Promised Children

Author: Christian Nuesa

For: Sojourning Servants Bible Study
On: 06/26/09

Rom. 9:9 For this is the word of promise: “AT THIS TIME I WILL COME, AND SARAH SHALL HAVE A SON.”
Rom. 9:10 And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father
Isaac;
Rom. 9:11 for 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, not because of works but because of Him who calls,
Rom. 9:12 it was said to her, “THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER.”
Rom. 9:13 Just as it is written, “JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED.”

I. Introduction

We learned that word of God in verse 6 refers to the promise of God to Abraham.
Gen 17:7 Promise: God shall be God to Abraham’s descendants.
- Since Abraham cannot have descendant by Sarah, God will provide this.
- They shall not be gentiles, or heathen that are hostile to God.
- They shall all be saved so as to become God’s friends. James 2:23, Heb 11:16
- All of them, and not one will be lost.

The problem is Israel, a direct descendant of Abraham is apostate.

So it looks like the promise of God to Abraham is broken.

But Paul said the promise of God did not fail.

Because the promise of God is limited to one particular descendant:

- These are not the natural descendants (the children of the flesh), verse 8a
Examples:
- The descendants of Eliezer of Damascus, excluded Gen. 15:2-4
- The descendants of Ismael, excluded
- So as the descendants of Issau, excluded
- Even Israel, a natural descendant Abraham.
- Their apostasy proves that they are also excluded, verse 6.

- The promise applies to the descendants NAMED through Isaac, verse 7

Romans 9:7 THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED."
- Abrahams descendants are named.
Romans 9:8 “That is”, the Children of promise Abraham’s descendants.
- The descendants that are named through Isaac are Abraham’s descendants.

- This particular descendant is NOT apostate.

- God is their God, and they are His people.
- All of them are saved, not one is lost (from the very first of them, to the very last of them in the
future, as the promise stated.

- And They are regarded as Abraham’s TRUE descendants.

- Here, they are also known as the “Children of Promise”.

Now Paul successfully made us understand that the promise of God in Gen 17:7 is not broken.
It stands because God is not a man that He should lie nor break His promises. Num 23:19, Isa. 55:10, 11

What is the Children of Promise?

If they are not Israelite, Ismaelite, Issaulites.
Who are they and where did they come from?

The answer: They are NAMED by God through Isaac!

II The Naming of Children of Promise.

Let us understand this a little bit beginning with verse 7.

THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED.

Who is Isaac?
- Obviously, he is the son of Abraham and Sarah.
- More importantly, Isaac is the promised son to Abraham. Gen 17:16

- Gen 17:7 – Covenant of God the God will be the God of Abraham’s descendants.
- Remember Abraham had no capacity to have a son with Sarah – Barren Woman.
- Therefore, Abraham cannot have descendants.
- Apart from God, Abraham was useless.
- God made a promise to Abraham when there was absolutely no possibility of having a
descendant by Sarah his wife.
- When God said your descendants shall be my people, there was no descendants in the future of
Abraham.
- Illustration of a poor man with no house – “I will live in your house”
- This could only mean one thing:
- The Lord will provide…

- So when God mentioned descendants in the promise:

- It means God will provide descendants to Abraham.
- It will all be God’s work to raised them up.
- In fact, He can even make descendants to Abraham from stones! Matt 3:9

- To provide Abraham a descendant

- God promised Him a son -- Genesis 15:1-4
- I have to note: the son was a NON-EXISTENT PERSON. Remember that.
- And later God said “Through Isaac your descendant shall be name” - Gen 21:12
- What do you mean by that?

Thru the means of Isaac:

- When you say “Through Isaac”…
- You mean, Isaac is the means to bring out the descendants of Abraham.
- That’s important to understand!

- It is wrong to take this as children of Isaac.

- Or born in the line of Isaac.
- Or this could only mean the nation of Israel.

- That’s absolutely wrong.

- If so that would include the line of Issau.

What we know…
- It did not say through blood of Isaac.
- It did not say through the body of Isaac.
- Nor did it say, through the household of Isaac.

So then…
- It means through the person of Isaac.
- What person kind of person is Isaac?
- A promised son to Abraham.
- If thru the person, as the promise son.
- It means, Isaac is the Signature of the descendant.
- To identify Abraham’s descendants is like identifying Isaac.
- Isaac is like a template, model, or the pattern of the descendant
- That’s important to understand!

- Which could only mean...

- The descendants are also promise children, like Isaac the promise son.
- Isaac is the first among the promised descendant of Abraham in Gen 17:7
 - The rest that are coming are also promise... the children of promise.
- They are regarded as Abrahams descendant trough NAMING.
- Although they may not be his blood line.

How will the promise descendant come?

