God now speaks about the Jews. Israel originally was to have been the missionary group to the Gentiles (Isa. 42:6). And when the long-promised Messiah (Jesus) came, Israel crucified Him! Paul breaks this whole subject into three parts. Chapter 9 — first part. Israel chosen in the past to be richly blessed. It was not because they were good that they were chosen. They failed completely — they killed the One Who had come to earth to bless them! Chapter 10 — Israel at present. The nation is set aside. Chapter 11 — in the future after the church has been taken to heaven, God is going to re-gather Israel. So past, present and future, chaps. 9, 10, 11.
V.1-5 Paul is heart-broken that most of the Jews are outside the place of blessing. They rejected the Savior, and they don’t want anyone who follows Him. Notice in these verses how like the Lord Jesus Paul speaks — he walked so closely to the Lord.
V.6-13 In the early history of Israel, God chose one branch of a family for His special purposes. The behavior of that person had nothing to do with his being chosen. The Jews were arguing that God had to bless them (Luke 3:8; John 8:33,39). So he points out that only one person was chosen (v. 7) in a family. God didn’t wait to see how Jacob would turn out before He chose him (Gen. 25:23; Mal. 1:2).
V.14-29 No one can tell God what to do. Paul says that God could not be called unfair. He gives 3 reasons.
V.15-18 The scripture shows that God is free to do what He wants.
V.19-24 It would be like claiming to be equal with God instead of one of His creatures.
V.25-29 The Old Testament scriptures themselves prove that God was going to have a little remnant (group) of believing Jews, and that His love and grace would go out to the Gentiles.
V.30-33 It was known by the Old Testament scriptures that Israel would miserably fail and be set aside by God. God can do what He wants and if He did set them aside and bring the Gentiles into blessing, He will never give them up. We’ll see this in chapter 11. Those Gentiles who believe will be saved. The Jews tried to gain their blessings through their own works, and lost everything. The very Stone they stumbled over was the very One, and the only One, Who could have saved them. That Stone was the Lord Jesus Christ.