After his moving words of Romans 1-8, Paul turns in Chapter 9 to the particular situation of his own countrymen, "the seed of Abraham." Paul loved those of his own nation and had sought earnestly to share with them the Christian faith in spite of their constant opposition to his teaching. But by refusing to accept the Messiah and his message they were excluding themselves from the glad promise of the Gospel. For Paul this situation brought "great heaviness and continual sorrow" (v. 2).
The apostle recounts the many special privileges bestowed on the Israelites, which they had slighted, including the covenant, the giving of the law, the promises—even the patriarchs and, according to human descent, the Messiah himself. Had Jewish unresponsiveness meant the divine promises to Israel were not fulfilled? No, as Paul explains in verse 6, for in a significant sense Israel embraced more than those born into the Jewish nation. The heritage of the children of God comes by promise, not by physical relationship. And indeed, as the potter has power to mold his clay as he will, it was perfectly legitimate for the creator to call the Gentiles (as well as the Jews) to accept His salvation.
Paul sums up Chapter 9 in terms of his teaching of "justification by faith." The Gentiles, though not in pursuit of righteousness, found it by faith; while the Israelites failed in their pursuit of righteousness, for they sought to obtain it by works instead of by faith.