- “By naming”
- They shall be Named and not simply naturally born
- Greek: Legizomi
- Primarily signifies "to reckon," by counting or imputation
- Let’s look at Imputation first
- To ascribe, or to assign.
- Abraham’s descendants where ascribed, assigned as descendants.

- So is the descendants of Abraham people that became a descendant? By

imputation…

- It does not sound right.

- Let’s look at counted

- To take into account, put into group.
- Counting into categories, by identification.

- Examples:
- Count all squares,
- Count all apples.

- [point to the class]

- Count the famales in the room? 1, 2, 3…
- Count the americans? You, You, You…

- Count always involved identification.

- I cannot count something that I cannot identify.

- To apply that to Abraham’s descendants

- They are counted, or identified.
- They did not become descendants.
- They were identified as descendants.

- Let’s test this:

- Abraham’s descendants are identified.
- Abraham’s descendants are identified as Isaac.
- Abraham’s descendants are identified as promise son/children.

- This meaning is more accurate.

- [Verse 8] --Thus we have here the word regarded.

- They were seen as.
- Identified.

- Suppor to this?
- KJV – rendered v7 as Counted
- ESV – Counted
- NIV – Used regarded as well.

- Proof
Heb. 2:16 For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the
descendant of Abraham.
Heb. 2:17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren [the descendats of
Abraham] in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in
things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people [context:
 the descendats of Abraham] .
- Jesus Christ provide help to the descendants of Abraham.
- What kind of help?
- One major thing: Propitiation of Sins.

– The descendants here were given Propitiation of Sins.

- And they were already identified as descendants even before they
received Propitiation of Sins.

- To put simply:
- There is a promise Son. v.16
- There is a promise descendants, Gen 17:7
- They are all counted as promise children.
- And Isaac being the first to come.

- A.K.A.
- Their lineage to Isaac is not Isaac’s blood but the promise of God to Abraham..

In human eyes, they are not descendants of Abraham actually. There is no such thing.
But God In God’s eyes they are. God broke human rule here.

One question could arise here:

Why does God have to do something different and complicated?

Why did God provide Abraham a descendant this way?
It took me a long time to understand this!

Why not the natural descendants?

- What’s wrong with that?
- Technically they are the descendant?
- Being in the blood line of Abraham.
- It’s simplier and natural.
- No brainer to study.

This is abnormal provision of descendant!

Paul answer that using two cases:

Case 1 Sarah
Case 2 Rebekah

[Read v 9-13]

III. Sarah and Rebeka.

- These two women something in common
- Both were barren – Gen 25:21
- Both were healed from their barreness – for they were able to conceived.

- There were two sons involved with both of them:

- Isaac and Ismael for Sarah
- Jacob and Isaau for Rebeka.

- God has a word for each women before they gave birth to their sons.
- To Sarah – “I will come and Sarah Shall have a son” v9
- To Rebekah – “The older will serve the younger” v12

- The word of God for Sarah and Rebekah

- God alone is the one who is making the declaration.
- Abraham/Isaac has no comment about the word of God.

- It means God is the one making the decision on what’s going to happen in the future.
- It is His commands, not Abraham, or Isaac.
 - God spoke, and no created being could stop that.

Let us look at this:

IV. Case number 1, The word of God for Sarah.

Rom. 9:9 For this is the word of promise: “AT THIS TIME I WILL COME, AND SARAH SHALL HAVE A SON.”
- Gen 18:10 – Quoted from.
- This is where the word of promise ends, the next event is the fulfillment. Gen 21:1-2 – Sarah bore a
son.
- This where Paul pointed His finger, at the end of God’s word. At the time right before the birth of
her son.
- Therefore we need to trace it back to understand the background of this promise.

- Flash back [Read]

- Gen 17:7 – God promised Abraham decendants, and He shall be their God.
- They must descend from a father.
- God promised that father.
- A promise son to Abraham.
- Gen 17:15-16 – A promised Son by Sarah and Sarah shall be the mother of nations.
- A promise son and the mother of nations – The descendants after the promise son
- Gen 17:17-18 – Abraham offered of Ismael to God.
- Gen 17:19 – God rejected Ismael
- Gen 18:10 – “I will surely return to you at this time next year and behold, Sarah your wife will have
a son”
- The son here is the promise son to Abraham.
- Abraham offered Ismael, his First born son by Hagar – was rejected.
- Which means, God chose Isaac to be the heir of God’s covenant to Abraham.
- Therefore, the promise decendants of Abraham shall come
- through Isaac, not Ismael.
- Not by blood, but by naming.

V. Case number 2, The word of God for Rebekah.

Rom. 9:12 it was said to her, “THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER.”
Gen 25:23 – Quoted from.
- Again Paul pointed his finger at the end of God’s word. At the time right before the birth of her
son.
- We are gonna have to trace it back again.

