Israel’s Privileges (Romans 9:4–5)

“Who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.”

Israel’s privileges and blessings are Israel’s alone—rooted in God’s covenants, promises, and prophetic plan. Yet in this present age of grace, Gentiles are brought in, not by becoming Israel, but by believing the gospel.

The apostle Paul makes this truth crystal clear:

“That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel.”
— Ephesians 3:6

Gentiles are not given Israel’s covenants. Instead, by grace, we become partakers in Christ through the gospel—sharing in the spiritual blessings that flow through the Messiah, the promised Seed (Galatians 3:8, 14, 16).

Here Paul lists Israel’s extraordinary blessings:

1. The Adoption — God called Israel His “firstborn son” (Exodus 4:22). 
2. The Glory — The visible presence of God (the Shekinah) dwelled among them in the tabernacle and temple. 
3. The Covenants — The Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, and New Covenants were given to Israel, not to Gentiles. 
4. The Law — God gave His commandments and moral standard to Israel alone. 
5. The Service — The priesthood, sacrifices, and temple worship were entrusted to them. 
6. The Promises — Every prophetic and Messianic promise in the Old Testament pointed through Israel. 
7. The Fathers — Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were the patriarchs of faith and the foundation of God’s dealings with man. 
8. Christ Himself — The ultimate privilege: the Messiah came through Israel, “according to the flesh.” 

Paul ends with exaltation: “Christ… who is over all, the eternally blessed God.” This is a direct affirmation of Christ’s deity. The promised Messiah was not merely Israel’s hope but God in the flesh, born into the very nation that would reject Him.

Truth over Tradition