Section 5
In verse 3 he uttered a prayer out of his despera tion, even willing to be "a curse, separated from Christ." In verse 6 he said, "Not all are Israel who are out of Israel." God's economy is that not all who are out of Israel, that is, all who are born of Israel, are the true Israel. All Jews have been born of Israel, but not all of them have been selected by God. All of them are of the Jewish religion, but not all are saved even though outwardly they have all the good things, including Christ, promised by God in His Holy Word.
"Neither because they are the seed of Abra ham, are they all children, but, In Isaac shall your seed be called" (v. 7). In verses 6 and 7 Paul is in the light of God's economy and sees things clearly. Only that part of Abraham's seed which is in Isaac is called. Besides Isaac, Abraham had another son named Ishmael. Though Ishmael was born of Abraham, neither he nor his descen dants, the Arabs, have been selected by God. They are the children of the flesh and cannot be reckoned as the children of God. Only Isaac and a part of his descendants are selected by God and reckoned as the children of God.
Verse 8 continues, "That is, Those who are the children of the flesh are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are reckoned as