- Flash back
- Gen 17:19 – God will establish his covenant to Isaac. Basically, Isaac will be the heir Abraham’s
blessing.
- After Isaac, who will be the next heir?
- No one by Rebekah at this point.
- Gen 25:21 – He prayed to God on behalf of Rebekah and she conceived with twins.
- Rebekah gave birth to twins, Gen 25:24-26
- Isaau is the firstborn. Jacob comes next.

- Now Isaau being the firstborn entitles him to be the heir of Isaac?
- But God word before Rebekah b4 gave birth to Isaau and Isaac – “The older shall serve the
younger”
- Which mean, God chose Jacob, and rejected Issau the first born.

- At this point, I will used a more familiar word to all: ELECTION.

VI. Election.
- God’s own chose.
- Here, God chose one, and rejected the other.
- God chose Isaac, and rejected Isamael
- God chose Jacob, and rejected Isaau.
- That’s basically Paul’s point in these two cases:

- What can we learn about God’s election.

 - It is free from any human Merit.
- The twins in Rebekah’s womb have not done anything good
- Issau being the first born.
- It is free from any human Sins
- The twins in Rebekah’s womb have not done anything bad.
- Both are innocent of any sins.
- God’s election was done before their birth.
- The twins are still in the womb of Rebekah.
- As for Isaac, he was not even conceived yet. And Isaac was already chosen

- What does this mean?

- Why bring up election Paul?

- Are you ready for the answer?

VII. Promise children are chosen descendants for Abraham.

- Gen 17:7
- God’s promised a descendant to Abraham
- God gave him a promise son.
- This promise son is the model of Abraham’s descendants.
- Which means, they are also promise children.

- Paul answer, the promise children are God’s choice for Abraham, and the natural children
rejected!
- They were not yet born.
- They were not yet people.
- They were chosen when they were not yet a reality.

- And God is going to be their God, and not the natural children, which explains why they are
apostate.

- Therefore the word of God did not fail. Romans 9:8

- His promise to Abraham applies to the promise children.
- They chosen to be Abrahams decendants.
- And the natural descendants, Imaelites, Isaulites, as well as the physical Israel – Rejects.
- Get the point?

IV. They are loved by God.

- What’s the motivation of God choosing people to be Abraham’s descendants?
- We learned the election happened before birth
- What motivated God to choose Jacob and not Issau?
- It is because Jacob is younger?
- Rom. 9:13 Just as it is written, “JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED.”
- God loved Jacob, and so He chose him.

Psa. 103:17 But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children’s children

Eph. 1:4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless
before Him. In love
Eph. 1:5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind
intention of His will,
- Selected to become holy
- Selected to become sons

Rom. 8:29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His
Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;

God is going to bless Abraham, out of Love, He chose specific people to be Abrahams descendants. These
people are the children of God foreknown before the foundation of the world. Verse 8

The “ALSO”
 Rom. 8:29 For those whom He foreknew, He ALSO predestined to become conformed to the image
of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;

Foreknowledge is actually COUPLED with predestination. They occurred in the mind of God at the
same time.

Compared to:

Rom. 8:30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; AND these whom He called, He also
justified; AND these whom He justified, He also glorified.

Notice the “AND”.

It means, there is a PROGRESSION here.

But Foreknowledge and predestination are not progression.

It is not Foreknowledge, then predentination.

Foreknowledge is COUPLED with predestination.

When God Foreknew you, He knew you as someone whom He loves.

God did not decide who is He gonna love.
God decided to give Christ brothers. Therefore if they are to become His brother God must love
them also.

- Now, let us answer our question in Romans 9:8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of
God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.

- Why oh why RAISED them up by ELECTION instead of natural birth?

- Romans 9:11 for 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, not because of works but because of
Him who calls,

- God will accomplish His purpose through Election!!

- What purpose: That God will be the God of from Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and to the rest of the
coming descendants…
- 1 Cor 1:31 – So that on one should boast.

- As we learnd: They shall not be heathens but people whose God is the living God.
- This speaks of restoration of relationship with God
- A.K.A Salvation, not by blood, but by faith.

Who are they?

Where did they come from?

We learned:
They were identified as promise children like Isaac.
They were chosen to be Abrahams descendants.

Specifically how are we going to recognize them?

If they are Abrahams descendants, they must look like Abraham, correct?

VIII. What, I look like Abraham?!

- I came from a nation called Philiphians.
- I resemble them.
- I look like them
- I act like them
- I dress like them.
- I speack their language.
 - My point. There is a resemblance to were I came from.
- So then, if the promise children are Abrahams descendant, they must resemble Abraham right?

- They resemble Abraham.

