There are Christians who teach that God is finished with the nation of Israel, that the promise concerning their future blessing in the kingdom is now being fulfilled in the Church. Simply stated, their position is that God has no further plans for Israel. In his Epistle to the Romans, Paul writes a whole section (Rom. 9–11) to show that God still has a plan for His earthly people, concluding that “the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (11:29). God will not go back on the promises made to them.

In our verse today Paul gives the first of eight ancient, holy privileges unique to Israel, showing their special place in the purposes of God. The first privilege Paul mentions may sound familiar to us Christians: it is “the adoption.” What is the meaning of the term? The word means “sonship,” or “adoption as sons.” The same word is used for us in some of Paul’s Epistles (Gal. 4:5; Eph. 1:5). However, we must be very careful here. Although the word “adoption” is the same word used in connection with believers today, they are not the same thing. With Israel, the term is used in a lower sense. As a nation they had a special relationship with God: “Israel is My son, My firstborn” (Ex. 4:22). As a Father, He had formed them and called them (Isa. 64:8). Their beginning was unlike any other nation in the world. We, however, who have received the adoption, or sonship, have the “Spirit of His Son” in our hearts, crying out, “Abba Father!” (Gal. 4:6). Israel of old did not possess this, even genuine saints among them. This is our privilege today!