9:1 The apostle opened his discussion of God's relations with Israel very personally by sharing his heart for his own people. Some might have thought that Paul hated the Jews since he had departed from Judaism and now preached a Law-free gospel. Therefore he took pains to affirm his love for his fellow Jews. He claimed two witnesses that he was telling the truth when he professed love for the Jews. These witnesses were his own position in Christ who is the truth and his clear conscience that the Holy Spirit had sensitized.
9:2 Paul's sorrow and grief over Israel's condition contrast with his joy and exultation over his own condition (8:38-39).
9:3 "I could wish"introduces a wish that God would not possibly grant (8:35). Nevertheless it was a sincere wish. Paul had given up many other things for the salvation of others (Phil. 3:8). Moses voiced a similar self-sacrificing wish for the Israelites' salvation (Exod. 32:30-35). Paul's brethren here were not his spiritual but his racial brothers and sisters. Even though he was "the apostle to the Gentiles"he still took pleasure in being a Jew.
9:4 Paul shared much in common with his blood brothers. "Israelites"connotes the chosen people of God whereas "Jews"simply distinguishes them from Gentiles. Here the apostle pointed out further advantages of the Jews (cf. 3:2). He named eight of their special blessings in verses 4 and 5.
God graciously had adopted Israel as He had Christians (cf. 8:15; Exod. 4:22; Deut. 14:1-12). The Israelites had the glory of God's presence among them as Christians have the glory of God within us through His indwelling Spirit (Exod. 40:34; 1 Kings 8:11). God took the initiative in reaching out to Israel with covenants that bound Him and the nation together (i.e., the Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, and New Covenants). He has reached out to us with the gospel and the New Covenant with the same result. The "giving"(NASB; not "receiving,"NIV) of the Mosaic Law was a great privilege that corresponds to the teaching of Christ. The Jewish sacrificial system enabled Israel to have fellowship with God now available through the high priestly work of Christ. The promises revealed to the patriarchs guaranteed God's action for them just as God's promises to Christians guarantee His action for us (8:31).
"He also gave them His Law to govern their political, social, and religious life, and to guarantee His blessing if they obeyed."291
9:5 The patriarchs were the fathers to whom God gave the promises before Israel was a nation. In this respect they correspond to the apostles in the church.
"The meaning and extent of these promises are the linchpin in Paul's interpretation of salvation history; see 9:6b-13; 11:15; and especially 11:28, which forms with this verse an inclusio' surrounding Paul's discussion in these chapters."292
The Messiah came from Israel, though He was not exclusively theirs since He is the sovereign eternally blessed God (John 1:1). Here Paul called Jesus "God"(cf. Titus 2:13; 2 Pet. 1:2).
Paul did not explicitly compare Israel's blessings and ours, which comparisons I have pointed out above. His point was simply that God had blessed Israel greatly. Obviously even though God had blessed the Israelites greatly their blessings did not exceed those of Christians today. The writer of the Book of Hebrews argued that God's blessings of Christians under the New Covenant surpass His blessings of Israelites under the Old (Mosaic) Covenant.
