesn’t make them truly Abraham’s children. For the Scriptures say, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted,” though Abraham had other children, too. 8 This means that Abraham’s physical descendants are not necessarily children of God. Only the children of the promise are considered to be Abraham’s children. 9 For God had promised, “I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

• V6-9 Who is Israel? And does He keep His promises to Israel?

  • Paul says: God Did NOT Break His Promises? NO! (v.6)

    • Even though many Israelites rejected Jesus, that does NOT mean God broke His promises.

    • Paul explains that not everyone born into Israel is part of God’s promised Israel.

    • Being born into the right family is important—but it’s not enough by itself to save.

  • Being God’s Child Is More Than Family (vv.6–7)

    • Paul says that just because someone is a descendant of Abraham doesn’t mean they automatically receive God’s promises.

    • God told Abraham, “Your descendants will come through Isaac.” (Genesis 21:12)

    • Abraham had more than one son, but only one son received the promise. (Isaac & Ishmael)

    • This shows us that God chooses who receives His promises.

  • Children of Promise vs. Children of Flesh (v.8)

    • Paul explains that God’s children are not decided by birth, but by God’s promise.

    • “Children of the flesh” means children born naturally.

    • “Children of the promise” means children God chose to receive His blessings.

    • God’s promises were always meant for a specific group, not everyone born into Abraham’s family.

  • God Chose Isaac on Purpose (v.9)

    • God promised Abraham and Sarah that they would have a son—and that son would receive the promise.

    • God kept His word exactly as He said.

    • This proves that God decides ahead of time who will receive His promise.

    • God’s choices are based on His plan and grace—not on what people do to earn them.

  • Why Does This Matter??

    • If we look at the wrong group, we might think God failed.

    • But Paul shows that God always knew who His promises were for.

    • God never lost control, never changed His plan, and never broke His word.

  • Kid Point: God always keeps His promises, and He decides who receives them.

Notes:
If you think Abraham was the only one this happened to, Paul gives us another example to help us understand.

Isaacs Children: Paul explains that before Jacob and Esau were even born, God chose Jacob to receive the promise, not because of what either boy would do, but because of God’s plan and choice.

Romans 9:10-13  This son was our ancestor Isaac. When he married Rebekah, she gave birth to twins. 11 But before they were born, before they had done anything good or bad, she received a message from God. (This message shows that God chooses people according to his own purposes; 12 he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.) She was told, “Your older son will serve your younger son.” 13 In the words of the Scriptures, “I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau.”

• V10-13 God chooses by His grace who will be HIS, not by what people do or deserve.

  • Paul gives a second example—Isaac’s children.

    • Rebekah had twin boys, Jacob and Esau.

    • Before they were born—and before they did anything good or bad—God made His choice.

    • This shows that God’s plan does not depend on behavior, effort, or goodness.

  • God Chose the Unexpected One (v.12)

    • God told Rebekah, “The older will serve the younger.”

    • In Bible times, the older child usually received the blessing.

    • But God chose the younger child, Jacob.

    • This showed that God’s ways are different from human expectations.

  • “Jacob I Loved, Esau I Hated” (v.13)

    • These words do not mean God was being mean or angry.

    • In the Bible, “love” means chosen, and “hate” means not chosen.

    • God chose Jacob to receive the promise, and Esau was passed over.

    • God’s choice was not about being better or worse—it was about God’s plan.

  • God’s Pattern is the same throughout the Bible

    • Jacob instead of Esau

    • David instead of his older brothers

    • Moses, Gideon, prophets, apostles—ordinary people

    • God does this so no one can brag and say, “I earned this.”

    • Salvation is always because of God’s grace, not human effort.

  • Why This Matters

    • God’s choices are never unfair—even when we don’t understand them.

    • God is wise, loving, and always right in what He does.

    • We belong to Jesus because God chose us, not because we were good enough.

  • Kid Point: God’s love and salvation are gifts of grace—chosen by God, not earned by people.

Observation Questions (What did it say?)

1. How does Paul feel about the people of Israel? (Paul feels very sad and has deep sorrow for them. v.2)

2. What special blessings did God give to Israel? (God gave Israel adoption, His glory, His promises, the Law, worship, and the Messiah. vv. 4-5)

3. Who did God choose to receive the promise—Isaac or Ishmael? Jacob or Esau? (God chose Isaac, and later Jacob. v.7/ vv. 12-13)

Understanding Questions (What does it mean?)

1. Why does Paul say God’s Word has not failed? (Because God’s promises were always meant for those He chose, not everyone born into Israel. v.6)

2. Why did God choose Jacob before he and Esau were born? (To show that God’s plan depends on His choice, not on what people do. v.11)

3. What does “children of the promise” mean? (It means the people God chooses to receive His promises. v.8)

Application Questions (What should I do?)

1. How should knowing God keeps His promises help you trust Him? (I can trust God even when things are confusing, because He always keeps His Word. v.6)

2. How does this passage help you understand God’s grace? (It reminds me that God loves and saves people by grace, not because they earn it. v.11)

3. How should Paul’s love for Israel encourage how we care about others and specifically Israel? (I should care deeply about others and pray for them, even when they don’t believe yet, including Israel. v.2-3)

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Activity

Romans (Youth) — Romans 9A

Remind them: What is the Gospel?

Jesus’ perfect life paid for the sins of all who believe. Jesus died on the cross as the punishment for sin. But Jesus did not stay dead, three days later He rose to life (resurrection) defeating the power of death. Believe, and you will be saved!

• We are all sinful. We all deserve the consequence of sin- death.

• Jesus is what saves us from the sin we all have in our bodies. And one day, he’ll even give us a new body.

Supporting Truths Kids Can Grasp:

• Even when things look confusing, God never forgets or breaks what He promised. (Romans 9:6).

• People don’t earn God’s love—He gives it freely because He is loving and kind. (Romans 9:11).

• We belong to God because He chose us, not because we were good enough. (Romans 9:8).

• God often chooses in ways people don’t expect, but His way is always best. (Romans 9:10-13).

• If God was faithful in the past, He will be faithful now and forever. (Romans 8:28).

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org