- Resemble in deeds
John 8:39 They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father " Jesus said to them, " If
you are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham.
- If you claim to be Abraham to be your family, your actions should look like Abrahams
actions.
- The promise children are recognizable with their deeds
- You can tell a tree by its fruits.

- Resemble in relationship with God.

James 2:23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD,
AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called the friend of
God.

- The Believers are called

Jhn 15:15 "No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is
doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have
made known to you.

1 Peter 1:21 – Those who are in Christ are called believers

Gal 3:9 – Abraham is called a believer.

Faith is their image. Not physical appearance.

Faith that is justified by work. James said “Faith without works is dead”

IX. Faith, belief.

Gal. 3:6 ¶ Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Gal. 3:7 Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham.
- Those of faith are the sons of Abraham.
- Gal 3:8 – Abraham believed God’s promise to him.
- Gen 15:5-6 – Abraham believed God’s revelation.

Gal. 3:9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.
- Gal 3:9 – Abraham is called a believer, therefore those of Faith are also believers. That’s how
you’d recognized them.

What did they believe?

Gal. 3:10 ¶ For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “CURSED
IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW,
TO PERFORM THEM.”
Gal. 3:11 Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “THE RIGHTEOUS MAN
SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”
Gal. 3:12 However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, “HE WHO PRACTICES THEM SHALL
LIVE BY THEM.”
Gal. 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is
written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE”—
- They believe they cannot be justfied by the Law
- But by the blood of Christ.

- This is the revelation of God to them, and they believe God.

- And so it was counted to them as righteousness, like Abraham believe God.

Revealed by God
Gal. 1:11 ¶ For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is
not according to man.
Gal. 1:12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a
revelation of Jesus Christ.
- Mat 16:16-17
- Gal 1:11-12
 - Mat 11:25
- Luk 10:22

Conclusion
Gal. 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
Gal. 3:27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
Gal. 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male
nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Gal. 3:29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to
promise.
– Sons of God through faith in Christ.
- The sons of God are Abrahams descendants, exactly what Paul said in Romans 9:8

Gal. 4:25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she
is in slavery with her children.
Gal. 4:26 But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother.
Gal. 4:27 For it is written, “REJOICE, BARREN WOMAN WHO DOES NOT BEAR; BREAK FORTH
AND SHOUT, YOU WHO ARE NOT IN LABOR; FOR MORE NUMEROUS ARE THE CHILDREN OF
THE DESOLATE THAN OF THE ONE WHO HAS A HUSBAND.”
Gal. 4:28 And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise.
- We are children of promise like Isaac.
- It shouts Romans 9:8!!

X. The Heritage of the Church.

- Christians
- Detach from the people of the Old Testament.
- Some of them say, the old testament is for the Jews, the N.T. is for Christians.

- We’ve always look at ourselves as an open and close parenthesis in the plan of God.
- As a result of Israel’s rebellion, we’re here.
- We are like the latest addition to the people of God.

- Israel, oh they are the people of God.

- Chosen!
- We give honor to them.

- Israel
- To tell you honestly….
- They may have the name “Israel”
- They may have the culture of Israel
- They may speak Hebrews
- Additionally, they may have the blood of Abraham as to claim to be the natural descendants.

- Church
- But we have the identity as the people of God.
- Not defined by Jewish Ethinicity but defined as spiritual paternity: Same faith as Abraham.
- We are not a new descendant of Abraham
- We are the very promise descendants to Abraham.

- It’s always been that way and it has never changed.

- Our identity is intact from the very beginning.
- We’ve always been around existing side by side with Israel, along with other nations.

- That’s why Paul said the word of God has not failed!
- God is the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, and so are their descendants: the church!
- From Abraham to the very last of the Church believed God and it was counted to them as
rigtheouness.
- All of them…
- We are not apostate.
- And we shall never be apostate.

- We are their children according to the promised of God to Abraham.

 - Therefore, Abraham Isaac and Jacob are our fathers!
- The 7 thousand Jewish people who had not bowed down to Baal that God preserved! They are our
people.
- Moses, the prophets, King David are our brothers.
- Queen Ester, Ruth, and Hagar are our sisters!
- We’ve been existing side by side with the physical Israel, now we are world wide.

- That is our Heritage.

- This is our history.
- It dates back to Gen 17:7, directly from Abraham.

- To belittle the church is rab praise from it.

- Instead
- Recognize churches proper dignity.
- Love the church
- Care for it.
- Esteem it.
- See it as the greatest among the nations of the earth.
- The pinnacle of all humanity.
- Because they are humanity restored.
- The chosen descendants of Abraham
- The only Bride of Christ.
- The very glory of God in creation.

- Be proud that you are the church!

- To say that we’ve replaced Israel…

- To covet Israel identity…
- To be jealous of them…
- Even to elevate Israel more just bec. Abraham’s blood in veins…
Is to insult the church!